[QQQ]

Well, not too high-end . I know there's no limit to what you can spend.


From what I read the Nikon D-70 is the currently one to beat ~ $1000. Is that still the case? I know the Canon is very good too but the Nikon seems to get the edge - at least in the reviews.


Primary application is portfolio type shots of A/V installs. One thing that is important is that we often have shots of equipment rooms with mulitple racks where there is only 3 or 4 feet in front of the racks so it's often hard to get a good shot with the wall right behind you - so wide angle shots from close up are a priority.


Open to any suggestions. Also, what should I make sure to buy with it for my application?


Thanks

 

[AlMark]

I have the Canon Digital Rebel, but the Nikon D70 had not come out yet. I think it is pretty good in picture quality, and it probably is selling for less than the Nikon. That said, a Nikon owner told me that the D70 has pretty much all the features of the higher end D100, so that makes it a good value. Nikons in general do well as far as image quality, so you won't be going wrong buying one. A good review site is www.dpreview.com.


Things to keep in mind:

- Fixed lenses are sharper than zooms, so if you don't need the flexibility and can carry the lenses, go with a set of fixed lenses.

- Pictures will look sharper if you stop down the lens from wide open.

- ISO setting should be kept around 100 for optimal results.

- External flash is absolutely necessary - the built in tends to be too weak or doesn't illuminate evenly. The new external units communicate with the camera so that everything is in sync.

- Tripod is essential.

- Get an extra camera battery, extra (1GB) compact flash card, extra rechargeable batteries for the flash and charger.

 

[Tryg]

honestly ANY 3 megapixel camera or up, shot at the highest resolution should greatly exceed your requirements.


Unless you are making posters, these high end camera's are way overkill.


get an


S410 or S500


More importantly, get Photoshop or some some software to manipulate pic after the fact

 

[QQQ]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tryg Unless you are making posters, these high end camera's are way overkill.

In fact, though certainly not the primary application, that's exactly one of the things I would like to be able to do.

 

[anthonymoody]

Get the Canon S70. Amazing 7MP quality for a little over $500 bucks, and great manual controls if you so desire. Check reviews of the S50 and S60 if you can't find any of the S70 (it's pretty new)...


No, you can't change lenses, but my bet is that this camera will take 95% or more of the shots you want to, but it's probably 10x easier to carry around due to its extremely manageable size.


And did I mention the image quality? Outstanding.


TM

 

[Andrikos]

Qster,

Let me recommend your last camera (for at least 10 years that is...)

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/profe...rasIndex.jhtml


14MP, Full size (35mm) CMOS sensor, built like a tank, you can use your "analog" SLR lenses interchangeably, etc. etc. etc.


MSRP $4k with a $1k rebate. So, with a bit over $2k, you can buy your last camera.

 

[Ohlson]

or a 22Mpixel Hasselblad

price not known

 

[QQQ]

Quote:

Originally posted by Andrikos Qster, Let me recommend your last camera (for at least 10 years that is...) http://www.kodak.com/global/en/profe...rasIndex.jhtml 14MP, Full size (35mm) CMOS sensor, built like a tank, you can use your "analog" SLR lenses interchangeably, etc. etc. etc. MSRP $4k with a $1k rebate. So, with a bit over $2k, you can buy your last camera.

You had to do that, didn't you . OK, I'l look at it but then I'll have to know what else there is at that price point . One question though. How does 4K with a 1K rebate equal "a little more than $2K". That sounds like 3K to me.

 

[Tryg]

dont take advice from people who dont know how to do basic addition and subtraction.


also, there is no such thing as "your last XXXX" unless you're buying from Kavorkian

 

[glenned]

Do you intend to spend alot of time at this hobby? If not, you might prefer a camara that is easy to use, gives supurb results in automatic mode (which makes it easy to use), which has the best autofocus system (which makes it easy to use), has exceptional battery life, and an exceptional zoom range.


The Sony 5 megapixel and 7/8 megapixel camaras are some of the easiest to use. They are some of the cheapest in their classes. They are the best or among the best in the parameters I listed above. There image quality is outstanding.


They don't accept interchangable lenses, but with their large zoom range, most hobbiests won't need that. The 5 meg camara overemphasizes Red just a tad, not perfect, but close enough, IMO. This was corrected in the 7/8 meg model. The automatic features of the camara make it a truly point and shoot affair, or you can control everything manually, if you prefer. I found the Sony to be a lot more intuitive and easier to use than Canon, Nikon, or Olympus and still in the same league when it comes to image quality.


My experience with blowing up photos is that if you can use the full frame of the picture in your enlargement, a 35mm film camara makes good 8X10s and passable 11X14s. The Sony 5 meg camara makes excellent 8X10s and good 11X14s. Any larger than that and you need a higher rez camara to get results that you would consider good.


So if you were serious about "poster" sized enlargements, the Kodak would be the way to go.


Glenn

 

[Andrikos]

Quote:

Originally posted by QQQ You had to do that, didn't you . OK, I'l look at it but then I'll have to know what else there is at that price point . One question though. How does 4K with a 1K rebate equal "a little more than $2K". That sounds like 3K to me.

I guess I gave you (and Tryg) a little too much credit...


$3k is the MSRP.

Do you EVER buy anything retail?

