Fri, July 30th, 2004 by myla kent
I'm getting ready to upgrade and was wondering. . .
for all of you who have already done so,
(or if you are in the process of doing so),
which one did you (would you) pick and why?
I've been comparing specs @ dpreview.com; looking at the photoblogs I've admired and seeing what these amazing photographers use; and have generally narrowed it down to a few choices; but before I make a major purchase like this, I thought I'd put it to the experts. =)
July 30th, 2004 at 3:05 am
Hi Myla,
Are you thinking of an SLR digital camera or a compact? I bought the Nikon D70 digital SLR a few weeks ago and love it. I'd also heard a lot of good reports about the Canon DSLR, but I already had a 35mm Nikon with a few lenses so I didn't have a lot of choice as I couldn't afford to replace all the lenses. That can often be a key factor in the decision for many people (unless they're very rich!) I also have a compact Fuji F610 which is great in terms of its portability. It does have some creative control settings but it doesn't compare to the D70. Good luck!
July 30th, 2004 at 3:55 am
Assuming you're after a DSLR:
If money were no object I'd definitely go for Canon's latest, the 1DmkII - it seems as though it's probably the best all-rounder at the moment. In terms of budget DSLR's I think that the Nikon's D70 has a definite edge over Canon's D300, but you'll already know that if you've been perusing dpreview.
If you're going for a compact digital I'd go for either the Canon G5 or the new Pro1, but there are many other good compact digitals currently available.
Hope that helps.
July 30th, 2004 at 4:49 am
Just take the photo.
July 30th, 2004 at 7:27 am
My photos are OK, but as a former consultant I'm even better at asking important questions.
Here are two for you, kind of related, and I bet that if you answer them it will help people answer your first question.
1. Are you unhappy with your current photos (and if so, why)?
2. Why do you want to upgrade?
(BTW, I'm still using an Olympus C3000 -- so I can't help you with describing DSLRs and so on.)
July 30th, 2004 at 8:00 am
I agree with the recommendations for a digital SLR. Here's what I recently wrote to my brother, who's shopping for a new camera, about my Nikon D70. I hope this helps:
The D70 is always on (though you can turn it off if you won't use it for a day or two). That means it's *always* ready to shoot. There's no delay when you press the shutter release -- it's instantaneous like film SLRs. Pop pop pop. Fewer misssed shots. The auto-focus is really fast -- almost instantaneous -- and silent and smooth. Fewer missed shots.
The bundled lens goes from wider than the add-on lens with my old Coolpix 4500 (D70=18mm) to longer than the 4500 (D70=70). No lens swapping because it's all one zoom lens! And the zoom is a real SLR lens so you can twist the ring to zoom in and out to frame a shot instantly -- just like the old cameras we grew up with! Fewer missed shots. And the lens gives a real SLR depth of field. That makes it outstanding for portraits.
The battery lasts and lasts -- I've read that it lasts for 1000 shots, but I've never gotten it down to where the icon changes. I shoot for days without thinking about a battery.
Way better in low light. I can set it for auto-ISO/ASA and even at a kinda noisy 1600 ASA, I can get great, usable shots at 1/30 of a second. More controls are on dedicated buttons on the back, rather than buried in menus. Tons of settings are accessible without menus. All in all, this means I'm now catching shots I would have missed before I'm guessing that fully half the shots I come home with I would have missed.
But the big big downside is that it's a great big fat SLR. And that's a deal-killer for most people. I just sling the strap over my shoulder and carry it around, plus I picked up a good Domke canvas shoulder bag that does NOT look or feel like a camera bag. That replaces my usual backpack.
I thought I'd miss the LCD screen for framing shots (the LCD is only for menus and reviewing your pix), but I actually much prefer putting the thing up to my eye. Anybody who grew up with an SLR will love going back to that.
July 30th, 2004 at 10:00 am
Definitely go for an SLR if you can afford it. Using my point-and-click I always felt sort of frustrated and limited...like I was being held back but didn't know by what.
I upgraded from a Powershot A75 to a Canon Digital Rebel, and I love it. Even though my photos may not be any better, it *feels* better to me. I know some people don't like the size of an SLR, but that's not even an issue for me. It fits in my shoulder bag, or I'm happy with it just around my neck.
