Digital Camera Help

Looking into a digital camera, but have some questions.

1. Everybody is making digital cams, but what brand name is the leader for quality in digital cams?

2. Don't plan on upgrading my current printer (Cannon BJC-2100) and want good quality prints for photo albums and my wifes scrapbooking hobby. How/can I get prints just like my 35mm camera?

Look forward for any information on this topic.

 

A major part of the of the quality of your prints will be the printer and the paper used. A photo quality printer will help with photo grade prints.

Shoot the photos at the highest resolution possible, for the best quality print.

For qualty of camera, Sony is hard to beat, so are Canon and Leika. These are reviewed in many places. Sometimes you can rent them and give them a try.

 

griffey:

You wouldn't go wrong with the camera models chris recommended.

Having been a prolific film photographer, I have accumulated over 5k pics in the last 14 months I have owned my dig camera.
After the sticker shock of the actual per print cost of doing pics on an inkjet I find the 40 cent/print cost of having them done professionally from a cd is a bargain.

 

What was the inkjet cost per Pic Greg? Who do you get to print them from CD @ 40 cents ea?

I will most likely use the majiorty of pics in digital format however there will be that relitive who does not have a PC. I can print a few for them, or have them done.

The cost of doing your own prints must make for a real triage when deciding which Picture get coppied. Do you see the cost going down in the near future?

Was it the ink, paper or both that led to the high cost?
Have you heard of? http://www.printatwolf.com/login/index.asp

 

Canon makes great cameras and has a range of prices, their Digital Rebel is a true 35mm Digital SLR and runs about $1,000 with a lens.

On the cheaper side (

 

I would not use a printer to print out digital picture regularly. You can save a lot of money and get better quality by paying to have them printed professionally. I've used Ofoto.com and Wal-Mart (23 cents per 4x6) and they both have excellent quality.

 

I found that my preview for Smart Computing, had come by e-mail when I checked my mail after asking Greg questions. From .26 cents to $1.97 each picture you need to read the link below.

I have a Family job that will encompas thousands of Black & White, Color 35s & slides. One of my Christmas prsents that will come in handy this year is a DVD burner, NTI 6.5 Platnium DVD softwar program, Photo Shop 6, & a lot of work.

For me I may send or place a Photo on a B-Day card. Not get all my Pics processed. I don't think I can justify buying 1 ink cartridge. Time will tell. This Study was an eye opener for me so now I can get back to finding a great Digital Camera for around $1,000.00. The only thing I want to study about after we get the Camera is, what Lens do we need to buy now for sharp close ups of Lady Bird Beatles.

http://www.smartcomputing.com/editor...1.asp&did=5924

 

Miguel:

Marturo wrote:
"I have a Family job that will encompas thousands of Black & White, Color 35s & slides."

It makes me tired just hearing about all that you want to do with digital photography.

I recently purchased an HP 4570 scanner with a film/slide adapter but havn't used the film adapter yet.
The specs on it are way less than a pro one but I didn't want to spend more on a scanner than I spent on my camera.

I can't comment on what would be a good set-up for you because everyone's needs are different.
When I started looking for a digital I was trying to find something that would replace my Canon A-1 with a 28 - 210 zoom lens.
I take a lot of nature/bird pics using zoom and macro which I could do with one lens.
In looking for a camera a Fuji 2800, a 2 mp, 6x optical zoom was what I thought would be a good entry level camera.

I bought one but because of my photography background have become dissapointed at it's lack of manual adjustments.
Picture quality is great but I find there are a lot of things I can't do as I could on the film camera.
It will be awhile before I buy another camera but I am shopping now.
For my needs, a large zoom and manual capability are what I would make the most use of.
There are cameras now in the 12 x optical zoom range that is the equivalent of a 420 mm in a 35 mm camera.
What makes this interesting is that the stabilizing software and in some a moveable ccd make it possible to shoot handheld at 12x ! With 200mm in a film camera you need a tripod if shooting in low light or with slow film and want a crisp photo.
Another thing I can't get used to is making camera adjustments in software.
I suppose I may get used to it but a semi-pro film camera has all the bells and whistles on the body of the camera.
Making a setting change on most digital cams is like setting up an internet connection.

