Specifically, the digital pocket cam variety. I’m lookign for a decent camera, mostly for layout shots but also going to be with me for pocket camera purposes. I tend to do a lot of In the Scene shots, so a flat plastic bottom is a must. I’d also like to find one with a decent scale height of the lens, but pre-empting that is a desire for one that does not have a spiraling out zoom lens. Reason: I had a Kodak Easyshare I loved, iuntil it turned itself on in my pocket and presumably banged against the side of a 1937 built Budd Stainless Steel coach vestibule whilst I was loading eager kids to go to the “North Pole”. When I pulled the oor thing out, the lens was jammed halfway. I do have a semi dencent camera for fancy schmancy photography, this is more for point-and shoot needs. Also, I’d like it to do video, and have a decent audio pickup. I have looked into the videocams that look liek Ipods, but they don’t have SD slots in them ( but then, do I need more than 4gb?) and I don’t know if they’ve got screw slots for a tripod. (not a high priority, but preferable)
So, what are you using, seen and could reccomend?
EDIT: One other thing. Rechargeable is a MUST. Call that a “Given”, but I go through enough AA batteries with Dad’s old Konica Minolta…
I am quite happy with my Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1. It is already an older model (2005) and does not have a thrilling amount of pixels, but it has an excellent Leica lens, which also allows for good macro shots.
When looking for a new camera, make sure it has a good lens! A higher amount of pixels cannot compensate a bad lens!
Panasonic DMC-FH20. Yes, it has a motorized lens that pushes out from the camera, but that comes with the territory.
These are terrific little cameras, 14.4 MPixel, 8x optical zoom, macro zoom, and HD video. The camera will take the latest in high capacity SD cards, the SDXC, along with the SDHC and the standard SD card. It has a flat bottom and a standard tripod socket. I bought mine a couple of months ago and am very happy with it. It compliments my Pansonic digital SLR very well.
For HD video, a class 6 SDHC card or better is required. I found some at a decent price at Amazon, which is where I bought the camera.
My wife and I have three Panasonic cameras. All have performed perfectly. I suggest reading the reviews on these and other cameras on the Amazon web site. About the only complaint you will find is poor HD quality from a couple of owners. That can be directly traced to them not reading the instructions and trying to use a standard SD card. The standard SD cards can’t be written to fast enough for quality video. It takes the higher write rate class of a 6 or better.
With the newer cameras that take HD video, you do have to understand a litte bit about HD card classes. If you are not familiar with the term (I wasn’t), take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital.
I’m still using a rather old Sony Cybershot. I’m not terribly fussy, and one of my must-haves is a simple camera that my non-technical wife can operate without my help.
From this camera, I’ve learned a few things. It’s important to have a timer. I use it for most layout photos, because it is a lot steadier to use the timer than to push the button. One thing my camera is missing is a tripod mount. That would really help, and I miss it from my old SLR days.
My camera has very good optics. It’s about 8 or 10 years old now, and it takes better pictures than some brand new point-and-shoot cameras with twice the pixels. I usually take pictures at 1 megapixel. The camera goes up to 5 mp, but I seldom use that. I do recall, however, that the MR standards for Trackside Photos is 5 mp.
Be careful of the zoom, and how it’s advertised. My camera has a 6x zoom, I think. The first 3x is optical, but the rest is digital. Once you go beyond the optical zoom the rest sacrifices resolution for magnification. That may be OK, but the clarity and sharpness of the picture will suffer.
There are many good digital cameras by many manufacturers. Pick one.
My personal choice is Canon EOS series, but yours may be different.
Understand the difference between digital and optical zoom. Digital zoom is just cropping. Optical zoom is much better. Be sure the camera you choose uses removable flash cards that are supported by your computer. If the camera must be plugged in to download the images then you hare limited to the number of pictures the camera holds. If it uses a removable card, you can just carry multiple cards and take many more pictures between downloads.
If you are going to shoot layout photos try out it’s low light capability, how close it will focus, and the depth of field.
Don’t get bamboozled by megapixels. Unless you are planing to make billboard size prints, anything over 3 MP will look fine up to about 8x10. If you are looking at two cameras one 12 MP and the other 16 MP, the only difference you will see is each picture will take up more space on your camera card if you buy the higher MP camera.
Go to dpreviews and spend a few hours. Visit some forums on that site. You’ll learn a great deal, although one should not swallow everything said on those forums.
The camera business is a constant turmoil, models only stay on the market a few months before being replaced with new models. I bought a Kodak Z1485 point-n-shoot a couple of years ago, and it has been satisfactory. It has a manual mode that allows me to set aperture and shutter speed by hand, I use this to pick the smallest possible aperture for greatest depth of field.