Being able to look through the lens just makes me feel like I'm really understanding what I'm shooting. It's hard to explain. For the first time I really felt as though I was connecting with the subject. Which I never felt before using an LCD or a parallax viewfinder. Sounds flakey, but that's the only way I can think of to describe it.
July 30th, 2004 at 5:27 pm
Thank you for all your wonderful feedback, I'm going to read this more closely when I get home from work.
=)
July 30th, 2004 at 5:46 pm
Myla I definatly recommend the jump from compact to DSLR. I use to have a fuji s602z which allowed me to manually set the camera however, I really feel that I grew as a photographer when I started using SLR's (both film and digital) as well as going into the darkroom. I recommend it so highly. The SLR experience is one that you'll never ever regret
July 30th, 2004 at 10:54 pm
Hey Myla. The very first REAL digital I bought I bought on ebay. It was used but in excellent shape and I saved about 100 dollars. It is a Nikon coolpix 950. At the time it was outdated but I thought I had the best camera in the world.! In fact I still like to use it for my macro shots.. then I upgraded dug deep in my pockets and got the Canon powershot G5. I think this is a great camera for what I use it for. Great macros...if you can get the hang of it.. Shoots RAW manul and auto modes for anything you could want. Its a bit on the pricey side I think. I could probably get the same results with something else but what the heck do I know? Good luck in your purchase and cant wait to see what you shoot first.
July 31st, 2004 at 12:58 pm
Actually, Myla, I'm seriously considering *downgrading* from my hulk of a DLSR (currently a Nikon D1H) to a Canon G5. As much as I'm used to SLRs (i have a number of Nikon film bodies and lenses collected over the past 30+ years and still use), I absolutely hate the dust factor on the sensor that's currently associated with DLSRs. Then there's the multiplication factor because of the size of the sensor. The reason why Nikon and Canon make those extreme wide angle zooms is to compensate for that. Most DLSRs (with the exception of the magnificent but stratospherically priced Canon EOS-10D and the new Kodak DCS) usually have a multiplication factor of 1.5x. This means that a lens with 17mm focal length becomes a 25.5mm lens and so on. I love shooting digital (and film, too) but forewarned is forearmed...
August 2nd, 2004 at 12:40 pm
One point in favour of upgrading from a compact digital, even the top of the range cameras, is to have that much more control over your images that the SLRs allow.
One big aspect for me is depth of field, my G5, like other compacts, has a ridiculously long DoF and that limits your options when considering how you want an image to look.
But on the flipside the G5 is an excellent 'street' camera, it's rugged, you can shoot from the hip and, while you need to work to get the best out of it, quick to use. I take mine everywhere.
It comes down to what you want to use the camera for, you'd be hard pressed to carry an SLR around with you all the time.
September 4th, 2005 at 10:03 pm
I too am in the market - what is the best compact that is 5 mp or better? I am looking at the new panasonic fx9. What else should I be looking at?
April 28th, 2006 at 9:36 pm
if you like digital photos, there is no need to buy a really digital camera, you just can download digital camera software to make digital photo.
Digital Camera Poster Creator
http://www.yaodownload.com/video-design/miscimagingtools/camera-poster-creator_miscimagingtools.htm
July 8th, 2006 at 12:49 am
After reading such high praise for the D70, i cant Wait to finally go buy it on Monday!!!My pre-historic Yashica was stolen at a wedding 5 years ago(the couple has two kids now even!)but i swore id not get another,till it was an SLR...
Anyway, im happy but my only concern with the whole deal is..its 6 MP -while my second close call is Olympus E500 is an 8 MP -and i wanted to be able to print huge photos for my apartment..around 2.5 feet by 4 feet. Is that going to be possible with a Nikon D70 or for that matter an 8MP? i know theoritically, u cant:
6MP: 11 * 14 print
8MP: 12 * 16
But maybe u guys have some idea?
May 12th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
I recently just bought a 15" Pictorea Digital Photo frame from these guys.. http://www.udiggit.com thought you might be inerested. anybody tried these guys.