 Lyn Norton |
finding THE camera hello, I just found this site, while looking for a place to ask a question about buying a digicam. i've been looking for a while for something that has a number of features: 10-12x zoom, image stabalizer, manual focus option & movie mode. all of what I can see on the retail market for $450-550 has some but not all of these, unless I go up to a slr for $1000 start. I cant see which of these to sacrifice but dont want to spend $1000 (i'm rather amature). am I looking for something that doesnt exist? any suggestions? thanks, I do appreciate some help here:)
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Andrew Laverghetta |
I have a digital SLR which cost a bit and gives great images, but if I were to buy a camera like what you're looking for, I would probably get the Canon PowerShot S2 IS. Here's the link for dpreview.com's review on it. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons2is/ It's got a 12x optical zoom, I believe you can manually focus...at least for macro shots, it's image stabilized, and it's got "High-quality 30 fps VGA Continuous Movie Recording" (bhphotovideo.com). It's also got to microphones for "stereo" recording. It's also 5 megapixels which should be quite enough for all applications that you would use this for. It can be had on bhphotovideo.com for $349.95. Hope this helps!
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Andrew Laverghetta |
Oh! I see there's also an update on rise? An S3 IS, which was announced around a month ago and might be around $100 more. I notice ISOs have changed around a little bit, with an addition of ISO 800. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_s3is.php
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robert G. Fately |
Hey, Lyn - welcome tot he site... The Canon Andrew mentions is a good camera - I can recommend the Panasonic Lumix FZ20 (well, that's the one I had - the newer model is the FZ30). Again, 12x zoom, image stabilization, etc. etc... One thing to know about these cameras as compared to the more costly and heavier SLRs - they do still have a slight shutter lag issue. You need to go handle a couple of models in the store to see if this will be an issue for you. What I'm talking about is the (very slight) time delay between the moment you press the shutter button and the instant the shutter actually trips. With point&shoot and even the more advanced "prosumer" models, there is a short lag. This doesn't matter for landscape type shooting, but if your plan is to capture kids or sporting events or other active type subjects then it could bcome a problem. Even though a tenth of a second, or less, seems like no time at all, it can be the difference between grandma's perfect expression and her eyes blinking. Or junior swinging for the ball as it passes over the plate versus a shot of his post-swing stance. Again, it's just something to be aware of, particularly if you haven't experienced digital cameras before. This lag does not exist in film cameras, even inexpensive ones - so I thought it bears mention. Good luck with your search!
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chrisbudny.com - Chris Budny Contact Chris Budny Chris Budny's Gallery |
Hi Lyn... I think there are more out there that will fit your requirements, in the higher-end point-and-shoots. I've got a Sony DSC-H1, which does all of the things you've listed, and has recently dropped in price; I believe it is now under $400. I've found it to be a terrific "first" camera for me, until I upgrade to an SLR sometime later this year.
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Lyn Norton |
hi gentlemen, thanks for ur responses, I appreciate the tips! i've looked at the modles suggested - I guess I need to do some more handling. my experience so far is that the manual focus options arent up to my par. i'm not certain which cameras that related too tho so i'll make another tour. thanks again, Lyn
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