I have traveled quite extensively for someone my age, Fiji, Bali, Malaysia, Thailand, USA, China Japan, Equador, Peru, Galapagos, Tibet, around most of Australia and hopefully Africa next year, or New Zealand - haven't decided yet. The big question is what to take photographically, often I am thinking about the gear im going to take long before I even know where in the country i'll be going.
A brief history of my travel kits:
Bali - don't remember even having a camera - I was 15 yrs old.
Fiji - Olympus Trip 35 - served me well
Malaysia/Thailand - old Contessa (great fun) camera and underwater disposable
USA - Canon EOS 500 SLR with 19-35 tokina, 28-80 kit lens, 75-300 cheap tele
China (first time) - Canon QL17 rangefinder and powershot A80 Digital
Peru/Equador/Galapagos - Pentax *ist DS + Super A with various lenses 50mm 1.4, 70-210, 28mm, 10-20 sigma + fuji F10 in underwater housing, + ixus i as back-up.
Japan/China(2nd) - Pentax K10D with 10-20mm, 21mm, 43mm, 100mm, 70-210, 2x TC (sent home 70-210 and 10-20 in hong kong - got 200mm f4) + super A, + panasonic LX2
Australia (last time) - K10D + super A, 10-20, 21, 43, 100, 200, 300, 2xTC, LX2, flash, 055pro tripod, ixus i with underwater housing.
So as you can see my travel kit seems to get bigger and bigger with each trip and while the quality of the gear increases and the pictures get better and better, I have to admit that my enjoyment of the trips has generally headed in the opposite direction. The more I carry the more I worry about it and the more it stresses me out - driving around Australia wasn't a problem because I hardly left the proximity of the car and when I did I know what i'd be shooting so could pick lenses, otherwise the more gear I carry the less i seem to enjoy the trip.
So for probably the first time in 3 years I haven't got a plane ticket to somewhere sitting on my desk and it seems like the best time to plan a travel kit that is small and light and won't hinder my enjoyment of the holiday.
Current line up - Canon 5D, 12-24, 24-105, 70-300 IS, Oly OM 21mm, pentax 50mm & 200mm, LX2, XA2, QL17, Cambo 6x9 view camera, box brownies etc etc
Option #1. 5D with 12-24, 24-105, 70-300 IS maybe get 450D as backup. This covers all bases and would be the best image quality I could achieve, but expensive kit to loose, heavy and large and would probably detract from the idea of holiday. I could leave the 12-24 at home and forget the 450D which would make it a decent size with just the 2 lenses, but it's best to have a backup.
Option #2. 5D with the 21mm OM, pentax 50mm and 200mm. This gives me a good range with great image quality in a small package, but could be a pain to use (swapping lenses and stopping down), again a 450D would be the best backup, so smaller but still more than i'd like to carry - I could replace the 200mm with the 70-300 IS, probably worth doing... I Like the idea of this kit
Option#3. Get the 450D and a tamron 18-250 (my dad has these) and add the 21mm oly. This covers a good range with decent image quality as well as providing a very small kit - the 450D with 21mm is tiny. It would fit in a very small bag and is easy to use, probably wouldn't infringe on the enjoyment factor too much either. It just seems a waste to leave a perfectly good 5D sitting at home, and what would I use as a backup?
Option #4. Get a Bessa R3A and 3 lenses, 15 or 21mm, 40mm and 90mm and shoot film again. The quality won't be as good (see my film vs digital section) but it'd be small, light and easy, no worrying about backup, no worring about battery charging, and that romance of film is intriguing, but the costs on return of film processing and scanning not to mention the initial cost of the gear make this an expensive option - let alone trying it digitally with an RD-1 or M8.
Option #5. Get the best point and shoot digital available and take the QL17 for fun and narrow depth of field shots - this would be the smallest lightest kit, I'd have some of the romance of film while still shooting some decent digital RAW files (LX3 would probably be the camera). But lacking in lens range and I'd have to scan the film, images might be just good enough, but is that good enough? I don't want to be disappointed once i'm home.
