Looking for a digi cam

U

UW Mitch

Joined
Nov 2, 1999
Messages
1,437
So I'm thinking it's time to buy a digital camera...my disposable kodak cameras in the cardboard box housing are not longer cutting it.

In the research lab I'm in, we have a very nice Sony Mavica. Does anyone have any suggestions what I should look for and where I should look. I don't know how much I want to spend just yet, because I'm not sure how much I "need" to spend.
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Thanks,
Mitch

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My Hobby Page
 
Check out these websites for lots of excellent reviews and info: http://www.dcresource.com/ http://www.dpreview.com/ http://www.steves-digicams.com/

A few weeks ago, I bought the new Nikon Coolpix 880 for $680 from www.ecost.com. This is an awesome camera -- 2048x1536 maximum (3.34 megapixel). It's basically got all the ability of the highly rated Coolpix 990 ($900) except that the 880 is more compact, has some very useful new features, and does not have the 990's swivel lens. It uses CompactFlash to store images, USB to transfer them to your desktop (lightning fast), and the recycle time between shots is very short. I've used a Kodak DC260, and the recycle time was annoying long. Anyway, see the above three sites for comprehensive reviews of the 880 as well as every other digital camera.

If you are willing to opt for 2.11 megapixel quality, the older Nikon Coolpix 800 can be bought for about $420 after rebate. I don't think it supports USB though.

I've heard the Canon Powershot G1 is supposed to be very cool as well, so you might consider that. It'll cost around $900 though. Also, the Olympus C-3000Z ($700) has gotten good reviews.

Basically, you pay for the CCD resolution, the desktop interface method (USB vs. serial), and features. Cameras are available in a large variety of price ranges, so you should be able to find what you want.

hth,
/mel
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Mel,
Does the 880 take a CF2 or is it limited to a CF1 only? I want to use my 1GB Microdrive, and was wondering if it was supported. Thanks.

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Regards,
Tim
Nor'east Knives
noreastknives@bigfoot.com

There are two rules for ultimate success in life.
Never tell everything you know.

[The other one is to please read the groundrules for the Auto forum at: http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum14/HTML/001211.html ]
 
I bought the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S70. 3.3 megapixel. I chose it for the Zeiss lens. AnandTech did a review of it. I agree with his review mostly. But add you get used to the awkward grip and small buttons. But I wish it was faster. Turning off the LCD viewer and using the viewfinder makes things a little faster.

It is an expensive camera better suited for still shots like portraits, macro shots and landscapes. Especially considering the supplied 8mb memory stick is worthless and you have to spend about $100 for the 64mb memory stick. But I like it and I'm thinking about the S50.

Learning from my mistakes I recomend looking for a camera with widely available accessories. Like AA batteries and easily available memory media.

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"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"
-Nordic proverb

[This message has been edited by David Williams (edited 10-28-2000).]
 
Tim,

The Nikon Coolpix 880 only takes CF1. It's too bad it can't take a microdrive. I bought two 64MB cards, in addition to the 8MB card it comes with. I can probably take more than 120 shots at 2048x1536, highest quality (lowest compression) JPEG. It takes only a couple of seconds to upload each image to my PC, so it's cool.

If you need CF2 support, the Canon Powershot G1 provides it, and it's supposed to be a very nice camera too. It's bigger, heavier, and more expensive though.

Here's a comparison chart of a lot of cameras: http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html

Here's another good review site: http://www.imaging-resource.com/

/mel
 
Mitch, Skyline's link's are good resources. Which digital camera you get should depend on what sort of photographer you are. If you're a point-and-shoot type, look for something that does everything automatically. If you like to modify the settings, then look for one that has all the bells and whistles.

I bought a Mavica FD-88 for the 8X optical zoom. You didn't say what kind of Mavica you have in the lab, but here's what I thinkof mine. I like the long zoom fo I don't have to get really close to objects. I like Sony's InfoLithium batteries; they last a long time and the power meter helps alot. (I bought a second one for more time). At first, I liked the idea of using floppies for storage, but I only get 4 pics at the largest image size and 6-8 at the intermediate (which is what I use normally). Swapping disks doesn't bother me as much as the long write time, making my follow-up shots slow. The camera is big compared to the others that were mentioned. One of my friends bought an Olympus C-3030, and it was so much smaller than my Mavica! Another bought the Canon ELPH digicam (I forgot what the model number was). That one is really tiny, almost too small for comfortable holding. My FD-88 is a 1.3 Mpixel, which is OK for 4x6 size and on the computer screen, but the 2.2 and 3.3 Mpixels are really impressive. The FD-88 takes short mpeg video, which is alot of fun, though the image size is pretty small. I'm not displeased with the FD-88, since I knew it's limitations when I bought it, but I want to buy another digicam for pocket use. I can't decide between the Sony Cybershots, the Olympus C-3030, or the Nikon 990.

