Camera Choice

[Ziemer]

I am replacing my Olympus camera and I think I am going to pick a new one up tonight. I'm stuck between a few but am leaning towards the Nikon Coolpix 4800.

Other choices are the Olympus C765, Canon Powershot S1, or Fuji Finepix S5100.

(Definitely want a good optical zoom, 8x-10x)

Any thoughts???

[tripledude]

I picked up the current issue of Consumer Reports which features digital camera's and camcorders. Haven't looked at it yet but it may be worth your while to take a look.

[Scream And Fly]

Your best choice would be the 5-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 5700. It has most of the same features than the 8-megapixel 8700, and better image quality (less CCD artifacts). The 5700/8700 have a better ED Nikkor 8X optical zoom lens and a rotating LCD panel which helps a lot for odd angles. Finally, I think Nikon is offering large rebates on the 5700 and 8700. Nikon also introduced the 8800 with image stabilization, but that will be around $1000.

I have also seen the results from the Olympus "Ultra Zoom" cameras, and I was very unimpressed. I would advise against the purchase of one of those.

I have several Nikon cameras - professional and consumer, and I think the 5700/8700 are one of the best "prosumer" models available today for the money.

Greg

[Ziemer]

Has anyone seen this new Nikon 4800. It has the 8.3x optical zoom and is a 4.0 MP camera. I don't really want to spend $600-$700 for the 5700, but I like the Nikon's.

I agree with the UZ Olympus, that's what I have and the pictures are just fair, but not great.

[Scream And Fly]

For $400, you can't beat the Coolpix 4800. It is a good point-and-shoot camera. Keep in mind that the 5700 can be had for not much more though, you'll get many more options and full manual control - something you won't have with the 4800.

Most of the photos I take for articles here were captured with a 5700 and an E995 (mainly used for macro).

Greg

[Ziemer]

That's what tough... My Olympus is broke and needs to be sent for repair which could be as much as $200, so instead of fixing an outdated camera I figured I would buy a new one for a little bit more. I figured $300 or so could buy a comparable camera, but then I thought I should probably get something that is good quality and last for awhile, so that's what brought me to the Nikon. So I now have gone from $200 for a repair, to roughly $300 for a new camera, to now I'm at a $400 camera, but I could get a really nice camera for $500+.

I guess it really comes down to what I need and how much I really want to spend. I just want a nice camera that has a good zoom and will take good pictures when we're out on the boat, or out with the family.

[Thunderduck]

Don't buy until you see the Olympus C-60. I haven't seen them in stores and bought mine dirctly from Olympus (website). Very small, great battery life, 6.1 MP and 10X zoom. Awesome camera.

:cool: :cool:

[tripledude]

What's the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom on the same camera?? To a dummy like me, zoom is zoom??

[Ziemer]

Optical magnifies with the lens, where digital just expands or strectes the individual pixels. The quality drops dramatically with the digital zoom, especially on a lower megapixel camera.

[Scream And Fly]

In a nutshell, optical zoom is what matters - it's the telephoto created by the lens itself. Digital zoom is basically a marketing gimmick - the camera interpolates the image and "enlarges" it, simulating a zoom effect. With digital zoom, image quality is usually very poor (when compared to optical zoom), so it should never be a consideration when purchasing a camera.

Also remember that a higher megapixel rating does not mean better image quality. There is a difference. The megapixel rating tells you how large the image will be, and for most people in practical usage, a 3 megapixel camera is total overkill.

To create a digital image, the camera uses a CCD (Charge Couple Device) imager (CMOS for Canon in some of their models). The imager contains transistors that read light information. The higher the megapixel rating, the more transistors there are in the imager.

Packing a lot of transistors in the CCD imager can have a negative effect - especially in lower cost cameras. This negative effect is a higher degree of artifacts or "digital noise" - similar to grain you see in standard film. This becomes more of an issue with higher ISO settings, since you're effectively boosting the gain of the imager.

What does this mean?

It means that the Nikon 5700 (a 5 megapixel camera) can shoot a higher quality low-light, 400 ISO image than the Nikon 8700 (an 8 megapixel camera).

This is not always the case though - the size of the imager affects the quality of high megapixel camera images. Since most consumer model cameras use small CCD imagers (because of low cost), this is why cramming more transistors into small imagers creates the problem. Selling cameras with the highest possible megapixel rating is the game that lures people into buying them. People automatically think the 5 megapixel camera is "better" than the 4 megapixel model.

Professional SLR digital cameras are usually around 5-6 megapixels, since the image quality is what is most important.

Greg

[Forkin' Crazy]

What's wrong the the Olympus Ultra Zoom? I have a 2100C with the 10X optical zoom. I have had it for almost 4 years with no problems. Pictures are nice and clear. Other features work well also.

The only problem that I have had is a few pics that were out of focus, but I don't fault the camera for that. Usually that is attributed to low light conditions.

The only thing that I can see wrong with it is the resolution is not as great as the new ones, that fault being an older camera.

