Okay, having seen the pictures that some of you have posted here, I figure that this is a good place to ask. My wife and I are considering buying a digital camera, but admit that we don’t know a whole lot about them. One of the local stores has a couple of Kodaks on sale right now that we may go take a look at - run around 200 bucks. Questions:
*What do you use? What made you choose that camera over others?
*When we go look at cameras, what are some specific things that we should be looking for?
*Besides the camera itself, what are some other pieces of hardware that we should take into consideration? Add-ons and extras that you would suggest?
*What should we avoid?
*What other questions should I ask?
Thanks much for all of your input. I appreciate all of the information that I pick up from this board.
CJ
The only limitations we have are the ones we put on ourselves.
I don’t really look for features because many of them are useless for me and if I want to add some texture or something I can do it in photoshop later. I’m waiting for the Pentax Optio WP, a submersible digital that is coming out next month and will cost $350. You might want to check it out also if you’re on the water a lot, it has less features than others, but hey, you can take pictures underwater with it.
1-size. its smaller than a pack of cigarrettes, so it easily slides into a front pocket when walking around without any unnecessary bulk or heaviness.
2-5.0 megapixels=fantastic clarity and quality of prints
3-macro and super-macro modes allow up-close photography such as is needed with flies.
4-7x zoom, when including the digital zoom.
5-cost. i got the camera and a 128mb memory card, which, with the built in 8mb allows me to take 200+ pictures at highest quality before needing to erase any, for around $350 delivered. the memory card was around $30, i think, but i dont remember for sure.
the optio line also has a higher end camera with all the same features, plus a waterproof outer shell, allowing underwater photography, and for the occasional “dunking” it may take during your fishing adventures. i just carry a watertight, rolldown-type drybag.
i am extremely satisfied with my choice. this was also my first digital camera purchase, so i am pleased with the research i did beforehand. i took the above considerations into account before any other considerations, and found the Optio to best suit my needs. not only does it exceed my expectations in the above criteria, it also holds its own in added bonuses such as video and sound recording, view screen, and included software. never did the name brand effect my choice.
for the record, i am in no way affiliated with pentax. i am just very satisfied with my purchase.
Hey there cklensky;
Without commenting on others’ choices, I own a Sony Cybershot DSC P92 with which I am very happy. At 5 megapixels capability I can print beautiful 8 X 10 prints. I also have a Sony VAIO laptop which has a memory stick slot in it so I can edit etc. any image almost immediately after capture. It is not the first digital camera I have owned but it is most compact. There are other cameras of equal or better quality that are even more compact though. Unless you plan to print your digital photos, there is no need to “overpixelize” however. Three megapixel resolution is more than adequate for e-mail, 3X5 prints and viewing on your computer monitor. You would not go wrong investigating the Sony line. Good Luck
I use a Sony Cybershot DSC-F828 8mega Pixel.
Big camera and a bit complicated for the novice.
I do Advanced Ameture Photography thus the large Camera and lens.
Looking forward to some great Fishing and Nature shots with it this year.
I have only had it for about 6 months.
I’m very happy with my Canon digital cameras but I’m always nervous taking them around water. I tried a waterproof case for one but it was a pain to use.
I’m waiting to see the Pentax Optio WP in person…then waiting for Dell to discount it a bit (they run frequent discounts on digital cameras). Looks like a good fishing camera to me…
I’m with flytier… Pentex Optio.The small size and the picture qualty are hard to beat.I just put mine in a small freezer ziplock bag to keep the water out in case of a miss step.I’ve had good luck with it so far.
John
I love my Kodak DX6490. It takes GREAT pictures, as well as short videos. The reason I bought it was because it had 10x OPTICAL zoom. Optical zoom is the one you want, Digital zoom can make your pictures a little ‘pixely’. At high levels of optical zoom Id recommend a tripod, the slightest move of your body while taking a picture at full 10x optical MAY cause the picture to blur, but I’ve had good luck with that.
It also has a sports mode to help with the blurrs, and a night mode so you can take pictures in the dark without a flash, a black and white mode, and a sepia mode.
This is a 4 Megapixel camera…these pictures are SHARP, but not the best out there.
All in all, a VERY good cameral. Check out the reviews on Amazon.com, you’ll like what you read.
I’ll recommend the Pentax Optio WR and the new WP if you want a camera to take on the water, or in the rain & snow and to use for close-ups of flies and fish.
Otherwise, the Kodaks are hard to beat. We buy Kodaks for family pictures and we get them at Costco. Costco always discounts and also always adds accessories to the standard cameras. You can take stuff back if it breaks…
The Kodaks are by far the easiest to “plug and Play”. You get a dock that plugs into your PC. Plug the cam into the dock and it charges the batteries. Take it off the dock and snap a few pics. Plug it back onto the dock and push the image transfer button and your photos are on the screen ready to view in a nice slide show. Could not be easier.
We have Pentax, and Kodaks and like both really.