The Fuji is kind flimsy and really wouldn't recommend the model I have but maybe their other cams are better.

The digital Rebel too looks interesting and the camera is not a bad price but I don't know if it has image stabilization and once you start adding the price of lenses you might as well go all out and go with Nikon.

Check out this camera. I don't know if I would buy Panasonic but the specs are interesting.


Image creditanasonic.com

 

I too would want some choices to be manual & the Panasonic does have some nice features.
All of the Pictures in this Family project will already be developed into B & W, color pictures, slides & negatives. If this works out it may go into a business & an $800.00 slide & negative automatic scanner would be a must.

How much work I would be doing with a camera, that I don't know now. I do understand that as more of the Pictures from the 40s through the 70s are scanned & saved in digital format, it will soon be over. Five years 8 tops then instead of Shoe boxes filled with pictures it will be CDs.

The Boomers will provide a large peak starting now as many of us start losing our Parents we will want thos memories to pass down to our kids in CD/DVD format. I am my own first customer you might say. I just had no idea at just how many Pictures a Mom & Dad + 12 Countries & 3 kids could amass.

Since I do live in a Retirement meca I have had a chance to talk with a couple of freelancers. There first answer to how much call do you get? Forget about weekends the more that come here, the more work we get.

Living 30 minutes from the main gate to The Pisagh National Forest I have thousands of acres of plants & animals to shoot. If I had to guess & I do, the camera I need would take a picture of an Aminita Mushroom to a spectacular water falls. Farm pictures of the Produce & fruit for the Farm website.

I need to determine where and what to put the money first & so far scanning equipment seems to be winning out. With the Contessa 35 I can with a full manual 35mm take just about all the pictures for pleasure & web I will need for now. Also learning to take & I mean adjust an all manual 35 will be a good start for moving into a part manual Digital.

Both film & digital cameras offer something the other cannot, I think it would be good to have both. I have found a large Photography shop where they average .32 cents per print & they don't look grainy like the Eckards or Wal-Mart prints do.

At this point I can see my Dad had more slides made than prints but how many others did that in the 50s & 60s, I don't know yet. Most scanners do a fair job one at a time, when fitted with the slide lid adapter. When they come by the hundreds the load 50 & it scans slides & negitives automaticly looks inepensieve @ $800.00 or a Factory refurb for $500.00 looks good also.

The main thing I have learned so far Greg is to move slow & easy, as you said we each have different needs so now I must find what I need first, then move slowly on from there. I chose a Panasonic VHS player over a Sony 2 years ago & i'm glad I did. Panasonic had a slump for awhile, it looks now like they are making a comeback.

 

This camera sounds really interesting. Does anyone have an opinion about it? The 12X optical zoom sounds great and the Leika lens is attractive. Panasonic is not a brand I relate to cameras though. Thanks,
Sabina

 

Sabina:

This camera still looks good to me but since I have a Fuji 2800 that still works I'm in no rush.
These big zoom cameras are fairly new and so the longer I wait the more the technology evolves.

One big thing for me is a hot shoe for an external flash which is needed due to most dig cam's puny flash output.

Here is a review with some details.

Another review with a couple of negatives.

 

Just want to throw in my 2 cents:

I've got a 6 year old Ricoh digital camera, and it's just been a workhorse. It's never let me down; I used it heavily for business for a few years. It's very compact, takes reasonably good pix (it's only 1/3 Meg, which is what they were at the time & all you really need for the web or email). It also has a feature that I don't see on other digital cameras, that is, the lens and the LCD both are covered & protected when not in use. I briefly used a Coolpix, and step two was always cleaning the thumbprint off of the LCD.

I don't know why you don't see more Ricohs, or even Ricoh advertising. Should this one ever bite the dust I'll go get another one. Great camera.

-Steve G

PS. I will admit that the software's a little cluncky, but it does the job. Perhaps it's been improved.