The more I think about it the more Option #3 sounds like the best choice, maybe with the LX3 as backup/pocket cam. I'm going to look into more Oly OM lenses as well, maybe a 21mm and 100mm with the 5D and 450D would be enough for most situations - I do like having a longer tele though - and of course it all depends on where your going and how your traveling doesn't it.
If only they made a TZ5 with the sensor from the 450D - problem solved :)
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Film vs Digital
I was feeling abit nostalgic recently, yearning for the days when I could take a photo and not worry about it until I got back from my holiday and then be surprised when I saw the results - I miss that feeling. So I jumped on ebay to see what my dream film cameras were all going for these days.
Olympus XA2
I've owned countless film cameras over the years, but i'll try and list some: Olympus trip 35, XA2, mju-1, mju-2, canon EOS 500, canon QL-17, contessa something, kodak starshot, various box brownies, 2x3 graflex, ziess Ikon 6x6 folder, Holga to name just the ones I can remember as I write this. My favorites of the bunch would be the XA2 and the folding zeiss, with the trip35 running a close 3rd, I got some great shots out of the contessa too. But my dream camera was always the Bessa rangefinder series from voigtlander.
Bessa R3a
Everytime I walked into the photo store in the city I would devote at least 10 minutes to looking at the bessa, it represented the best 35mm film camera I could hope to own and with each incarnation it seemed to get better and better. Last year I got to borrow a Hassleblad X-pan and that nearly drove me to buy the Bessa R2A.... until I got the scans back.
Those familiar with the X-pan know that its a proper panoramic camera, which means that even though the camera shoots on 35mm film the neg size is really medium format. I got the scan of my best neg from that weekend done on a flextight (highend professional film scanner) and for the $44 it cost me I would say that my panasonic LX2 comes close enough for me, my 10mp DSLR at the time (a pentax K10D) simply blew it away.
This was alittle annoying since I knew the larger neg size of the X-pan was better than the Bessa, so I put my dreams on hold and stuck with digital.
I have spent the last few days reading up on Olympus OM lenses, I've bought a few off ebay and am planning some definitive realworld tests which i feel are lacking out there. The OM series have a great reputation as brilliant lenses and so far this seems to translate to digital very well, my OM 21mm f3.5 is tiny and VERY sharp on my 5D, it's the perfect wide angle prime for travel, but if I travel with a set of OM lenses what am I going to use as a back up camera? - I can't afford another 5D, so an old OM series body seems to make perfect sense. Thats what got me started on all of this, so I dug around in my archives to see if i'd taken any film shots that had a digital version.
Turns out I did, on one of my trips to Tazmaina I'd taken a shot of an irrigation sprinkler with my XA2 as well as my old 6 mega pixel fuji F10 - the XA2 scan was done on a flextight so I could upload it as a stock photo to Alamy (it was accepted) - so it's pretty much the best image quality i'm going to see from that camera - which is well regarded as being a very good little one. I don't remember the film speed but it was proabably ISO 200 fuji, so not particularly grainy. I up-rezed the fuji shot to the same resolution and apart from a few jpg artifacts there really wasn't a difference in image quality. Down sizing the film image to match the fuji isn't the point but they looked the same (some colour differences of course).
So if a 6 megapixel digital p&s (i admit it's a very good one) can match a flextight scan of a 35mm neg, then a 6mp SLR should be the minimum I need to never shoot film again, 10mp proved better than the X-pan, so i'm wondering where my 5D stands - it's much better than my 10mp K10D was... so I know I can probably never be happy shooting film again in terms of image quality but there is something romantic about it that I just can't shake, the fact that you can't see what you've taken until much later. The leica M8 is the only thing close to the Bessa in a digital format (the epson Rd-1 is only 6mp, which makes it an expensive toy image quality wise these days) but with the size of the OM lenses it wouldn't be that much smaller to carry around than the 5D and 2 or 3 primes.
