Digital camera recomendations?

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BigToque

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
11,700
0
76
First off, is there a better forum to keep asking all my camera questions?

My girlfriend has a Kodak DX3900 (3MP 2x zoom). The pictures are not great and there really isn't much control over the pictures.

She wants to buy a good camera and learn how to take good pictures. Most pictures will be outdoors during the day and night.

I've told her before to consider getting the A85. It has good reviews and is not very expensive.

My suggestions so far have been Canon (A85 and the S1 IS) simply because I hear lots of good things about them.

If she wants to get something even better, I was thinking of suggesting the G6, or even possibly the Sony DSC-V3 (which I've heard has received good reviews - I still don't like Sony though)

Her only other pre-requisite is that the camera be able to take CF type 1 cards (She's already got a bunch of memory cards and doesn't want to have them be wasted)

What is your opinion? I just don't know what to recommend.

Personally, for me I'd just get an s410 cause it's small and I don't care about all the manual features.

** edit **

Alrighty, I just talked to my GF and she says the majority of the pictures she wants to take will be of animals. Because it's often times hard to get close to an animal before you scare it away, she wants a camera with a big zoom, so I guess I'm looking at the 10x zoom cameras.
 
shilala

shilala

Lifer
Oct 5, 2004
11,437
1
76
I suggested the DSC-V3 to my sister-in-law when it was on sale at Sears awhile back. She came home with some little shlonk Sony.
I hate Sony, but I love their stuff. I'm waiting for the next generation of the dsc-f828 to upgrade my dsc-f707.
I think the v3 would be the top of my choice list if I wanted a smaller camera.
 
H

HappyCracker

Senior member
Mar 10, 2001
939
5
81
Not to hijack but WW how do you like the G6 comparatively? Better pictures overall? I love my G2.
Now, Stefan Like I said above, I have a G2 and it has a ton of features in a small space. It can do point and shoot but also a bit more manual-type stuff. I have been using Canon cameras for a few years now, film and digital, and have been pleased with quality and intuitiveness.
 
funboy6942

funboy6942

Lifer
Nov 13, 2001
15,368
418
126
Originally posted by: ElFenix
those panasonics are really nice.
Click to expand...

I wrote this elsewhere where I didnt read he alread bought a camera. Now maybe it wasnt for waste after all :)


I was in your same situation and I looked up every camera I could find and checked out every review. If you dont mind that your video is in QT format there is not one camera on the market in the $350 range then that can beat a Panasonic FZ3. It has a Lecia lens, takes better more detailed pics then the Canon S1 IS, AND has the largest OPTICAL zoom of 12x.
If you must have mpeg video the only closest camera is going to be the Canon S1 IS.

But if you need further proof HERE is a review head to head with the Panasonic against the Canon.

I have owned BOTH of these cameras and just traded my Panasonic for the Canon ONLY because I wanted to do video and edit it out. I dont have a program to edit QT.

The Panasonics good points were vocus was spot on 99% of the time, has a Low light focus light, no purple fringing, auto focus takes about 1/2 a second, the lens cap was held on with having to remove it by pressing two buttons together, bigger screen, takes much better more detailed pics (see below for my sample), 12x Optical zoom, XP sees it as a drive so not software needed to put pics on other computers if out of town and need to email, very light weight, and has less buttons all over it makeing it less scary.

Pana bad was QT video (still 30fps but couldnt edit for me) and takes a battery pack instead of AA batteries. Thats all.

Canon good is that takes much better video at 30fps, takes AA batteries so if you need some in a pinch your set, 10x zoom, and the back screen flips so less chances you can scratch it.

Canon bad is no low light sensor, over exaggerated color, picturs are little bit blurry, auto focus sucks alot of the times and no real way to fix it like you can with the Pana, heavy, lots of buttons everywhere to the point my wife was taken by it and was afraid to take a shot, lens cap is held on with felt in the cap and comes off VERY easily, mic for sound is pointed towards the camera user so sounds of other people other then the user are hard to hear when the user is extreamly loud and overpowering, camera takes forever to focus and then it is mostly off especially indoor shots you need to press the button alot to rethink or give up and manually do it, and last purple fringing like mad in almost every shot I take. Oh god why did I trade????????

Below the first pic I took was with the Panasonic and the second was with the Canon S1 IS.
Both cameras were set in automatic, 4 shoots with each taking the best one of to show put up.

Panasonic FZ3

Canon S1 IS

If you save them and look at them side by side pay attention to the Canon box UPC bar, writing on the box, the top towel in the basket, and the cardboard box.

Also if you need to make up your mind do check out stevesdigicam reviews. He takes the same shots with each camera (not only these two) and save the pics and check then all out. I did that before I bought the Panasonic and it turned out to be the best choice. And now after writing this am kinda kicking myself in the rear end for trading mine off. Dont get me wrong the canon is a good camera though. Its just after having it in my hands and owning the Pana the Pana is a much better camera. IMO of course.
 
W

WW

Golden Member
Jun 21, 2001
1,514
0
0
Originally posted by: HappyCracker
Not to hijack but WW how do you like the G6 comparatively? Better pictures overall? I love my G2.
Now, Stefan Like I said above, I have a G2 and it has a ton of features in a small space. It can do point and shoot but also a bit more manual-type stuff. I have been using Canon cameras for a few years now, film and digital, and have been pleased with quality and intuitiveness.
Click to expand...

my main reason for the upgrade was to increase speed (power on, autofocus, etc), I was happy with the images from the G2, and was glad to see the G6 keeps the same quality.

The extra zoom is nice, the macro ability seems better, and the extra resolution is great...it's a nice upgrade.
 
B

BigToque

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
11,700
0
76
Alrighty, I just talked to my GF and she says the majority of the pictures she wants to take will be of animals. Because it's often times hard to get close to an animal before you scare it away, she wants a camera with a big zoom, so I guess I'm looking at the 10x zoom cameras.
 
S

SSP

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
17,727
0
0
Go with Anubis' suggestion. Its one of the better super zoom consumer cameras for the price.
 
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