Come on Greg, your just partial to Nikon...;)

:) :) :)

[Scream And Fly]

Paul,

The Olympus is a good camera, but compared to its Nikon counterpart, the image quality is not as good. There is a clear difference.

I sure am partial to Nikon - been using them for years and I'll never use another brand - ever.

Greg :)

[Scream And Fly]

Paul, I fixed your signature image for you.

Greg :) :)

[tripledude]

Thanks for the info guys. It helps to cut thru the sales pitches from the various manufacturers, especially when I don't even use half the features they tout. "Point and shoot" is me.

[Thunderduck]

Link to Compare: Olympus C-60 vs. Nikon Coolpix 5700 and others.

http://reviews.cnet.com/Digital_Cameras/4540-6501_7-30823996-4.html?tag=tab

[Forkin' Crazy]

Originally posted by Scream And Fly
Paul, I fixed your signature image for you.

Greg :) :)

Yea, but my face is still looks red....LOL!:D Now I have to figure out how to replace it... :o

What did you do that with? Photoshop?

I'm no camera expert, by any means. I bought the Olympus b/c it was one of the only ones at the time that had a 10X optical zoom. I think they are like computers. By the time you get the bill, there is already something else better on the market.

One question concerning image quality. My Olympus has 4 different formats. The largest is a tiff and next is a large jpeg. What does this have to do in relation to resolution and megapixel?

[Dirtbag]

Originally posted by Forkin' Crazy

What did you do that with? Photoshop?

Maybe he took a picture of your picture with his Nikon :D

[Scream And Fly]

Paul,

I was just goofing around with your image for a minute - I used Photoshop, yes. I can make it better if you want. All of Scream And Fly's graphics you see here and edits are made with Photoshop.

Re: File Types - it depends on the type of shooting you're doing. For most casual photo taking, JPEG is fine, but JPEG photos are compressed (most cameras usually offer several compression options such as low, medium, fine, etc.). Not only is JPEG a compressed format, it's also a "lossy" format as well, meaning that every time you perform any action of editing and saving, you compress the image more, further reducing its quality.

TIFF files are much larger in size, and are better suited for archived photos and prints. You can keep the original TIFF file and save JPEG versions of it - the TIFF is your "digital negative" that remains full quality. Higher end cameras will shoot images in RAW format, specific to each camera. This is the raw image data from the camera's imager, and allows for easy post processing adjustments.

So, if you're taking photos where quality is the top priority, then the TIFF format might be ideal. Also consider that the larger data set of the TIFF file will require the camera more time to write to the memory card. Test your camera with different quality settings so you have an idea what the write penalty is for each one.

Greg

[stokernick]

CanonA4

[gaineso]

Until someone can show me just exactly how much better a Nikon is than my Olympus C-740 for the same price, I'll stick with Olympus. Great lenses, good prices, great rep for service and very good pictures. And it'll do 320X240 viseo as long as the card will last. I'm looking at the 765 now.

Digital zoom is a gimmick. You can do the same thing in the computer except do it a lot better.

[great adventure]

HI ALL OF YOU,

I THINK EVERY ONE SWITCHED TO DIGITAL CAMERA WHILE
i am still using the old minolta 7000i intelegent with sport
card, its has 35 to 105 zoom and 100 to 200 autofocus zoom
lenz, this camera been used when I used to water skiing
it folow the subject movement and it will select the shutter
speed according to the subject movement, what you need
is only to pull the zoom in and click plus you can take 4 frames
per second, its has small memory card called sport, for boat
and car racing, also you can keep the camera on your home
tree when you are away, and if any one enter your home
it will show you all the pictures during your absence??

but its and old one.. we must buy the nikkon 5700 as you
mentioned

thank you

[merklebob]

chech this site.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/NEWS.HTM

there are four yery good site this being the best for comparing cameras. it has was call a comparometer where you can view two different camera pics of identical items.

but of more concert is the picture lag time. thats the time between when you pushing the button and when the camera actually takes the picture. on zoom camerasit can take up to one second, which is a very long time. my nikon d1x takes .015 second which is the fastest. the time is found in the camera review in the picy details section. look for a time thats close to .3. if you can afford it really look at the canon rebel digital or the nikon d70 at arround $1000 -+. most people who really take alot of pics are really inching they way to this level, so why not go there and be done with it. i was doing that by buying new camer every year-+.

[David_L6]

4.0 Megapixel, 10X optical zoom, <$400, and easy enough to use that even I can use it!

[tripledude]

Do you guys in Louisiana always take pictures of dinner???;) ;)

[David_L6]

Originally posted by tripledude
Do you guys in Louisiana always take pictures of dinner???;) ;)


Not always.... sometimes I take pictures of my neighbors.

[great adventure]

thanks david for your recomendations, will visit the site
now and then will go to the dealer and hope the camera
available here. I am agood photographer, but i stopped
for long time...as some time busy with boat painting,
boat building, racing waterskiing, and more...
but this time we should change for something new...
but what is the zoom lens that you are using now??

