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Archive through January 08, 2005

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2005 Mar. ~ 2005 May: All Things Technical: The Help Desk (ARCHIVES): Digital Camera purchasing help!: ARCHIVES: Archive through January 08, 2005 users admin

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Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Friday, December 31, 2004 - 10:43 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
I have a question for this one as I am led to believe that you have to continually buy 3" CD to store the photos on. You can't reuse the CDs can you? Can you use a memory stick of some sort?

Thanks,

J





Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Friday, December 31, 2004 - 11:51 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Also, a mac is the only computer we have... (not sure if that makes any difference...)

Grannyg
Member

05-28-2002

Friday, December 31, 2004 - 12:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Julie, I bought the cdrw and that way I can erase the disc when I have it filled up. Also on the camera you can make folders for the pics. So you can have different folders for different kinds of pics.

This is from the Sony homepage on the CD500......• OS Compatibility: Microsoft® Windows® 98/98SE/Me/2000 Professional/XP Home/XP Pro; Macintosh® OS 10.1/10.2

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Saturday, January 01, 2005 - 9:25 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Julie, As long as you have plenty of memory and hard drive space, the computer probably doesn't matter (especially if you use a card reader).

Without getting into specifics, you should probably stick with major brand names like Canon, Nikon or Sony.

Grannyg, Out of curiosity, do you notice much vibration or lag when the cd spins up?

By the way, I know I sound like a broken record, but as a professional, I can't emphasise enough the importance of backing-up valuable images which are irreplaceable.

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Saturday, January 01, 2005 - 11:22 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Anyone have any comments on the Canon G6?

Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Sunday, January 02, 2005 - 12:26 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Julieboo: I love the cnet site for professional, as well as personal reviews. Here is the link for that camera if you want to read more.

CNET editor's take

Reviewed by Lori Grunin
Reviewed August 19, 2004

User rating:
89%Thumbs Up 11%Thumbs Down
(from 37 users)

From silver to black and back again, Canon's latest model in the G series sports more than just a new paint job. In addition to a 7-megapixel CCD, this PowerShot G5 replacement has a slightly larger LCD--2 inches, compared to 1.8--and uses a nine-point autofocus system similar to that of the EOS 20D, which Canon claims delivers twice the focusing speed.

Upside: The Canon PowerShot G6 incorporates much of what we like about the G5, including the same fast 35mm-to-140mm (35mm equivalent) lens and built-in neutral density filter, in a marginally more compact and slightly lighter body. Canon also adds a large, solid grip and ups the standard continuous-shooting speed to about 2fps (frames per second).

Downside: Some of the camera's innards are getting old. For instance, we're ready for a new generation of the company's DIGIC processor, which effectively limits the movie capture to 3 minutes of 10fps VGA-resolution video. Plus, it still uses a USB 1.1 connection; a card reader will be essential for downloading those 7-megapixel RAW files.

Outlook: When it ships at the end of this month, the $799 Canon PowerShot G6 is likely to be an attractive alternative for enthusiasts who don't want to fork over the bucks for an 8-megapixel model with an electronic viewfinder but need more image detail than a 5- or 6-megapixel model currently provides.

User opinions for Canon PowerShot G6

Thumbs Up "G6 is 7MP otherwise go for the G5 mp"
no@no.com on 01-Sep-2004 11:51:36 AM
Pros: 7mp and great lens 9 point aiaf
Cons: autofocus in low light conditions is not that great. blurred images when compared with G5 in bright sunlight. Ugly silver color, canon why didnt you stick to the handsome G5 black note : my camera was a manufacturers sample the finished product mightbe better and fix the blurring.

Thumbs Down "Horrible Red-Eye problem"
Unsatisfied Customer on 08-Sep-2004 03:36:57 PM
Pros: Excellent in Good light conditions, longer battery life.
Cons: LCD display very very dark in low lights. Almost all the pictures in low light have Red-Eye (I did not see dcreview.com before buying this, they have mentioned the same thing there). I have ordered an external flash to get rid of re-dye problem. Put fe more bucks and buy Digital Rebel instead.

