Camera shoppers read this!

[wes130]

i think the s304 is the renamed version of the 3800 (in UK anyway) - it has won awards over here but i chose the nikon coolpix 4300 which was about the same price - but the nikon has 4.13megapixels, 3x optical zoom and takes a cracking macro closeup shot!!!
and the quality of printouts off it are really good too!!!!

[gregr]

just a quick thanks for everyone who adds their two cents here- your thoughts help everyone.
one thing about 'xx optical zoom'-- the important thing here is not so much how many x's the camera has. i think the more important thing to know is from what to what- how many mm wide to long (in 35mm camera terms). a 10-30mm zoom is 3x but it would yield pretty poor close-ups as the long end is only 30mm. great for landscapes though
greg

[H20ENG]

I got a fuji 3800 for christmas. I'm a total newbie at photography, but have taken some great shots. Its super clear if you can hold still enough.
I, like sven, am disappointed in the lag time of pushing the shutter button, and waiting for the click. More pronounced in low light.
A lot of my shots seem dark, but I am still learning how to use the settings. Nice 6x optical, and a good macro mode. Uses 4 AA batteries quickly if the lcd is on a lot. Looking to get some rechargeables.
I like the compactness of the xD card, but they are still not widely used, and I have yet to see them on sale anywhere near the lower cost of the sd cards. Hopefully soon.
I love it, but like I said, I don't know any better.
HTH,
Chris

[dadevil23335]

Greg,

Please check your email, i had a question about the Canon G3.

Lyndel

[PaintGuru]

Ok I have been sifting through a lot of info as of late so I appologize if I repeat myself. I'm looking to get a new camera, was looking to stay around the $500 level. My favorite brand has been Olympus so I was looking at the C-4000 and C-5050. I'd like to get high enough resolution to be able to print nice 8x10s if I want too, but I also want some closeup options. Then I heard about SLR cameras and went looking and found the Olympus E-10 online for $699! I guess my question is why are SLR cameras so much better? Is it simply that I can change lenses and that it acts more like a real 35mm camera? Do they still have the same autofocus/point and shoot capabilities as non-SLR cameras? I cant afford to spend over $1000 on a current top of the line SLR (E-20, etc), but if I will just be so much happier in the long run with an SLR, and if 4 Mpix is plenty for any picture taking I will ever do (meaning I wont need to upgrade in a year or 2), then I will spend the extra few $100 on an SLR camera. Thanks for any help you can give!

[gregr]

hi PaintGuru-
i think the general concensus is that 3mp is enough to yield high quality 8x10's.
a friend of mine used to have an E-10 and he got some great shots from it. i don't think it really qualifies as a true slr though (i may be wrong)- i'll ask him next time i see him.
the main advantage of slrs is the ability to use interchangeable lenses but there are many other things they do that make them oh so much more flexible. but to answer your question- i am pretty sure all dslr's do have some sort of auto mode that allows you to point and shoot, however one would assume that if you are going to invest in an expensive body and lenses you will take the time to learn how to get more out of the camera. and overwhelming as it may seem at first it really isn't that difficult to learn the ins and outs. and it's time/energy well spent.
greg

[PaintGuru]

Thanks greg,

It does look like the E-10 does have auto focus modes, etc. I do currently have an SLR-35mm camera (I believe it is, it's a Pentax with interchangable lenses). I must admit I have not used it in a while, mainly because I feel it is very hard to learn from mistakes with 35mm. You have to basically finish the roll off and have everything developed, then remember what you did on each shot. My "theory" is with digital, you can take a pic, download it and check your shot out right away! I wonder, would the lenses I have for my Pentax work in this E-10 camera? That would be quite handy. Also, what do you mean "true SLR"?

I do enjoy photography, but like I said I felt learning was a bit curbed by the delay between picture taking and viewing of results. Perhaps a digital SLR would reduce this and get me more into the photography hobby. Either that or I am just making this up to spend more on a cooler "toy". I will keep checking out info on the E-10.

[gregr]

>Either that or I am just making this up to spend more on a >cooler "toy".

hah! i am the master of that technique
actually, i and countless millions of others totally agree with you on that. i think that feature- instant feedback- has been the strongest selling point for digital cameras.
by true slr i meant that i think the E-10 only takes teleconverter and wide angle adaptors- you don't actually change lenses on it- the adaptors add on to the built-in lens. however- i do want to confirm this so don't take it to the bank just yet.
and regardless- there are adaptors that allow you to get a whole lot of zoom on there (i seem to remember something like 900mm!). so even if it isn't an slr in the literal sense it may still be a very versatile system. that said, my friend who used to use the e-10 sold it and invested in D-60.
i'm pretty sure you won't be able to use your pentax lenses on the e-10.
greg

[sdenney]

From experience...

I sell digital cameras and 35mm cameras at work, and I'm pretty much the person everyone comes to with questions and advice.

I will tell you the E-10 is a very good camera, but very user-unfriendly. Getting good pictures out of the camera takes a lot of patience and knowledge. It is an SLR camera, but does not possess the ability to change lenses. You can add filters, etc. to it though.

The Fuji 3800 is a great camera for telephoto shots, but for macro shots, it's lacking. No zoom during macro, but you can add macro lenses to give you better close-ups.

The nikon 4300 is a great camera for close-ups, but lack the telephoto. The nice thing is you can add a telephoto lens and can zoom during macro mode.

