The bad news is that my Kodak 712IS died. According to the net, the blue-screen error message I get when I fire it up means the lens motor is shot. The fact that the lens does not go in and out when powered on is a clue as well. I am reading that it’s not worth fixing for the price that Kodak charges to repair their cameras.
So now the good news, I’m in the market for another camera!
For those of you who are regular contributors to the various photo threads, I’m looking for a recommendation. Something in the $200 to $300 range that I can do close-up photograpy with.
I do reasonably well with a Nikon L20. Amazon has several new ones from $129 to $200. Mine is a refurbished model I picked up for about $60. The photo below was taken with the camera in hand. It does better with a tripod.
I use a Sony DSC-S85. It’s an older camera, and isn’t directly compatible with 64-bit Windows, but it takes great photos (including close-ups). I can get the photos off easy enough by using a card reader. Amazon has some very good to like new ones for between $75 and $200. http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B00005LWLW/ref=dp_olp_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used
I personally recommend anything Panasonic. The Leica glass used in the lenses is top-notch and I’ve loved every single Panasonic I’ve ever owned. No problems so far!
(While I use a Canon DSLR for my professional portrait photography, I carry around a Panasonic ZS3 as my bring-everywhere and non-portrait camera. Its images are print and publication quality.)
I probably would also recommend the Panasonic with Leica lens. I have a Leica and the glass is great. I have been using a Sony point in shoot with the Carl Zeiss lens and it’s been excellent. You should be able to get either for under $200. I use Nikon film and digital SLRs and have been fairly happy with them. I would recommend them if you need more horsepower.
Only the most gifted and discerning of humans will be able to tell the lens qualities apart in imagery posted to this or any other forum unless you are posting 50-100% cropped images in order to look closely at image artefacts caused by the sensor and lens, either in concert or separately.
Translation…whichever camera you can get with about 15X zoom or less, that has between 6-12 megapixel resolution, and that can be had for between $99 new or refurbished and $230 new or refurbished, is going to be a new and valuable addition to your household’s electronic toys.
I have experience only with two digital cameras and like them both. Any Canon Powershot series will be excellent, and I use a 26X ultrazoom Fuji Finepix HS20 EXR. The Fuji is great for outdoors photography, but can’t hold a candle to the Canon indoors.
As Selector said, the Canon PowerShot is a good camera. I have the A480 and it takes excellent photographs and has a really good closeup mode. It’s got all the bells and whistles you’d ever want on a camera. It was a gift so I don’t know how much is cost but I’m sure it wasn’t over $200.
I like my Sony DSC-HX1, though their proprietary ProDuo memory sticks don’t work with any other camera type. My main recomendation, unless you own lots of Duracell stock, is to get a camera with a rechargable battery. They eat up AA batteries.
I can only chime in with those recommending a Panasonic Lumix with a Leica lens. I have an older model with “only” 6 mega pixels, but with a superb lens and I am quite happy with the pictures I take with it.
I know that this question is a little off the theme of model railroading but can any of the posters comment on the processing speed of their recommended cameras? I have an ancient (by modern standards) Olympus. Getting a clear shot when shooting a still picture is OK if you have a really steady hand or a tripod, but shooting an action scene is hopeless. The subject is long gone by the time the camera takes the picture and the viewfinder doesn’t pan once you have clicked the shutter button.
Can any of the posters comment on the speed of their recommended cameras?
Apologies to the moderators if this question is too far off the subject of model railroading.
The Panasonic Lumix is a fine camera. That’s what I have. It shoots HD video and great sound. And takes great pics in low light indoors. It has all the manual settings that a traditional DSLR has.
this may have two reasons. Check the manual of your camera to adjust the setting for “action” photography - this may increase the processing speed. You may also want to change your SD card to a much faster one.
I’ve had really good luck with Canon products. Currently, I’m using a Canon SX100 IS. It has a 10x optical zoom that will do 99% of the photography most will encounter and really good macro performance when you switch over to it for closeups on the workbench or layout.
