AMP762
Gold Member
I'm dum,but getting smarter reading TBN /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gifMy question,I'v used 35mm cameras for a long time,with this puter I guess I need to go digital.How do I compare digital cameras to my old 35mm slr?
digital dummy
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GaryM
Veteran Member
Digital cameras take photos just like your 35mm. The rules about lighting, and back lighting and good composition haven't changed.
That said, all the manufacturers express their lens focal lengths in 35mm equivilent, even though it's not the true focal length. This makes it easy to compare lenses.
Most of the "higher end" cameras, priced around $300 or more, have some manual control in that you can select aperture priority, shutter priority, or program mode. They may or may not have manual focus options. They'll have a built in flash, and may have provision for an external flash unit. They store their files on removable flash cards. These are various form factors and not interchangable with one another, although different brands in the same form factor are interchangable.
I'd recommend you look at www.dcresource.com . It's an excellant web site. Steve's Digicams at http://www.steves-digicams.com/ is also a good site.
Give us some idea of what you are looking for and this could be a lengthy thread.
That said, all the manufacturers express their lens focal lengths in 35mm equivilent, even though it's not the true focal length. This makes it easy to compare lenses.
Most of the "higher end" cameras, priced around $300 or more, have some manual control in that you can select aperture priority, shutter priority, or program mode. They may or may not have manual focus options. They'll have a built in flash, and may have provision for an external flash unit. They store their files on removable flash cards. These are various form factors and not interchangable with one another, although different brands in the same form factor are interchangable.
I'd recommend you look at www.dcresource.com . It's an excellant web site. Steve's Digicams at http://www.steves-digicams.com/ is also a good site.
Give us some idea of what you are looking for and this could be a lengthy thread.
shado
Bronze Member
Welcome to the modern age, where everything is made easier as it gets' more complicated. As an avid fan on looking for improvements (but as no one usually listens) to technology, 35mm will always have the best picture but the most difficult (and expensive) means of working with. Most people feel that they need a real high pixel rating for the image device (1.3 megapixel or higher), but try sending those pictures over dial-up connections via email, soon your recepients will want to strangle you. Afterwards one learns to re-size the picture via a decent photo editing software, reducing the image size, not increasing it. Then, the pixel info is down to a transferable size of 640X480, it will also not take up as much room when stored on a web server for viewing online. But keeping the original picuture of 1.3 megapixel (or higher) needn't take up hard drive space, once a collection has been assembled, transfer them to an economical CD-R disk for later veiwing.
But that's getting off your subject question, you'll problably want to fiquire those things out trial & error means. I think you really need to quote a budget first, then you'll see what kind wiz bang gizmo that can be afforded to a certain range of camera. If I could really splurge but not go too far off the deep end, I'd want a camera that could at least give me 7-10X zoom OPTICAL, not just digital zoom, there is a difference. I'd also want easy hookup to a computer, such as USB or Firewire in case whatever memory storage is utilized is limited (smart card, sandisk, etc.). I'd also try to have a camera that can use common-type batteries, not a proprietary battery pack. I use Nickle-Metal Hydride AA exclusively. May be expensive up front (at a retailer), but alkalines are just a waste & go dead right when you need them.
But this is just a few main details to consider, and you may be able to get a better deal mail-order once a model has been decided on.
J.W.
But that's getting off your subject question, you'll problably want to fiquire those things out trial & error means. I think you really need to quote a budget first, then you'll see what kind wiz bang gizmo that can be afforded to a certain range of camera. If I could really splurge but not go too far off the deep end, I'd want a camera that could at least give me 7-10X zoom OPTICAL, not just digital zoom, there is a difference. I'd also want easy hookup to a computer, such as USB or Firewire in case whatever memory storage is utilized is limited (smart card, sandisk, etc.). I'd also try to have a camera that can use common-type batteries, not a proprietary battery pack. I use Nickle-Metal Hydride AA exclusively. May be expensive up front (at a retailer), but alkalines are just a waste & go dead right when you need them.