[Hooty]

Canon G5 Powershot. I've had mine about 6 mos. and it's tha tits.

c/6
Hooty

[jerry]

gaineso
jerry has a c700 olympus and thinks it sucks ( my opinion) jerry just got the nikon 5700 and so far i love it , and it blow away the olympus c700 . jerry is no photo expert but there is a big difference .

[Scream And Fly]

The 5700 is one of the best non-SLR cameras you can buy.

This photo was taken without a tripod:

http://img26.exs.cx/img26/7610/dragonfly.jpg

[Trikki1010]

Greg, you got bugs in your coat ????:D

[jerry]

bugs , thats his pet...........

[B.Leonard]

I just bought a Canon 20D. After 3 cameras I wanted a good one.

My first 35mm was Minolta 3xi Maxxum. Piece of junk. It had to have a huge flash on top before it would work right in auto mode. Then it started loosing track of where it was on a roll of film. Lost a whole roll I shot at my Son's baptism :( That was the final straw for Minolta for me.

Then I bought a Nikon N70 35mm. Sweet! Very nice and impressive. When I look back some of the best shots we have were taken by that camera but then all of a sudden the digital age was here and it was obsolete! :(

So I bought a Nikon CoolPix 800. What a mistake. Good for taking pictures for Ebay, that's about it. Just unintuitive and no flash memory for the settings. Every time you change the batteries you had to start over. Even some are lost after just shutting it off. And talk about SLOW! GEEEZ! What a slug and so very annoying. And it's now obsolete!

So I was determined to get something that was FAST, digital, full sized, could use different lenses and wouldn't be obsolete in 2 yrs.

I looked at the Nikon D70 but I simply like Canon stuff (printers and scanners) and the bad memories of that Coolpix 800 stuck out in my mind. Canon's stuff always seemed so well made (at least what I have bought).

-BL

[Scream And Fly]

Thew 20D is a great choice. I like Canon SLR cameras as much as the Nikon units, but I always thought Nikon had an edge on Canon with their lenses. Either way, you can't go wrong with the 20D. I'm a Nikon person myself, but I do believe the 20D has a slight advantage over the D70 in image quality.

Greg

[B.Leonard]

My Canon Hi-8mm has worked perfect since day one. Even though it was obsolete the day I bought it :rolleyes: Only when I keep it in the cooler on the boat and then pull it out in 100 deg heat does it not work (tape slips from all the condensation on the shafts/wheels) :D

Next year I'm going Digital there too. What do you recommend?

-BL

[Scream And Fly]

That depends entirely on your budget. I have a Canon XL1s, but that's not a consumer videocam - it runs about $4200 these days. I'm looking for something a little smaller, so I'll be picking up a Canon GL2, which, again is a pro-level cam.

One of the best consumer level videocams on the market is the Canon Optura Xi. I think it runs about $1300. Anything less than that, and they are all pretty much the same - which isn't bad at all.

Greg

[TopSpin80]

no one has mentioned the panasonic fz series cameras.... in my opinion they are the best bang for the buck... I'm getting an fz15 or 20 after christmas... I can't decide on 4 or 5 megapix right now

look them up 12x zoom with stabilization in the lense.... leica ED lenses in the 15 and 20

Ernie

[jon fuller]

Greg, That pic of the Dragonfly is absolutely Amazing!

I took this pic with a Fuji 602 zoom, had it on super machro for some of the pics I took, and was able to touch the Catarpillar with the lens, whilst it was still in focus.
http://www.boatmadforum.co.uk/videos/bug.JPG

I'd like to buy a D70 next, over here in the UK they're bundled with a couple of lenses for about £900 ($1600), how do they stack up in your opinion?

Jon fuller

[Tom Foley]

After reading and learning what some of the more experienced Dig. photographers are using (Greg) I am considering this camera as it is available at best buy for 349 .00 . lets hear some comments on the piece ! Thanks , Tom

[Scream And Fly]

Tom,

The Nikon point and shoot cameras can produce fantastic picture quality. Keep in mind though, that shooting fast moving objects (like boats) or any type of sports photography with any point and shoot camera will be a challenge. I like having both types of cameras - an SLR for versatility and a p-a-s for "one handed" operation, which is very important in some of my situations.

I have had great results from p-a-s type cameras because I've spent a lot of time understanding their limitations. I also use them (my old E995 Nikon) for macro photography work when I work on articles. The Nikon point-and-shoot cameras are still the kings of macro (up-close) photography.

Point-and-shoot cameras all suffer from slow focus and write times. This is where an SLR camera excels. One way to overcome slow focus is to lock the camera's focus at a predetermined location where your subject is going to be. If I'm taking photos at a boat race, I'll focus on one of the boats as it goes by, then lock the focus. Then I'll photograph subsequent boats in that same location. It's a tricky technique, but with practice you can get fantastic results.

Of course, one of the advantages of a point-and-shoot camera is they have fantastic depth of field. This is because they use very small CCD imagers. That takes a lot of the guesswork or experimentation out of general photography, which is why they are great for snapshots at events, etc.

If I can be of anymore help, just let me know,

Greg