|
|
Post by Mark O on Mar 24, 2012 12:25:56 GMT 9
With respect to the power source -- AA/AAA vs. manufacturer specific battery -- is there a difference in camera quality when choosing the camera based on this?
The reason I ask is a couple Christmas' ago I bought my youngest daughter a digital point-and-shoot that is powered by AA's. It was less expensive than others, and she still uses it to this day, but it really isn't as nice as the Canon I mentioned I own a few posts ago.
Just wondering if anyone has an opinion on this.
|
|
Deleted
Currently: Offline
Posts: 0
Location:
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2012 13:26:49 GMT 9
Lithium's seem to be more expensive, and it seems that some camera's are designed for lithiums. If my memory is right, many of the higher end cameras lithiums even say to not use NON-LITHIUM. The difference might be more of a rechargeable rather than single use, possibly because of the power consumption and the fact that rechargeables run at generally 1.2 volts rather than 1.5.
But having said all that, I have a Canon and an Olympus, the Canon is a lot less expensive, but has 10 Megapixel Optical, and an addtl 2x digital, I think. My olympus is a 12 power optical and 4 additional digital. Both are using AA single use, both use 4 aa's. The Canon cost about 150, the Olympus was over 400.
All the peripheral stuff re, backlighting, full auto, aperture preferred vs. shutter preferred, etc. are essentially the same.
It just seems that the new cameras are being designed with a certain power configuration in line, and then it almost seems arbitrary as to what that battery will be, but Lithiums are definitely the battery of choice right now.
As pointed out earlier, plastic vs glass lense is a REALLY big deal, and the memory chips are critical too.
I'm going to check with my son, he's recently done a lot of research on the kind of digital SLR camera he wants to get. His price range has been up into the $1000 range, and I know he's investigated Nikon and Canon, and I think one other brand. Maybe his research can save you some time.
I'll let you know asap.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gene on Mar 24, 2012 16:53:37 GMT 9
thanks to you all for the input...will add the battery type to my list... i think i still have a bit of looking to do... any further comments are appreciated... :thanks  |
|
|
|
Post by pat perry on Mar 25, 2012 0:04:34 GMT 9
thanks to you all for the input...will add the battery type to my list... i think i still have a bit of looking to do... any further comments are appreciated...  Gene, There's probably not a lot of difference in cost between Lithion-ion batteries versus throwaways over the life of the camera. My Nikon CoolPix 5000 over the past 10 years has shot over 10,000 pictures and I have used 4 Lithium batteries (I always carry a charged spare). The biggest drain on batteries from highest to lowest is flash firing, view screen use, auto focus lens motor and image capture and storage. When you get to feel comfortable using your camera you seldom have to use the more power consuming features. Example I can shoot 100-150 pics with features off or about 25-30 using all features when all require flash. My camera is over 10 years old and has the older faster power draining technology compared to the new ones. The point and shoot is great for carrying with you but the latest smart phones shoot great pictures too. The range finder cameras (like mine) allow you to frame the image and shoot without using the view screen. The SLR cameras allow you to see the image as it will appear on the picture and you only need to use the view screen if you want to review the pics you took to make sure you shot everything you wanted to get during the session. My daughter always sets her big Canon to fire 3 frames per second. She shoots a lot of people for her clients and one person blinking can ruin an otherwise good shot. My Nikon has a feature that only a few others have. Rather than a stationary view screen on the camera back, it has a two axis swivel screen. Most video cams have these now. That has come in more handy than I ever thought it would while it also represents something else that could possibly break. I have used it in thousands of shots because many people tense up when they know you are shooting and the best way to capture them is when they don't know. Also shooting sunsets can burn your eyes out so its best to use the view screen. Shooting from low or high angles is also easier because with a fixed screen you can't frame the shot very well. If you are shooting fast moving stuff like cars or airplanes the image capture time is also important. That is the elapsed time it takes from shutter release to to image capture and storage. My old Nikon is slow and the newer cameras are much faster. That's why multiple shot per second are good if you follow a fast moving car or plane passing by. Pat P. |
|
Deleted
Currently: Offline
Posts: 0
Location:
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2012 1:43:14 GMT 9
playing with shutter priority is a blast, you can either follow the subject and have it clear as a bell while everything around it is blurred, or do the opposite and have the subject blurred while everything else is crisp.
