SLR camera opinions

[Doubledog]

(Greg especially) Can you guys give me your opinion on this camera? Auction ends in a few minutes but my point about this is the package deal. How are the Sigma Auto Focus lenses?, the Camera itself and the accessories.

Ebay Item: 3833247963


I've emailed the seller and they'll sell me another setup like the one posted so there's no rush.

Just want some opinions.

Here's some my buddy took of my boat with his SLR camera last weekend. I've got to get one. This thing will almost stop the prop. (ignore the trim tabs, I've got it setup for SAW in this photo)

Thanks in advance.
DD

[1BadAction]

ok, fill me in, what is this SLR? that is an awesome pic.

[Doubledog]

SLR..... hell I don't know

You're asking the wrong guy my friend. All I know is they're a professional camera that has a lot better speed etc.. than the normal 35mm on in my case... a digital.

My buddy has an SLR and its amazing ad the differences between the normal 35 mm/simple digital and the SLR.

I'll give you two examples from last weekend.

Here's one taken with mine as the boat was passing by going 60+ mph from a few feet away. Trying to lead the boat a hair and still it ends up blurry. I only cropped the outer edges of this photo to keep the size down and had it set on the lowest setting (smaller photos) but high quality.

[Doubledog]

Another example from my Fuji pocket peice of junk.

Boat is coming by around 60 or so and had plenty of distance between us. Lowest image size (112 kb's per photo) and even gave it time to auto focus before taking. Had to crop a hair for posting here.

Still blurry.

[Doubledog]

One with the SLR...

Of course he's got a hell of a zoom lense, but it focuses almost instantly and has a speed of nearly 4000. Where we normally use 200 or even 400 speed film for everyday use. I believe he said he had it set on 2000 for these photos.

I'm in love.

[Doubledog]

Another example of the speed of the SLR.

Here's my boat. Notice the prop marks in the water.

This photo is ate up after editing. The size he was taking is
1.03 MB per photo so you can edit them to get exactly what you want from it. But after cropping, then having to resize even more, the shot gets jacked up as in this case. My point should be obvious though.

Later.

[LaserModVee]

If memory serves me right, SLR stands for single lens reflex.

I took some photography classes a while back, the info seemed to stick in my head since I enjoyed it so much.

With SLR cameras, you are looking through the lens when taking a picture. They can be 35mm or digital. SLR's give you the ability to change lenses, filters, and actually see what will be in the picture when you take the pic.

Hopefully, Apollo Imaging or Greg will step in for the skinny on the digi cams. I am still in prehistoric Minolta 35mm days.

[1BadAction]

im droolin over those pics, awesome... i think greg is on his way back to cape corndog right now.

[Scream And Fly]

Jamie,

The Canon Digital Rebel is one of the best buys in digital SLR cameras today. It takes photos every bit as good as its bigger brother, the 10D - it's basically a stripped down version. You will not be dissapointed with the Digital Rebel, however, like all SLR cameras, it will not include a great lens. Very good lenses start at $1000 and go up from there. No matter which lens you use, the Canon is a great unit, and you'll get great results. Just remember to study all of the features of the camera, etc.

Personally, I like SLR cameras but they cannot easily be "one handed" like a point and shoot camera. For most purposes, a good, high-end point and shoot camera (such as the Nikon 8700) can capture an image just as good as an SLR - of course, the SLR camera gives you many more lens options, which would allow for shots not possible with a standard point and shoot affair. And really good point and shoot cameras are not common - you'll have to spend $800 or more for one.

For most of what I do, I use my Nikon 5700. It has full manual controls (which I use most of the time) and it's light enough to use with one hand. With the crazy situations I put myself in, I need to have a camera that is light enough for that. The 5700 also has a rotating screen and an electronic viewfinder, which have become needed features for me as well. The 8X optics are very good too (ED coated glass Nikkor lens).

Most of the images you see posted here by me are taken with a Nikon 5700 or an E995. The Nikon D1x is my favorite, but it's a huge machine of a camera that's just not practical for my needs most of the time.

The bottom line is, you have to ask youself how much you want to spend, and what you really want to do with the camera. Try the cameras out before you buy them, and most of the time you can download the instruction manuals free of charge. I would do that so you could become familiar with the manual controls and features of the camera.

Most of all - be very careful who you buy from online. A lot of these online retailers will offer "amazing deals" and the merchandise is refurbished, gray market, or...? Go to www.bbb.org and research the company who is selling the cameras.

If there is anything else I can help with, please let me know.

I hope this helps

Greg

[Doubledog]

Thanks for the insight Greg. I'll check the website you gave and ask around before buying.

Contacted my buddy last night and he said he's using a Nikkon D70.

I used it for a few shots and indeed it was a monster. Wouldn't want to have it hanging on your neck too long.