But this is just a few main details to consider, and you may be able to get a better deal mail-order once a model has been decided on.
J.W.
frank_f15
Super Member, Rest in Peace
just as in 35mm cameras u get what u pay for! digital prices have really come down. although if u want a digital with changeable lens they are quite pricey. if i was to upgrade my digital right now the camea i like is the olympus C-730. 3.2 mega pixles, 10x OPTICAL ZOOM with all the auto and manuel controls, very nice camera for around $400 if u look around, friend of mine got one mail order. my current camera is 2.1 mega and it gives fine prints, so 3.2 would give better. for me it would be more than enough camera. but it depends on what u want to do with it and how much u want to spend?btw the min & max shutter speeds are way above mine, i beleive max is 1000/sec cant remember the slow one. check them all out use the computer to check all name brands and options.
Anonymous Poster
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I suppose if you want prints, the higher resolution cameras are nice. Just remember that quality high gloss printing paper is probably as expensive as buying film and having prints made. Also, you are limited by the dots per inch of your printer.
I rarely print my pictures. I have an old Sony Mavica (probably 1st generation) that has a 640x480 format. I think it has a higher resolution, but I've never used it. I store my pictures on the computer, email them to others to see on their computers, or FTP them to a web server for viewing on a computer. 640x480 is fine for all of that. The pictures store in jpeg format at around 48,000 bytes; it depends on the density of colors how much it gets compressed. For web site use, I get them even smaller with optimizer software, so they'll load faster. The few occasions I have printed a picture, it looks OK on decent paper - certainly not good enough to enter in a photo art show, but not bad.
The Mavica stores it's pictures on a 3.5" floppy disk (some of the new ones have memory cards). Because of that, it's a big, bulky camera, but that hasn't caused me any grief in the 6 or 7 years I've had it. My "film" is a box of floppies, I can store 40 to 45 pictures and thumbnails on a disk, and my pictures are already archived - if I want to keep them off my hard disk, I just label the floppy and throw it in a box. I can also show my pictures on anybody's computer without having to install a cable.
The FD75 is the current model like mine, 640x480 res, 10x optical zoom, 24bit color, sells for ~$300. I paid about $800 for mine, but that was back when they were still a new toy. The FD100 has more resolution, less zoom, and can use either a floppy or a memory stick, and is a little cheaper - I've seen it for ~$250. I don't know what the current ones are using for a battery, but mine uses a video camera battery - the one that comes with it is good for about 115 minutes, and I bought a premium battery for it that's good for about 220 minutes.
They also have some new models that save the pictures right onto a 3" CD-ROM-RW that can be played on any CD-ROM. Mine's getting pretty beat up, but still works - really rugged. When it gives up the ghost, I'll get the FD75 or whatever equivalent they're selling then. 640x480 (about .3 MB) is all the resolution I'll ever need.
I rarely print my pictures. I have an old Sony Mavica (probably 1st generation) that has a 640x480 format. I think it has a higher resolution, but I've never used it. I store my pictures on the computer, email them to others to see on their computers, or FTP them to a web server for viewing on a computer. 640x480 is fine for all of that. The pictures store in jpeg format at around 48,000 bytes; it depends on the density of colors how much it gets compressed. For web site use, I get them even smaller with optimizer software, so they'll load faster. The few occasions I have printed a picture, it looks OK on decent paper - certainly not good enough to enter in a photo art show, but not bad.
The Mavica stores it's pictures on a 3.5" floppy disk (some of the new ones have memory cards). Because of that, it's a big, bulky camera, but that hasn't caused me any grief in the 6 or 7 years I've had it. My "film" is a box of floppies, I can store 40 to 45 pictures and thumbnails on a disk, and my pictures are already archived - if I want to keep them off my hard disk, I just label the floppy and throw it in a box. I can also show my pictures on anybody's computer without having to install a cable.
