As I'm in the market for a new camera I'm curious what people are using out there. I currently have a Nikon N65 film camera and while I have not had a chance to anything digital (no scanner, etc..) I'm looking into upgrading. Trying to decide between staying with film and scanning or buying a new digital camera. My price range is right around a grand but cheaper wouldn't be a bad thing, more money for the trains and othe hobbies. Thanks for any advice you might be able to give.
Jman, maybe we can work together on this. I too have an N-65 after years of Pentax's. I want to go digital, but not necessarily for prints, more for the net. Ted Curphey (funnelfan) has published some beautiful, clear pix on the net, and he started with a 2 Mpx camera, now uses a 3.2. I just saw ads for Gateway 4 and 5 MPx cameras at incredibly low prices, $200 and $300 respectively. What I would like to know is, do any of you use either of these Gateway digi-cams and if so, how happy are you with the results?
I have a Minolta DiMage 7i 5.25 megapixels per inch that I am very happy. The only thing I do not like is the battery life is fairly short. But the photos are just as good as any 35mm film I have ever used.
Ironhorseman, Have you ever printed them out, either at home or by a store? What kind of quality did you get. To be honest I have enough money saved up that the Canon Rebel 300D is in my price range and since it is now being shipped with a lense I'm thinking that it might just be the way to go. It'll let me keep growing and I doubt that I'll be thinking of buying another camera digital or otherwise for a few years at least. BTW fitz how do you like your N65? Mines great. It's just that the price of devloping the pictures is getting a bit too much.
I have a Canon G5 that I love (I started with a G1, that my wife now has ) It is 5MP, 4x optical lens, takes CompactFlash cards or MicroDrives and is very compact. The retail price (US) has just dropped to $599. The digital Rebel I think is listing for $1000 US with the lens.... I tried one, however, since I am spoiled by the compacts (and used to shoot heavy SLR's) I really enjoy the smaller camera, plus easier to store and carry. As far as image quality, it is superb. I upload pictures to Wolf (Ritz) Camera's website, then pick up my photos at the nearby store, usually within an hour! Harold
Chessie, How much does that cost you? Do you miss the ability to swith out lenses and what not or is the compactness of it the thing that really got ya.
I had always used film SLR's, but as most of my pics end up on the net, I tried an entry level digital. I was so impressed, I acquired a Fuji 5000 with 10x optical zoom lens, excellent macro ability and 3 megapixels. It uses rechargable batteries which last a very long time, so battery life is not a problem. I always carry a spare charged set with me though. All my film cameras are now sold, as it is also easy to get prints from digital if you want them. I love the instant results from a digital camera.
If you are researching digital cameras, I believe you will find this site very helpful: http://dpreview.com/ I used it before buying my Nikon Coolpix 995. The reviews are very detailed and thorough. Also, when you are ready to buy, I have found many fellow photographers, including myself, have had excellent dealings with B&H Pro Photo and Video. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home? B&H may not have the lowest prices, but their shipping was prompt and they carry a very large stock of cameras and accessories. Usual disclaimer--I have no financial interest in any of the above mentioned. I am just a satisfied customer. Beware of prices that seem too low. You want to avoid gray market goods. They usually don't have a valid warranty and are impossible to get serviced. Also, I am more than a little shy of reconditioned merchandise.
I actually am lucky enough to have a very good camera store called North County Camera (in Escondido, San Diego County) only about a 40 minute drive south of me. They seem to have a pretty good selection and a reasonable price. It's better than dealing with Ritz (the only other close camera store that deals with digital). But B&H is a good place to go for price comparison and I love the DPreview site, they are the ones that turned me on to the new Nikon D70 that is supposed to compete with the digital rebel. Just not sure if I'm willing to wait for another couple of months for the D70 to come out.
I pay about 33 cents per print... not the cheapest, however works best for me. Some places offer cheaper prints, but you have to bring in your media card or cd, then come back for prints, plus the quality is not the same as camera store.... Some internet sites advertise cheaper per print prices, however, when you add in the postage costs, the per print price rises quickly. Harold
In answer to the question, do I miss the SLR and changing lenses?? My SLR is, or (was) a Canon EOS A2E.... It has a 28-135mm lens and tipped the scales at over 3 pounds. The G5 has a 4x lens equivalent of 35-140mm and weighs less than a pound. It is compact: ~ 5" wide x 3" tall x ~ 3" deep and can fit under a seat of the car. Other pluses? The G5 has a long lasting Lithium Ion (rechargable) battery ( I have a spare which I carry and share with my G1 ) The Compact Flash storage is cheap & plentiful, and I get almost 200 images on a 512mb card (plus I carry a couple of spares). The G5 has many of the Canon program modes, plus a shutter range of 15sec. - 1/2000. It will shoot 2 fps and the lens is fast: minimum apetures of 2.0-3.0! The biggest plus for me is being able to take as many pictures as I want to get the "right shot(s)" without spending a lot of $$$$ on film and processing. I also find that I use my digital 10 times more because it basically doesn't cost anything! Harold
I see that Canon now has an 8MP model: http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/pro1/index.html The MegaPixel race continues Harold
I noticed that in this months Model Railroad magazine that many of the photo winners were using the smaller point and shoot style cameras as opposed to larger DSLR or even the more expensive pro style point and shoot. I'm leaning towards the DSLR 'cause I do like gasgets and the interchangable lenses just sorta tickles my gadgets funny bone.
Your equipment depends on your usage. If you are shooting for magazines or slide shows there is no reasonable replacement for an SLR loaded with Provia at this point. If you're already into the Nikon SLR system and are comfortable with using it there is no reason to give it up for digital. With your budget you could easily acquire a high-quality film scanner, such as the Minolta Dimage Scan Dual III, a variety of Nikon glass, and even a second body for back-up. On the other hand, if the web and prints for yourself are your only form of output you probably won't notice the quality loss and could save some money with a consumer digital such as the Canon G-series or the Nikon CoolPix line.
I like the idea of staying with film the only problem is the money spent on getting the negatives developed. It's like 8 bux a roll for a set of prints and then you still need to scan them or pay another 8 bux to have the store scan them. I like the idea of sticking with the Nikon and getting some glass and what not but I think that the money factor keeps me from expirementing too much, not wanting to waste the money and all.
Then start shooting slides. You can get a 36-exp roll of Fuji Sensia for $2.79 and have it processed for $3.99 with processing mailers. I believe that's less than you're paying for just the processing now.
One of the big advantages for me of digital, is that I can shoot as many pictures as I want and choose just a few of them to keep, but they have not cost me anything! Also the results of my efforts are instant. Perfect for my usage, but maybe not for everyone. When out and about these days, I note that the big majority of photographers appear to be using digital cameras. A lot of capacity and features are available in a small package
