Need a Camera!!!

[David Wilhelm]

I'm need some help picking a camera. I'm not really looking to throw good tool money at this item but I know you get what you pay for. I want to be able to post pics like the rest of you so give me some ideas of what to look for. thanks Will

[Dean Matthews]

bang for buck I have been recommending the Canon SD750 to people. I have had great success with the canon line of cameras and the SD750 has the largest LCD panel of all the cameras I have looked at.

Now... the SD750 is a Point and Shoot. It fits in your back pocket easily and it takes decent pictures imho. If I were going to buy an SLR style digital camera I would go with something like a Nikon D70 but I am a bit prejudice since my 35mm cameras are all Nikon.

[Gordon Seto]

Depending on whether you need reading glasses, the most important thing I would look for is the ability to see the screen under sunlight and the size of the screen. A manual override for the automatic flash if you want to use a photo tent to avoid the hot spot on glossy turnings.

[Dennis Peacock]

I've been a Canon camera fan since 1978...so I bought a Canon Digital Rebel about 2 years ago now IIRC. It broke last year and the cost to repair it was outrageous. I went to the store and bought a Fujifilm A820 digital camera for $149 (8MP) and have been extremely pleased with it. Been almost a year now with the Fuji and it's still going strong.

This is Dennis - Saving his pennies to get his Canon Rebel fixed one day.

[David Wilhelm]

I've looked at the 750 but it has no view finder now with all the reading on photo tents and tripods ect. Do i not need a view finder? Doesn't using the view finder give you longer battery life? Seems the 1000 or is it 1100 has the same specs with a view finder. Now if i do not need all this hi tech stuff to post good pics on here tell me now LOL.

[Dean Matthews]

I've looked at the 750 but it has no view finder now with all the reading on photo tents and tripods ect. Do i not need a view finder? Doesn't using the view finder give you longer battery life? Seems the 1000 or is it 1100 has the same specs with a view finder. Now if i do not need all this hi tech stuff to post good pics on here tell me now LOL.

I have the 750 and i bought the extra battery for $40 bucks... my batteries seem to last a good long time even with using the flash.

Canon in general has had good batteries for the last few years. I had been using an S400 for a few years with very little trouble. My wife has the SD300 and her battery is the same as mine... so between the two cameras we have 4 batteries that work in both.

The chargers are also nice and compact. We were at a gymnastics show for my little girl and I ran out on my first battery. I threw it in the charger on the wall and in less than 15 minutes it was charged. Didn't need it that day... but I had it charged for the next time.

I honestly cannot comment on the need for the view finder or not. I have RARELY used a view finder on the P&S cameras. Seems to me photo composition is much easier on a viewfinder especially when that LCD is 3.5"

[Joe Chritz]

Nikon D70 is what I use for work photos. Primarily for accident scene investigations. I have not used anything close yet.

For an evidence camera we use a Nikon D series as well but I can't recall which one, D80 I think. I has to take side lighted photos of detail in foot print tread, developed fingerprints, tool marks and the like.

I have pirated one of them for a kids soccer game and it will do sharp clear photos through a long telephoto with great stop action.

We just got new point and shoot digitals for the day to day stuff but I haven't had a chance to run them through yet.

Joe

[Steven DeMars]

Canon PowerShot Series . . . . simple, durable & takes excellent pictures . . .:D

[Steve Schlumpf]

David, I use the Canon PowerShot A70 and have been OK with the results. I find that the more I turn, the more photos I take and as my photo abilities improve I am finding the limitations of my exisiting camera. I am considering upgrading to a DSLR mainly because of limited ability to control the focus and depth of field. Whatever camera you end up with - if you plan on using it for photos of your work - make sure you have some manual options available. You will want to be able to make adjustments to white balance (to get true color), shutter speed and F stop (to control what is in focus), self timer (used so you don't blur the photo when shooting manually) and be able to turn the flash off so you don't wash out the subject.

There are a lot of small point & shoot cameras out there that allow for these basic adjustments. Not everyone shoots their photos the same way - the items I mentioned above are just some of the features I use. Best of luck finding what works for you!

[David Wilhelm]

Canon Power Shot A720 is what i ended up with. I've got 30 days to find out if i like it. I figure it will take me 6 months to figure out how to use it..... It's a AA battery so i picked up a pack or rechargeable bats and I'm trusting they will fit my charger. It was the same price as the 750 but the specs were a touch better. WE shall see. If you think I messed up feel free to yell at me!!