Imagine a batter hitting a pitch, you can make the ball 10 feet long, or follow the entire arc of the batter through his swing while the ball is frozen.
|
|
|
|
Post by LBer1568 on Mar 25, 2012 3:02:08 GMT 9
Don't forget about storage of your digital files/Pictures. Most now use SD cards. Most cameras have a very limited amount of internal memory. The SD cards are versitile in that you can remove them and download directly into computer, use a usb cable or many printers have a slot for SD cards so you can direct print without using computer. I do prefer to see picture on computer and "touch up" setting if it isn't just right.
The memory on a digital camera is often the most overlooked piece when it comes to digital photography. There are different types of memory available and many people just grab the first one that comes with their camera. The digital camera memory is what holds all of your pictures. How many pictures it will hold is very dependent on how much memory you have. You should research when buying memory because it is extremely important to make sure you not only have enough memory but memory that matches your megapixel count. The more megapixels you have, the higher your memory needs to be.
|
|
Deleted
Currently: Offline
Posts: 0
Location:
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2012 3:29:09 GMT 9
adding to Lorin's comments, dont just pick up the first 4 gigabyte memory card you see, there are multiple grades of cards. standard, and HD are the most common. This matches Lorin's comment about the quality of the pic you want to take. HD is going to be a bit more expensive vs. a comparable non HD card, but well worth the cost if you're looking for high quality stuff. There are cards I've seen that go up to 32 meg, or gig, dont remember which, 1, 2,4, 8, 16, are all available, check what the capacities are for the camera and the card. I think it's better to have 2 8's than 1x16, or even better still, 4x4's. Costs a bit more, but gives a LOT more flexibility. But you might never need 16 anyway, if you download then clean your cards.
Also, manufacturer's brand names will almost capture a higher price. dont be afraid to look on ebay or Amazon for cards, just dont buy any of the really cheap stuff from China or Hong Kong (technically China). But there are plenty of deals on stuff made or distributed from here.
ARENT YOU HAPPY YOU ASKED???
|
|
|
|
Post by Gene on Mar 25, 2012 5:29:35 GMT 9
yes...i am happy i asked  ... a few more things to research...a few more pearls of wisdom...you guys are coming up with really good stuff!! and pat that swiviling lcd screen is the biggest standout feature...beats laying prone to get the shot... a large question popped into my mind early this morning..."what do i want to do with this "computer/glass factory"?? the harder i think the less i come up with... not shooting weddings, not shooting really cool a/c in flight, not shooting family events( cause my sons cell phone has 8 megpix) ? ? ?  |
|
Deleted
Currently: Offline
Posts: 0
Location:
Joined: January 1970
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2012 7:29:05 GMT 9
sporting events, scenery (believe it or not), artistic shots (flower blooms), wild animals (like the stuff bullhunter had on earlier), random stuff. That will probably be a BIG contributing factor to your decision.
If you want to take really good pix, the camera will naturally be bigger, especially if you're gonna be using a TLR, through the lens reflex camera, one with changeable lenses. If you're not gonna go the TLR route, (lenses are really expensive,) and just using a cam with a high quality zoon lense, it will be smaller. But you can get down to much more portable ones, like the Canon Sure Shots, or Nikon Cool Pix, etc. that will give you beaucoup mexapixels, ability to go bigger than 16 by 20 with Excellent results, and still be very manageable in price. I'm familiar with the Canon prices, you can get a hellacious camera, non TLR, for well under 300, and Nikon and others have them in the same price range.
