Digital camera?

[mhthegoblin]

Hi,

I'm after a digital camera. Doesn't have to be too special beyond a) a high resolution (12MP minimum) and b) reliable and likely to last a while. I'm looking into this - See lowest price for Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 14 Megapixel Digital Camera - Silver - do you guys think it'd be appropriate? Any suggestions of an alternative?

Thanks in advance!

 

[/pine]

There are som great little cameras out there...I like the Sony's but there are lots of good ones...

DO NOT be fooled by "digital zoom"...always look for "optical zoom"....most cameras will state a factor for both but it is only the optical zoom that actually focuses the lens at different distances..."digital" zoom is just software...

 

[czechsonofagun]

People who make the living taking pictures buy lenses makers - Nikon, Canon, etc - not electronic maker. Always thought it was sound advice.

My $0.02 only

 

[Bird]

I could very well be the least knowledgeable camera guy on TBN, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy an Olympus camera, and I'll tell you why. Nearly 10 years ago, I decided I wanted my first digital camera. So I ordered a Sony online direct from Sony, since I'd always heard Sony made good stuff. Well, it was defective when it arrived: the flash would not work at all. By the time I managed to get it returned and get a credit (refund) on my credit card, I had decided I'd probably never buy another Sony product, and I have not.:laughing: A one time problem? Probably. I still think Sony makes good stuff; I just don't want any of it.:laughing:

Before the days of digital, I had a 35mm Nikon; don't believe Nikon can be beat, but because of the price difference, on 1/17/2001, I ought an Olympus D-460ZOOM digital camera from Circuit City. I'm still using it and after 9 years, it seems to work just as well as it did when it was new. I don't remember what the camera cost, because I bought batteries, a battery charger, extra SmartMedia, etc. and with sales tax spent $586.67 that day. And yep, I'm still using the original rechargeable batteries, too.

 

[Marveltone]

I've always leaned heavily toward the traditional camera manufacturers (Nikon, Canon, Kodak, etc...) over the computer manufacturers (HP, Sony, Panasonic, etc...), as they seem more intuitive and feel more like a traditional camera.

That being said, of course there are vast differences between different models even within the same brand, but I still lean toward the traditional camera brands. I just feel they have more experience in this field, and their product often reflect this.

Of course, as always, YMMV.

 

[daveshoot]

Panasonic might be the one electronics specialist who has made a great little digital camera.

I started digital with Olympus, and they were fine. However at some point I switched to Canon, and have been much happier. The user interface, controls and menus, were much easier and more ergonomic than the Olympus controls.

I don't know that there is much quality difference between the two, but I find the Canon much more intuitive to operate. The advanced features are there but not all at once, if you just need to point and shoot. Haven't compared seriously in the last two years but that's how it had remained, last I looked.

 

[milkman]

I started digital with an Olympus and it made some good pics, decided I wanted a newer one, got another Olympus, this time a 460 zoom. I had it abut two weeks and got some good pics with it, but usually it was of something that came after what I wanted the picture of. The shutter delay was atrocious and when it fell in the Gulf at about 50 mph, I didn't miss it at all. The next camera I got, I made sure that I checked the shutter delay, I didn't look at Olympus again.

 

[greasemonkeyok]

As milkman said, look at shutter delay - that can be a real pain. I regularly take 500 to 1,000 pictures in a day for work, so I have taken a lot of images, and reliability is a must. Nikon's MTBF is better than Sony, but those are the only two brands that I have experience with.

Batteries are another big item and I prefer a camera that takes standard sizes rather than a specialized battery that you have to recharge. (I have been using a couple of Coolpix 8700's with battery packs (similar to an auto-winder for a F3) that take 6 AA's that last a long time.)

Buy the largest memory card you can stand, then use a card reader on a USB port to move the images to your computer. Trying to download from the camera via a cable is usually unsatisfactory.

While Nikon has been the most reliable so far, I have to say their user interface is hard to learn and hard to remember. The menus are just not intuitive to me.

 

[/pine]

FWIW...my nephew is a professional photographer...
he is under contract with an (unamed) NFL franchise and is currently shooting their cheerleader calendar...(yeah I know...lucky him)...

He mostly uses a Cannon but he is also a big fan of Sony cameras... as "digital" cameras were just coming out when he was in college... the "MaViCa" line was one of the first on the retail market...

 

[waltsp]

I have been an amateur photographer since 1982. Started with a Cannon AE1 Program. Used that until about 2005 when feeding it film just got too expensive during the transition time between jobs. Two Christmas back got a Nikon D40 and have loved it. So much better feeding it SD cards instead of film, also no developing.

The small point and shoot cameras are good for everyday use, But even with 12 MP, the pinpoint opening does not allow very good photography. If you can afford it, get yourself a DSLR, the fact that you are actually looking through the same lens that takes the picture instead of looking at an LCD makes all the difference in the work. Even the high end point-and-shoot cameras have a horrendous LCD lag. Since flash memory is so cheap now, a good DSLR will have continuous shooting, You can always pick out a good photo and delete the rest.