In all, I would suggest a model with 3.3+ resolution, USB transfer, and a handy size. I found the best price by looking at www.shopping.com for the comparision. My only advice here is that you be very careful with the vendor that you get a good price from. I used www.digitalandvideo.com (which I wouldn't recommend for the sleazy sales tactics) and got soaked for the case, battery, and extra filters. The camera itself was a good deal, just not the accessories. Have fun with your search.

gm
 
What are your collective thoughts on the Nikon Coolpix 950? A professor recommended it to me, and I found it for as little at $610.

Thanks,
Mitch

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My Hobby Page
 
I looked at the 880 (nice camera!)- I'd have bought it with CF2 support. The G1 just started shipping last week and is about $900 and hard to find (more than I wanted to pay, too). I found a Canon Powershot S20 for just over $500 with 3.3megapixels, 16MB CF and support for my CF2 1GB Microdrive- good camera! The only downside is that you have to buy the rechargeable proprietary battery separately- it comes with a 2CR5 battery (not too badly priced at www.cheapbatteries.com ) but won't handle other company's rechargeables. The Nikon's only support the CF1, so I passed onthem as well as the Sony limited memory stick media (even though that's what I have in my Dig8 Camcorder). As an aside (from one of the reviews on one of the sites mentioned above) the Olympus 3030, Canon S20 and Sony DSCS70 all use the same lenses, just with a different name- Zeiss, Canon and Olympus (with pictures to back it up- very intriguing). Thanks for the tips guys, you were very helpful. Now, does anyone need a hardly-used Polaroid PDC700?
wink.gif
Make me an offer!
smile.gif


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Regards,
Tim
Nor'east Knives
noreastknives@bigfoot.com

There are two rules for ultimate success in life.
Never tell everything you know.

[The other one is to please read the groundrules for the Auto forum at: http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum14/HTML/001211.html ]
 
Originally posted by UW Mitch:
What are your collective thoughts on the Nikon Coolpix 950? A professor recommended it to me, and I found it for as little at $610.
Click to expand...

For $70 more, I'd definitely go with the 880 (3.34 megapixel, USB). The 950 is last year's model (2.11 megapixel, serial only!) and was replaced by the 990 (3.34 megapixel, USB).

Although the 880 is a "lower model" than the famous 990, it's actually an evolution of the 990. It retains the 990's excellent image quality, full auto/full manual support, and 3.34 megapixel CCD. The 880 adds new features such as Scene mode, Quick Review, and rechargeable battery option. Plus, the 880 is VERY small (50% lighter!) compared to the bulkier 950/990.

The only advantages of the 990 are the swivel lens (which I don't need), and the 3x optical zoom (2.5x on the 880).

See for yourself by doing a "Side-by-Side" comparison of the 880, 950, and 990 at www.dpreview.com.

/mel
 
Has anyone dealt with edigitalplus.com? I found the Coolpix 950 for only $527 there. But I'm not sure how good their service is. Any thoughts?

I have been looking hard at the Coolpix 880. But considering I didn't want to spend so much on a camera, it's kind of hard to justify spending so much...but I guess if I get something pretty good now, it will save me from having to buy it later.
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Thanks,
Mitch
 
Originally posted by UW Mitch:
But considering I didn't want to spend so much on a camera, it's kind of hard to justify spending so much...
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, the 950 is serial only. It's a good idea to take into consideration whether the camera has a USB connection or only offers serial. A serial port maxed out at 115200 bits/sec will take ~77 minutes to download a 64MB flash card. On the other hand, USB at a typical 900 kb/sec will take about 75 seconds!

Note that your PC must have a USB port, and you must be running Windows 95OSR2, Windows 98, Windows 2000, MacOS, or Unix to utilize the USB port.

In my experience with a Kodak DC260 with serial only, I almost put my fist through my monitor in frustration with just waiting to see thumbnails of the images on the camera. Downloading the images themselves was an hour long process.

/mel


[This message has been edited by Skyline (edited 10-31-2000).]
 
mel,
It was suggested to me that I get the 950, and buy a USB card reader (which should be another $50 or so). I think that after I buy the card reader, I may as well have just bought the 880. Still, the person in my lab with the 950 really likes his.

I was looking at the 880 from ecost. A friend of mine told me that ecost adds some kind of handling charge on top of the cost of the item, and shipping. Can you tell me about your experience with them?

Thanks,
Mitch

------------------
My Hobby Page
 
It was suggested to me that I get the 950, and buy a USB card reader (which should be another $50 or so). I think that after I buy the card reader, I may as well have just bought the 880. Still, the person in my lab with the 950 really likes his.
Click to expand...

