Cameras - Affordable variety

Submitted: Saturday, Jan 20, 2007 at 19:53
ThreadID: 41440 Views:2349 Replies:7 FollowUps:17
This Thread has been Archived
Willem made a good point on Friday's camera thread.
We recently bought a Canon Ixus750 from Umart (Brisbane),7Mp, anti-shake,fits in a dwarf's pocket, fantastic unit and under $600.

I learnt in '69 that Canon and Tamron were capable of great quality. Not much use if they're back in camp though, hence a lot of amazing scenes were caught on Kodak Instamatics.

There is certainly a place for a point and shoot sub-compact, though I'll be tongueing for a used SLR before the 2012 eclipse. Happy snaps. Jeff.
Back Expand Un-Read 0 Moderator

Reply By: Footloose - Saturday, Jan 20, 2007 at 20:54

Saturday, Jan 20, 2007 at 20:54
I'm not a camera person, even though I own some expensive Canon SLR stuff. Zoom lenses and filters etc Used to take me ages to set up a dubious shot.
The damm stuff was so complicated and fiddly to use that by the time I was ready, the subject had changed (usually flown or run away, even the ones wearing bikinis :)
My wife bought a Canon point and shoot thingy that downloads pix onto the puter.
The first trip I took it on I was hooked. A quick point and shoot and 99% u beaut shots that you can see what you have and dont pay for processing later.
If a camera dummy like me can do it anyone can.

AnswerID: 216724

Follow Up By: Member - Jeff H (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 01:08

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 01:08
Footyl! Smack my forehead!
The perfect man for the 2012 eclipse!
Don't have the date to hand, but think it is mango season (whatever that is these times). On a line roughly Cairns to Darwin.

Oh Joyous Times!!
(Almost promise that I won't camp within 50cal range).
0
FollowupID: 477189

Follow Up By: Member - Jack - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 07:50

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 07:50
I am with you on this Footloose.

My wife has a handy little Olympus digital and a few memory cards and it is terrific. We take photos to allow us to recall points and items of interest on our trips, not to hang in a gallery, so we are happy with the results we get.

I have an Olympus SLR and a few lenses sitting in a box somewhere in the roof of the house, and it will probably stay there until my passing. After that I won't care. :)

Jack
The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get. (Lewis Carroll-Alice In Wonderland)

Member
My Profile  My Position  Send Message

0
FollowupID: 477203

Follow Up By: Gramps (NSW) - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 08:06

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 08:06
LOL almost a match Jack. We have a small Olympus digital that we use and a Canon (+ lenses) in a box somewhere :))))
0
FollowupID: 477205

Follow Up By: Footloose - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 09:39

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 09:39
Jeff, when people start having ideas that vaguely include my presence, I start to worry :)))
0
FollowupID: 477219

Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic)&Moses - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 11:46

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 11:46
Yeh, this is my sort of camera thread.

A year or so back Rock Crawler - Eric mad a telling comment that he didn't need another hobby so a serious camera wasn't going to be on for his next one. We have a couple of SLRs with lenses, have an old dark room too where I spent time developing film, and photos - colour and B&W.

It's so much easier now. Good SWMBO has a Nikon P1 8mp camera which takes passible movies too. Fits in the pocket of the dwarf as Jeff says.

My seven year old Sony tends to gather dust as it is slower and smaller pix too. No where near the capabilities of the new technology - was 3 times the price though duty free. The new gear all seems to have SD cards of CF cards and of course you can backup over the PDA taking both. Love it.

Al, am I surprised you have a boxed canon? Hmmm

F'loosie, so you think ladies are going to abuse a photo with your presence in it? Dart board perhaps? Pic at the end of the bath?
0
FollowupID: 477268

Follow Up By: Footloose - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 11:56

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 11:56
John, the ladies aren't. Their husbands might :)))))))))
0
FollowupID: 477271

Reply By: Member - Willie , Epping .Syd. - Saturday, Jan 20, 2007 at 21:30

Saturday, Jan 20, 2007 at 21:30
Hi Jeff ,

I bought a Canon digital SLR with a large lump of a lens and no matter where I go in the bush , that camera gear , together with a little emergency kit and a one litre drink bottle are my constant companions . So mine is never back in camp .