If I had the bux, I’d get digi-Cannons; especially if you already have SLR lenses that will already fit them.
Lots of good cameras in this day and age. Just go for all the megapixels you can afford. More is definately better. I have a 6.2 and could use a 8 or better for what I like to do. Get a minimum of 4 MP. Why? If you get a nice wide shot and want to crop it down to remove the unwanted parts of the image, if the MegaPixels (resoloution) of your camera is only 2 or 3.5 MP then the cropped picture will be all grainy and pretty worthless.
I like the Sony images taken by Jim Bolden. He has a great camera too and paid a penny or two for it.
I have used the Pentax Optio 33WR, a 3.3 megapixel camera that is water resistant, for one year now. I gave my daughter one when they first came out, about 12/2003 and they have already gone to the 43WR and now a new one with 5 megapixels. Unfortunately they will be abandoning the physical featrues of the 33 and 43 which was about 3"x3"x.9". Nearly a cube, it is so easy to hold and operate (zoom, change modes) with one hand. Great macro, too. In fact, I hope to soon write a review for my Web site. Attached are a couple of pics. BTW, I saw the WR33 for about $150 on the Internet! Two years ago it was $300.
Actually I bought the camera with my ebay profits!
I have several years of experience with Photography so it was ideal for me.
Any of the Sony camera’s are nice. You don’t hafta spend a wad to get a decent camera these days!
My camera can be had at several places for about $400-$450 now.
Jim Bolden Sr
I caught a Fish so big once I couldn’t weigh it.
Took a picture of it and the picture weighed 20LBS! (My Dad)
[This message has been edited by Battenkill Jim (edited 23 March 2005).]
I have a Sony Cybershot F707, for the same reason as Marco. I also have a Sony Vaio laptop, with the “magic gate” port that accepts the Sony memory stick. This particular camera has a 58mm Carl Zeiss lens, so you can add attachments. The camera has a 5X optical and 10X digital zoom. I purchased a 2X and a 0.5X aftermarket attachments. I also purchased UV, polarized, and fluorescent filters. Again, with the 58mm threaded lens you have some options.
If you want something compact, this is not the camera for you. Although, I do carry all lenses and filters in the Orvis waterproof camera bag.
Be careful of the zooms, they can be deceiving. When you get into the upper reaches of your digital zoom, you almost require a tripod.
Like someone above mentioned, make a list of where you want to take it and also what you want to use it for.
Olympus Camedia… also, get the waterproof bag available at waterproofcases.net…
FAOL did an article on the bags a while back. I got a bag (which will protect your camera up to 3 feet under water and is $29.99) and take all my pictures through it… here is last week’s pic through the bag. The camera is $190 and does better than any Sony camera in the same price range. I love mine. Regardless of what you get, go ahead and leave yourself $50 for a “Monster” rechargable battery kit… as you will not take 10 pictures with regular alkaline batteries!
browntrout
As some may have noticed, I don’t always stay dry when I fish. I purchased the Pentax Optio 43WR (water resistant) last night. Love it. Was up way past my bedtime playing with it. I do like the macro setting. Great close ups of flies and bugs.
Frank Reid
I bought a Nikon Coolpix 3100 to use for
my job as Paddle Trails Coordinator. I have
taken hundreds of pictures for a book and a
website with it. The 3.2 megapixel camera is one of the easiest to use I’ve ever seen
and will do cover quality 8x10’s. In
addition, the macro capabilities of the
CoolPix series is both very sharp and
simple to do. My fly pictures are sharp
with good depth of field. At about $250 I
considered it a bargin. Several of the
Nikon CoolPix cameras are in that price
range. Warm regards, Jim
I’m using the Nikon Coolpix 5200. It’s tiny, but powerful, with 5.0 megapixel resolution. The macro lens is pretty good but I haven’t got it completely figured out yet. For portriats, it’s fantastic, and it shoots short movies as well, with sound, which are great. My favorite part about the camera is the panoramic capability. When you use it in panorama mode, it will show a translucent outline of the last picture you took in the lcd display, so you can line up several shots in a row, even a 360-degree panorama. Then you can “stitch” the photos together with the software that comes with the camera and make a single photo out of it. Really nice for scenery, shots of the river, etc.
I am also purchasing a waterproof still housing specifically made for my camera. They are about $140 and you can get them from various places like B&H photo. They are waterproof to ~40 feet deep, so you can take under water shots (cool!) plus it’s a cheap insurance policy against dunking a camera in the drink. The still housing I’m buying is made by Fantasea, it’s pretty cool, you can check them out on the web (just google it).
Good luck, there are a lot of good cameras out there I’m sure you’ll find one. Be sure to save some extra $$ to buy a nice sized memory card or two, at least 500 megs and maybe even a gig.
-John
PS if you don’t have built-in card reader slots on you computer, be sure to get a card reader, it’s a lot more convenient than hooking the camera up directly to the computer. Also, make sure your computer has USB ports. USB2 is even better.
