The Hickensian

15.01.04

Digital Camera recommendations?

I need a new camera

The time has finally come to replace the Hicks family digital camera – a toaster-sized 1mp beast that weighs a tonne and waits a fortnight inbetween photos. After trying my brother-in-law’s Canon Ixus recently, my mind was made up. The quality was incomparable.

So, before I head out, does anyone have any recommendations? I’m ideally looking for around 4 Megapixels and it must work with OS X (although I think most do anyway). Can’t decide whether I should bite the bullet and make it an SLR (such as the Canon 300D) or go compact (like the Ixus). I must find one that is has little (or no?) ‘downtime’ between photos. It will be used for anything from snaps of offspring in various pointy hats to close ups of nature.

Let me know your wisdom.

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No.1

Ethan said 1997 days ago:

My photography skills are, as I like to say, "utter crap," but I love my Canon PowerShot G2. Friends with the G3 and G5 have raved as well.

No.2

Virginia said 1997 days ago:

I've got the Ixus, and I love it. I'd recommend a fast memory card with it - otherwise browsing photos can be very slow - but I'm extremely happy with it (I did lots of research before I bought it). It gives you way more exposure options than other compact cameras, it's sturdy, easy to figure out, nice to look at...

You go, boy.

No.3

Justin Blanton said 1997 days ago:

If you are going for a compact point-and-shoot camera, then I have to recommend the 5.1MP Sony DSC-T1 -- I haven't played with it yet, but it will probably be my next purchase. I've had my eye on it for a while and have heard nothing but good things about it. I think you'll be blown away by the specs on it. The only downsides for me are that it doesn't have a viewfinder and only uses Memory Stick Duo Pro memory. The have it for pre-order at Amazon now ($549.99).

No.4

Chuck said 1997 days ago:

The strongest point for getting one of the G-series Canons is the swiveling viewfinder. Both above-the-crowd and those ground-level nature shots are SO much easier with this viewfinder. Invoke spot focus for dead-on sharpness, even for hard-to-reach shots.

I have an old Canon G1 that produced outdoor nature shots that would have been impossible with other cameras of its day.

No.5

ste said 1997 days ago:

I would definitely also suggest the Canon Powershot G# series. I've had my G2 for almost a year now, and I positively love it. It's almost the perfect mix between a simple point-and-shoot and the more advanced SLR, but I'll probably get an SLR sometime soon as well just to complement the G2. Actually, pretty much any camera in the Powershot series is pretty good - my mom has one of the S series, and it packs a punch for its smaller size. So it really depends on what you want - is portability and ease of use more important? Or are you one of those that likes to push the envelope with your photography? :)

No.6

ste said 1997 days ago:

The other really great thing about the G# series is that the LCD can be swivelled around ... it may seem like just a hokey feature, but it's very handy for those hard to get angled shots that are so in vogue these days. Honestly, I'm a little distraught that there aren't any digital SLRs out there with swivelling LCDs...

No.7

Clay said 1997 days ago:

I have a Canon Powershot S400, and love it. It's incredibly small, has a good high-speed mode, decent manual capabilities. No manual focus, though. Really, though, it's the size. I can carry it with me anywhere, unlike my crappy old Kodak. If you're looking for a great camera in a compact size, go for it. We also have a few of the Canon G-series here at the office, and they work very well, too. Just, you know, BIG.

No.8

Matt Burris said 1997 days ago:

If you go compact, definitely check out the Canon Powershot S400, which I've been using for about 6 months now, and absolutely love. I have no complaints about it whatsoever; it is a great point-and-shoot camera with a lot of functionality and features.

Official homepage for the S400: http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/s400/

No.9

Kevin Davis said 1997 days ago:

I've had a little experience with the Fugifilm S2 Pro. This is an expensive camera, but it should give you sufficient resolution for most print work - and, when considering the color correction, it should be more than sufficient for any web work.

The consumer canon's just can't compare with a good digital slr in terms of color and depth of field - both considerations for photographic design.

Now if only I could afford one. ;)

No.10

Mike Steinbaugh said 1997 days ago:

The Canon PowerShot S50. I just got it for Christmas and it's perfect. Five megapixels, nice and light, great battery life. Images come out sharp with crisp color. It can record video with sound too. It's the total package. Amazon dropped it in price recently too if I'm not mistaken.