You might want to find a couple of options that you can live with, then comparison shop them, and if you can wait, see when they put them on sale. There are times during the year when they usually change models, etc., find out from a big box store salesman. Nothing wrong with buying an older model so long as it suits your purposes.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gene on Mar 25, 2012 9:12:43 GMT 9
more good advice, :thanks found that you tube has a lot of reviews on these "bridge cameras" seen the one for the coolpix 500...very impressive...also pentax had GOOD video on its product... went down to a store so i could actually get the feel for real on a few of these... canon, pentax, nikon.... |
|
|
|
Post by pat perry on Mar 25, 2012 9:38:36 GMT 9
yes...i am happy i asked ... a few more things to research...a few more pearls of wisdom...you guys are coming up with really good stuff!! and pat that swiviling lcd screen is the biggest standout feature...beats laying prone to get the shot... a large question popped into my mind early this morning..."what do i want to do with this "computer/glass factory"?? the harder i think the less i come up with... not shooting weddings, not shooting really cool a/c in flight, not shooting family events( cause my sons cell phone has 8 megpix) ? ? ? Gene, Ron is right. If the bug hasn't really bitten you yet, just spend $125 - $200 and get a real nice Canon or Nikon. My guess is you'll shoot some really nice nature shots or landscapes up ther in WA. You have some very nice coastal beaches and mountains to shoot. Carry that camera with you for a couple of months and shoot a lot. You can always load them in your PC and post some on this forum and maybe use some for your desktop background. If the bug finally bites you can always upgrade to higher performance equipment if you want. I always thought it was a great accomplishment to shoot fine pictures with the least expensive equipment possible - that's where the skill takes over and shots get better. Pat P. |
|
|
|
Post by Gene on Mar 25, 2012 14:28:41 GMT 9
again, :thanks ... im going to compilate the data... continue the research, and choose a good starter camera and see where it takes me... the photo bug bit me the first time at age 11 or 12... in hi school i was offered a "scholarship" to a voc-tech school... i chose photography... 2 year course, which i graduated with high marks.. that was in june of '70... at that time boeing had just lost the bidding on an SST... the job place became flooded with ex- boeing employees. i fought hard just to find a janitorial job... in '74 i got my first an only break in the photo field... that lasted til the end of '79, when the photolab was outsourced to a civilian firm... the next 31 years was spent in the air frieght career field... and to come full circle seeing my pix on this site has re vitalized that bug bite... |
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Mar 26, 2012 9:20:11 GMT 9
Friday night my youngest son told me a great story that shows just how much he really does pay attention to me regardless of what I believe based on his usual behavior. He was at Little League practice a few days earlier, and his coach was taking some photos. My son noticed the coach was using a Canon DSLR that looked a bunch like mine, so he went over to see it. He asked the coach what camera it was. The coach said it was a Canon EOS. My son said something like, "Yea, I see that, but is it a T1i, or a T2i?" (I have both, but have given the T1i to my oldest boy.) www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/slr_cameras/eos_rebel_t2i_ef_s_18_55is_ii_kitThe coach had to look -- it was a T2i -- then had to ask my son how to get to the image review function on the camera as he had no clue how to do it himself. My son squared him away! So cool! |
|
|
|
Post by Gene on Mar 26, 2012 10:40:35 GMT 9
just to show you that you can find a lot of info on these cameras on you tube... |
|
|
|
Post by Mark O on Mar 26, 2012 11:18:21 GMT 9
 Oh, I don't think I was quite theatrical as that! It was a cool experience when I got my T2i however, as I bought it through the BX, and had it delivered during a deployment over in the desert! (Tax-free baby!) I know I've posted plenty of deployment pics (among other) taken with that camera here! I have to admit I do wish to get the bag, and a better zoom lens someday, but what I have now works just fine!
|
|
|
|
Post by Gene on Mar 26, 2012 16:04:38 GMT 9
thats the best way to do it ... just illustrating that you can get additional info from people on you tube... and with a bridge camera i wont be looking for more lenses'... |
|
|
|
Post by lindel on Mar 27, 2012 0:09:38 GMT 9
Another thing I haven't seen mentioned about the flash memory. Memory speed. Mainly a concern for data transfer, it also counts for the write speed. Slower memory means more time between shots. Might not be an issue for some, but...
And with a resolution of 14.6 MPixel, my 16GB SD card has a capacity approaching 1900 pictures.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gene on Mar 27, 2012 2:10:18 GMT 9
on my list... :thanks
|
|
|
|
Post by Gene on Mar 27, 2012 15:28:10 GMT 9
just found out, they make a high speed sdhc card...will investigate... |
|
|
|
Post by lindel on Mar 27, 2012 15:35:02 GMT 9
Anything class 6 and above should be fine. Class 10 is the highest IIRC.
|
|
... a few more things to research...a few more pearls of wisdom...you guys are coming up with really good stuff!!
