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graysondamondamian
Aug 15, 2003, 1:00 AM
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does anyone have any recommendations for digital cameras around 320 dollars or less
i have been looking at the sony cybershot 3.2megapixel....anyone have any experiences with this? any other suggestions?
thanks
-the graysonator
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gravitysucks
Aug 15, 2003, 1:10 AM
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i'm looking to buy a digital camera soon too now that i've got my sooper cool, sooper small, backpackers dream Ricoh 28mm. one of my partners has a Canon PowerShot A70. it is fairly compact, takes .mpegs as well, has 4 batteries to a lot of cameras 2 (lasts longer in the backcountry!) and you can find them for well under $300 if you look. my guess is the Sony and Canon 3.2's are fairly equivalent. so far i'm sold on the Canon but would love to hear anyone else's experience with the Nikon or Sony.
:roll: :? :shock: :wink:
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oldeclimber
Aug 15, 2003, 2:22 AM
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Check out Megapixel.net
They have user selectable comparisons of all the latest digital cameras. You have to do a lot of reading, but it is a very good site. I used it about a year ago and picked a Canon Powershot S-40, a 4 megapixel camera. I have been very happy with the Canon. My S-40 was more like $500.00 at the time, but with all electronics it is probably worth $3.27 now.
Watch your local Office Depot for close outs and display models. They will cut the price enough at times so that you can get a 2 or 3 year warranty for what the camera will cost you brand new at any other store. Mine had a tiny scratch, but I take it climbing, so who cares....right.
Good Luck.
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miguel_peche
Aug 15, 2003, 2:33 AM
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All I can say is Canon EOS 10-D!!!
6.3 megapixels but also 1500$. I have it and it is defenitely the best digital SLR you can ask for.
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tradkelly
Aug 15, 2003, 2:36 AM
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I'm going to give mine a real field test for two weeks in Wyoming, solar recharging and all. The S230 (3megpix) is my current, the smallest on the market, and they're offering a more expensive 4megpix version now as well. It's happily rugged. Here's the system I'm using:
http://www.camp4.com/index.php?newsid=463
This system was put together (by me) for being away from regular AC power for long periods of time. So far, my biggest prob is my digital wallet - I'm having problems getting it to work without a full-voltage power source. I may just need to get a new battery for it. Or maybe not... I looooooove the camera, tho. Not quite as cool as some out there, and not solid professional-grade, but it has so many cool useful features. The pics I took (huge panos, if you click the 'full size' links) last weekend for Hiamovi Tower at
http://community.webshots.com/user/tradkelly
should give you an idea of the capabilities. Good luck!
I'll report back (hopefully and expecting to be) happy in a couple of weeks.
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bluelip
Aug 15, 2003, 2:56 AM
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I'm a fan of the Canon owershot series. Works great. I've had them dropped/kicked/spilled on at parties and they keep going.
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jerryw
Aug 15, 2003, 3:55 AM
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I second the Canon A70 model. It's small, compact, takes *great* pictures, and with long battery life. The lens are not Carl-Zeiss like the Sony, but the CCDs are better, and you don't have to spend more on storage media.
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legless
Aug 15, 2003, 5:45 AM
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a70 is pretty good. i just bought the panasonic dmlc33 (or something like that). it too is awesome and about 30 bucks cheaper than the canon a70. one thing to note, however, is that the canon can do movies in higher resolution than the panasonic...the nikon coolpix 3100 is also a winner. forget about the cybershot...in fact, forget sony altogether...they are proprietary monsters.
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graysondamondamian
Aug 15, 2003, 4:12 PM
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whats wrong with the cybershot?
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climblouisiana
Aug 15, 2003, 5:15 PM
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I have a canon powershot a70 and have been very satisfied with it.
The fast shooting mode is really cool, especially when shooting bouldering shots.
I have taken mine on long routes such as the east buttress of el cap and the mace and have been generally satisfied with the performance and durability.
Some down sides that I have noticed are that the autofocus doesn't always work that great. sometimes i take pictures that come out blurry and out of focus (probably user related).
Also, the auto lens cover can be damaged if you do not contain the camera in a strong case (especially when climbing offwidths or chimneys).
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bolder
Aug 15, 2003, 5:27 PM
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I have a kodak easy share 3.1. It takes great climbing pics and is easy to use while climbing. The only disadvantage is that it takes a bit to get ready to take a picture. If you wanted to quickly photograph something it would be hard.
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mike
Aug 15, 2003, 6:00 PM
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There is a review of 21 digital cameras in PC Magazine (sept 2003). I had a Sony DSC75 and sort of left it somewhere at RRG. I replaced it with a DSC85. I am very happy with it. I can't tell the difference between the DSC75 and 85 picture quality eventhough the megapixels are higher.
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jerryw
Aug 17, 2003, 4:14 AM
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In reply to: whats wrong with the cybershot? |
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jerryw
Aug 17, 2003, 4:19 AM
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In reply to: There is a review of 21 digital cameras in PC Magazine (sept 2003). I had a Sony DSC75 and sort of left it somewhere at RRG. I replaced it with a DSC85. I am very happy with it. I can't tell the difference between the DSC75 and 85 picture quality eventhough the megapixels are higher.
It basically just means that with the S85 you can take a much higher resolution photo. If you're taking photo at the same resolution (e.g. 1280x960) on both cameras, the picture quality and size should be identical. The "megapixel" rating for a camera is calculated by multiplying the width and the height of the maximum sized picture that said camera can take.