So for me, film is dead and the romance of film has a price, there is a Bessa R3M on ebay that i'm keeping an eye on - it's got a few days to go and is at $102 at the moment, when it finishes I should know how much i'd be willing to pay for the "romance factor"... keep tuned
UPDATE: My maximum price for the romance factor seems to be $400 for a Bessa R3a/m and 40mm 1.4 - i lost the ebay auction with ended at just over $700, guess I'll stick with my XA2 for now
Olympus XA2
Bessa R3a
Those familiar with the X-pan know that its a proper panoramic camera, which means that even though the camera shoots on 35mm film the neg size is really medium format. I got the scan of my best neg from that weekend done on a flextight (highend professional film scanner) and for the $44 it cost me I would say that my panasonic LX2 comes close enough for me, my 10mp DSLR at the time (a pentax K10D) simply blew it away.
This was alittle annoying since I knew the larger neg size of the X-pan was better than the Bessa, so I put my dreams on hold and stuck with digital.
I have spent the last few days reading up on Olympus OM lenses, I've bought a few off ebay and am planning some definitive realworld tests which i feel are lacking out there. The OM series have a great reputation as brilliant lenses and so far this seems to translate to digital very well, my OM 21mm f3.5 is tiny and VERY sharp on my 5D, it's the perfect wide angle prime for travel, but if I travel with a set of OM lenses what am I going to use as a back up camera? - I can't afford another 5D, so an old OM series body seems to make perfect sense. Thats what got me started on all of this, so I dug around in my archives to see if i'd taken any film shots that had a digital version.
Turns out I did, on one of my trips to Tazmaina I'd taken a shot of an irrigation sprinkler with my XA2 as well as my old 6 mega pixel fuji F10 - the XA2 scan was done on a flextight so I could upload it as a stock photo to Alamy (it was accepted) - so it's pretty much the best image quality i'm going to see from that camera - which is well regarded as being a very good little one. I don't remember the film speed but it was proabably ISO 200 fuji, so not particularly grainy. I up-rezed the fuji shot to the same resolution and apart from a few jpg artifacts there really wasn't a difference in image quality. Down sizing the film image to match the fuji isn't the point but they looked the same (some colour differences of course).
So if a 6 megapixel digital p&s (i admit it's a very good one) can match a flextight scan of a 35mm neg, then a 6mp SLR should be the minimum I need to never shoot film again, 10mp proved better than the X-pan, so i'm wondering where my 5D stands - it's much better than my 10mp K10D was... so I know I can probably never be happy shooting film again in terms of image quality but there is something romantic about it that I just can't shake, the fact that you can't see what you've taken until much later. The leica M8 is the only thing close to the Bessa in a digital format (the epson Rd-1 is only 6mp, which makes it an expensive toy image quality wise these days) but with the size of the OM lenses it wouldn't be that much smaller to carry around than the 5D and 2 or 3 primes.
So for me, film is dead and the romance of film has a price, there is a Bessa R3M on ebay that i'm keeping an eye on - it's got a few days to go and is at $102 at the moment, when it finishes I should know how much i'd be willing to pay for the "romance factor"... keep tuned
UPDATE: My maximum price for the romance factor seems to be $400 for a Bessa R3a/m and 40mm 1.4 - i lost the ebay auction with ended at just over $700, guess I'll stick with my XA2 for now
Monday, July 21, 2008
New Top of the Range Camera :)
Just announced today is the replacement of my favorite point and shoot (LX2) - the Panasonic LX3
This camera has the potential to produce the best image quality out of any of the small digital cameras on the market - it has a larger sensor than even the fuji F100 and maintains the full manual control of the LX2 while adding a hotshoe for external flash and a faster lens which is also wider at 24mm.
While I was hoping for a lens like the TZ series of cameras - which would have made this handsdown THE BEST compact camera, I will be buying one ASAP none-the-less. So stay tuned for a full review as soon as I can get my mitts on one.
(I should also say that i'm less than impressed with the rest of the new range, nothing too exciting and 14mp on a 1/2.33 chip is just pointless)
This camera has the potential to produce the best image quality out of any of the small digital cameras on the market - it has a larger sensor than even the fuji F100 and maintains the full manual control of the LX2 while adding a hotshoe for external flash and a faster lens which is also wider at 24mm.
While I was hoping for a lens like the TZ series of cameras - which would have made this handsdown THE BEST compact camera, I will be buying one ASAP none-the-less. So stay tuned for a full review as soon as I can get my mitts on one.
