Please help me make the right camera choice

[Mark]

I'm going to put my previous thread on this subject to bed for now. It might turn out to be the right choice, but there are issues that need sorting first.

I'm not asking anyone to make a choice for me - I need to do that myself - but over the last several weeks I've come to the conclusion that I know more than enough to be dangerous, but I don't know enough to make the right choice, and I don't want to dump £1,000 on something that may turn out to be the wrong choice (that's the likely street price of what I was previously looking at).

So as not to over-complicate things, I'll ask questions one at a time and welcome any and all feedback (tell me I'm a stupid **** if you feel it's sufficiently constructive ).

1. Do I need a new digicam at all?

My reasons for looking for something new are simple. Both my existing cameras (Sony DSCP200 and Canon S3IS) are compacts. Like virtually all compacts, ISO100 is great in good light, ISO200 is OK, ISO400 is just about usable, and ISO800 is a joke. I keep my cameras firmly pinned at ISO100 whenever possible as a result.

I also don't like using flash unless I have to, because I don't tend to like the results (really needs a diffuser/bounce - something that isn't easy to do on a compact), or the puny flash isn't man enough for the job, so my low-light options are severely limited and all too often I get results that are only fit for the bin due to camera shake.

However, and this is the real downer, I've seen several images on review sites taken with the S3IS, and I only wish I could get even close to that good. I think, however, that I'm actually doing myself a disservice because others say I can take a decent enough photo (admittedly of the holiday snap variety). Doesn't stop me wanting to do better.

Discuss, and thankyou.

[LeperousDust]

I absolutely love my IXUS very muchly, but this isn't going to help you decide if you need a camera

I really like the photos i can take with it especially with CHDK (after messing a lot) for an ultra portable its astounding.

[Mark]

Yeah, valid point. Whatever happens I'll be keeping the S3IS around for a while as a second camera (and probably the DSCP200 as well).

Anyone got any thoughts? I've even been hunting around on Talk Photography today but it all seems a bit highbrow for me so not sure if it's worth asking this sort of question there.

[Mark]

Had a play with a 450D today. Want. I wish I'd asked if anyone minded me having a go with their 40Ds when I had the opportunity.

If anyone told me I could read the status line in a Canon viewfinder, I'd have called them stark raving bonkers. But if I concentrate, I can. Unbelievable. Game changed. Makes the viewfinder in my S3IS look like a toy.

Edit - forgot to say - the Bridge camera I was originally going to get (SX1 IS) is unquestionably off the radar. DP Review is pretty conclusive on the subject. In fact, bridges in general go the same way - I can get a bigger screen, a few more MP (a.k.a. even more noise) and face detection. Wohoo. Not.

So it's DSLR or nowt.


Edit - I now realise general rambles don't work in this field. Taken it over to TP with a very specific task in mind. Thanks for reading.

[Mark]

After a fair bit of discussion over on TP, I'm going to go play 'find the body' down the camera shop tomorrow and see what I get on with.

There's a chance I may go Canon, and if I do, there's a 40D body on TP that looks like it's similar money to a new 450D:

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/for...d.php?t=129341

I'm not sure if that's a good deal, so if someone could peruse it and let me know. I may need vouching services too please.

[Pheebs]

Amateur thoughts here

I'm lucky enough that Picky has an SLR I can play with if I want to! But when I had my compact digi canon camerall jobby I barely touched his SLR (only used it to play with/try and take a couple of snazzy shots) and 95% of the time I used my IXUS.... v3 I think!

My Canon Mark... was WOOOOOOONDERFUL! I grabbed it donkeys ago... just before I went to Uni... so I've had it about 7 years. It survived my clumsyness, being dragged to the beach day in and day out for 2years, it lived in a sock (I couldn't afford a camera case) and has been dropped countless times... and it SURVIVED! Amazingly! And not only did it survive but it took fab photos, was small and nifty and also took some darn wickedy woo films

It sadly passed away last year (just when I start to be less clumsy too) So I too am in search of a new one.

I've played around with a couple of other camera makes which peoples have had around me - pentax, panasonic and fuji. The pentax, in my opinion, could have been better than my canon (although it hadn't been through the 7 year durability test of mine and was a newer make). Panasonic I felt was a little clumsy to play around with... maybe it was just me not used to how to work it but I didn't like it. Fuji was nice but the one I played with was AA Battery operated which would annoy me... I want a rechargeable camera battery!

Sooo for me. I reckon I will go looksy and it will be a toss up between a pentax and a canon again. Possibly a biased opinion, but from my experience I feel the canon compact is like... the equivilent to the legendary nokia phone wise

If you're really looking at getting into some proper photography malarky, an SLR thingy would probably be best for you. If you're anything like me and just want to take huuuuundreds of quick snaps that turn out fab and have it on you 24/7 (don't have to worry about lugging it around all the time - it's easy enough to slip in your pocker) and aren't particularly fussed with things like depth of field and all that stuff I don't get... then stick to a compact jobby You can still do some nifty things with a compact... just not as much!

/nine eggs

[LeperousDust]

Pheebs don't go pentax, they're not bad compact cameras but they are as flimsy as anything i've broken two and a mate one before i stuck with my canon IXUS 85. Which is a much much better choice. If you want to spend/waste more money the Panonsic lumix FX series are just as good but have a better build and feel. I've got the canon and my mum has the Lumix FX1 fantastic pictures and wonderfully made little ultraportable, if i was buying a camera again i'd probably look at spending the extra myself on it.

[Matblack]

I believe that all my original points still stand

http://www.boat-drinks.co.uk/showpos...87&postcount=6

Buying a 40d is a false economy, buy a 450d second hand and spend the money on glass, if this has to be able to cope with airshows as you have indicated else where and you are now happy to frame using the eye piece rather than 'live view', ('live view' on the canon is slower and less accurate and will not suit airshows at all) you are going to need fast focusing if not fast glass and that means investing in something like a 70-200 IS at the very minimum I would say, that gets you IS and a USM motor to overcome any shake at the user end, I'd couple this will a monopod to make doubly sure.

You can probably make out that I'm still very far from convinced that dSLR is the right route in this case but I've stated my reasons in addition to all of those a dSLR is going to be a money sink because the glass alone will cost you the same as 2/3 bridge cameras and I suspect that the results won't do the expenditure justice, call me a cynic if you wish.

If you are going to look at camera bodies then get them to put a reasonable zoom on (something like a 70-200) and make sure you feel comfortable holding it and panning with it because its going to be in your hand a lot of the day, remeber a 70-200 is at the low end of the zoom you will need and the longer the zoom the more that camera shake comes in to the equation and the more accuracy needed to sight on the target.

Pheebs I'd definatly look at the IXUS series, Aitch as a IXUS and its a great little camera The Lumix are great if you want a little more zoom or wide angle but are a little bigger


MB

[Pheebs]

Hmmm I will have a gander at the Panosonics then but I'm still loving the Canons. Going to take a lot to convince me otherwise. To survive me for so long... it's a pretty wicked make!

Thanks for the heads up on the flimsy side! *Chucks pentax to the side as it evidently won't pass Pheebs Clumsiness Test*

[Mark]

Yup, I'd definitely agree with Canon or Panasonic, and Fuji make decent bridge cameras.

I'm mostly a happy snapper but there are times when I need that extra something that it seems only a DSLR can do.