No.11

Drew said 1997 days ago:

Wow, the sentiment for the Canon G series is amazing! I was headed here to make a case for the G5 but it seems that I'm late to the party! I don't know about YOU, but my mind is almost entirely made up now!

No.12

Virginia said 1997 days ago:

Just so that you know, the 4 megapixel Ixus is the same this as the S400 - just different names in different countries.

No.13

Dominique PERETTI said 1997 days ago:

You should check out Minolta Dimage XT. Can't be more compact.

No.14

Jon Hicks said 1997 days ago:

Wow - Canon are doing well at the moment, with good comments on the Ixus (Thanks clearing up the name chnage Virginia) and the G series. If I was going purely on looks, I'd go for the IXUS over the G5 (but of course I'm not that shallow ;) )

Ste - I already have a 35mm SLR, which I don't use a hell of a lot due to its size. I'm thinking that maybe compact would be good as it would encourage me to carry it around with me more. On the other hand, the option to do a bit of envelope-pushing would be good!

Kevin - I think Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro is little out of my budget. I think if was doing photography professionaly, then it would justifiable.

Thanks for all recommendations so far!

No.15

Bob Cieszkowski said 1997 days ago:

Another vote for Canon. I've got an S40, which has since been replaced by the S50, and I love it. A few co-workers rave about their Nikon's and I admit the pics look great.

I don't think you can go wrong with either one of these company's offerings. They make great cameras.

No.16

Benjamin said 1996 days ago:

I personally have the SONY DSC-P9 and I must say, it does its job pretty well. Only 2 downsides are that you need at least 30-50 cm between the lens and the object for the camera to focus. And it does a better job outdoors than indoors.

No.17

Egor Kloos said 1996 days ago:

If your looking for a nippy digital camera well then you must have noticed that there are so many to chose from. And everyone has the best one and that's the one you should go for.

I for one have a Konica KD-500Z. And it's a cracker. The reason why I got this camera is simple, it's small (but usable), robust and has a very good lens. (Hexxanon).
I already have a SLR and wanted something I'd take everywhere with me and was dead easy to use. This was the best thing on the market at the time.

Three weeks later I saw Sony's DSC-V1 which is even beter, oh well it's just like computers. Every month you will see the next best thing for less.

No regrets in getting the Konica, after nearly a year I'm still very impressed with it.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Konica/konica_kd500z.asp
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydscv1/

No.18

jerome said 1996 days ago:

SLR ! SLR ! SLR ! Because it's the only kind of camera that lets you create any picture you want. Yes you don't shoot: you create. You can control anything and shoot faster. You got the best lenses with Canon, Nokia and Pentax (I prefer Canon for their auto-focus speed). You can then upgrade your body or your lenses...

BUT if you still need a compact, go with a Canon G5

No.19

James said 1996 days ago:

I have just bought the Canon Ixus II a few weeks ago.

I too have a large SLR for "proper" photos and wanted something small and compact to carry around with me.

Pros found so far:

Great size
Great price (compared with many in its class)
Really easy to use
Can record video with sound
Has more advanced features if needed
Battery life is fantastic
Brilliant quality images

Cons found so far

Doesn't work so well for night photos (compared with my SLR, which isn't really a far comparison)
Uses SD cards, which cost more than Flash, but allows for a smaller camera
Only 3.2 mega pixels (only?)

No.20

Dunstan said 1995 days ago:

I've had a Caon 10D (DSLR) for about 9 months now. It's got a (true) 6.3MP sensor, and it's great for a large number of tasks.

Where it falls down in a big, big way is the fact that it's so damn large.

About 2 minutes after I got it for the first time I thought, right, I need to buy a smaller one as well.

My 10D has let me take some great photos, but frankly having the camera with me has ruined some days out - I haven't been able to indulge in the activities I wanted to, because of the size and weight of the thing.

I've since bought a great bag and belt system (that I had made by a guy in the States) which is waterproof and lets me run or hike or climb with this big SLR strapped to my waist. But still, I could really do with a smaller model as well.

I've been keeping a keen eye on the Olympus Mju 400. I don't know how it compares to the other cameras mentioned here, but it has two features that are a must for me - it's weatherproof (water and dust resistant), and it's tiny (however, it's only 4.2MP I think, not quite enough for my needs).

That's pretty important for what I want it for - to be able to slip it into a bum bag and go running or climbing or hiking or sailing, and never have to worry about breaking it.