[Russ Hauser]

I have two digitals, a Nikon Coolpix 900, and a Canon SD1100. Both are easy to use and easily interface with the computer and both have good software. The Canon is probably half the size of the Nikon but has a view screen half again the size of the Nikon. The Nikon is 6 megapixles and the Canon is 8 megapixles although I can't tell the difference.

The view screen on both cameras is difficult to see in bright sunlight and this is where you will want an optical viewfinder. Both cameras have this feature.

I race a sailboat and wanted a point and shoot camera that was compact enough to be placed in a pocket when not being used. My first choice was an Olympus Stylus. It was conpact enough to be carried in a back pocket. during one race, I was below in the cabin when the boat caught a wind gust that healed it over, dumping me on my butt (and the camera). This broke the liquid crystal display. Olympus replaced the display under waranty, but the camera later turned up missing on a trip. I replaced the camera with another Stylus, being very carful with it by wareing it on a neck cord instead of in a pocket. This camera was used and was out of waranty when its veiwscreen also broke. I don't know what caused it to break this time.

The Olympus was replaced by the Canon to get the optical viewfinder for shots in bright sunlight, and is carried in a hard camera case when not in use.

Russ

[Greg Savage]

....... I'm not really looking to throw good tool money at this item but I know you get what you pay for...... thanks Will

Will...Consider a camera another tool. You can't make pro-looking photos with a junk camera. One thing that you may want to look into is a digital SLR. Yeah, it may be a bit more $$$$ than your standard digital camera, but if you decide to use strobes at some point, you'll find the hot shoe and/or flash sync a usefull item. Also take into consideration lenses....possibly a macro/micro. With one of the micro lenses, I can photograph a postage stamp and fill the frame.

Also, If you are planning to do any high end photos for publicity, etc, You may want a camera capable of shooting in a RAW format

For the record, I have always had good luck with my Nikons. They have done everything that I have asked of them.
It still comes down to the money factor. How much do you want to spend? Always plan for what you might need in the near future, so you don't have to buy it again.

[dennis kranz]

All this talk about Cannon. It is a great camera. But if your using your camera for everyday things as well as your projects its hard to beat the prices of some of the Kodak 613, 713, 813 cameras. I sell these things to the average user every day. If you want to be a pro go SLR but for the person an a smaller budget Kodak will do a great job and save you a couple bucks.
Dennis

[Danny Thompson]

I just bought a Casio EXILIM EX-Z77WE this weekend for my daughter. It was on sale for $139. What impressed me was its Image Stabilization, which is a nice feature at this price point. It is 7 megapixels and 3x optical zoom.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8468384&st=casio+camera&type=product&id=1184768164998 (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8468384&st=casio+camera&type=product&id=1184768164998)

There is a great Nikon for $200, the S550. What is so great about it is 10 megaipixels the 5x optical zoom (most at this range are 8 and 3x).

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8721948&st=nikon+camera&type=product&id=1200703005590

My wife and I both have Canons, which have been great cameras, too. The SD750 is a good one, 7 megapixels and 3x zoom. Same specs as the Casio, but same price as the Nikon.

[Johnny Kleso]

I just bought one this Christmas and all reports list Cannon top rate..

I bought a Panasonic Lumix Dmc-FZ8 was one of last years top picks

This place listed the lowest prices anywhere
http://www.everyprice.com

This place has the best reviews
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/stats.asp
List of top 20

[David Walser]

David,

There are too many options to make a recommendation without more information. Below I provide a link to a website that would be a good place to start your research.

Digital cameras fall into two broad categories: point & shoot and DSLR. The point & shoot cameras can take very good photos and one may be all you'll ever need for taking pictures of your turnings. The main limitation of point & shoot cameras is that it may be more difficult, if not impossible, to control the "depth of field" with such cameras. (Depth of field refers to the range within which items are in focus in the picture. Controlling depth of field can be very important when taking pictures of turnings -- for example, you may want the turning in sharp focus with the background out of focus; this tends to make the turning "pop" in the picture.)

DSLR's, in general, have larger sensors (not the same as more pixels!) and can take better pictures than point & shoot cameras. Their primary advantage, however, is greater control over the picture taking process. With a DSLR, you can change lenses. You can also change the "f-stop" (the size of the opening behind the lens that allows light to reach the sensor) -- which controls the depth of field. In addition, you can change the "shutter speed" (the amount of time the camera allows light to reach the sensor for each shot). In addition to these "basic" settings, most DSLRs allow you to change the way the sensor captures an image, by making the sensor mimic a faster (or slower) film speed or by causing the camera to mimic the use of a tinted lens filter, etc. Of course, most DSLRs have a setting that causes the camera to make all those settings for you (making your DSLR into an expensive point & shoot!).