It takes standard AA batteries so in an emergency I can put drugstore batteries into it. It’s designed for lithium batteries but it will work for maybe ten shots off the lower voltage alkaline batteries. Lithium batteries give about 50 shots. I was able to get a “no-name” rechargeable battery and charger off the Internet for about 1/2 Kodak prices. Was I doing it again, I’d buy two batteries so I could keep taking pictures after a battery runs down. The Kodak lacks a battery charge indication, when the battery runs down the camera just stops working. No warnings. PITA but I live with it.
The Kodak will focus in to about a foot, which is enough for me. It has a standard tripod socket which gets used a lot. It has a timer for vibration free shutter release. It claims some 14 Megapixels, but I keep it set to 5 Megapixels. It yields nice sharp pictures. The view finder is OK, but it is difficult to read in daylight. All in all, especially considering the modest price, it’s been a good deal.
It has all of the features you mentioned and more. The camera in new to me and I’m still in the learning process so rather than spelling out it’s features try this link
Another vote for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS5. I just recently got one, and it’s a great little camera. And it has HD video features. For the price, you can’t beat it.
The newer (and smaller) of the two cameras I use is a Nikon CoolPix L20 that I picked up from Overstock.com. It’s good for both close up, normal and landscape photography. Here’s a Nikon S230 for under $100.
Phoebe Vet, I go along with your recommendation - I, myself, have my eye on a 60D but finances might force me to settle for a T3i/600D - but one of those doesn;t meet the original poster’s criteria . . . . . you’d have to have some pretty big pockets to fit an EOS in.
I am at the present time a film shooter - although I must admit that I haven’t really done much with my photography in quite some time; awhile back I bought my sweety a Fuji something or another and it takes fairly decent images. I would recommend an 8MP Nikon or Canon; I see them at Wally’s for between a 150 to 200 bucks.
I have two cameras that I use for model photography: a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT, which I use for shots I can take from off-the-layout, and a pocket-type Panasonic DMC-FP8. I picked out the FP8 because of the position of the lens, which scales out to 30 scale inches from the top edge of the camera, and the fairly large pixel count (12 mp). With a bit of ingenuity, a rubber band, and a small block of wood, I can take pictures with the camera upside down, and the lens center about 5.5’ off the “ground”. My only complaint about this genre of camera is that there is no direct control of the aperture opening. But, given that, it takes pretty good shots:
EDIT: Oh, yeah - it runs on rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries.
Well I just bought a Canon EOS Rebel T3i. The T2i is pretty well recommended at least for amateurs, so I figure the new T3i ought to be pretty good also. This is my first DSLR. I had a Petri SLR 30 years ago, so I’ll see how this one goes. I’ll post some pictures after I read the directions and figure it out.
Looks like many posters on this thread are not attempting to answer your original question re a pocketable camera. A Rebel T3i is NOT pocketable!
I think the biggest problem in your quest will be to find a camera with a zoom lens that does not extend from the body. Most do, it is a matter of fact - the lens must move away from the sensor to have zoom capabilities.
Having said that, I do have a pocket camera that has a 7X zoom, and its all internal. It appears that the lens zooms in and out sideways. Its a Pentax Optio Z10, with 8 MP (I think - its in the car where I leave it). I had several 3X zoom cameras, and was looking for something with a greater range.
I’ve never used it for model railroad photos, and probably won’t because of its limited capabilities. With its small sensor, to me its just not worth using it when I have other better cameras around. And I’ve had it for several years, so I doubt if it is still available new. You might locate one on eBay. It does have a rechargeable battery, about 3/4 the size of an AA cell. I ordered several spares on eBay so I don’t run out of power.
It shoots video, but again I’ve never bothered because I have better cameras. It does have a tripod socket, and it’s bottom is flat. Do a Google se
The various Canon A-series digitals are a nice blend of size and price, and offer Macro and Manual capability. My A560 has the advantage of using AA batteries. It’s been used to take some nice photos of HO scale models.
If you want to spend more money, the S90 and so on are very good and very reliable.
It’ll probably be This guy A number of uyou reccomended Panasonics, and the Amazon ratings are fairly good. (better than it’s replacements even!) The camera world changes frequently, so I’ve been hesitant, but I’ve not seen anything really newer and gooder that doesn’t have the spiral lens, or be tucked intot he corner so I csan get the at-height shots I want. And, I’m runnign ourt of time to get it before Galesburg.