So, I guess what all that babble was about was - be careful about buying a DSLR, their size can be a real pain in the backside :o)

P.S. My parents are off to Singapore in a week and they're in the market for a camera as well, on the basis of this post I'm going to have to tell them to check out the Canon G5.

No.21

Dunstan said 1995 days ago:

BTW, if you didn't know them already, these are my two go-to sites for digi-cam reviews (here with the canon g5):

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/g5.html
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canong5/

No.22

Richard Earney said 1995 days ago:

A digital SLR is the way to go for ultimate digital quality and flexibility, but you may prefer compactness.

I have a G2 and a D60. The G2 is good - but it is a bit slow. The G5 should be a lot faster because of its dedicated processors. You may find it a bit bulky if you were thinking of the IXUS.

Good luck in your choice!

No.23

Dunstan said 1995 days ago:

Ooh, I rememeberd one very important thing, and I'd love to know what the Canon owners say about this:

Shuuter lag.

My brother's Sony is a great camera, but the time between you pressing the button and the photo actually being taken is HUGE!
Trying to take a photo of a fast moving child is almost impossible.

So, what's the delay like on the G5 and the S400?

No.24

pristy said 1994 days ago:

Between all the compacts i saw is only one with "intelligent" or practic lens/27-110mm/ by good aperture/F2.8-4.8/.
The delay is very short and u are able to shoot 3 frames per second.
OLYMPUS C-5060 WIDE ZOOM

No.25

Jon Hicks said 1994 days ago:

I'm reckoning on keeping my EOS SLR, and I don't do enough photography to warrant spending so much on a D-SLR.
Thanks for the links Dunstan - I hadn't come across those sites, and they've been really helpful.

Based on my own research, and the comments left so far, I'm between these 3:

Canon Ixus 400: Small. light, which means I'm more likely to take it with me everywhere. Not as fully featured as...

Canon G5: Good reviews, almost an SLR

Fuji FinePix 2700: 6 mp (12 via interpolation!), 6x zoom, good macro, more features than you can shake a stick at.

The trouble with the last 2 is that they are as bigger and bulkier than our current Kodak beast. So the IXUS has the edge at the moment.

No.26

Sian said 1994 days ago:

I use a Canon A80 although I came very close to purchasing a G5 but went with the A80 for size reasons. I've also heard good things about the Canon S50 and S45 which I believe are similar to a G5 without the size.

No.27

Sian said 1994 days ago:

Sorry to post again, forgot to mention that the A80 also has a swivelling view finder and will run on normal AA batteries.

No.28

Houser said 1993 days ago:

Screw compact - go for the best image available.

If you're photographically inclined, the the 300D is a must, or if you still want the juice, but still like the digi-cam features, check out the Minolta A1.

I recently purchased it and it is an AWESOME camera. The Anti-Shake function incredible and it gives you that SLR feel without truly being an SLR. Can't interchange the lenses, but the 28mm-200mm lense fits most of my creative needs (i.e. I don't plan on dropping several thousand for the body and an array of lenses).

No.29

Richard Earney said 1993 days ago:

>Fuji FinePix 2700: 6 mp (12 via interpolation!), 6x zoom, good macro,
>more features than you can shake a stick

Don't be fooled. The 12MP size is generally not worth writing home about.

No.30

Jon Hicks said 1993 days ago:

Thanks Richard. (Very nice photos by the way!)

Dunstan - A review I read of the Canon G5 says there is virtually no shutter lag.

Houser - The minolta looks good, quite similiar to the FinePix. I'm tending towards the compact as I'm keeping my 35mm SLR. If I could find one that was light enough I'd go for it.

No.31

Sian said 1992 days ago:

Be careful with the G5, there are mixed opinions as to whether the G5 is a better purchase than the G3. dpreview.com can shed some light on that for you.

No.32

Jon Hicks said 1992 days ago:

The problem there Sian is that the G3 is discontinued. It certainly had better reviews than the G5, but finding a stockist is difficult.

No.33

Matt said 1991 days ago:

Dunstan's right to mention shutter lag as a make-or-break feature. My Olympus is a few years old, and the shutter lag is infuriating. I want to replace it, but I can't find a review that quantifies shutter lag just like any other functional parameter.
"Virtually no shutter lag" sounds nice, but I'd like to compare numerically vs. other models.

No.34

Jon Hicks said 1991 days ago:

Matt - DP Review gives actual figures for the shutter lag, but you have to click through quite a few pages before you get there.

