I have a regular 35mm camera with manual focus, manual shutter speed, and manual aperature, light meter, and detachable lens. It is an old camera but still takes better pictures than the new compact cameras that are supposedly all auto. I am by no means a professional photographer, and I really don't take a large volume of pictures, but I still hate the cost of film and processing; therefore, I am considering buying a digital camera but I am not sure what to look for. I have seen advertised prices from $100-$1,000, so I am sure there are probably cameras with features I will never need.

How do regular color prints and slides compare to the megapixel(MP) scale? Is there a point where a higher MP will not help photo quality? Say for example I took a picture of my truck with a 2.3 MP camera and zoomed-in with the computer's photo editor, but still could barely make out the license plate numbers. Would a 5.5 MP camera with similar lens taken the same distance from the truck have the ability to easily make out even smaller objects such as the registration numbers on the license plate tabs?

What are the differences between optical zoom and digital zoom, most cameras seem to have a rating for both.

Do they make a digital version of what I have now or are manual adjustments a thing of the past?

The "movie mode" feature really doesn't excite me, but I would appreciate a self-timer.

How about future compatibility; 10 years later, am I going to have difficulity downloading this to new computers because the hardware/software will not communicate, or will I have to dig out my old Pentium 4 from the closet just to view and print pictures?

And finally, is now a good time to buy; have prices bottomed-out like they have for VCR's and CD players, or is quality and features still getting better which will make the $1000 cameras today no better than the $100 cameras of tomorrow?

Thanks for your comments and suggestions.

Kris Minnear
Morton, WA.

 

The main thing to be aware of with a digital camera is the inability to take rapid shots with any of the $1000 and lower cameras. It will take up to 10 seconds to save each picture, depending on the camera, some can take 1 picture every 4 secs, but they are getting pricy.
Wm
http://wsphotofews.excite.com/032/Mp/Wb/5M/EN89478.jpg
'96 F450 Custom Crewcab 4x4 Flatbed, Powerstroke, Banks Powerpack, Chip, Tranny control,Aux tranny, engine worked giving 340 hp and 660ft-lbs

 

I could see where that might be a problem for the professional working at a modeling agency. 10 seconds is still shorter than a Polaroid's 10 minutes to develop, and we all know the quality of a Polaroid photo.

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 08-Nov-01 AT 00:50 AM (EST)[/font][p]https://www.ford-trucks.com/dcforum/User_files/mil1ion/3bea2b2725b5dd39.gif
Don't buy one until after Christmas.
During Boxing week (that's the week after Christmas Day) is the very best time to buy anything like that.
Just before year end and Clear it out the door is the retailers philosophy

Dennis

78 F-150 429CJ 465,000 KM.(Original Owner)
68 Mustang 289 Sunlit Gold 80,000 Miles(second Owner)
64 1/2,260 Pre-World's Fair Mustang #8092
64 Fairlane 500 S/C,waiting for a 390 4-Spd

If The Girls Don't Find You Handsome,
They Should At Least Find You Handy!

 

I have a cheap digital that I use when working on engines, etc. Before, during, and after pictures so I don't lose something or forget how something goes back on. I hate "pocket-bolts" Nice part is NO FILM NEEDED.

 

My personal favorite is the Sony Mavica (anywhere from $400-1200) , mainly due to the fact that everything goes onto a floppy 3.1/2'' disk, I believe sony patented this and that is why it is the only one of its kind on the market, all the others use silly and very expensive flashcards or save it to memory and you have to download it to your computer thru a usb port which is also kinda mickey mouse, to each his own tho

 

I have a european 1.2 mp Digital camera I got on Ebay last year and it works great.. Only cost me 120.00 and I am able to save 65 pics per disk. It uses SmartMedia memory cards.. Which are actually very inexpensive.. Cost me 25 bucks for 4 disks..(3 - 8mb and 1 - 16mb disk) The camera can take fairly good pics for the price. It only takes half a second to save the pic... It may not be 35 mm quality but works great for everyday use.. The only advice I can give you is if you are looking for a High Quality camera (35mm quality) you are looking at anywhere from 300 - 1200 bucks.. They have actually come down quite a bit.. I have found a really good site for buying them as well... Go to www.ubid.com there prices are fair and its not run like Ebay. You are actually bidding on items being sold by Ubid not users. So everything is guaranteed.

49 Ford F-1 on 73 Ford F-250 3/4 ton 360/435/205 4 wheel drive chasis.

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 09-Nov-01 AT 03:15 PM (EST)[/font][p][a href="http://www.clubfte.com/users/greywolf"]http://www.clubfte.com/users/greywolf/woofy.gif[/a]

I have a lot of input on this, so get ready to print this out, okay?

FIRST:

The SONY MAVICA cameras only recognise a 1.44 MB floppy. A 2MB is an animal they just don't understand...

On the one hand, it is real convenient to just slide a disk into your computer, but the files the mavica saves are .jpEg, and this website for one, does not accept those. -Only ".JPG" (no "E")

For all I know, the "E" may stand for "Extra Definition" or somesuch garbage....

