Comments on: Buying the right camera http://photocritic.org/buying-the-right-camera/ The Photocritic DIY photography projects blog Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:50:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: beth http://photocritic.org/buying-the-right-camera/#comment-90453 beth Fri, 08 Jun 2007 10:06:26 +0000 http://www.photocritic.org/2006/buying-the-right-camera/#comment-90453 Thank you, this was incredibly helpful to read. Beginner here, but wanting a decent dSLR camera. I have a compact that i like using and does the job but after reading the article and comments, i'm pretty sure what i want now. =) Thank you, this was incredibly helpful to read. Beginner here, but wanting a decent dSLR camera. I have a compact that i like using and does the job but after reading the article and comments, i’m pretty sure what i want now. =)

]]> By: Jon Thompson http://photocritic.org/buying-the-right-camera/#comment-1000 Jon Thompson Mon, 29 May 2006 22:53:21 +0000 http://www.photocritic.org/2006/buying-the-right-camera/#comment-1000 As a serious amateur photographer who owns two digital SLRs, I spent a lot of time last year looking for a decent compact camera for a day-to-day, "carry-around" camera. After a lot of reading reviews and handling cameras in the store I settled on a Canon SD550 as the best compromise in the compact category. Once of the things I really liked was the fast processor that almost completely eliminated both start up and shutter lag. It also has a great lens, and a decent video mode that eliminates the need to carry a camcorder for events like birthdays and school plays. It seems to be pretty durable, and is small and light in your pocket. It also has a neck strap, and is light enough that this is a viable way of keeping the camera handy while walking. As a serious amateur photographer who owns two digital SLRs, I spent a lot of time last year looking for a decent compact camera for a day-to-day, “carry-around” camera. After a lot of reading reviews and handling cameras in the store I settled on a Canon SD550 as the best compromise in the compact category. Once of the things I really liked was the fast processor that almost completely eliminated both start up and shutter lag. It also has a great lens, and a decent video mode that eliminates the need to carry a camcorder for events like birthdays and school plays. It seems to be pretty durable, and is small and light in your pocket. It also has a neck strap, and is light enough that this is a viable way of keeping the camera handy while walking.

]]> By: AJ Lewis http://photocritic.org/buying-the-right-camera/#comment-639 AJ Lewis Tue, 16 May 2006 15:00:02 +0000 http://www.photocritic.org/2006/buying-the-right-camera/#comment-639 I'm pretty sure he was talking about digital point-n-shoot cameras, not dSLRs. I have a D70, and it works great, but my wife wants something smaller to carry in her pocket, yet still has a quick response. Finding a compact digital that fits that category is still rather difficult. I’m pretty sure he was talking about digital point-n-shoot cameras, not dSLRs. I have a D70, and it works great, but my wife wants something smaller to carry in her pocket, yet still has a quick response. Finding a compact digital that fits that category is still rather difficult.

]]> By: bigstusexy http://photocritic.org/buying-the-right-camera/#comment-638 bigstusexy Tue, 16 May 2006 13:49:58 +0000 http://www.photocritic.org/2006/buying-the-right-camera/#comment-638 Yeah I think these issues are only in the prosumer to fun time areas now, professional cameras seem to just be lovely. Mine is a prosumer, its a Minolta DiMAGE Z2 (as I've probably said before :P) and its really nice, the focus time is average but prefocus is almost instant! Also manual mode is great too. THe only sort of bugging thing is that even in its full manual mode it still as sort of a lag if not in a "prefocus state" I dunno what its doing, metering or something even though I directly control all the settings. The image quality is good and I have taken spectacular pictures with it... I'd say its a good learning camera way above P&S, the higher models have image stablization mechanics. I say all this, because I'm bored :P, actually because I took the time and went to many many review sites including stevesdigitalcams and dpreview and checked out what was what as well as taking the information from my previous P&S purchase and seriously sitting down and thinking out what I wanted. Never buy something just for astetics or because its currently cheap. Although I lucked out by with a beauty of a sale, anything worth having is worth saving for. Yeah I think these issues are only in the prosumer to fun time areas now, professional cameras seem to just be lovely.