(I should also say that i'm less than impressed with the rest of the new range, nothing too exciting and 14mp on a 1/2.33 chip is just pointless)
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Digital SLR Cameras
Digital SLR cameras are far more versatile than compact cameras and are the next step up for people looking for better image quality and the ability to control depth of field, my picks are:
Olympus E410/E420 - The smallest DSLR so far and the cheapest. Olympus' lens range is a strange one, they have nice small sharp consumer lenses, a brilliant middle range, and ridiculously huge sports orientated lenses that weigh a ton considering how small their cameras are. Combined with the 25mm f2.8 lens this is the smallest SLR available and for anyone used to the old style film cameras and standard lenses this will be a digital dream come true. Pity about the white balance, highlight clipping and tiny viewfinder - the one on the E3 is far far farrrr better. If your going on Safari also check out the E510/E520 combined with the 70-300mm lens - giving the 35mm eqv of 140-600mm in a very nice compact package - if I was going to Africa (one day...) I'd seriously be considering it.
Canon 450D - This is the pick out of the entry level DSLR's. 12mp with a 3inch screen that supports live view, while staying small and light - it's kit lens is image stabilized and MUCH sharper than canons previous kit lenses, the 2nd kit lens - the 55-250mm IS - is fast becoming legend, canon can't make enough of them, even announcing in Australia that none will be shipped here for at least 6 months (if you can get one grab it). The camera it's self has a weaker AA filter than most SLR's resulting in sharper pictures straight out of the camera, some say it's like a mini EOS 5D in terms of it's image quality. It's well worth the extra money over the 400D. If you need faster frame rates or stronger build quality then have a look at the 40D, but the image quality is actually slightly better from this little baby.
Canon 5D - While approaching 3 year in age this is still one of the best DSLR's around. Full frame 12mp sensor and great handling make it a favorite camera for many pro's and advanced amature photographers. I've had it for a few months now and couldn't be happier. Just be warned... you have to back it up with good lenses to get the most out of it, which means lots of $$$ - but the quality is simply amazing. It is only 3 frames per second so if your after something for sports you might be better off with the 40D - or step up to a 1DmkIII.
I was going to include Nikons D300 in the mix but earlier today saw the announcement of the D700 which will walk all over the D300 as far as image quality is concerned and is smaller and lighter but with the same sensor as Nikon's pro level D3 camera. If your saving up for a D3, wait for this and save the rest of your money, if you are looking at the 5D and don't already have a ton of Canon lenses wait for this baby. If you do have a kit of canon lenses then wait for canons answer to the D700 - the new 5D is well overdue and should be along soon. I'm quite happy with my 5D and probably wouldn't change unless I could afford it and see a major usable advantage - if I had a Nikon D200 - this D700 would be the upgrade i've been waiting for.
Olympus E410/E420 - The smallest DSLR so far and the cheapest. Olympus' lens range is a strange one, they have nice small sharp consumer lenses, a brilliant middle range, and ridiculously huge sports orientated lenses that weigh a ton considering how small their cameras are. Combined with the 25mm f2.8 lens this is the smallest SLR available and for anyone used to the old style film cameras and standard lenses this will be a digital dream come true. Pity about the white balance, highlight clipping and tiny viewfinder - the one on the E3 is far far farrrr better. If your going on Safari also check out the E510/E520 combined with the 70-300mm lens - giving the 35mm eqv of 140-600mm in a very nice compact package - if I was going to Africa (one day...) I'd seriously be considering it.
Canon 450D - This is the pick out of the entry level DSLR's. 12mp with a 3inch screen that supports live view, while staying small and light - it's kit lens is image stabilized and MUCH sharper than canons previous kit lenses, the 2nd kit lens - the 55-250mm IS - is fast becoming legend, canon can't make enough of them, even announcing in Australia that none will be shipped here for at least 6 months (if you can get one grab it). The camera it's self has a weaker AA filter than most SLR's resulting in sharper pictures straight out of the camera, some say it's like a mini EOS 5D in terms of it's image quality. It's well worth the extra money over the 400D. If you need faster frame rates or stronger build quality then have a look at the 40D, but the image quality is actually slightly better from this little baby.
