Christmas is coming. New camera advice needed.

[coborn35]

 

selector

coborn35

...DO NOT buy a point and shoot its like throwing money down the drain in the long run.

I couldn't possibly agree.  I have a Canon Powershot A710is that handles large prints in the 24X32" range with ease.  I took this image a couple of years ago, hand-held, and on automatic.  I was looking off the bank from my property down to the Strait of Georgia, about 80' below, and facing the rising sun.

Someone who practices and who knows his/her equipment can take excellent images.  SLR's are better tools, but they are not strictly necessary for the best images.

-Crandell

 

I'm not saying you cannot get fine images from a P&S, but in the long haul the image quality will be less than an SLR and yes I shot with a 4 MP for a long time.

Justin, here are my 3 most recent images from my camera, a Canon Rebel XS:

 http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=296981

 http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=297096

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=297097

 

[kolechovski]

Well, I didn't get to read the thread, and I don't know what your goals are, but I can tell you that for me, my Kodak Z760 and Z885 have done pretty well, and I never paid over $200 for either, though these are lower-end cameras.  They are fine for all the basics, but if you're a more demanding user, you'd need better than these.

[bubbajustin]

 

Here's the one I want.

http://www.walmart.com/Eos-Rebel-Xsi-Digital-Kit/ip/9208352

[Phoebe Vet]

Bubba:

That's a good camera, I'm sure you will like it.

Keep this in mind.  That is a pretty short lens, it will be fine for shooting your layout and some family pictures, but your are going to find the need for a longer one before too long.  You might want to check the prices of additional lenses before you commit.  12 MP images will take up a lot of memory card space, so get a couple of big cards.

[bubbajustin]

PV,

I’m glad you like it. I guess the lenses won’t be as much, because they don’t have the ISO in them. The body does.

I have a SD Impact 1GB card. Is that enough?

[Phoebe Vet]

Bubba:

ISO is film speed or it's digital equivalent.  I believe you mean IS which is image stabilization.

I'm not sure you will be able to use your SD card.  All of my Canon EOS series cameras use Compact Flash cards which are available up to 12 gig.  I have several 2 gig CF cards and would consider that a minimum, but it really depends on how many pictures you will be taking at a time and in what format you will be saving them on the card.  RAW or PNG preserves the most detail  JPEG is the most universally readable and has several settings.  The smaller the file it saves the more detail will be lost, so if you use JPEG use the largest file size.  The bigger the CF card, the more images it will hold.  Let your wallet be your guide.  And I still strongly recommend a good tripod.

[bubbajustin]

Sorry, I got tripped up on typing. I meant IS.

Well, at Walmart.com they recommend the 2gig version. Same card different storage capacity.

Will My HP PC "take" RAW images. Is raw the best quality? Can I still upload to Shutterfly?

 

PS: You can call me Justin

[Phoebe Vet]

Make sure what cards the camera takes before you buy any.  A Compact Flash drive cannot read or write an SD card.

The camera will come with a CD that has a software utility that can read the RAW format and can manipulate the images and save them to JPEG without overwriting the RAW file, so you always have the ability to reopen the original file if you mess up the one you are working with.

Photoshop has a raw image utility built into it and so can use RAW images right from the camera.

The brand of computer is irrelevant unless it has a built in card reader.  If it does, make sure it can read the type of card the camera uses, there are several.  If it doesn't, or cannot read the type you need, then a USB external card reader is not expensive, and the camera will come with a USB cable that will allow you to download images straight from the camera.

[tree68]

Let me echo everything PV has told you. 

I don't use RAW much - I don't usually do a lot of post processing and I have a try-ware that lets me crop and resize images for the web.

That said - Go big with the memory cards (memory is relatively cheap any more - get two, if you can), and don't forget extra batteries - which may be special to the camera.  I have two extra batteries and two 1 gig cards for my 8 mb Rebel - that will get me through a 500+ picture marathon if I shoot large jpegs (about 120 images if I shoot RAW+JPEG).

[selector]

A nice freeware for dealing with multiple formats of images is FastStone.  You can google that name, find a site to download, and then play with it.  Nice programme.

-Crandell

[jchnhtfd]

 

I still recommend getting Adobe's Lightroom -- handles RAW, edits never overwrite the original (and can be undone with the click of a mouse if you goofed), it organises stuff in any way you want, has a superb print system... worth the price.