Durability is also a factor for me. Day to day, I use it most for various railroading hobby uses. However, I’m also a historian. We used to spend our days laboring over a copier when working in the archives. Now, many of us use digital cameras instead. One benefit is that every shot is in color, which is important with some documents. In the three years I’ve had it, I’ve taken close to 15,000 shots, far more than most people will ever put on a camera. It’s still working fine.
Best Buy has the descendant of the SX100 – the Canon SX150 – in its ad this week for under $200.
Another thing to consider is to get a new camera that’s been discontinued. Don’t know if it’s possible to scratch up a SX100 somewhere now, but once you find something you like or someone recommends, that’s another way to save money. And there’s always the mega-auction site. I sold a very nice older Canon for around $40 a while back and there seems to be quite a selection of older cameras always available. Most have lots of miles still left in them.
My main camera is a Nikon D50 for digital and a N80 for 35mm. I am going to guess that we are mainly talking about digital photography here so my $.02
P&S cameras today can get into the 12mp range for less than $200. With the P&S type camera you lose some of the custom settings liek shutter speed, F stop and ISO. Some of the less expensive ones also limit the flash options. Also you are limited to the lens you have and the zoom available with said lens. Also photo capture type is usually limited to jpg only.
DLSRs give you the most bang for the buck. At least for some one who is more than just a casual photographer. With most DSLRs you can change lenses to a multitude of different types, you have full control over the camera’s shutter and other typical settings, you control everything. This can be a little daunting but with a little toying around you can get some really nice pics. My D50 uses SD media which is available everywhere and most all newer computers have a built in SD slot. I can capture my pics in raw, jpg or both at the same time. My D50 is a 5.1mp camera which may not sound like much by the statndards of today’s cameras but I can take a pic at full resolution and have that blown up to 12" with out any pixlation. Even a 12mp P&S camera is going to pixilate a little at that magnification due to the small size of it’s sensor. You can find a D50, on E-bay with a lens for around $200, the D70 is 6.1MP (uses compact flash memory) for about the same price. The D40 is a 7.1mp but needs lenses made for the D40 and up cameras to prevent Vingetting. (the vingetting is not that bad even with non D40 lenses) Also a bonus with Nikon cameras all Nikon lenses will fit all nikon cameras, even the ones that are before auto focus.
I have been using a Kodak ZX1485 point & shoot with good results. It’s got a 5:1 optical zoom, it will focus in to a foot or so. It brags about having 14 megapixels (not sure if I believe that) and I set it to the resolution of my VGA computer screen (600*800 or 480,00 pixels). It is very sensitive and takes good pictures under ordinary indoor room light. It’s pocket size and has an automatic lens cap so I can just turn it off and stuff it in a pocket. The auto white balance does a pretty good job under fluorescent lights. It has a standard tripod socket.
Some downers. This camera lacks a battery charge indicator, when the battery gets low the camera just stops working. No warning. It’s all plastic. The paint is beginning to wear off the plastic which looks sorta tacky. The LCD screen view finder cannot be read outdoors in bright sunlight.
I have had it for a couple of years and I am pretty sure Kodak has changed the model number and a lot else and is selling something different this year. But this one is plenty good enough for me and I plan to keep it till it croaks.
When it croaks I will lust for a new SLR, just to be able to see thru the viewfinder in bright sunlight. Other than that, there is little that this economical point & shoot won’t do.
For those not knowing Zeiss and Leitz (Leica) along with Schneider were the manufactures for some of the finest lenses and cameras in world. Produced in Germany these lenses are still used in microscopes, telescopes and cameras of all kinds. Long before the Japanese started mass producing cameras, German cameras were the best. To own a Leica film camera of the 1930’s and 40’s could be compared to owning a Ferrari in a sense. When Sony went to Zeiss I bought one immediately. Now that Panasonic is using Leica I am strongly considering one.