Canon 5D - While approaching 3 year in age this is still one of the best DSLR's around. Full frame 12mp sensor and great handling make it a favorite camera for many pro's and advanced amature photographers. I've had it for a few months now and couldn't be happier. Just be warned... you have to back it up with good lenses to get the most out of it, which means lots of $$$ - but the quality is simply amazing. It is only 3 frames per second so if your after something for sports you might be better off with the 40D - or step up to a 1DmkIII.
I was going to include Nikons D300 in the mix but earlier today saw the announcement of the D700 which will walk all over the D300 as far as image quality is concerned and is smaller and lighter but with the same sensor as Nikon's pro level D3 camera. If your saving up for a D3, wait for this and save the rest of your money, if you are looking at the 5D and don't already have a ton of Canon lenses wait for this baby. If you do have a kit of canon lenses then wait for canons answer to the D700 - the new 5D is well overdue and should be along soon. I'm quite happy with my 5D and probably wouldn't change unless I could afford it and see a major usable advantage - if I had a Nikon D200 - this D700 would be the upgrade i've been waiting for.
Special Application Cameras - June 2008
Special Application Compacts - These cameras all shine at their respective uses, they are the best compact camera for each application.
Travel - The Panasonic TZ range is the best compact travel camera money can buy. A beautiful 10x optical zoom starting at 28mm wide angle with very little distortion and a good strong build quality make this the one for holidays. You can capture almost everything you'll come across and it's high definition video is amazing as well... Infact if you don't mind the size, this is the best camera for almost everyone. The TZ4 (TZ11) is 8mp and has a 2.5 inch screen, the TZ5 (TZ15) is 9mp and has a lovely 3 inch screen, image quality from the two is so similar it's down to how much you want the larger screen (and your budget of course)
*the lens on the TZ1 was a different design making it a camera to avoid, it's the newer versions to look for (TZ2/3/4/5(11/15))
Under Water Camera - The Olympus MJU 1030sw - this is the first digital camera that most snorklers can't break by diving down too far (without the help of a housing). I consider myself a very good snorkeler and I know I can barely make it down 10 meters without fear of drowing on the way back up. It's also shock proof and crush resistant, it has a (small) 10mp sensor and a 28mm wide angle lens, it is made of metal so don't let go of it while snorkeling because it will plummet to the ocean floor (Underwater housing also available for SCUBA diving). Also great for construction sites, tow truck drivers and snorkeling realestate agents.
*also see Fuji F100fd below
Macro Studio Work - Ricoh GX100. It's combination of a great Macro lens, flash hot shoe and manual exposure controls make it the best compact camera for photographing things like jewelery. The biggest advantage is that you won't need to spend a fortune on studio lighting because at f8 depth of field is huge. An SLR with a dedicated macro lens would need to be stopped down to about f32/f40, maybe even f64, requiring lights that are 3 to 5 times more powerful and many times more expensive to get the same depth of field - you can do with 2 cheap flash units off ebay what would otherwise require expensive studio lights to achieve.
Low Light - Fuji F100fd. Apart from also being the best compact point and shoot camera it also takes the cake for the best low light camera, it's noise levels are far superior to any other compact camera not to mention the detail it's capable of capturing. It can also take a natural light photo followed directly by one with the flash. A good wide 28mm, 5x zoom lens tops it off and it's ability to balance natural light with flash is unsurpassed. Combine it with the underwater housing and you have the best underwater compact camera (although with the housing it isn't really compact anymore).
Travel - The Panasonic TZ range is the best compact travel camera money can buy. A beautiful 10x optical zoom starting at 28mm wide angle with very little distortion and a good strong build quality make this the one for holidays. You can capture almost everything you'll come across and it's high definition video is amazing as well... Infact if you don't mind the size, this is the best camera for almost everyone. The TZ4 (TZ11) is 8mp and has a 2.5 inch screen, the TZ5 (TZ15) is 9mp and has a lovely 3 inch screen, image quality from the two is so similar it's down to how much you want the larger screen (and your budget of course)*the lens on the TZ1 was a different design making it a camera to avoid, it's the newer versions to look for (TZ2/3/4/5(11/15))
Under Water Camera - The Olympus MJU 1030sw - this is the first digital camera that most snorklers can't break by diving down too far (without the help of a housing). I consider myself a very good snorkeler and I know I can barely make it down 10 meters without fear of drowing on the way back up. It's also shock proof and crush resistant, it has a (small) 10mp sensor and a 28mm wide angle lens, it is made of metal so don't let go of it while snorkeling because it will plummet to the ocean floor (Underwater housing also available for SCUBA diving). Also great for construction sites, tow truck drivers and snorkeling realestate agents.