The 950 is indeed a nice camera, but the 880 and 990 are one generation ahead in technology. The 950's CCD does a max of 1600x1200, whereas the 880 and 990 do 2048x1536. The higher resolution allows a greater level of detail to be captured. Let's say you wanted to make prints from your digital images. Here's a comparison chart:

printer, 1600x1200, 2048x1536
200 dpi, 8'x6', 10.2'x7.7'
300 dpi, 5.3'x4', 6.8'x5.1'

At 2048x1536, you can make larger prints without pixel extrapolation.

In some ways, the 880 is superior to the 990 as well. Again, to see the differences, see http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp and do a comparison of the 880, 950, and 990. Here's a physical weight/size comparison:

Model, Weight, Size
Nikon 880, 11.3oz, 3.9"x3"x2.1"
Nikon 950, 16.9oz, 5.6"x3"x1.4"
Nikon 990, 15.9oz, 5.6"x3.1"x1.5"

I really think the choice is pretty clear, but then again, I can be pretty opinionated.
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I was looking at the 880 from ecost. A friend of mine told me that ecost adds some kind of handling charge on top of the cost of the item, and shipping. Can you tell me about your experience with them?
Click to expand...

Ecost offers free shipping for orders > $350. So, you'd only have to pay the handling charge, which I believe was about $20. This was my first experience with them, and they delivered my order just fine. They do provide the UPS tracking code on their online order status page.

Again, it'd be best to take some time to read the reviews at the links provided earlier in this thread. If nothing else, compare the 880, 950, and 990. For the price, I strongly feel the 880 is the best value of the three by far, and one of the best values of any camera in the < $1000 price range. As mentioned earlier, the Olympus C-3030Z and Canon PowerShot G1 are also top-of-class cameras and are worth consideration.

/mel


[This message has been edited by Skyline (edited 11-01-2000).]
 
a police officer at school asked me what i knew about digital cameras.i told him do not be afraid to spend money.the more you spend,the better off you will be.the least i'd recommend would be 300 bucks.some of the newspaper guys i know use the new nikon digital SLR's that run in the thousands of dollars,but worth every cent.
there is the "cool pix" camera,also by nikon,i believe,about 900 dollars +/- a little.you can find em on ebay for less.just dont go and buy a 100 dollar camera,you wont like it.

[This message has been edited by MAURICE (edited 11-01-2000).]
 
Those Digital Nikon SLR's run about $5,000 for the body alone. The lenses are hundreds and thousands more. I looked it up after visiting Universal Studios. There were 3 guys at the gate taking your pictures so you could buy prints at some booth. I looked and they had the Nikon D1's. I wonder if they knew they had $5,000 plus worth of cameras in their hands.

Right now I'm looking for a camera with a faster reaction time. My Sony takes about 3/4 to 1.5 seconds to take the picture after the button is pushed. Is this normal for digital cameras?

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"A knifeless man is a lifeless man"
-Nordic proverb
 
I think I've decided to go with the Nikon 880. I was still leaning toward the 950, because it is slightly cheaper, and the batteries are MUCH cheaper. However, I figure I'll spend a little more now, and hopefully not have to worry about buying a new camera until much further in the future. Thanks everyone for the advice. I also decided to order from www.buydig.com so I'll see how that goes!
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I'll be sure to post pics!

Thanks,
Mitch

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My Hobby Page
 
Mitch and everyone,
Before your order, be sure to check out the dealer here: http://www.resellerratings.com/

That site is very good for just about anything you buy online. Another one to check out is www.gomez.com .

------------------
Regards,
Tim
Nor'east Knives
noreastknives@bigfoot.com

There are two rules for ultimate success in life.
Never tell everything you know.

[The other one is to please read the groundrules for the Auto forum at: http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum14/HTML/001211.html ]

[This message has been edited by Tim Flanagan (edited 11-02-2000).]
 
Originally posted by David Williams:
Right now I'm looking for a camera with a faster reaction time. My Sony takes about 3/4 to 1.5 seconds to take the picture after the button is pushed. Is this normal for digital cameras?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, this is normal for many cameras, but not all. I used to use a Kodak DC260, and it took 10+ seconds from power on to ready, and about 2-4 seconds from shutter release to picture taken. The subject always blinks in that time!
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Another reason to love the Nikon Coolpix 880 and 990. They've got some of the fastest reaction times around. Focusing takes about 0.5 seconds. The lag between shutter release and picture taken is 0.1 seconds.

The www.dpreview.com reviews including timing and lag information. Very cool.

Anyone sick of me blabbing about Nikon yet?
smile.gif


/mel
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