Camera question

[KerrBear85]

I wanna get a uber awesome digital camera. One that is almost professional quality but without the expense of a professional one. Aside from amateur porn, I like to take pictures of nature and of my kids. So I need a camera that will take very crisp pictures and captures the colors well in natural or dim lighting. I also need one that can take several pictures at once (nature/kids in motion). My digi camera I have now is just a cheap $100 Kodak. I'm looking to spend about $500 to 1K. Any recommendations?

 

[kaycee217]

You can't really go wrong with any of the big names, although there might be an exception or two.

Are you interested in a digital SLR? That seems to be a feature of higher end cameras, although I've never understood what made SLR so special.

 

[KerrBear85]

You can't really go wrong with any of the big names, although there might be an exception or two.

Are you interested in a digital SLR? That seems to be a feature of higher end cameras, although I've never understood what made SLR so special.

I like the SLR because I like to know that I got the picture at least somewhat good enough to end my photo session. I'm not just snapping pics blindly and then go home to find out that I didn't take a good picture. Do digital camera even come without an SLR?

 

[kaycee217]

I like the SLR because I like to know that I got the picture at least somewhat good enough to end my photo session. I'm not just snapping pics blindly and then go home to find out that I didn't take a good picture. Do digital camera even come without an SLR?

Many digital cameras are not SLR, especically the "point and shoot" ones shaped like a packet of cigarettes.

If you're gonna pay $800+ for a digital camera, I'm pretty sure many of the models will be SLR.

Also, note that some higher end cameras may need lenses to be purchased seperately.

 

[Ekserb]

A DSLR will NOT make you a better photographer. Only practice, patience and time spent learning the difference between what makes a good photo and what makes a snapshot will make your photos better than the average shooter.

Buying a DSLR is more than an investment of money. Its use also requires that you be willing to compromise on weight, usability, and the ability to disappear in crowds. The best photos are often candids, and those are hard to get when everyone within three hundred feet can see you're holding a massive camera.

Too many people think they want a DSLR, but when they actually are forced to carry it around for a day, they don't like that it won't fit into a purse or bag, or that it's heavy around their neck. Eventually, many of them grow tired of it and start leaving it at home where it takes no pictures at all.

As was stated above, a DSLR by its very nature requires that you buy at least one lens separate from the camera body, and most people find that two or three are required to exploit the full capabilities of the camera. And for the very best lenses you can count on spending upwards of a thousand dollars each. (Some are much more than that.)

So, if you still want a DSLR, you can't go wrong with Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, Sony, etc. Each has advantages, but they will all capture fantastic images if you know how to use them. I happen to enjoy the ergonomics of Minolta/Sony, but many, many photographers prefer the almost limitless range of lenses and accessories for the Canon line.

The current Consumer Reports top-rated Basic DSLR is the Nikon D90 for around $900. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 has many features of a DSLR, but is smaller, lighter, and less expensive at around $650. If I were shopping for an advanced camera on a budget, I might consider the Lumix.

 

[kaycee217]

The poster above me takes awesome pictures.

That is all.

 

[Ekserb]

The poster above me takes awesome pictures.

That is all.

Thanks!

Let me also say that I've seen some amazing photos taken with a cell phone camera. I've also seen real crap shot with a $8000 Canon. The equipment you use matters a lot less than the photographer's skills.

Doubt me? Check out a site called The Best Camera. The site is filled with photos taken with iPhones by all kinds of people and they are beautifully done.

 

[KerrBear85]

Thanks!

Let me also say that I've seen some amazing photos taken with a cell phone camera. I've also seen real crap shot with a $8000 Canon. The equipment you use matters a lot less than the photographer's skills.

Doubt me? Check out a site called The Best Camera. The site is filled with photos taken with iPhones by all kinds of people and they are beautifully done.

Well, I had a picture that would have come out looking awesome but it came out with the pixels all screwed up and blurry. It didn't look that way on the SLR thing. I just want a camera that takes really crisp pictures that can take good pictures with poor lighting. Oh and something that can take multiple pictures with one click of the button. It doesn't have to be a heavy one, but it should be a really nice one.

 

[Ekserb]

Well, I had a picture that would have come out looking awesome but it came out with the pixels all screwed up and blurry. It didn't look that way on the SLR thing. I just want a camera that takes really crisp pictures that can take good pictures with poor lighting. Oh and something that can take multiple pictures with one click of the button. It doesn't have to be a heavy one, but it should be a really nice one.

