If you are looking to purchase a camera thought I'd share my research

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

and hope others will share theirs...

I consulted world famous international "embedded" photographer to the troops of Iraq- DH of ismommy (Helene) who is just the GREATEST!!!!! and he also shared some of his "connections" out there in the field with me...
So I felt like my choices come with some great endorsements...

But I just bought two cameras
one film: for me, did you know many have stopped making them????
one digital: for Steve

Anyway for me, the film one I purchased a camera called YASHICA T4 Zoom, it was $199 and was described to me as "the best lens" and with endorsements from every Penn Camera rep I talked too...

For Steve, the digital, we decided on the NIKON coolpix 5200. Note Nikon has a whole line of this camera that starts at like $190 and goes to $800. A PennCamera rep recommended this camera, and when I called Rob's contact there who is in professional sales he too not only recommended it but also said "I have it"... This camera retails I think for about $399.


They 2 day'd to me for only $9.50 for both!!!!! And the service was incredible!!!!

I got these thru a great Rep with Penn Camera (Rob's recommendation) and they spent a lot of time educating me and discussing things with me...their prices even my hubby said were way better than he had found out there...

The contact is Jeff Snyder their 1800 number is 1-800-347-5770
www.penncamera.com

I felt I did enough research and was willing to buy the best for the money so thought I'd share for anyone at the beginning stages of looking for either kind of camera.


Neve and Tristan born Feb 25, 2003
* EDD 3/19/05 Baby girl BRONWYN
* Adopting siblings in Ukraine 12-10-04
http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan

[wagner36]

Thanks Neve!
I'm thinking about buying a new film camera for myself. I'm frustrated with our digital because of the pause between when you push the button and it takes the picture. Is your Yashica a 35mm that you can buy different lenses for, etc.? Does it have autofocus and self-focus?

[calebsmama03]

Thanks for the recs Neve. I've been kicking around camera choices for months and am still debating between something like the coolpix or taking the plunge to a SLR type digital (Nikon D70). I'm leaning towards the SLR but can't bring myself to commit the $$ to it...

Good to know the coolpix is highly recommended.
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
Oh my!! #2 5/05

[californiagirl]

I had a Coolpix and enjoyed it greatly, and now have a D100 which I love, love, love.
It's as fast to use as a film SLR -- push the button, take a photo.

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

It's one of those super simple ones...no lens to change, but does zoom...and I assume does the auto focus and all (I'm not too techncially driven) it is still in the box, but a simple camera with a great zoom from what I hear.

Hope that helps!!!!


Neve and Tristan born Feb 25, 2003
* EDD 3/19/05 Baby girl BRONWYN
* Adopting siblings in Ukraine 12-10-04
http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan

[Dcclerk]

Thanks for the info, Neve. Did you consider a digital SLR at all? I have been strongly considering a digital Canon Rebel but am having a hard time swallowing the price tag. I take so many "wasted" pictures at a time that a film camera is just not practical for me. Do you know if Steve's camera has the lag time that most digital, non-SLR cameras have?

[twinmama]

I LOVE Penn Camera. A good friend of mine from college, her family owns it and if I can ever make a decision about what exactly I want/need in a digital camera, I will definately buy from them! Thanks for the recs, Neve, I'll add the Coolpix to my list of potentials. I can't wait to see pictures from your trip!

Lisa

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

For I don't know the answer...
I will let you know once he tells me, I know sooooooo little about digital cameras and can barely take a picture with the one we had before :)


Neve and Tristan born Feb 25, 2003
* EDD 3/19/05 Baby girl BRONWYN
* Adopting siblings in Ukraine 12-10-04
http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan

[aliceinwonderland]

Thanks Neve: I have the Nikon one step down form yours, and I LOVE LOVE it---and like you I am not digital in the least.