Heck, I just bought a Volvo (literally an hour ago) and what I paid cannot be repeated but it sure as heck wasn't even near the realm of MSRP...

 

[Andrikos]

Quote:

Originally posted by Tryg dont take advice from people who dont know how to do basic addition and subtraction. also, there is no such thing as "your last XXXX" unless you're buying from Kavorkian

I can add and subtract alright (my MSEE would attest to that).

You, however, my friend, cannot spell to save your life and you don't see me make fun of you...




Alright, I am making fun of you...


PS It's Kevorkian

 

[QQQ]

Andy .


Make up your mind. Earlier you said it was 4K retail. Now you say 3K. Seriously, what's the retail and what's average street price. I'm with Tryg on the "last camera I'll need for 10 years". If I buy this all it will mean is that 2 years from now I'll want the new 35 megapixel pro camera .

 

[QQQ]

Glenn,


You and Anthony make good suggestions. I've already got a decent point and shoot camera but I would also like to have a high-end one. Whether it makes sense is something I will think about. I would like to learn to take the best pictures possible so that I can come as close as possible to what a professional photographer would do when the occasion calls for it. The rates these photographers charge is ridiculous. You'd think they were custom installers or something .

 

[anthonymoody]

I'm going to have to respectfully but vociferously disagree with Glenn on this one. I find Sony cameras awful for two reasons:


1) They use memory stick instead of other, more widely available, and cheaper (at a given capacity) media

2) The images they produce are inferior. Sorry. I said it. I've had several of their cameras in the DSC line including the P10 (a 5mp model) and the famous T1 (with a gorgeous, large LCD display), and the output is noticeably inferior to the Canon among others


I will agree that they're compact, light, (reasonably) cheap, boot fast and recharge quickly. But I can't get past the images, sorry.


YMMV I guess.


TM


PS - Q, if you already have a point and shoot, then that settles it. I'd take Mattias' recommendation on the Hasselblad

 

[shodoug]

What do ya'll think about the Olympus C-8080?


Best Regards,

Doug

 

[kiwishred]

Quote:

Originally posted by anthonymoody I'm going to have to respectfully but vociferously disagree with Glenn on this one. I find Sony cameras awful for two reasons:

And being a very happy owner of a Sony DSC F-717 I would like to politely disagree, point by point, with Anthony's disagreement.


1) Memory stick cost. Yes they are more expensive but it is not a big deal. Memory stick PRO is $42 shipped for 256 MB & $79 shipped for 512 MB. And, Sony is starting to support compact flash (eg: in DSC 828). I find 256M is plenty for my needs.


2) Image quality. A blanket statement that image quality is inferior is just not true. Quote from dpreview "I find myself unable to name a new five megapixel prosumer digital camera which takes better pictures than the DSC-F717, and that is saying a lot"


Bottom line is that my Sony and I am sure just about every thing out there in that class these days is a way better camera than I am a photographer.


I wouldn't sweat over the above points as much as I would over what turns out to be for me much more important in practice for point and shoot use, eg: start up time, auto focus lag, auto focus reliability, lens speed, zoom range, image noise, auto colour balance, flash performance, battery life, user interface navigation, and how well the grip fits your hands.


All that said in Sony's defense, for the QQQ's application, I would probably go with a Digital SLR (like the Digital Rebel, D-70 etc)


Brent

 

[Mr. Biggles]

Canon 20D or discontinued 10D.


Nikons are great DSLR's but (my opinion) you simply cannot match the smooth low noise quality of the CMOS sensor.


I have a D60 so I'm partial to Canon, but we also have a Oly C765 which is a great carry with you everywhere camera.


In my opinion, no point-n-shoot regardless of MP power will come even close to what you get with a DSLR. Just ain't gonna happen.


If you own, use and print from these two different types of digitals it becomes obvious very quickly.



Bill

 

[shodoug]

I have been reading reviews at the dpreview.com, and in the users reviews, I found this about the Kodak DCS 14n...


"too much noise even at low iso, this camera needs a lot of improvements to be a professional camera ,the best results is in studio using studio flash but even then there is a lot of moire in all the pictures , for outdoor photography and night shootings 14n is not recomended."


Not sure this is a camera for QQQ.


The noise was mentioned in a couple other reviews. The 14n is kind of long in the tooth. Maybe the newer DCS models are better in this regard? Pricescan did not show any prices significantly less than 4k for the 14n, and just one place had a price signifcantly less than 4k for the SLR/n. With discount and lense, it looks like the price would be over 3k.


Best Regards,

Doug

 

[MrWigggles]

First off check out www.dpreview.com


The best bang of the buck in my opinion is the Olympus 8080. Awesome optics and 8 megapixels.


Now, if you are taking noise free pictures in low light situations and don't want to use a flash, a high iso, or a tripod, then you need a camera with a big imager like the Nikon D70 or Canon Rebel.


The larger the imager, the more light it will absorb and the less noise the output image will have.


Personally I think the camera that is really going to kick a$$ is going to be the upcoming Olympus Evolt E300. It uses a CMOS imager that is not as large as some but the camera itself is smaller and easier to use.


-Mr. Wigggles


Ps. Here is one more reason to go Olympus:

http://mrwigggles.250free.com/Olympus.jpg


She is about 6' 6" in heels and I don't know how I got her pose for me.