Which kind should you get? I've got both. I prefer using my DSLR for most things. I like my point & shoot because it fits into my pocket -- a camera's no good if it's been left at home. For shooting turnings, you can definitely get by with a decent point & shoot model. For a DSLR, I recommend you look at the Pentax DSLRs. I recommend Pentax because quality lenses, in general, are cheaper for Pentax than for Canon or Nikon. (Pentax DSLRs can use any Pentax lens made in the last 50 years. The large base of used lenses competes with the new lenses, keeping a lid on prices). If someone has a bunch of Canon lenses (that are compatible with the current cameras), I'd recommend a Canon. Same with someone who has a large investment in Nikon lenses.

I have a Pentax K10D, which is much more camera than you'll likely need. You should be able to find the now obsolete K100D (it's been replaced by the new K200D) with lens for less than $500 (there's one on Amazon right now for $439). With such a camera, poor pictures of your turnings cannot be blamed on the equipment!

Here's a website that provides objective reviews for both kinds of cameras: http://dpreview.com/ In addition, there are user forums where you can post a question and get feed back. DPReview is the best source for objective information about digital cameras I'm aware of. You shouldn't accept everything said there as the gospel, but it's a great place to start when researching a camera.

Good luck.

[Brian Brown]

David,

There is no correct answer to your question, rather a lot of correct answers. :confused: Remember when you bought that lathe (a camera), and all the tools (lenses, computer etc.)? You stuck a chunk of wood in it (memory card) and pressed the on switch (shutter release), and a few minutes later the lathe delivered into your hands a perfect bowl (picture) just exactly like the one what you had in mind. Right? What, that didn't happen? Strange, it didn't work for me either! :rolleyes: How's that for beating an analogy to death. :D It is the same for any other pursuit. I always wanted to play the piano, but I never wanted to play scales. :( Hence I can’t even play chopsticks. When I discovered woodturning, I wanted to be the best there is. I'm just barely scratching the surface, but I've learned every swear word along the way (SWMBO says I'm the master when it comes to cussing). The camera is just a tool and you need to learn how to use it. Don't worry about the best camera, and all of the really cool "pokey outs" that attach to it. Salesmen are notorious for telling you that you need every bell and whistle. Can you say commission? Some of my best images were taken with the most primitive equipment. Determine what features are important to you, find a model that has those features and fits your budget, and get it. Slightly over simplified, but you get the gist. It's not the camera, but the photographer behind it.

As for brands, take this for what it is worth. I used Nikon for 18 years, and switched to Canon 4 years ago. It wasn't a happy divorce, but Canon had an unusual feature that I needed desperately (enough to flush 30 grand worth of Nikon to get it). Both brands are excellent, and have great history. Olympus is doing great things, but has had an odd on again off again history. Fuji makes good cameras too. I wouldn't buy any other brand. Not that they aren't any good, but they have little history in cameras, and you never know if they will be making or supporting cameras next week. I don’t know models, I just can’t keep up. Kodak is a filthy four-letter word in my digital book. I have dedicated my life to keeping people from making the "K" mistake. Kodak digital has way too much history, and none of it good. My best advice is take a bowl or two into your camera dealer, use the cameras there to make sure they focus close enough have the right lens etc. etc., and get any other features you need. Then get a couple of photography books and/or take a community ed class. I'm sure you'll be happy with your choice.

One more point. Point and shoot or SLR Style? Depends on how serious your are about your wood turning pictures, or what else you want to shoot besides wood turning. It's a personal choice. But something to think about. SLR styles have interchangeable lenses, and when the lens comes off , dust can get in. :eek: Dust, you know that stuff we make in the shop. :eek: Dust is deadly to good pictures. If it gets on the camera sensor, it is extremely hard to remove. A point and shoot is best if you want to use it in a dusty atmosphere, because it is better sealed. Not dust free, just less dust. My professional cameras are permanently banned from the shop because of the dust, and I only use a point and shoot. Sorry to be so windy, but I hope this helps.

[David Wilhelm]

Thanks to everyone.
You are so right Brian, I've got a ton of reading to do with the canon. Not really wanting another hobby at all. Just want to share a few pics with everyone. Busy enough as it is making dust. I hope I can find what i need in one of the 4 books that came with the camera!!!! LOL

Will.............