Camera

[thedom]

I just bought a new camera and after a lot of hesitation, I finally decided for an advanced bridge - the Fujifilm Finexpix 100FS - instead of a reflex.

To be honest, I am a complete newbie in photography.

I spend hours and hours to read reviews & forums to make my choice...

And I'm finally really happy with the first tests I made with my new toy.

Does anybody else bought this model ?

Anyway, as most of the users of PTE are serious or even profesional photographers, I was wondering what kind of camera do you use (=> poll at the bottom of this topic).

Please feel free to give details about your material, why you bought it and if you enjoy it.

[Ken Cox]

Dom

From my experience, the electronic viewfinder is not a good choice if you plan on doing action shots, although yours may handle same

i have both types and wish the newest camera

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_s3is.asp

had a live -- see thru lens - viewfinder

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/olympus/e20-review/

ken

see

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridge_digital_camera

[stonemason]

Hi Dom I use a Nikon D70 and shoot exclusively in raw mode, as this gives me the maximum choices for output to jpg's or tiff files (for printing) I have now taken 20,000 images with this camera and still remain very satisfied with it.

Geoff

[jevans]

Hi Dom,

I use a Nikon D80. I bought an SLR because :

1. I want to use different lens,e.g. macro

2. I take all pictures in RAW and use Nikon's Capture NX for RAW processing and conversion - it is an excellent bit of software

3. I print images in A3 for competition work and, although many of the bridge and compact cameras have sufficient pixel resolution for A3, the sensors are rather small.

However i am sure that you will get excellent pictures from your chosen camera and will have the advantage of no having to carry a heavy load of camera and supplementary lenses around.

[fh1805]

Hi Dom,

I too am a Nikon D70 digital SLR user. I bought it because it would work with all my existing Nikon lenses. I use it for personal memories and for images for use in AV sequences (I am not a print worker, never have been, never will be). It is a 6 mega-pixel camera which gives me more than enough pixels for AV work at 1024x768 (the native resolution of my digital projector). I also have a Nikon Coolpix 2100 (a 2 megapix compact zoom) which is capable of producing some first-class images for AV work.

The only problem I have with those two cameras is that the D70 is a 3:2 aspect ratio and the Coolpix is 4:3. I just have to be prepared to crop the 4:3s down to 3:2 aspect ratio if I want to mix images in a sequence. Starting from 2 mpix means I can always retain 100% original pixels in the crop and thus avoid interpolation.

[Henri.R]

Hello Dom,

From a professional point of view and as an amateur(yes, I'm both) I'm convinced that for me there's just one type of camera and that is the camera that feels like it's made for me personally!

A camera for a photographer is a handtool in the same sense as a hammer is for a carpenter. A genuine craftsman chooses the instrument that suites him /her...

And that depends on emotion (how does it feel), on experience( feels this camera like a part of myself) and on knowledge of the metier! Be assured that if for instance I have to choose from 25 reflexes maybe only 2 or 3 have that feeling I'm looking for.

So the camera that suites you is a strictly personal matter and as a consequence very, very subjective; everybody has to made a choice for him/her self and that can be a compact, bridge or reflex...

However, in my opinion most of the time it will be a camera with some sturdiness to be prepared for rough circumstances and of course capable to shoot pictures with the quality you demand for your slideshows!

But fortunately technical bad camera's are nowadays an exception.

I wish you a lot of happiness with your new camera!

regards,

Henri.

[fh1805]

... that is the camera that feels like it's made for me personally!

Henri,

How right you are! Back in 1990 when I made the change-over to auto-focus SLR my final choice (A Nikon F601) was made on the basis that it felt "just right" in my hands. I didn't get the same feeling from the Pentax, Canon and Minolta cameras that I tried out in the shop. Of course, having been a Nikon user for nearly 20 years, all Nikons now feel "right" in my hands because I am familiar with the layout of the controls on a Nikon camera.

[Igor]

I have Canon 350D DSLR camera, and a second very compact camera (170 gram) for far trips - Samsung NV24HD (besides photos it also records a good HD video 1280x720 30p in H.264 codec)

[Cèlou]

Personally, I have a Nikon D70 with a 18/70 and I do recently purchased a Nikon D300 with a Micro Nikkor 2.8/105.

Before making digital photography, I poss "dais already with several boxes Nikon optics and that is why I continue.

But I think what matters most is the one behind the camera, ie the photographer himself.

[Ken Cox]

cELOU

"But I think what matters most is the one behind the camera, ie the photographer himself. "

YOU SAID IT IN A NUTSHELL

KEN

[smithrg]

I have an old Minolta SLR camera, that I haven't used since my first digital about 6 or 8 years ago.

I now have a (bridge) Konica/Minolta Dimage Z6 with 6 MP, and have been very satisfied with it.

One of the reasons I bought this camera was, it uses AA batteries that I can buy anywhere in the world.

I don't like the idea of proprietary batteries, and I have a dozen rechargable AA's and my charger.

The pro's, I'm sure have much different ideas, but this is my humble opinion.