No.35

Scott Johnson said 1989 days ago:

DP Review has always been the last word for me in my camera research. That being said, I'd HIGHLY recomment a Canon SLR. After having shot a Nikon Point&Shoot for a year or so now, I picked up my uncle's film SLR this weekend and it was a flashback to the past when I last used a real SLR 5 years ago. Trust me, you'll love the SLR. Anything else is just a waste of money. I'm currently eyeing the Canon EOS 10D.

No.36

[m] said 1988 days ago:

( Hope I'm not too late with this comment. ;) )

I would advise you to go to a store and try the different models out. There is no substitute for your own experience. You can judge sige, weight, grip, and button placement by your own standards. For example, for me it's important that a dig. cam. actually loosk like a camera, and not a plastic duplo kind of thing. Your's might be the phisical size.

And don't think the company matters (a lot). People root for canon, kodak or sony but fujifilm and konica, among others, also makes good camera's. It's digital, so you can adjust the colours if you want to. Trust on the other hand, is a big no-no.

What I do find when talking with other, inexperienced people about is that shutter lag is an issue. Digital camera's just have shutter lags. The costlier the model, the less involvement of shutter lag. The larger the picture format (tiff, raw) and size (4/6mp) the longer you have to wait before you can shoot again. Ofcourse, the more expensive models have a larger buffer obviously.

Now don't hold me on those "truths", always check the specific model for details! I find that dpreview.com has the best quantity and quality of sites out there when it comes to objective information.

Don't go for the expensive models if there, well, expensive. You are not looking for ultra-premium shots, just good ones. There are a helluva lot of that kind of models out there. Some more stylish, others more user-friendly in terms of menu, button-placement and shooting modes.

Don't rule out the better-looking ones yet. Flashing them infront of your pub-buddies is a treat, especially seeing their face when they see that shiny, new red ixus you "just bought because it looked kinda cool". ;)

That's my take on the subject. My personal preference is the fujifilm s7000, the prevurbial(sp?) wolf in sheeps clothes. Alas, it's kinda expensive.

No.37

Sian said 1988 days ago:

Found this website http://www.hireacamera.com which allows you to hire a camera for a length of time.

No.38

Jon Hicks said 1987 days ago:

Thanks for that Sian! Sounds like a good way of having a long trial with a camera. They stock the Fuji Finepix that I'm considering too.

I've decided against a digital SLR, the weight seems to be a real issue. I'm keeping my Canon EOS 300, which although bulky is extremely lightweight. So I'll always have that for really creative stuff. Plus there is the cost issue! I'd suggested the 300D as its more in my budget (adn I can reuse my Canon lenses) - but its still too much. For the amount of photography I get the time to do, its not worth it.

All in all, I'm swinging towards the Canon g5. The main problem is finding somewhere that stocks all the models I want to try out, so that I can compare them.

No.39

Alex Yra said 1986 days ago:

I recommend the Canon S45 or S50 - these have the versatility of a G5 but have the portability similar to that of the IXUS. I used to have a G1 and loved the interchangeabiliy and options of an SLR, but it was just too much of a chore to carry.

I can make the numerous adjustments with my S45, go anywhere with it, and take beautiful photographs.

No.40

Jon Hicks said 1986 days ago:

Thanks Alex - I'll look into that one. Th ixus is lacking in its manual controls, so that'll be interesting!

No.41

Neal said 1986 days ago:

Jon,

As you're up in Witney, you might be able to get to the Digital Depot shop in Swindon. I haven't used them myself, but they advertise in the press quite a bit. The Canon G5 is £439 there (https://secure.hitech-uk.com/acatalog/Canon_powershot_G5.html), and they sell all the main brands. Hope this helps.

No.42

Walter said 1978 days ago:

Jon,

You should also think about the memory;
get a camera like the Canon powershot S40, 45 or 50 but instead of compactflash memory you can choose the microdrive.
I have a 1GB microdrive, which in the S45 has room for over 900 photo's at largest possible resolution. MPEGS taken on this camera are also perfect and with that amount of memory you never have to worry about memory again and hey you can also use it to transfer files from PC, laptop, sat receiver, video recorder(the list is growing..)

No.43

Jon Hicks said 1978 days ago:

Walter - does that speed up write times at all? I'd be prepared to spend more if it increased significantly, otherwise compactflash will be fine for my use.