Mine is a prosumer, its a Minolta DiMAGE Z2 (as I’ve probably said before :P) and its really nice, the focus time is average but prefocus is almost instant! Also manual mode is great too.

THe only sort of bugging thing is that even in its full manual mode it still as sort of a lag if not in a “prefocus state” I dunno what its doing, metering or something even though I directly control all the settings.

The image quality is good and I have taken spectacular pictures with it… I’d say its a good learning camera way above P&S, the higher models have image stablization mechanics.

I say all this, because I’m bored :P, actually because I took the time and went to many many review sites including stevesdigitalcams and dpreview and checked out what was what as well as taking the information from my previous P&S purchase and seriously sitting down and thinking out what I wanted.

Never buy something just for astetics or because its currently cheap. Although I lucked out by with a beauty of a sale, anything worth having is worth saving for.

]]> By: Code Monkey http://photocritic.org/buying-the-right-camera/#comment-631 Code Monkey Tue, 16 May 2006 06:16:10 +0000 http://www.photocritic.org/2006/buying-the-right-camera/#comment-631 I have a Sony Cybershot P8, it's a nice camera and with the underwater housing I can take photo's while scuba diving and even VGA video (which is a great bonus). The only downside is it does have lag. It takes ages to focus and take the shot and for wildlife it usually uses the wrong shutter speed and gives me a blury photo as the subject moves. I'm currently saving up for a Canon 20D (or whatever is out by Christmas when I should have enough cash). I have a Sony Cybershot P8, it’s a nice camera and with the underwater housing I can take photo’s while scuba diving and even VGA video (which is a great bonus). The only downside is it does have lag. It takes ages to focus and take the shot and for wildlife it usually uses the wrong shutter speed and gives me a blury photo as the subject moves. I’m currently saving up for a Canon 20D (or whatever is out by Christmas when I should have enough cash).

]]> By: Ed Perchick http://photocritic.org/buying-the-right-camera/#comment-627 Ed Perchick Mon, 15 May 2006 12:54:24 +0000 http://www.photocritic.org/2006/buying-the-right-camera/#comment-627 Agreed - I have an EOS 10D, and whilst start-up time is improved in newer models, focus time is down to the lenses, and shutter lag is almost non-existent. Agreed - I have an EOS 10D, and whilst start-up time is improved in newer models, focus time is down to the lenses, and shutter lag is almost non-existent.

]]> By: Rob Meyer http://photocritic.org/buying-the-right-camera/#comment-624 Rob Meyer Mon, 15 May 2006 08:41:46 +0000 http://www.photocritic.org/2006/buying-the-right-camera/#comment-624 I definitely agree with you regarding dSLR's. I haven't seen an appreciable difference in lag speeds and bootup times with anything recent. Vs. a compact digital camera though? I still haven't seen one that will just plain take the picture without perceptible lag when you hit the shutter button. If you prefocus, that can help, but it's still slow. Maybe more frustrating, the feedback on exactly when the picture was taken isn't great which always leaves me wondering if I got it or not. I'd love it if there were a fast (response time wise), durable, pocketable camera with a fast, fixed focal length lens (~40-50mm (35mm eqiv)). Haven't run across one yet though. I definitely agree with you regarding dSLR’s. I haven’t seen an appreciable difference in lag speeds and bootup times with anything recent.

Vs. a compact digital camera though? I still haven’t seen one that will just plain take the picture without perceptible lag when you hit the shutter button. If you prefocus, that can help, but it’s still slow. Maybe more frustrating, the feedback on exactly when the picture was taken isn’t great which always leaves me wondering if I got it or not.

I’d love it if there were a fast (response time wise), durable, pocketable camera with a fast, fixed focal length lens (~40-50mm (35mm eqiv)). Haven’t run across one yet though.

]]>