The Nikon 5700 is one of the best if you can afford the price tag. $1100, but one hell of a camera all around.

And for the underwater photo-takers, the Sony DSCP9 is great, as an optional underwater kit is available. Just recently, they added underwater filter options to this kit. Like the 4300, lacks telephoto capability, but underwater you don't need much zoom anyway.

[PaintGuru]

Ooo, not good if it is difficult to get good pictures. Are there any other SLRs out there under the $1000 range with good quality? If not, maybe I will just get a real good non-SLR camera and use that. Decisions decisions.

[H20ENG]

sdenney,
Could you recommend a Macro lens for my 3800? Are there several, or is it just a Fuji accessory? In your opinion, how much difference do they make? Also, about how much do these run?
Thanks!
Chris

[picture the reef]

Paintguru, Take a look at the Minolta Dimage 7i. Not a true SLR but as close as you can get without spending twice as much. I base this advice on the fact that this is what I do on a daily basis.(camera shop). Really nice if you already shot Minolta autofocus because the bigger flash units will work with this camera.

[sdenney]

Tiffen makes a complete line of add-on filters, lenses, and thread adapters.

Check out www.tiffen.com.

A good SLR under $1000 is the Sony F707. The F717 is supposed to be an updated model, but it's not as easy as the F707 was.

I remember seeing the Nikon 5700 somewhere for ~$700. They ordered too many and had to sell off the overstock at incredible prices.

[picture the reef]

I agree Tiffen makes a wide line of filter and related products. They have gone through a major reorganization in the last year and had not been very reliable in supplying their products. We have had some of their more common filters on order over 2 months with no indication of when they will be able to deliver!

[PaintGuru]

Oye! I think I have decided to get the Canon G3. They have it on the web for $550, and I am hoping to get staples.com to pricematch it and then use a $30 off coupon, which will hopefully keep the total with ship/tax around $550. I figure that is pretty decent for the G3. Does anyone own the G2/G3 and use either the telephoto or wide angle lense attachment? I saw these were available, and I was just curious how much the added to the camera's abilities. Also, are those the only attachments available, or are there other generic filters that could be added using the add-on attachment for the camera? Anything else i should think of before I purchase this baby? Getting closer to clicking the "buy" button .

[gregr]

ummm- my advise would be to check out www.mydigitaldiscount.com when you are ready to get some flashcards
i just bought a 512mb card (a fast one) for $144!
greg

[PaintGuru]

Sweet. I was going to sit on the 32MB that came with it for now. I wonder how many pictures that can hold . Hey I found it now for $515 + $10 ground shipping!!! Woo woo gimmie my new cam!

[PaintGuru]

Ah the $515 wants to ship it from overseas and take 4-6 weeks. I'm in this for instant gratification so I guess I will have to pay about $575.

[PaintGuru]

Not that anyone cares but just ordered the Cannon G3, pricematched by Staples.com to $515 + tax - $30 coupon = $518!!

[myth]

i have a Minolta Dimage 7i i just got it.does anyone have any idea how to take close ups with it..its a great camera but the learning curve sucks..

[ahel]

what do you guys think about the sony dsc-f717 ??? i just bought one a couple months ago and have taken some pics but all i have is FW tanks and a snake right now, so nothing relevant to post..

[sspargur]

Can you email or post some pics from the Sony f717? I'm pretty sure that's the camera I'm going to get. I would like to see a picture from it though.

[blulegend]

I just bought a Canon 10D. My 100mm just got in. MMMMMM. Macros at 6 MP!!!! I was cleaning my tank today for some shots but guess what? I let my kalk topoff pump into the tank when the water was a little low. PRECIPITATION!!!!!!!! I put 3 layers of socks over the return to the tank (figured out that idea after 3 hours of having powder stuck to the glass that is a real BI*CH to get off) and now my water is finally clear after changing 10 gallons in a 18 gallon system!!!

I'll get some tomorrow. I'm all tuckered out after working for about 6 hours on this thing.

Greg, what tele zoom do you use if any? What do you think of the Sigma 70-200 f2.8. I could add a 1.4x or 2x later. Which teleconverter do you think would be good for general all purpose shooting? Not sure if the 1.4x would be long enough, but the 2x might be too slow... I've posted some questions at dpreview.

[gregr]

congrats on your purchase Jack- it's a great camera and for the last week i've been giving it a good workout. it has been working perfectly and i am very happy with it.
i have 3 zoom lenses- the older (non usm) 80-200L, 28-70L and my most recent purchase- the 100-400L IS. all are truly superb in my opinion. the older 80-200 would be a steal if you could find one- probably lots better than the sigma.
as for a good walkaround zoom i wish i had the 28-135IS. it's not as awesome optically as the L lenses but it certainly will produce publishable images. for general purpose that's the one i'd recommend and if you want to shoot wildlife or birds or go to places like yellowstone the 100-400 is awesome.
i can post pics when i get back from vacation.
greg

[wetworx101]

I have the nikon 4500 and 5700. These cameras are the BOMB!!! The funny part is, I imagined that the 5700 would be even better than the 4500, but NOOO!!! The 4500, after much comparison, is prolly the best macro camera this side of SLR body. Of mention, but just not my choice, are the sonys. They have very good lowlight capabilities so they can maintain a good shutter speed without flash and under low lighting if needed...better than most cameras (even without the nightshot feature!).