[SumitB]

I had the same dilemma when I was out for buying a camera. I was looking at the S3IS or the Panasonic FZ30. Even though you are the best judge for your requirment, I used to refer to Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ for some well informed decisions. I ultimately went in for the Panasonic for its manual control including manual zoom. Adds a very cool professional touch to the controls. the website has a unique comparison feature for any models you choose from. The canon is good too but lacks some important manual controls. Are you going in for grey market?

[maxbhp]

Originally Posted by SumitB

Are you going in for grey market?

Sadly yes , The price for H5 is 18000 and S3IS is 17000 INR.

[SumitB]

Going for grey market is nothing be to sad about or being embarrassed!! I got my camera from the grey market also. Nowadays the grey market dealers are offering atleast 1 year dealer warranty and also throwing in extras like batteries and cards to match tax paid deals. If you plan to purchase from Delhi (especially Palika Bazar) just keep in mind to throughly check the set for signs of usage and also click a few pics and check on the computer for any dead pixels.

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by maxbhp

This is to all photography gurus,

I am tired of my compact DSC T10 Cybershot and would like to get some thing SEMI professional[b] .

Semi professional means entry level to mid-level dSLR cameras. But I think you are just looking for an advanced or prosumer camera.

Originally Posted by maxbhp

My needs are.
1.Service
2.Clear Menus
3.Ruggedness
I am not so great about guaging pic. quality but since I am going to shell some moollahs for this I want a good picture quality too.Please Advise.

This is not the right approach to pick a camera. One can't take better quality picture merely by getting a better camera. Photographers take photographs, not cameras.

First thing to decide, what do you expect from the camera. You just want better tourist photos or do you plan to learn photography. Either requirement may lead to a same camera, but you gotta make sure your needs are addressed.

If you just want better tourist shots, look for zoom factor (5x, 10x ,etc), good wide angle (28mm, 35mm), various shooting modes like sports, macro, landscape, etc that takes the guess work out of you, big & clear LCD preview, compactness, etc.

If you are planning to learn photography, then look for full manual control of aperture/speed/ISO over a long range, various TTL metering modes, a crystal clear LCD view finder, a large aperture lens, etc.

You have enough choices within your budget for both the above cases. Steer clear off dSLRs for now, you are not ready for them.

[revtech]

get the Canon S3 IS. its a great cam.i got it a few weeks back and i dont regret it at all....im sure you wont either.


Rev

[fash_1]

Been using Sony DSC H2, for a while now, very satisfied with it. But the Canon 350D is all i've been dreamin about...

[navin_bhp]

Maxbhp: As Samurai said you should go for a prosumer camera, learn all the tricks with manual controls like aperture value, shutter speed, metering mode, white balance..etc and then go for a SEMI professional one.

Here's some camera's you can choose from:
(Prices mentioned are by grey market in chennai)

Prosumer Cameras : Canon S3 IS, S2 IS, Sony H1, H2, H3, Finepix S5600, S9600 etc...

Suggested model : S3 IS(16400 INR+1 GB Sandisk 950 INR + Unicross 2300 1000 INR)

Semi Professional : Canon 350D, 400D, Nikon D40, D50, D70, D80, Pentax K10D, K100

Cheapest one Nikon D40 (25K). Canon 350D (29K) 400D (35K)

Before choosing the camera make sure the size of the camera is comfortable for you to hold. If the camera is too small for your hand you cannot take your best shot.

A zoom camera atleast 10X will be very helpful and will suit all occasions. Twistable LCD display (like the one in S3 IS) will give you great comfort. Though this feature will help clicking some shots from great angles, if you get too much used to this then you might find it difficult when you upgrade to a DSLR. Note that you will only be using the view finder to take pics and only the previews can be seen on the LCD display.

The picture quality of the S3 IS is very good and especially the skin tone's will come out naturally and beautifully. It has loads of options to work and enjoy, believe me you can get very creative with options like color swap etc.. The battery life is also very good.