I'm a little confused. Are you saying you're having problems with focus or with motion blur? There's a difference. I also think you're confusing SLR with LCD. Single Lens Reflex cameras use a system that allows for interchangeable lenses that you look through using a retractable mirror in front of the imaging sensor. The LCD is the preview screen on the back of the camera body that allows you to see the images after you've shot them, and in some cases this is also used as a viewfinder.

Focus complaints are a common issue with point-and-shoot cameras. The trouble is usually that you press the shutter release button and the camera then takes a moment to focus on the subject before it actually takes a picture. The length of time between pressing the button and the image capture is referred to as "lock time." A high-end camera has a very short lock time, so you essentially take a picture the instant you press the shutter release button. With a slower lock time, the subject may have moved closer or further from the lens as the camera was getting ready to fire, and this can lead to out-of-focus images.

On the other hand, motion blur can be caused by a few different things, but they all boil down to the fact that the shutter duration is too long to "freeze" the action in the photo. Sometimes this blur is caused by the camera user's shaky hands, and sometimes by fast-moving subjects. Either way, the only way to avoid it is to use a shorter shutter speed (although anti-shake or optical stabilization technologies can remedy this kind of blur to a certain extent).

With a very basic camera you often cannot adjust the exposure settings and are left trusting the camera to choose the best combination of shutter and aperture (the size of the lens opening). With all DSLRs you can manually adjust both of these, or just set one and let the camera's processor adjust the other, or set the camera to Auto and let it make all the decisions (other than composition). Many DSLRs also have some kind of Scene Modes that let you tell the camera what kind of subject you're shooting (Portrait, Sports, Night, etc.) and the processor will adjust accordingly.

A third parameter that must be dealt with is the camera's Sensitivity setting (referred to as ISO). This can be adjusted independently of aperture and shutter (or, once again, it can be adjusted by the camera in Auto mode), but it affects the exposure just as greatly. If you want to shoot dimly lit scenes without using a flash, or you want to freeze very fast action, the only way to do it is by boosting the ISO to 1600, 3200, or higher. Some current DSLRs can be adjusted as high as 12,800 ISO (and maybe higher—I haven't looked in a while). Again, there are trade-offs—a higher ISO usually results in greater noise or grain in the image. I happen to like a bit of grain and sometimes use it to my advantage, but typically you would want a camera with very low noise at high sensitivity settings.

Motor drive functions (or burst shooting) are typically quick enough on DSLRs for many users, although they can vary from 3 frames per second (FPS) to 8FPS. My Minolta tops out at about 3FPS and I've only once or twice wished for faster frame advance. I can tell you from experience that shooting a burst of five to ten frames rarely gets the photo you want. It's usually better to frame a shot and follow the action, waiting for the perfect moment. A short lock time will ensure that you capture exactly the slice of time that you were hoping for.

 

[kaycee217]

Well, I had a picture that would have come out looking awesome but it came out with the pixels all screwed up and blurry. It didn't look that way on the SLR thing. I just want a camera that takes really crisp pictures that can take good pictures with poor lighting. Oh and something that can take multiple pictures with one click of the button. It doesn't have to be a heavy one, but it should be a really nice one.

Can you explain what happened? Are you saying what you saw on the LCD screen was not what your camera ended up taking?

EDIT: I see Ekserb seems to be on it already.

 

[KerrBear85]

It was blurry only when I uploaded it onto the computer, is what I meant to say.

And I'm having problems with focus, not blur. It doesn't take the picture fast enough as well. This doesn't cause blur, it just misses the photo opt. Very annoying.

My uncle-in-law has the DSLR. I'm interested in one of those but am not heart set on it if I can get something lighter and cheaper that will do what I need to get done. His is rather heavy and I need to be on the ground a lot with the kids and some of my nature shots.

I'm a little confused. Are you saying you're having problems with focus or with motion blur? There's a difference. I also think you're confusing SLR with LCD. Single Lens Reflex cameras use a system that allows for interchangeable lenses that you look through using a retractable mirror in front of the imaging sensor. The LCD is the preview screen on the back of the camera body that allows you to see the images after you've shot them, and in some cases this is also used as a viewfinder.

Focus complaints are a common issue with point-and-shoot cameras. The trouble is usually that you press the shutter release button and the camera then takes a moment to focus on the subject before it actually takes a picture. The length of time between pressing the button and the image capture is referred to as "lock time." A high-end camera has a very short lock time, so you essentially take a picture the instant you press the shutter release button. With a slower lock time, the subject may have moved closer or further from the lens as the camera was getting ready to fire, and this can lead to out-of-focus images.