Read more user opinions

Grannyg
Member

05-28-2002

Sunday, January 02, 2005 - 8:24 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Jimmer, I haven't noticed it taking a long time to get ready to shoot. When I cut the camera on, it's ready to take a picture. I don't think it actually writes the photos to the disk until you finalize the disk. Usually, I just plug in the usb cord and upload the pics from the camera to my hard drive. So I don't go through finalizing the disk before I take it out of the camera. One thing I did do at Christmas was delete off the camera those photos that didn't turn out as well as I thought they did and then I finalized that disk and took it out and saved that disk. That way I will always have those pics no matter what happens to my puter. I also used the Walmart online to develope those pics. I loved it. The pics turned out fabulous and I was able to do all of it from home. I picked the ones I wanted to make copies of, uploaded them to Walmart, paid for them and an hour later, went and picked them up. It was a breeze.

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Sunday, January 02, 2005 - 9:45 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Grannyg, Thanks for all the information. I'm fairly familiar with all of these cameras in general, but I have to admit that my full expertise is with digital SLRs.

It sounds like you're enjoying using it and it's giving you good results. It's wonderful that it's working out so well for you!

Eeyore, I enjoy CNET reviews as well because sometimes you can get more insight from the personal experiences of actual users/consumers.

Julie, If you want an extremely detailed review of the G6 by another professional you might want to have a look at Digital Photography Review

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canong6/

It’s a painfully detailed review, but you can always skip to the Conclusions page if you just want the summary.

Appletalk
Member

03-27-2003

Sunday, January 02, 2005 - 3:19 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Just wanted to add my
I have the Kodak Easyshare LS443 4 megapixels and I absolutely love it. Takes action shots, zoom, landscape and excellent night shots. It was inexpensive easy to use and the batteries seem to last forever.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Sunday, January 02, 2005 - 5:47 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hey, Grannyg, congratulations on your new purchase. Wow, you really went from barebones to hot stuff!

Grannyg
Member

05-28-2002

Sunday, January 02, 2005 - 7:09 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Juju, you will be the first person I take a pic of in Texas cause you was the one who got me hooked on the digital cameras with that bargain on the Digitrex!!

Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Sunday, January 02, 2005 - 9:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hey Jimmer, I have a friend of mine who is a train enthusiast, to the point of going on many trips all over the world to ride on, and photograph old steam trains still in operation. He is somewhat interested in switching to digital, but won't take the leap, until he KNOWS the camera he invests in can handle fast movement. Many times they are set up to get an action shot of a train on a bridge, but it's only like a split second opportunity.

Seeing as you are a DSLR enthusiast, would you have any suggestions?

Bob2112
Member

06-12-2002

Sunday, January 02, 2005 - 10:53 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
The Nikon D70 can continuously take up to 144 pictures, at a speed of 3 pictures per second and has a a 1/8000 second shutter speed.

Cost a minimum of about $1200 to start and more like $2000 when you get the accessories that most people would want. There's a real nice 70-200 mm lens for around $1500 that many people seem to rave about.

A couple of guys I work with have this camera and it is very nice. Don't know if this is in his budget, but can you put a price on train love?


Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Monday, January 03, 2005 - 1:24 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
LOL Bob!! I think he already has a high end Canon, and from what I've read, if you buy the DSLR body, your extra lenses will still work with it?

I will let my friend know about the Nikon for sure though. Considering he spends tens of thousands of dollars a year on these trips, I think the camera price may not be an issue. I'm sure he's not about to go COMPLETELY high end, but he is an enthusiast, that will be looking for a better camera than most of us would need.

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Monday, January 03, 2005 - 8:33 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Ah yes … the Nikon / Canon thing. Actually, they both produce very nice dSLRs. I’m more than happy that they keep competing with each other.

Since your friend already has a Canon system (and with an SLR, you really should also base your purchase on the overall system as bodies come and go), it would seem that Canon would be an obvious choice for him. Canon has excellent digital bodies. Probably the best value for the money right now for a serious enthusiast is the Canon 20D. A top shutter-speed of 1/8000 and it is capable of 5 frames per second up to a maximum of 23 frames before the buffer fills. It also takes just 0.2 seconds to go from fully off to switched on (that’s not shutter-lag which is virtually non-existent – that’s how long it takes for the camera to get ready when it is completely turned off!).

But I kind of suspect that your friend may already know all about this since he is a photo enthusiast.

