Cameras - Affordable variety

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.

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 .

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.

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

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).

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

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