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cologman
Aug 23, 2003, 4:16 AM
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I just picked up a Minolta Dimage 7, 5 megs for less than half of retail. Have used it a hand full of times and I'm very pleased. As I progress with it I'll post some results. It is a little bigger than a point and shoot but its versatility and lens make up for the size.
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tanner
Aug 23, 2003, 5:24 AM
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The little sony cybershot 3.2 megapixle is a good little camera. I loved mine until a truck ran over it The Cannon A70 I like a little better but is more money. I would probable get an A70 for my next camera
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moabbeth
Aug 23, 2003, 5:40 AM
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Good thread. I've been looking to upgrade to a better camera and it sounds like the Canon A70 is a popular choice. I have a cybershot 2.1 (was too broke at the time to get the 3.2) and it takes some okay pics but it's so-so...in direct daylight it takes kinda washed out pics.
I found the Canon A70 for $279 at this site. Is that a good deal for it or do you guys think it'll drop in price:
http://www.shopcartusa.com/compare.asp?search=a70&cat=34&item=8400A001
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ropeburn
Aug 23, 2003, 6:12 AM
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I got an A70 after hearing alot of good reviews. Then I realized my CCD was crooked, after that my lens cap stopped closing, then the lens stopped expanding. IMHO the A70 is a piece of junk. It has features galore but if you can't consistently manufacture a quality component then you shouldn't make one. I returned that piece and bought a kodak 6340, not as much
options as the A70 but it works, its taking falls, its been wet, and it still works. Just my $0.02 after being screwed by canon one too many times.
:mrgreen:
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redpoint73
Aug 23, 2003, 1:03 PM
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In reply to: The S230 (3megpix) is my current, the smallest on the market
Not anymore. The Pentax Optio S fits into an Altoids tin. But the Canon S230 still has slightly better picture quality according to the reviews. If size is an issue, consider the tiny Pentax, it looks freakin' cool.
For excellent, extremely thorough digital cam reviews, check out this site:
http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html
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cologman
Aug 23, 2003, 4:39 PM
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While I have a Minolta Dimage 7, the Sony Cybershot DSC-V1 is as good as it gets in compact, feature loaded 5 meg digitals. The Ziess lens is hard to beat and the night time infra-red feature looks to be quite novel. It was a hard choice for me but the better lens yet of the Minolta won out. Ebay has the gems for $550 and up.
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graysondamondamian
Aug 23, 2003, 6:47 PM
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im only lookin to spend around 230 dollars
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takeit4granite
Aug 25, 2003, 4:31 PM
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This is a great subject to post!!
I currently use a Sony 4.1 mpxl at work ( and occasionally borrow it for the weekend ). The camera has all the usual bells and whistles but I must admit that the Sony memory stick is the crucial flaw. The Stick can be effected by static and shock. In other words if you drop the stick (or camera) the wire inside detaches and the thin is useless!! Add to that the cost of replacement and I think Sony is a bad choice.
I am also currently shopping for a personal camera and have decided on the Cannon Powershot S400. It is 4.0 mpxl and the best thing is you can use it with one hand while belaying!!
The S400 is nice and small and has a metal case instead of plastic which is much burlier and better for the licks a climber's camera is bound to take!
That's my 2 cents.
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bukel
Aug 25, 2003, 4:46 PM
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there is an excelent page with lots of reviews. they check everything in a camera.
http://www.dpreview.com
:lol:
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redpoint73
Aug 25, 2003, 5:07 PM
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In reply to: im only lookin to spend around 230 dollars
320 or 230 dollars? You said 320 in your original post. Make up your mind. :oops:
If you mean $320, the Canon Powershot S230 is an excellent choice. Several of my friend are in concensus that it offers the best picture quality for its size and megapixel (3 MP) category. It also is well designed (nice interface, sturdy construction) and has 2x optical zoom. You can get it for $300 at Amazon. I've seen it a bit cheaper at other places, but not sure about warrenties or service from those sources.
If you really mean $230, you will probably get a 2 MP camera. I would suggest spending a bit more and get the 3 MP. 2 MP is already outdated, and I don't think you will be too excited about the picture quality of a 2 MP camera.
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bxt
Aug 26, 2003, 6:53 PM
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OK- its out of your target price but I just got a Nikon Coolpix 5000- it's a great 5 megapixel take-anywhere camera that you can build on (not just a point and shoot). The CP5K has three main features that I think make it a killer camera for climbing:
1) It's small (not ultra compact like some P&S however but still very reasonable to climb with).
2) It has wide angle to 28mm (equivalent). Most digitals just do 35mm- I think this makes a huge difference. As well, you can add a wide angle lense to take it down to 19mm.
3) The LCD screen folds out and tilts, this makes it easy to frame shots at arms length which can make it much easier to get better shot perspectives while climbing and not have to fuss with some complicated rigging to get a shot. Here's a pic that I recently got with the camera using the LCD as described- it not a spectacular shot but I didn't have to work for it either because of the LCD: http://www.rockclimbing.com/photos.php?Action=Show&PhotoID=16596
I know, the CP5K didn't get a stellar review on dpreview.com but I think that was in part with a consideration of its (then) street price and older firmware. The CP5400 just replaced this unit but some say its more of a cost cutter for Nikon that a user benefit (smaller photo sensor) but I'm sure it's still a great camera.
-Bryan
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