[bubbajustin]

Hi all.

Again, thanks for the info! I really appreciate it.

I assume that the camera will shoot with JPEG by default. Also: PV, I already have a good tripod picked out! J

[htgguy]

Sorry I am late to this party. I have to agree with the posters who played down the megapixel race. I shot for a couple of years with a Canon S2IS and was happy with it, but wanted something with more flexibility and wound up deciding on the Pentax K200D. I have the 18-55 kit lens and the 55-300 tele-zoom. Here is a shot from my S2 (which is a 5mp camera, with about 450 mm equivalent zoom (12x). Here is a shot from the K200D. I think you can see either of them can make a sharp image, as long as the camera is steady and the focus is correct.

It's important to remember that neither of these looked sharp out of the camera. I never post an image anywhere that is not processed in the computer. Every image needs some combination of leveling, cropping, adjustment of saturation and contrast, and sharpening/unsharp mask applied. One of the things that the DSLR allows me to do is shoot when the light is not perfect, as the RAW files have more information to recover in post-processing.

I don't mean to be contrary, but I rarely use a tripod. With image stabilization, a fairly fast lens, and ISO 200 (or 400 if needed), I have been able to get sharp enough images handheld. My tripod is for night shots and shots where the shutter is slow enough to blur the train against a sharp background.

You will be happy with a GOOD point and shoot or a DSLR. My complaint with a DSLR is sensor dust. Changing lenses, especially outside, your sensor will eventually get dirty and need cleaning. How will you do that?

I also like cameras that take AA batteries, as I can get them anywhere if I happen to need a fresh set. I am now using lithiums in my Pentax and get well over 1000 shots from a $9 set of batteries, and carry a spare set all the time so when they do go dead I'm ready. Used NiMH in the Canon, with very good results.

I like Photoshop Elements 7.0 as image processing software.

Good luck with whatever you decide on and take lots of pictures. Look closely at other's photos, figure out what you like and dislike, and develop your own style.

Jim

[bubbajustin]

htgguy

.

You will be happy with a GOOD point and shoot or a DSLR. My complaint with a DSLR is sensor dust. Changing lenses, especially outside, your sensor will eventually get dirty and need cleaning. How will you do that?

The camera has a “micro pulsation” system that cleans it’s sensor.

[CNW 6000]

I'll jump in late, too!

Justin the best piece of advice I'd give is to get whatever camera that has the best optical zoom you can get.  'Standard' trackside distances just about any camera (even cell phone cameras now!) can pull off.  The one thing I'd say most 'fans miss when getting a camera is optical zoom (if you have P&S).  There's many a time I wished I'd have more than what I did (my P&S has a telephoto converter which helps) but don't worry about MegaPixels.  The picture below was shot with an Olympus 3.2 MP camera:

I'm currently on my 2nd Canon P&S (gravity claimed the 1st-BTW get and use a strap for the camera lol) which is a Powershot A590IS.  It's an 8 MP camera.  I typically use 2 GB cards (~575 shots at full size) but I also got two 4 GB cards (~1150 shots at full size).  Extra big cards are getting cheaper and cheaper (mine were $10!) and can save the day. 

Another thing to think about is batteries.  Having a specialized rechargable on the camera is great...until it is discharged trackside and you need a spare now (and don't have one-they can be pricey).  My camera happens to use AA size batteries and I just love Energizer's E2 Lithium batteries.  They last a long, long time and aren't too expensive for what you get.  You can get a 4 pack for about $10.  Always keep a spare battery (or two) with you...you'll thank yourself.

My final item (you mentioned you already have a tripod in mind-good!) is a good lens cloth.  If weather gets inclement or dust happens to find your lens, it can ruin your shots.  Having a decent cloth (or two-they're not expensive) in the camera bag can be one of those little things that keeps you happy at the end of the day.

Good luck with 'Santa'!

[htgguy]

bubbajustin

htgguy

.

You will be happy with a GOOD point and shoot or a DSLR. My complaint with a DSLR is sensor dust. Changing lenses, especially outside, your sensor will eventually get dirty and need cleaning. How will you do that?

The camera has a “micro pulsation” system that cleans it’s sensor.

So does my Pentax-trust me, you will still need to clean the sensor. The sensor shaker will NOT get everything off.