The Digital Camera Thread: Questions, discussions, etc.

[Mpower]

I need to gift a camera to my cousin. A decent P&S for $200 but it must have a feature to be used as a webcam for chatting on Skype. What are my options?

[kb100]

I have more or less decided to go with Canon EOS series - either the 40D or the 450D. (... suffering from 'upgraditis')

It comes with the 17-85mm or the 18-55mm kit lens - of course, the cost varies accordingly.

I have two questions.

1. Which of these lenses should I go for? And will this suffice all my portraiture needs for the moment?

2. Grey prices - esp for the 40D are waaay cheaper than B&W - is it advisable to pick a grey piece up - if it is from a big camera shop?

I intend to stick with this for at least three years - and I also intent to really experiment and LEARN a lot!

[tsk1979]

450D will be good enough for your usage.
The B&W price will be same as that of grey market 40D.

As for potraiture, get the 50mm 1.8 lens(3500, buy grey)

[Gill]

Went to market yesterday to pick S5,but came back home empty handed.Somehow i wasn't convinced paying 18.5k for it,i don't know what stopped me from buying it.
Later on i read these on net,
S5 v. S3 IQ: YOU Be The Judge - Canon s5IS Users
Re: Canon S3 vs S5 - Help!!: Canon Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review
Re: S3 VS. S5 - Differences: Canon Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review
after going through them i realise that S5 is not the value for money thing i am looking for,
Just checked the results of Fuji s5700 on flickr.com and i was amazed as it costs around rs8.2-8.5k only(Ebay)
Flickr: Camera Finder: Fujifilm: FinePix S5700
so friends,what should i do know?what are the great value for money options available in P&S.
Or i should pick S3 it's available for 13k on ebay with one yr dealer warranty.
i have no idea what should i do.
Camera will be usd for mainly for family functions,plants and wild life and sometimes for landscapes too.
where should i put in my money

[kb100]

@tsk - You are right about the 450 prices. However the grey prices of the D40 are in the vicinity of the B&W 450 - hence the question.


IN addition a couple of more things working on my mind are ...

1. The 40D has a shutter rated to 100,000 cycles - and there is no mention of any rating on the 450D - does this mean the shutter on the 450D is weak or can pack up sooner?

2. The D40 seems to be made of Magnesium Alloy & Steel casing. - Where as 450 is all hardened plastic - while this is lighter how strong will it be structurally over time - esp if the 450 gram body has to lug a 600 gram zoom

CAn it be summarised that the 40D will be stronger and more maintanance free in the long run?

I am more interested in knowing if there are any features impacting picture taking ability (like the Auto LIghting Optimiser - some kind of contrast control feature in the 450D)

@ Gill - Fuji is getting a lot of raving reveiws lately.. Suddenly noticed that a lot of ppl I know seem to have bought the Fuji P&Ss (Including my own SIL!)

[tsk1979]

Fuji is of course a better camera. But I think it lacks In body IS.
Their image quality is much better than the competition.

As for S5IS and S3IS, both of them are small sensor high MP cams, and both are not really pinnacales of image quality, but they make up for that to an extent with long zoom range and features.

For flower shots, macro etc., where you want vivid colors and good sensor, Fuji is the best.

[Gill]

Tsk, Fuji has picture stabalisation mode as mentioned in this link.
Steves Digicams - Fujifilm FinePix S700 - Hands on Review
Any pointers for which Fuji model i should look for which is great performer when it comes to clicking pics,Video shooting is not priority,long zoom would be advantage for close ups.I need simple and easy to operate cam what give exceptional image results.

[tsk1979]

@kb100, don't worry about rating actuations, both cameras will last long. However if you shoot near the ocean a lot a weather sealed body is best. K20D is also a good option in such scenario.
@Gill
The S8000fd has image stabilization(sensor shift), not the S5700. I just uses higher ISO so that your shutter speed increases.
The S8000fd will cost you 300$ in the US and is an excellent camera. Low light focus and long macro disadvantage are some of the low points, but the zoom range makes up for that.
you can take true telephoto and Wide angle pics with that lens. Great for landscape photographers.
Its better than competition at ISO400, and at ISO 100 and 200 gives the best colors

[indfo]

Hi,

Does anyone have a canon 100-400 L IS Lens here... please PM me as I needed some info...

Regards,
Arun

[Gill]

Thanks TSk for the help.
Now let be honest and straight,so that i find the solution at the earliest.I have no knowledge about ISO 100,200 speeds,RAW and all other technical aspects,consider me as an out to out dumb in it.I am confused since last 3 months for this thing:-
This is the list of camera that has croped up based on reviews on net and photos uploaded on flickr :-
Fuji fine pix s5700 for 8500/.
Canon S3 IS for 13000/.
Fuji s8000fd for 15500/.(Zoom is more then required).
Out to out confused.

[condor]

Gill : Or i should pick S3 it's available for 13k on ebay with one yr dealer warranty.

Prefer a manufacturer wty rather than a dealer wty. Even if it means paying a little more.

[Gill]

S3 is not available in delhi,Would be of great help if any forum member can help me out to source S3 from other parts on country ,it would be great help indeed.

[tsk1979]

Go for the 8000fd if its in your budget. You will love the camera.

[Gill]

@TSK,
i have been searching forums for reviews and users feedback for s5700,s8000 n s1000fd.later two models have there genes taken from s5700 and s5700 is said to be the best of them.I say again, this is what i have read and it's not my personal opinon.

I think this will make life easier:-
Budget
* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.
10k-20k.It would be my fist cam,i have kept my budget open but i don't want to end up buying a tank to kill a housefly.
Size
* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
Size isn't an issue
Features
How many megapixels will suffice for you?
I have no idea.
* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x)
Standard at the least, ultrazoom would be better.
* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
10.
Do you care for manual controls?
some auto would be fine,later on as i get hold of the cam,some manual controls will be helpfull for sure.
General Usage
* What will you generally use the camera for?
Kids, sports/action,family functions, some still pics of animals, vacation/travel
* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
No but regular prints-yes!
Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
yes
Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Sometimes.
Miscellaneous

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
Have looked at S3,S5,Fuji S5700,fujis1000fd.
(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
Image stabilization would be nice with the zoom.Flip LCD would be an added advatage too.

Moral of the story is i am looking for a cam to whoom i can do justice too and a novice should be able to use it to it's max potenial,so far S3 and Fuji 5700 are strong contender.
And i know i am confused.

[tsk1979]

the 5700 is a great cam, will fit your needs, but remember it DOES NOT come with image stabilization. High ISO thiingy is a little like the digital zoom genie.
Remeber the time when people used to tout 3x digital zoom as being ultimate
So if you want image stabilization(very necessary for long zooms in anything less than bright light) you have to go for 8000fd.
I suggest you go to dpreview.com, and in the buying guide section compare S3IS S5700fd an S8000FD with each other.
However if you can live without image stabilization then S5700FD makes more sense.