The FD75 is the current model like mine, 640x480 res, 10x optical zoom, 24bit color, sells for ~$300. I paid about $800 for mine, but that was back when they were still a new toy. The FD100 has more resolution, less zoom, and can use either a floppy or a memory stick, and is a little cheaper - I've seen it for ~$250. I don't know what the current ones are using for a battery, but mine uses a video camera battery - the one that comes with it is good for about 115 minutes, and I bought a premium battery for it that's good for about 220 minutes.
They also have some new models that save the pictures right onto a 3" CD-ROM-RW that can be played on any CD-ROM. Mine's getting pretty beat up, but still works - really rugged. When it gives up the ghost, I'll get the FD75 or whatever equivalent they're selling then. 640x480 (about .3 MB) is all the resolution I'll ever need.
mikim
Veteran Member
I just bought an Olympus C740 with the 10X optical zoom and used it for the first time over Easter. That zoom really was nice zooming in on the little ones doing the egg hunt. I bought an adapter that screws on to the front over the lens that will protect the lens and allow me to use any 55mm filters that I want. I keep a UV filter on it all the time. If for some reason it gets scratched - $15 - If the camera lens got scratched? $$big bucks I'm sure. The last good camera I had was an old SLR that I bought in SEA - it burned in a house fire in '88 - digital is sure magic -- oh.... the thing I really like about the C740 is the Electronic View Finder (EVF) - my eyes ain't so good anymore and that really helps.
Most digital camera are more like point and shoot 35mm camera. Most give you little option on setting any focus settings. The biggest differance and often the biggest problem is speed between pictures. When you take a picture it can take 10-15 seconds to save that data to a smart media. So taking rapid successive photos is not possible with many cameras.
When selecting a camera make sure you know the resolution of the photos and how many photos you can store on your media.
When selecting a camera make sure you know the resolution of the photos and how many photos you can store on your media.
shado
Bronze Member
10-15 seconds to save an image? I have an old Fuji MX-1200 that does it in 3 seconds max. But at 10-15 seconds to a memory card, is that a real high resolution camera that might be above 3 megapixels to take that long to save an image? Or does that time include what it take to recharge the flash?
J.W.
J.W.
MossRoad
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<font color="blue"> Just remember that quality high gloss printing paper is probably as expensive as buying film and having prints made. </font>
You can send electronic pictures to Walmart.com and they will print them in about a week and send them to the Walmart of your choice. Price.... 26 cents per print! That's pretty good. We used a 2 mega pixel camera and had 3 X 5 prints made. We tried it and they turned out fine. You can also send them to a Walmart across the country for someone else to pick up, like family that doesn't have a computer. I recomend it and give it a thumbs up. Try it on just a few pictures for a test.
Also, we have an EPSON C82 printer. It has amazing resolution and we got it for a little over $100.00. It has seperate ink cartridges so you only have to replace the ones that run out. The inks dry almost instantly and are fade proof and water proof. Near photo quality paper can be had for cheap to free after rebates. Again, with a 2 megapixel camera on maximum resolution, we can get excellent 5x7 size prints and pretty good 8 X 10s that are more than suitable for hanging on the refridgerator. Prices are really comming down. I give the EPSON C82 a thumbs up, too.
You can send electronic pictures to Walmart.com and they will print them in about a week and send them to the Walmart of your choice. Price.... 26 cents per print! That's pretty good. We used a 2 mega pixel camera and had 3 X 5 prints made. We tried it and they turned out fine. You can also send them to a Walmart across the country for someone else to pick up, like family that doesn't have a computer. I recomend it and give it a thumbs up. Try it on just a few pictures for a test.
Also, we have an EPSON C82 printer. It has amazing resolution and we got it for a little over $100.00. It has seperate ink cartridges so you only have to replace the ones that run out. The inks dry almost instantly and are fade proof and water proof. Near photo quality paper can be had for cheap to free after rebates. Again, with a 2 megapixel camera on maximum resolution, we can get excellent 5x7 size prints and pretty good 8 X 10s that are more than suitable for hanging on the refridgerator. Prices are really comming down. I give the EPSON C82 a thumbs up, too.