On the other hand, motion blur can be caused by a few different things, but they all boil down to the fact that the shutter duration is too long to "freeze" the action in the photo. Sometimes this blur is caused by the camera user's shaky hands, and sometimes by fast-moving subjects. Either way, the only way to avoid it is to use a shorter shutter speed (although anti-shake or optical stabilization technologies can remedy this kind of blur to a certain extent).

With a very basic camera you often cannot adjust the exposure settings and are left trusting the camera to choose the best combination of shutter and aperture (the size of the lens opening). With all DSLRs you can manually adjust both of these, or just set one and let the camera's processor adjust the other, or set the camera to Auto and let it make all the decisions (other than composition). Many DSLRs also have some kind of Scene Modes that let you tell the camera what kind of subject you're shooting (Portrait, Sports, Night, etc.) and the processor will adjust accordingly.

A third parameter that must be dealt with is the camera's Sensitivity setting (referred to as ISO). This can be adjusted independently of aperture and shutter (or, once again, it can be adjusted by the camera in Auto mode), but it affects the exposure just as greatly. If you want to shoot dimly lit scenes without using a flash, or you want to freeze very fast action, the only way to do it is by boosting the ISO to 1600, 3200, or higher. Some current DSLRs can be adjusted as high as 12,800 ISO (and maybe higher—I haven't looked in a while). Again, there are trade-offs—a higher ISO usually results in greater noise or grain in the image. I happen to like a bit of grain and sometimes use it to my advantage, but typically you would want a camera with very low noise at high sensitivity settings.

Motor drive functions (or burst shooting) are typically quick enough on DSLRs for many users, although they can vary from 3 frames per second (FPS) to 8FPS. My Minolta tops out at about 3FPS and I've only once or twice wished for faster frame advance. I can tell you from experience that shooting a burst of five to ten frames rarely gets the photo you want. It's usually better to frame a shot and follow the action, waiting for the perfect moment. A short lock time will ensure that you capture exactly the slice of time that you were hoping for.

 

[Ekserb]

It was blurry only when I uploaded it onto the computer, is what I meant to say.

And I'm having problems with focus, not blur. It doesn't take the picture fast enough as well. This doesn't cause blur, it just misses the photo opt. Very annoying.

My uncle-in-law has the DSLR. I'm interested in one of those but am not heart set on it if I can get something lighter and cheaper that will do what I need to get done. His is rather heavy and I need to be on the ground a lot with the kids and some of my nature shots.

Actually, the Panasonic I would recommend is the DMC-FZ35. It has a non-interchangeable zoom lens, but it also has many advanced features of a SLR-type camera. It's smaller than a SLR, but not small enough to go into a pocket. It should handle a lot like a DSLR, as the form is very similar.

 

[KerrBear85]

Actually, the Panasonic I would recommend is the DMC-FZ35. It has a non-interchangeable zoom lens, but it also has many advanced features of a SLR-type camera. It's smaller than a SLR, but not small enough to go into a pocket. It should handle a lot like a DSLR, as the form is very similar.

Thank you for all the helpful advice. You are very knowledgeable on the mechanics of a camera. I'm very novice. I took photography in high school and then did some rather lame attempts with the wrong camera for nature photography. I SEE what I want to shoot, I just don't really have the right equipment and the know how. I suppose that will come in time. At least I'm visualizing what I want to see in photo form, so that's a start.

 

[KerrBear85]

Well, I wanted to buy the Panasonic but I couldn't find one ANYWHERE in town. Instead I settled for the Canon PowerShot SX20 IS. It's a little heavier than what I would have liked, but it's got some really nifty features that certainly were not available on my previous camera. I'm going to go and play with it this week. It appears I need to purchase a flash for it. At least I don't have to worry about all kinds of lenses.

 

[kaycee217]

Get some nice low self discharge batteries for it (like Sanyo's eneloops)!

 

[Ekserb]

Well, I wanted to buy the Panasonic but I couldn't find one ANYWHERE in town. Instead I settled for the Canon PowerShot SX20 IS. It's a little heavier than what I would have liked, but it's got some really nifty features that certainly were not available on my previous camera. I'm going to go and play with it this week. It appears I need to purchase a flash for it. At least I don't have to worry about all kinds of lenses.

Wha...? That model has a built-in pop-up flash. Unless you really need to reach out a long way with a flash, the built-in should be fine.

Looks like a very fine camera and should serve you well.

 

[KerrBear85]

Wha...? That model has a built-in pop-up flash. Unless you really need to reach out a long way with a flash, the built-in should be fine.

Looks like a very fine camera and should serve you well.

haha. It does have a built in flash. I just didn't notice that I had to flip it up.