I have a Sony digital pocket camera and the limitations are huge - especially with low light in caves and overhangs , where I take most of my shots .

Willie .
AnswerID: 216738

Follow Up By: Member - Jeff H (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 00:54

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 00:54
G'day Willie,
Thank you for the response. To supplement my MM to you, may I add that I am SO amazed by my midget. Have printed cropped images to A4,some in macro (I love flowers, etc).The video performance blows me away, as does the sound reproduction. I bought a slave flash,(good in caves,as you mention),and a 2Gb card.

Yes, there are limitations; no more 60 degree star trails, and, um arr,solar eclipses?

And if we both sat down with long lens images from a twitchers week away, mine would be dust bin material cf yours: but then I just may have fluked a positive on a Gouldian finch, which we all only THINK we saw.
Everything in life seems to be a trade-off. Don't write off the baby digis.(Mind you, they're so damn hi tech, the "use by" date can't be too far away. Jeff.
0
FollowupID: 477186

Follow Up By: Member - Willie , Epping .Syd. - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 10:59

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 10:59
Just looking at "Seechange "- boss got the shade again , eh .
0
FollowupID: 477249

Follow Up By: Member - Jeff H (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 12:04

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 12:04
Mate, constant pampering is essential to keep her with me. Sofar sogood.
0
FollowupID: 477272

Reply By: Member - Glenn D (NSW) - Saturday, Jan 20, 2007 at 23:32

Saturday, Jan 20, 2007 at 23:32
Used to rely on a Nikon F50 + Lenses ,

Backpacked around Europe then went around OZ , we took Pentax Optio S4 ,with a big enough memory card and size of cigerette packet , fully fuctional it kicked ass !

Glenn.
AnswerID: 216768

Follow Up By: Member - Jeff H (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 00:30

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 00:30
Thanks Glenn.

I was beginning to think that Willem,the wife of Footloose, and meself were the only cretins game to admit that we would just rather capture the moment than stuff about with 'high end' gear and miss it.
Do you mind giving us the basic guts on your unit, and why you would prefer NOT to reverse over it?
(For those quick to attack, note that I did NOT bracket 'the wife of Footloose'. ) nyah.
0
FollowupID: 477183

Follow Up By: Footloose - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 09:45

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 09:45
Jeff, just for the record, my missus rarely travels anywhere with me these days. She bought the camera for happy snaps at workies.
0
FollowupID: 477221

Follow Up By: Member - Glenn D (NSW) - Monday, Jan 22, 2007 at 19:51

Monday, Jan 22, 2007 at 19:51
Jeff

4 megapixel was as big as it got ( its a few years old ) , if you are only looking at photos on the computer or printing off the occasional photo this has proved more than we need.

As I said all the bells and whistles , full auto , modes ie : night portrate etc , fully manual , shoots sequences and video with audio .

Used SD cards as memory ,now quite cheap .

Teamed this small camera up wth a mini tripod and now can fit my whole kit in one pocket.

The only thing that I miss was that I had a large zoom lens.

My friend got that that one that they advertise on tv with the dog chewing , Olympus ? 7.0 meg shock and waterproof. pretty good for the places we go !

Glenn.
0
FollowupID: 477532

Reply By: Robin - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 09:41

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 09:41
Ok I think I'm going to have to be the first to admit that we still use an analogue camera as well (analogue = film ).

Great little Olympus , always take it with us as a second camera to a similar compact digital.

Even at $16 to develop a film (with disc ) for 24 shots it has proved to deliver very good results and has quite often got us out of trouble , like recent when we got a "card error" on the digital.

Mind you - does a lousy job of recording sound !