*also see Fuji F100fd below
Macro Studio Work - Ricoh GX100. It's combination of a great Macro lens, flash hot shoe and manual exposure controls make it the best compact camera for photographing things like jewelery. The biggest advantage is that you won't need to spend a fortune on studio lighting because at f8 depth of field is huge. An SLR with a dedicated macro lens would need to be stopped down to about f32/f40, maybe even f64, requiring lights that are 3 to 5 times more powerful and many times more expensive to get the same depth of field - you can do with 2 cheap flash units off ebay what would otherwise require expensive studio lights to achieve.
Low Light - Fuji F100fd. Apart from also being the best compact point and shoot camera it also takes the cake for the best low light camera, it's noise levels are far superior to any other compact camera not to mention the detail it's capable of capturing. It can also take a natural light photo followed directly by one with the flash. A good wide 28mm, 5x zoom lens tops it off and it's ability to balance natural light with flash is unsurpassed. Combine it with the underwater housing and you have the best underwater compact camera (although with the housing it isn't really compact anymore).
High End - June 2008
These are the ones the pro's carry as pocket cameras, image quality is the best possible from a compact camera and they offer manual exposure controls as well as being able to shoot RAW files, here are pretty much all of them:
Panasonic LX2 - This one has been around for a little while now but I still think it's the best (I own it), It has a fantastically brilliant image stabilized 4x zoom starting at 28mm lens and takes pictures (and video) in a 16:9 ratio as standard. It's controls are easy to get the hang of and it's images can be quite stunning. I'll admit that it is noiser than the others mentioned here (and I would like a hotshoe), but the lens and build quality are fantastic, little pop up flash is fun too. It would take alot of me to swap this for a different model, none of the others offer what this one does and it's defiantly my pick. *if your going to shoot JPEG the Lieca version is slightly better - RAW is the same
Canon G9 - This is probably the most popular one - it comes from a long tradition of "G" series cameras. It's lens is fantastic, image stabilized, but at 35mm it's not wide enough for me - it does however zoom to 210mm - so if your into telephoto shots this is the pick of the bunch. It's feels good in the hand and has a hotshoe for external flash as well as a dedicated ISO wheel, a hard one to beat (also 12mp over the 10mp of the others here). If only it had a 28mm lens and was slightly less bulky...
The Ricoh GRD II - Who needs a zoom anyway - the whole point of point and shoot camera is to point and shoot. The fixed 28mm lens on this camera is the best you'll find and it's controls and versatility are great, it's the most compact in this class and is aimed squarely at pro's pockets - I keep looking at it but have to say I'm still happy with my LX2. It'd be great to take this as a wide angle camera and the G9 for telephoto work. Almost no distortion in the lens, very nice.
Ricoh GX100 - If you like the sound of the GRD but just can't live without the zoom - here you go. 24mm-72mm and you trade some pocket space, everything else is pretty much the same. As of writing this the GX200 has just been announced, looks to be 12mp over 10mp and a faster RAW capability.
This is the Canon G9 fully kitted out with flash and wide angle lens attachment. You may as well be carrying an SLR. *Thanks to photographyBLOG for the image
Panasonic LX2 - This one has been around for a little while now but I still think it's the best (I own it), It has a fantastically brilliant image stabilized 4x zoom starting at 28mm lens and takes pictures (and video) in a 16:9 ratio as standard. It's controls are easy to get the hang of and it's images can be quite stunning. I'll admit that it is noiser than the others mentioned here (and I would like a hotshoe), but the lens and build quality are fantastic, little pop up flash is fun too. It would take alot of me to swap this for a different model, none of the others offer what this one does and it's defiantly my pick. *if your going to shoot JPEG the Lieca version is slightly better - RAW is the same
Canon G9 - This is probably the most popular one - it comes from a long tradition of "G" series cameras. It's lens is fantastic, image stabilized, but at 35mm it's not wide enough for me - it does however zoom to 210mm - so if your into telephoto shots this is the pick of the bunch. It's feels good in the hand and has a hotshoe for external flash as well as a dedicated ISO wheel, a hard one to beat (also 12mp over the 10mp of the others here). If only it had a 28mm lens and was slightly less bulky...