Everyone asks me where I get E's pics taken :):)

I also have a film one (The Rebel), but sadly I never learned it, so it is not used much these days

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

Let me know if this does not answer it for you...
I know nothing :)

Tell her it really depends on how she wants to use the camera. These days the mid- high end digital cameras kind of work like the cameras with SLR (single-lens-reflex ) By definition, a SLR camera reflects the image onto the focusing screens by using the light coming through the lens. With this process, the camera can immediately fix the image onto the film, after checking the imaging area and how the image will turn out. This is particularly useful when using telephoto lenses or shooting close-ups. Indeed, one of the secrets to improving your photography skills is to observe the image on the viewfinder, one of the greatest advantages of an SLR camera. But with today's technology, the mid to high end digital cameras already do the functions of the SLR. Since my last camera was SLR equipped, I enjoyed the detailed pictures it provided, but reading about the Nikon Coolpix 5200, it has all those features I need to capture precious moments and movies.. http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=2&productNr=25516

So it's basically a person preference and a costly one. Tell her to define (1) what she wants in terms of how she will use the camera and (2) actual feasibility/affordability. If her priority in 1 is every day use and 2 is less $, than tell her not to get an SLR and start focusing on the other high end digitals since they will most likely satisfy her needs.

my $.02


Neve and Tristan born Feb 25, 2003
* EDD 3/19/05 Baby girl BRONWYN
* Adopting siblings in Ukraine 12-10-04
http://home.nc.rr.com/ourbabytristan

[californiagirl]

In a film camera, SLR vs. non-SLR is a matter of "see what you get" vs. "see something like what you might get". In digital, as Steve points out, any reasonable camera does a good job of "see what you get". What you get by going with an SLR-style is mostly
1) Interchangeable lenses.
2) Speed! Let me say that again: Speed! Digital SLRs take pictures at the same speeds as film SLRs. No more "press and wait". (There is the occasional catch, but it's way rare.)

There are a boatload of other things -- better access to controls, for instance, and a really usable viewfinder (the plain old look-through-it viewfinder gives you "see what you get", not true on other digitals, many of which don't have a proper viewfinder, leaving you to try to use an LCD which can be very difficult in bright light, and I never could get proper manual focus on the CoolPix, the LCD just didn't give me enough detail).

In exchange, the SLR-styles are bigger and heavier, and they don't use an LCD as a viewfinder, so you end up holding them in front of your face. If you are used to using a film SLR, these downsides probably don't matter to you. If you are used to using an all-automatic film camera casually, you will probably be happier with a non-SLR digital, which will be as automatic and smaller and more fun than your current camera.

My husband finds himself using my digital SLR more and more, for the speed mostly (not just the speed of taking pictures, but also the ease of using a zoom lens you can hand zoom). But it would never have been worth it for him to buy it, he was perfectly happy with his CoolPix until he got used to mine.

[memedee]

I have the 5400 which I love
It has a wide angle which is great for taking shots with scenery.
I paint from the photos so this is a handy feature.
I dont know anything about digital slr but I think I would love it.

[Dcclerk]

Thanks to Neve/Steve and Californiagirl, they were both really helpful responses. They explained the difference to me much better than what I have read on all of the review sites. Thanks so much for taking the time to spell it out for me :) My goal is to take really good pictures. I know that sounds silly, but my goal is to develop photography into a really fun, worthwhile hobby. My Bubba isn't too fab in the portrait studios. (He actually wants nothing to do with them and we have yet to get a good shot at one.) And reality is that I don't usually care for the photography studio shots, either. I liked the photojournalistic style for my wedding, and I still like that style for our family photos. I guess it isn't as much every day use, but capturing moments that I want to frame. Right now, I can usually see a good picture, but have had a hard time taking it with all of the delay. Plus, I really want to be able to focus on the subject with an almost blur to the background. It sounds like I would do fine with either camera, but that I could probably do more with the digital SLR.

[californiagirl]

Yeah, you probably want a digital SLR. You're talking about a kind of control that's more acheivable with an SLR. It's possible to take really good, serious photos with the non-SLR digitals, but it's much harder for certain kinds of photos, and that photojournalistic style is one of them.

