Digital Camera Suggestions

TheGame

TheGame

Joined
Sep 24, 2008
Messages
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I need to get a digi cam to take pics of the outdoors and such, and I figured since there are a lot of posts here with pics, there would be no better place to ask :D

What is a good affordable digital camera? It can't be too expensive, but I am not going to put an exact limit, as I am not sure what it would be at this point.
 
The only thing I can recommend is to get a camera that takes AA batteries! My old Canon with it's 'proprietery battery, $$, gave up the ghost last Summer and I've yet to replace it. The CCD went on it and 'supposedly' Canon was offering a $50 rebate/coupon towards getting another Canon. Since I can't find that program, I too am looking for a new camera. I liked the size of my Powershot10, just not the flat batteries that only held a 1-2hour charge in use. From my research having AA batteries allows use of any AAs you find along the way, with lithiums giving the longest life, especially if the flash is turned off.
 
I just finished shopping for a new point-'n'-shoot digital (I use a Nikon D70 for a digital SLR). The field is so competitive, there is no real "best buy" these days. After a lot of research, I picked the Panasonic Lumix TZ50. I am very happy with it so far! Very happy!

Here's a great resource for anything related to digital cameras:
http://www.dpreview.com/

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
The Pentax Optio waterproof cameras are great for outdoors. Likewise the Olympus waterproof rigs like the 1050SW. These cameras have internal focusing, so the lenses don't extend from the body, making them much tougher, dustproof and quick to start up. They are better in cold weather too.

Don't fret on the batteries. They have gotten much better and getting a spare is easy and not a big dollar item. Going out with two fresh batteries will get you hundreds of photos.
 
Like Desmobob, I just got done doing my camera shopping too. Looked at a lot of different models, and ended up buying a Canon SX110 for $230. It's this one:

30-120-285-TS

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830120285

You can read the details for yourself, but it's a fantastic camera so far. It's as automatic or as controllable as you want it to be. Auto or manual focus, 10x optical, good macro functionality, high ISO settings, adjustable shutter and aperture. Takes AA batteries that frankly last a ridiculously long time (much longer than either of my old and very basic point-and-shoots). I'm very, very pleased with it so far, it's capable of much better pictures than I'm able to take, but here are a few so far:

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the panasonic tz's are really good cameras. they offer alot of versatility, while not full slr capabilities, still performs well. the best part about it IMO is the fact that it is 10x optical zoom which provides the ability to zoom way off into the distance.

if your looking for something with close to slr capabilities however not the slr size the canon g10 is a great camera to look at. you can shoot raw as well as jpeg.

if your looking for an outdoors camera i suggest looking at the olympus line of cameras. i own the older model stylus 700 series which is labelled as an "all weather" camera. i've taken pics with it in the rain before and doesnt seem to get too bothered by humidity or wetness. that being said its not submersible.


however, the other olympus lines such as the 1030sw and the 850sw are submergible underwater up to 33ft and can also take pictures under water. they are shock resistant (meaning you can drop it) from a distance of 10ft. also they are not effected by weather and come in florescent colors if you need the visibility.

if you're looking for a decent budget camera to do some pointing and shooting i suggest looking at the canon SD880. it is decently priced and shoots well for pointing and shooting.

one thing though, on your quest you will have to decide between lith-ion batteries and AA's.

While AA's are more readily available during travel i would suggest you pick up a camera which uses lith-ion batteries and invest into a back up battery and a large memory card. the reason why i suggest steering away from AA's is that the camera usually has a slower flash cycle. if your going to shoot mostly day time without flash AA's are fine. however if your looking to shoot at night time as well, where flash could possibly be crucial i suggest picking up a lith-ion powered camera. also AA cameras tend to be bulkier.

good luck on your search for a camera.

btw. my current setup is a canon XT SLR, panasonic lumix fz18, olympus stylus 700 series, canon eos 35mm slr, pentax slr 35mm, nikon slr 35mm, and leica 35mm.

out of that group the olympus probably gets the most use on hikes and the panasonic will be second on extended trips. i dont pack the SLR's for outdoor shots often unless i've got a buddy with me to help carry some gear.

cheers

JC
 
The Canon SD series are nice, and take nice pictures. They take a proprietary battery, but it works well. I get in the neighborhood of 100 shots w/ mine, w/ and w/out flash. It focuses almost instantly, but doesn't always get it right when you are closer than two feet or so. I have had mine for about a year, and it has ridden in a back pocket for a majority of that time. It has been dropped down 1 story, dropped into the water(though I snatched it back out REALLY fast :D), and is still going strong.

The nicer Nikon Coolpix I played with was nice also. At times, it seemed to do better on the color of the pictures. The downside to it was that it was very slow to focus, though at times it seemed to do a bit nicer job of it.

The controls of both cameras seem to work similiarly.

ETA,

The Canon here is fairly nice, and runs on AAs. It is a similiar processor to the SD series, and less expensive. The downside is that it is bulkier.
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerSh...3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1235804624&sr=8-3
 
What would be the best rugged somewhat flat digital camera for the outdoors capable of taking very clear photos close and far and be somewhat waterproof?
 
I ask this question a while back. I got a lot of confusing answers. BUT for a pocket camera I got an Olympus stylus 790 sw. It is shock resistant for about a 5' fall, water resistant for about 6' or so and only about 125.00 USD.
What that means is (when) it falls out of my pocket and in to the only puddle in the state it will be OK.
 
I really like my Canon PowerShot SX100 IS, but like Spooky posted, they have the 110 now, which is supposed to be even that much better.

Good luck finding a camera.
 
Moved to Gadgets & Gear. Just because post in W&S the most it doesn't mean it belongs there.
 
I love my Panasonic Lumix FZ-18. The batteries last a long time and, unlike AA's, deliver more power to the flash. I bought two aftermarket batteries from Bestbatt.com for ~$10 a piece and they've performed as well as the original.
 
I just bought a Panasonic DMC-TZ5. on the recommendation of a friend who works at circuit city (for now). so far I have been very happy with it. it has just enough capability and muscle to pull off some shots that you should use a digital SLR for. but it is still in a convienient point and shoot package.

my only major complaint is that I can't change color settings from the quickmenu.. and I cant hold the shutter open (for night movement shots). details here
 
Canon 590IS

An outstanding inexpensive ($109) camera with AA batteries and many usable features. The image quality is excellent outdoors and the macro works very well.

You might also consider using Eneloop or similar hybrid batteries on the cameras that use AA batteries. They will last longer and do not self discharge like other rechargeables. Get a good charger.
 
1Tracker said:
The only thing I can recommend is to get a camera that takes AA batteries!
Click to expand...
My own advice would be exactly the opposite! I had a Fuji digital that ran on 4xAA, and basically a set would last maybe one day. From what I hear, this is the norm with AA digital cameras and it gets really expensive constantly replacing those batteries. Modern NiMH rechargable batteries are very reliable and not all that expenisve (especially compared to multiple sets of AAs) and I have had sets that lasted years of heavy use. :thumbdn:

I have had very good luck with Canon cameras, both their PowerShot point-n-shoots and their EOS DSLRs. The PowerShot line runs from $100-500 (MSRP) and I would just decide how much you can afford and get the best one you can. You can't really go wrong. :thumbup:
 
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