If you are looking more towards an entry level DSLR you can first try out the FujiFinepix S5600. It is a better camera for those who have unsteady hands. Its easy to use and has 10X Zoom (5 MP). It has all the manual controls and the costs only 12K. (Quite hard to get in chennai).
Check this link for some pics that I cliked with this camera.
cars and bikes Photo Gallery by Navin Kumar at pbase.com

After mastering the manual controls then you can opt for a DSLR like the canon 450D, 400D which are excellent cameras.
The following link will take you to my gallery and most of the pics are taken in Canon 350 D.
Flickr: Photos from Navins

Hope I did not confuse you with lot of information. You can read reviews about almost every camera from this website Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ .

Enjoy Photography!!

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by navin_bhp

Maxbhp: As Samurai said you should go for a prosumer camera, learn all the tricks with manual controls like aperture value, shutter speed, metering mode, white balance..etc and then go for a SEMI professional one.

I wouldn't say learn all the tricks with manual control, that won't take you too far. Instead learn real photography using a camera that has all the manual controls. First read this small document, then pick your camera. If this doesn't interest you, then you basically need a P&S camera. There are many choices that fit your need.

[maxbhp]

Originally Posted by Samurai

I wouldn't say learn all the tricks with manual control, that won't take you too far. Instead learn real photography using a camera that has all the manual controls. First read this small document, then pick your camera. If this doesn't interest you, then you basically need a P&S camera. There are many choices that fit your need.

The one am using now is Fujica AZ 1
1.Fujinon.Z 1 3.5-4.5 f=43-75mm;
2.DEREK GARDNER AUTOMATIC Lens1:1.28 Wide angle
3.VINTAGE SUPER TAKUMAR 1:4/200 LENS made by Asahi optics, Japan
4. National PE 210M Electronic Flash unit

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by maxbhp

The one am using now is Fujica AZ 1
1.Fujinon.Z 1 3.5-4.5 f=43-75mm;

So, you are a film SLR user too. Then what was the point in saying you are a DSC T10 Cybershot user and asking for recommendations? Misleading requirements lead to misleading recommendations.

Then you should purchase dSLR and nothing less, you will be disappointed with anything less. If you don't have the budget for a new dSLR, look for used dSLRs, there are many who are upgrading from 350D to 400D, D50-D70s to D80. Leave a word with R K Photo guide in Bangalore for used dSLR deals.

[n_aditya]

just picked up the canon A710iS.... 7.1 MP and 6x Optical zoom... havent taken many pics yet. cost me INR 16.5K in dubai duty free. It's yet to be launched here and is gonna be priced between INR 19k and INR 23k....

Had a nikon 5.1 MP digicam earlier... conked in a years time... din expect nikon's to go kaput so quick... was a lovely camera and one of my fav's... cost me a bomb... INR 38k.... gttin a replacement for it... missing it bigtime..

my advice... for Pic quality... Nikon and then canon.... but goin by experience i think vice versa.

[shazikon]

Samurai.. liked your new lens.. how much did it cost? and what body are you using?

[Samurai]

Originally Posted by shazikon

Samurai.. liked your new lens.. how much did it cost? and what body are you using?

I have a E-500 body, the 50-200mm was $800.

[shazikon]

Bought a Canon 400D recently from US + kit lens ( EFS 18mm-55mm) + Canon EFS 10mm-20mm lens.. The 10-20 mm lens cost me a bomb but iam so happy with the pics and now i can get the wide angle i always wanted.
I have a rebel 2000 using it for the past 6 years and have a Tamron 80-300 so this will help me in reaching even farther 300x1.6 =480 .. this was one of the reasons i went for the 400D other wise i was so tempted with the Nikon D80... I sacrificed on the body to buy a good quality lens. i intended to buy the Canon 30D but that was like pushing a little too far..
400D is slightly underexposing but that can be handled by manually compenstaing by exposure compensation..!!
Question for digi SLR pros.. how can i get correct exposures when i am playing around with sutter speed as i understand the camera sets the exposure automatically when i am in the TV zone.

[Samurai]

Congrats on the 400D.

Originally Posted by shazikon

400D is slightly underexposing but that can be handled by manually compenstaing by exposure compensation..!!
Question for digi SLR pros.. how can i get correct exposures when i am playing around with sutter speed as i understand the camera sets the exposure automatically when i am in the TV zone.

That's easy man, just keep the exposure compensation at +.7 or +1 since you have underexposure problem. I usually take my raw images at -.7 to -1 EV. Better underexpose than overexpose.