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Monday, January 03, 2005 - 8:50 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
By the way, my understanding is that the Nikon D70 can shoot 3 frames per second up to a maximum of 12 frames before the buffer fills and it slows down (still not a slouch by any means!).

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Monday, January 03, 2005 - 9:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Anyone out there know which is better between the Canon G6 and Sony DSC-V3? (or the difference?)

Bob2112
Member

06-12-2002

Monday, January 03, 2005 - 12:02 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
The D70 buffer can store up to 12 frames in the RAW mode and will fill up and slow down at that point. To get the continuous 3 frames per second you have to use the normal JPEG mode and fast storage like SanDisk Extreme III or Ultra II. This is the mode I would likely use, so I tend to focus on the bigger number.

I agree with Jimmer that sticking with Canon probably makes the most sense for your friend. Some lenses work on different manufactures camera bodies, while some won't work on different bodies from the same manufacturer. You really need to look at specific lenses and camera bodies to know for sure. If I had invested a bunch of money in lenses and other accessories, finding a DSLR body that can use these would probably be a major requirement for me.


Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Friday, January 07, 2005 - 8:43 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
a

I can't post the whole picture here (too big a file...) but here a piece of a picture. The resolution is incredible. Blown up you can see each individual hair and every line on his lips...

This was taken with our new G6. It's somewhat more complicated than I wanted, but so far I am pleased with he quality of the photos. Tho I have yet to print any...

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Friday, January 07, 2005 - 9:22 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Hey Julieboo, Congratulations on an excellent choice! You're right that it can be a little complicated but you'll also find that you aren't wanting for features when you need them. I'm sure you'll have fun with it.

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Friday, January 07, 2005 - 9:55 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Thanks Jimmer. Thanks also for that website. Be prepared for some questions. Do you do photography for a living?

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Friday, January 07, 2005 - 10:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
You're welcome Julie. Yes I do portrait photography for a living. And, I even do it for fun as well in my spare time (it's something I enjoy doing).

Let me know if I can help you with any questions.

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Friday, January 07, 2005 - 10:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
ok Jimmer, here is my first question: Can you explain in simple terms, how (or in what instances) I would use these shooting modes/settings:

Shooting Modes
 
Av aperture Priority
The user defines the aperture, and the camera chooses the corresponding shutter speed.
 
Tv shutter speed priority
The user selects the shutter speed, and the camera finds the appropriate aperture. With slow exposure times, Canon’s noise reduction system activates to ensure low image noise.
 
P program
Similar to auto, but user has access to exposure compensation features.

Julieboo
Member

02-05-2002

Friday, January 07, 2005 - 11:12 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Anyone know of a *simple* book on how to use the different features on a camera such as the G6?

I took photography classes several years ago and had a totally manual SLR several years ago as well. I moved up to a Rebel a few years after that (ended using the auto mode 99% of the time, so I lost all the "depth of field and shutter/aperature" knowledge that i once had.)

I want to just know some simple things like what setting I should use in certain circumstances (like a low light indoor party or a close-up of a face with a blurry background.) Also how to get a close up of a face without the flash "bleaching" everything out...

I don't want a very detailed book with much technical stuff... Maybe a Cliffs Notes or G6 for Dummies. Would Photography for Dummies or Digital Photography for Dummies be a good idea?

Jimmer
Member

08-30-2000

Saturday, January 08, 2005 - 10:31 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post    
Basically, all you are doing is controlling the amount of light that is going through the lens. There are two ways to do this. One is by the aperture and one is the shutter-speed.

You would use shutter-priority in situations where the shutter-speed is most important to you (usually when you a shooting something moving fast). You would use Av when you are more concerned with depth of field or lens quality. Depth of field refers to the range in which objects are in focus. Wide apertures produce smaller depth of field. With respect to lens quality, lenses perform best at middle of the road depth of field (say around f –8). Program mode just guesses a combination of the two that it thinks will fit most situations, but as it is not reading your mind, the guess may not produce the best results for you.

Here is a good web site that should help you out quite a bit with some of your questions (and then you may have more questions for us! ). No need to buy the e-book. Just click on the links that are on the right side and it shows you all the details.

http://www.shortcourses.com/using/index.htm

Getting a book is a great idea as well. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about “simple” photography books – maybe someone else here will have a suggestion.