Robin Miller

AnswerID: 216799

Reply By: Footloose - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 09:51

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 09:51
When we first bought our Cannon with supa lenses etc, I took it out for a few test shots. Aimed it at a couple of people who immediately put their hands in the air to surrender, they thought it was a weapon !
Was setting up at Ularu and was asked if I was a pro...as in camera man. Apparently I'd taken a while and gathered a following (who were probably killing themselves laughing).
AnswerID: 216801

Follow Up By: Member - Jeff H (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 12:09

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 12:09
Footyl, it must be in your nature: your printed word often draws a smile as well.
0
FollowupID: 477273

Follow Up By: Footloose - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 13:22

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 13:22
Jeff, sadly every word is true :((
When a man loses the ability to see the funny side then its time to give up.
0
FollowupID: 477278

Reply By: rolande- Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 16:50

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 16:50
I use both, Nikon D50 SLR and Sony Cyber shot

The Sony is great for happy snaps and short videos, but nothing will beat the quality of a good DSLR for those pics you may one day want to hang on the wall

Regards

Rolande
AnswerID: 216860

Reply By: _gmd_pps - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 17:35

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 17:35
Well .. horses for courses ...

High ISO capability .. speed of focus .. dynamic range .. reach .. dof control ..
it's a bit like taking a Mini into the outback ... sure you can do it but within
limits ... same with cameras ...

A P&S can do good images under ideal situations ... when it is less ideal the
differences start to show ..

From a photography point of view a P&S is like a Landcruiser on slicks ...

I like my originals to be large enough to crop if required and to print at least
A3 at 450dpi .. anything less is not worth it for me .. but that maybe just me ..

Modern print technology (I am talking Press here) prints at 340 line screen which requires 400-450 dpi so you need around 30mp for a native double page spread (A3) .. this is why Image Libraries only accept 16MP up and only under pressure they accepted the D2X. Fashion is today mostly done on 33 to 39 mp where the lower end is on Canon 1DSII and 22MP MF backs.

So when someone says his 2mp camera is still doing great pics you can also say you Mini is great for towing your 16' caravan ...

In my book decent landscape photography today means a Leaf Aptus 75, Phase One P45 or H3D and such system can last you a long time ... up to now technology has developed quickly and now reached a point were upgrade is not that essential anymore at the high end ..

P&S all suffer from the fact that they have a tiny sensor creating too much dof and still too much noise in low light ... the first ones now show with APS size sensors, which are a little better, but for real creative photography there is still no substitute for a FF camera, which means the Canon 5D is the absolute minimum when one is interested in a bit more than snaps ..

have fun
gmd
AnswerID: 216866

Follow Up By: Member - Jeff H (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 18:50

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 18:50
Hello gmd pps,

Was hoping that you would contribute.Thank you too much.
Have benefitted greatly from your precis off an expansive data base.
As you may well know, a 'Cruiser on slicks is the perfect set-up in some situations.
Other times a Suzie Jimny will leave a big-rubbered fatso looking rather embarrassed. (Depends if one knows how to behave appropriately, doesn't it gp?)

Sir, your Canon 5D will doubtlessly capture the odd superb image. Even I can struggle by with a Mini.

Thanks again gp. I best get out and cook the self-caught Tassie trout wrapped in self-cut paperbark in a self-made stainless barrel bbq, to be accompanied by home-grown Kensington Prides. (I wonder what the poor old pensioners are up to tonight. sigh.) Would post an image, but my camera is crap. Enjoy, JH.
0
FollowupID: 477336

Follow Up By: _gmd_pps - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 19:04

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 19:04
I don't remember that I said I use a 5D ...
I said the 5D is a minimum for creative photography as far as using dof control ..
what I use as a camera is of no interest here I think
have fun
gmd
0
FollowupID: 477341

Follow Up By: Member - Jeff H (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 23:26

Sunday, Jan 21, 2007 at 23:26
Maaate, gp, good buddy,
I know that you wouldn't suffer the use of the LCD. Nothing but the HCF* would cope with upper echelon requirements such as yours .
(Pfft. Goes without saying.)
Mind you, I did feel that there may have been some credence in your last line but two. Perhaps you didn't really mean to engage with a forum of contentd people?
Btw, are you interested in how the gourmet meal turned out?

Love you gp. Best wishes. JH.
* maybe HuCF. search me.
0
FollowupID: 477379

Sponsored Links