[Techno]

I think there is a slight misconception here.
A film SLR will take beautiful pictures suitable for framing and hanging on the wall. Cost about mid between the lower and higher end digital cams, with an optional zoom lens. This is like giga or higher megapixel equivalant. Digital SLRs to this level cost about what your boat cost 10-20 grand.


A simple "cheap" small box type digital camera will probably do what you want.
Freeze action- only 1/1000 second shutter speed most of the time is needed.
Good pictures for sharing. You have to reduce the pictures for emailing and posting anyway so having a high end camera when your megapixel is reduced from 4 Mb to maybe 100 Kb is a big waste.
Optical zoom lenses are nice but if the picture was taken at 4 MB can be cropped down inside the picture for this zoom affect.

High memory saved cameras need high memory capacity. Mine with the old 2. whatevermegapixel imager and 4MB pictures only takes 20 pictures with the largest memory stick available for it 128. If reduced in resolution suitable for posting takes like 1,000 and if mid for later playing with maybe 200-400 pictures.
This same Mp size is now cheap and the higher ones now are saying are needed for the 8"x 10" printing, 3+ Mp when mine said this!
Cameras CCd megapixel rating is an advertising hype, you don't need much for posting on computer screens- resolution or size Its on the screen!!!
It isn't needed. It isn't used and if used is later reduced back to a lesser camera.

If you want to take quick pictures for posting and always handy ready to use, not worried about damage or stolen then get the pocket digital camera, most will do what you want. Speed and quality, ease of use. Always ready and more likely being carried.
Also get a film 35mm SLR camera for the very best in pictures. These far surpass anyones digital camera and can be blown up to poster size if wished. BTW posters are cheap while photographs this size are not. A poster maybe $25 which is printed like newspaper, a poster sized photo more like $80+ which is on photo paper, not printed with ink.
Get both if big pictures are wanted. If just computer use only the digital forget the near grand digital cameras since you'll use those features rarely if at all.
The extras these carry are really not used that much and if you don't need them why pay for it? Your pictures will be just as good.

I could post 2 pictures taken at 100 kb and 4 Mb sizes but you wouldn't see the difference since they both would end up being 100 kb.
1st picture is 35kb
2nd is 34 kb
3rd is 27 kb
4th is 35 kb the beautiful blue U-1
4th is 35 kb
So how is a $1,000 camera going to compete with a $200-300 one? The features the lesser camera has are being used but the higher end one are not or are bypassed usually. Manual mode is rarely used.

[Doubledog]

Techno, the speed of my fuji A303 isn't worth a flip as I've proved in the above photos. Read through all the directions and have not figured out a way to speed up the shutter.
Its 14 months old since buying it new. The above photos were taken using the view finder not using the LCD screen to see the target.

Have even went so far in the past to increase the size to its max and it does no good. Same for my Samsung that the Fuji replaced.

If anything, we're debating on going with a higher end digital like Greg talked about. You can do all of your editing at home, drop them on a disk- pen drive- CD, take to the photo developer and have them printed out for the same price as a normal 35 mm photo.

The way we see it is we've got the 'el cheapo' and now its time to move up, just the decision factor is kicking in now. Looks like the 5+ lb cannon (no pun intended) might have to take a back seat.

Thanks for the insight Techno.

[marshan162]

Although your fuji A303 has a fast shutter, I believe it goes upto 1/2000 of a sec its auto only and you can not set that speed when desired. What you need is a camera that has full manual selection. A very reasonaly priced($249.00) camera that has full manual adjustment and a 10X zoom lens that equates to a 380mm lens in 35mm terms is the Minolta Dimage Z1. I think its becoming end of line so may not be available for too long. Visit http://www.steves-digicams.com/ for all camera reviews

Karl

[Techno]

I made a bit of a boob on the prop speed deal.
78 rps is still 1 rev per a 1/125 second exposure. cut it into 1/4s and 8ths and you are at the 1,000s or above shutter speed. I thought there was something wrong there.


After looking at the picts again I think the blurry ones are focus and not shutter speed. Check out the originals for foreground clearity. Both seem to have the foreground for focus while the center and background are sacrificed.

If its shutter speed, camera shake, there should be a same size blurry all over no matter where. Almost an orbital blurring sometimes.
If its focus it should be good somewhere and get worse somewhere, I think both are in or almost in focus at the shortest distance and out of focus at longer. Not shutter speed but maybe autofocus?
I don't know the focus control on your cam or if your seeing the shot in the viewfinder but check this out first, before buying a new camera. Your close up shots are in focus.
Check where your fingers are on the camera, long shot but sometimes you block the sensor on some cams if held wrong.
Some have a focus lock too. You look at the distance you want and hold the shutter down part way or some such nonsense. Then take the picture.