Thanks for all the help from the forum, Gayland.

[Davidh12]

I have a Canon Powershot A620 that delivers really good sharp results in good lighting condition but disappointed when it comes to flash photos. I have been thinking about buying a new camera and have been looking at the new Canon 450D but have been put off by reviews saying the Jpegs are a bit soft. Shooting raw would be nice but I like to take lots of pics if I'm taking for an av's and don't think that would be practical. My other thought was the new entry level Nikon or new Pentax. So may take the above suggestion and try them out in the shop and see which one feels right. Thank you for starting this timely (for me) thread Dom and the option of a bridge camera.

David

[mhwarner]

I have a Canon 20D with a 10D as backup. Will probably purchase a 40D within the next month. I also have a Canon A95 which I always carry in my purse so I am never without a camera. When I first started doing serious photography many years ago, I had a Konica 35 MM rangefinder, then a Konica SLR. I went through a couple of non-SLR Olympus cameras and my first digital was an Oly 2000 back in 1999 (which amazingly enough cost more than my current 20D and a couple of decent lenses!). I had and still have an Oly 2100 UZ which I use some for IR photography. I also had a Minolta Dimage Zi (I think that's what it was). I had no investment in lenses to steer me toward either Canon or Nikon, but the forums I frequented seemed more heavily weighted toward Canon and the 10D had just come out so that's what I picked. With the dSLR, I love the viewvinder over the EVF of my earlier Minolta and Olympus cameras and of course the interchangeability of the lenses. The A95 "spare" that I care is one of the last of the small cameras which use the standard AA batteries and a compact flash card and so I can use all the smaller 500mb and 1G cards and batteries that I acquired as I upgraded through the series of cameras. I also have a waterproof housing for the A95, so it has come in handy on some raft trips where I wouldn't feel comfortable taking the more expensive cameras.

When I buy the 40D, I am going to send the 10D off to have it converted to an IR only camera, since the Oly 2100UZ is getting on its "last legs".

I do a lot of horseback riding event photography professionally

No matter your choice of camera, Dom, the thing is to just go out and use it. With the creativity and talent you have display in your imaginative templates for PTE, I have no doubt that we'll begin seeing some great new slideshows displaying your artistic talents in photography. I can't wait.

[wideangle]

I too have a Nikon D70, which I have been very pleased with.

Recently I bought a Canon G9, which still shoots in Raw mode, and takes extra lenses. I did it to give me something more portable, and I'm absolutely delighted with it. If you want the next best thing to a DSLR, this is it! Check out the reviews.

[Barry Beckham]

Him - Canon 1Ds Mk3

Her - Canon 5D

[jfa]

I've been shooting with Canon digital SLRs for sometime and currently have a 350D. AVs are my main product with some prints, A3 to A4 in size. I shoot in RAW for everything but "record" shoots and then I shoot in both and usually delete the RAW if I think I don't need them.

My better half has a Canon S70 which I borrow when I want something I can slip into a pocket. It has almost all the options the 350D has but where the SLR wins is lens quality.

Also I have been privileged to have a wonderful Canon 40D on lend for some weeks now and will definitely be moving to the next upgrade, (Canon 45D or 50D), which is not to far away, (I have been told before the end of the year).

As others have said--

there's just one type of camera and that is the camera that feels like it's made for me personally!

But I think what matters most is the one behind the camera

the thing is to just go out and use it

All very true, and remember to enjoy your photography.

[Ednys]

Hi,

I have a Canon 5D.

Glenys

[Lin Evans]

Hi Dom,

I think you made an excellent choice for a first camera and to learn with. Cameras are like carpenter's tools, different ones work better for specific purposes. I use many different cameras, some for experiments and some for professional purposes. I do camera and peripheral testing for several manufacturers so have a rather large collection of dSLR's, prosumer and consumer digicams (over 30) including most major brands. I find that for convenience, a camera such as the one you selected works quite well. It's small enough to have with you nearly all the time and has sufficient zoom range to capture landscapes, wildlife, architecture, macro and candid frames alike. As you learn more about photography you may eventually want to add a dSLR and lens collection to have a complete set of tools, but the one you have chosen will do nicely for now.

Best regards,

Lin

[jimlarkey]

A Canon G1 for climbs, a Canon 20D for more serious stuff, and hers is a Canon SD1000, that I maintain. Quite a change from my Nikon film days.

Cheers,

Jim

[mightec]

Hi Dom

I have a Sony Alpha100, bought it when they first came out in the UK, now looking to upgrade to the Sony Alpha350 or Alpha700. My reason is that I had an old Minolta SLR Camera and wished to re-use the lens.

[Guest Yachtsman1]

Nikon D200 and Nikon 18-200mm zoom lens.

[Gérard de Lux]

I have a Nikon D300 and a D100 (plus a dozen of lenses); but I have also a Canon Ixus 850IS (compact) which is always in my pocket or not far from it, and can be (and has been) very useful.

I also use film (should I say 'analog'?) SLRs and medium-format cameras with slide films which I scan.