The classic cam's can take multiple pic's as long as you hold the button down, the floppy-dependent ones need to take the time (about 4 seconds) to "save to disc" before they are ready for another shot.

Camera's with a "chip-save" that must be converted later have a huge capacity compared to the 3.5 disc format, and are capable of shooting at electronic speeds....

(They can snap a "Multiple" - Hold the button down and it keeps shooting)

The resolution can be far higher in a chip-based camera, because a floppy has limits to file size.

Also, running the disc uses battery charge. It eats battery life, where a chip-storing camera runs at whatever it was designed to depending on it's internal processor speed.

I heard of one that had more than 40Mb of storage...

Just watch - they'll go the same way as Random Access Memory....

It depends on your needs. The floppy is convenient, but a docking setup has a lot more room, and the storage units can be changed on some of them.

I stayed with the Mavica because I don't shoot anything massive enough to need the chip-based version.

Your biggest concern will be resolution. -How good is the lens element itself?

Can it dial into a pic with clean edges, or do you have to edit it later?

I have had to play with my mavica, the manual focus is much better.

What I would like to see is a "Digital Body" that can mate to standard 35mm lenses...

I'm still watching for that to happen...


~ Wolf

 

I've been a 35mm shooter for a long time, but have been thinking about a digital too. I've got a project where I need to get a lot of digital images and scanning photos would not be economic.

Does anyone know how the pixel size equates to image size? For instance, what size screen image would a 1.3 megapixel image be before it begins to distort into the little square pixel shapes?

 

[a href="http://www.clubfte.com/users/greywolf"]http://www.clubfte.com/users/greywolf/woofy.gif[/a]

It all depends on the number of "Pixels Per Inch" (resolution)

A 1 inch by 2 inch pic can be a LOT bigger file than a 4 by 8, if the "RES" was set higher.

Thankfully, digital pics can be edited cheaply with the right software anyway you need it to be....

 

Jpg's are jpEg's. It's the pronunciation. Get the Mavica if you can find it cheap on ebay or swap meeet. We use a Mavica for making tech manuals and the resolution is great. Digital has it's uses but it is not a replacement for 35mm.
Hope this helps

 

I think I have one picked out; it is the Canon Powershot G2. It is a 3.87 Megapixel that has been getting pretty good ratings. I was looking again today and noticed that the price for this camera has actually gone up at some internet merchants since when I first started comparing at the first of this month. One example is at us1digital.com the price was $625.00 on 12/1/01. Today (12/22/01) it is $649.95. Although like mil1ion said, I also expect the price to drop back down after Christmas, but is it normal for it to get jacked up just before Christmas?

 

I decided on one too. Santa's bringing me an Olympus D-100, 1.3 megapixel. I got it new on ebay for $152. I had a chance to try it before I had to give it back to Santa's helper. I didn't get to download any images, but what I saw in the LCD screen had good color and contrast.
:-X12

 

Follow-up.
I was out on Thurday for a photo shoot with my elf while doing the Santa thing ,he used a 2.8 pixel camera and I used my Nikon FE1 ,
The difference is unbelievable,My FE1 out performed his Digital by far.The proof is in the photo's alright.

I would suggest to you that you checkout the Minolta Line of Digital's
The one I tested was a GREAT camera for the price.
I'm afraid to get anything Worthwhile ,you will have to spend at least $900.00.
It is uncommon to Jack UP the prices before Christmas,
Most retailers do 80% of their year at Christmas time.

If you can't find something *Just after Christmas*,then wait until about the 28-29th Of January and walk into a store with a WAD of cash about $200.00 less than they are asking for a camera and MAKE A DEAL with them.
*They still have to pay the rent and JANUARY is a Very SLOW month for retail.


Dennis



It's Almost Time Everyone.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=314&.jpg


78 F-150 429CJ C6 ,Silver w/Explorer Pkge
641/2 Mustang,Pre-World's Fair Car #8092
64 Fairlane S/C waiting for a 390-4spd.
68-Mustang.Sunlit Gold 80,000 miles

 

Jpg is pc or ibm format, jpeg is macintosh format

I got a digital camera also, Fuji A101, just a cheapie for $200, Im not an avid photographer or anything like than and when I take pics its usually with my 35mm but I like the digital for putting things on the computer plus being able to take as many pics as you want and pick and choose what you want to keep is great, I took more pictures in the last few days than I have taken in years lol

I was also a firm believer in the mavica, i liked the ultra easy put the disk in and go, but using the usb cable and flash cards arent that bad, alot better than carrying 8 floppy disks to get what you can put on a 16mb flash card, and you can get flash cards with way more memory, I still like the Mavica tho

Oh and Dennis I believe Cannon is producing the EOS SLR digital

Eos 1-d , 8 framers per second, 4 mega pixels, world fastest auto focus

Eos D-30 3 mega pixels


:-X12 Merry Christmas All :-X12