Most of these are taken with mine -- I'm still working on getting that depth-of-field control to give me the blurred background while juggling everything else, but we're happy enough that we haven't had professional pictures done: http://www.otoh.org/opal/

[Thatchermom]

I had the Nikon 5700 but sold it, mostly due to lag time problems so they are also likely with the referenced camera. It was better than some, but not SLR fast. It drove me crazy, but I am used to a film SLR and couldn't get used to a point-n-shoot for that and several other reasons. I hated the point-n-shoot film we tried for a while, too, so it wasn't just the lag! The family I sold it to just adores it, so like another poster said, it is all about what you are used to. (or aspire to, I suppose, if you are trying to learn more about photography.)

One comment I would add is that there is a great series for learning basic photography stuff...not the technical details, but taking great pictures. It is easy, witty and has fabulous pictures to inspire you. The books are How to Photograph Your Baby, ...Your Family, ...your Life by Nick Kelsh. (3 different books) Your Life is probably the most technical of the three, but it is still WAY basic. My family has passed these around the last three weeks and already I see a marked improvement in their pictures. How to Photograph Your Life was even taken with his wife's point/shoot digital, so he really is proving that learning to get a great shot isn't all about equipment.

[californiagirl]

The Nick Kelsh books are *fantastic*. It's not rocket science and it will absolutely improve your pictures, whether you're an absolute beginner or already a reasonably skilled photographer. I initially really resented the fact that these are *small* books, with relatively little content for the price. But honestly, they're worth it.

[icunurse]

Just to share......I just did tons of research and bought a new digital camera. While I lusted after the digital Canon Rebel, I just couldn't pay the price. I purchased the Minolta DiMage Z2 and I am quite pleased with it. Great zoom (40x total), lots of little extras (color tinting pics, record video snippets), and still quite small. It has what I consider to be a very fast shutter for a non-SLR and also has a rapidfire setting to take many pics in quick succession. I also liked that it allows you to do manual settings, as I have taken a few photography classes, but still need practice with my settings and now don't waste film on bad shots. I bought it at Wolf/Ritz Camera because I love their warranties (basically anything but setting it on fire is covered). Also, they give you about $300 worth of "free" perks when you buy a digital camera including software, free prints, lots of classes, etc. Last perk - right now they are offering a free (with mail-in-rebates) HP photo printer which doesn't need to be hooked to a computer and is small enough to go anywhere. Not sure if all of this is available through their website www.wolfcamera.com
As for my beloved film, I have never heard anyone complain about the Canon Rebel. Love it!
Traci
~Connor's Mom~

[ddmarsh]

I have the Minolta as well and agree it is alot for the money. Unfortunately, I still have not figure out what settings to use for what.
Can anyone recommend a great book specifically for learning to photograph with digital?

[stillplayswithbarbies]

regarding lag time . . .

I had the Olympus C-750 and the lag time was awful, I missed so many shots. So I researched which digital has the least lag time and came up with the Canon A95 as the one all the reviews said was the fastest. I got that one and love it! It is about twice as fast as the Olympus C-750. And it takes much better pictures.

...Karen
DS Jake Feb 91, DD Logan Mar 03
http://members.aol.com/khowe14494/superpower.gif http://members.aol.com/khowe14494/borntobebreastfed2.gif

[neeter]

Thanks for all of this information! We are starting to look into a new digital camera. Ours has such a lag that we miss everything!

I'm wondering if the SLR is almost too technical with the different lenses and settings? Are there any non-SLRs that can capture photos similarly quickly?

Especially with a baby in the house, it is very important!!!

Thanks!

[icunurse]

As far as the Canon digital SLR, it has the autofocus like the film version (which makes it practically idiot-proof....hence, my good pics :) ) I chose not to buy it because it would add up to be well over $1000, I already have a great film SLR, and it is just as bulky in size as the film one (even with a small lens).
Traci
~Connor's Mom~