The Ricoh GRD II - Who needs a zoom anyway - the whole point of point and shoot camera is to point and shoot. The fixed 28mm lens on this camera is the best you'll find and it's controls and versatility are great, it's the most compact in this class and is aimed squarely at pro's pockets - I keep looking at it but have to say I'm still happy with my LX2. It'd be great to take this as a wide angle camera and the G9 for telephoto work. Almost no distortion in the lens, very nice.
Ricoh GX100 - If you like the sound of the GRD but just can't live without the zoom - here you go. 24mm-72mm and you trade some pocket space, everything else is pretty much the same. As of writing this the GX200 has just been announced, looks to be 12mp over 10mp and a faster RAW capability.
This is the Canon G9 fully kitted out with flash and wide angle lens attachment. You may as well be carrying an SLR. *Thanks to photographyBLOG for the image
High Mid Range - June 2008
Still a flooded Market and this is where most of the really good buys are, they are loaded with features and almost all of them take good photos*, my picks are:
*steer clear of the samsung NV24 and your doing ok
Fuji F100fd - This is probably hands-down the best point and shoot camera, If I was in the market this is the one I would get. It has a 5xzoom starting at 28mm and 12mp of resolution spread over a larger sensor than most cameras, it's fuji super CCD makes it the best lowlight performer* before stepping up to an SLR and it even captures a fraction more detail than canons top of the line G9 - if you care about image quality, look no further.
*also the best underwater camera when combined with its underwater housing
Sony W300 - 13.6mp... lots of resolution and it holds up well, quick and fun to use, again the pixels are spread across a larger sensor but I think nearly 14 is starting to push it. Only has a 35mm wide angle but it's very sharp, has smile detection and it works... fun when you've had too much to drink to be able to co-ordinate your finger with the subjects smile. If you like Sony - go for it, it's their best point and shoot.
Panasonic FX35/36 - I like this little guy, 25mm wide angle lens, small, strong build quality, great carry anywhere camera, and full HD video recording, image stabilized, it's only downside is that it has a small sensor, so low light image quality is not as good as the fuji or sony. There is also an FX500 which increases the zoom from 100mm to 125mm - the equivalent of walking about 2 steps forward. If you like your video in a small strong package get this one.
Panasonic TZ5 (TZ15) - This is the best travel camera, 10x zoom starting at 28mm zooming all the way to 280mm with a nice strong build quality and full HD video, 9mp sensor and huge 3 inch screen. It's just alittle too big to stick in a jeans pocket but the quality is fantastic. Also available in a slightly cut back version, the TZ4 (TZ11) has 8mp and a 2.5 inch screen. Image quality between the two is almost a non issue, the choice is more down to the LCD screen and your budget.
Canon 860IS - This is the best IXUS, 8mp on it's small sensor is not pushing the limit like the 10mp on the FX36(above), and it's 28mm lens is significantly better than the 850IS. The main thing people love about this camera is the 3 inch LCD on the back - it's the best i've seen on any camera yet - so if you like good image quality and really enjoy taking photos of people then showing them on the back of the camera for a laugh - this is the one for you, until the fuji F100 came out, this was the one I recommended to everyone.
*steer clear of the samsung NV24 and your doing ok
Fuji F100fd - This is probably hands-down the best point and shoot camera, If I was in the market this is the one I would get. It has a 5xzoom starting at 28mm and 12mp of resolution spread over a larger sensor than most cameras, it's fuji super CCD makes it the best lowlight performer* before stepping up to an SLR and it even captures a fraction more detail than canons top of the line G9 - if you care about image quality, look no further.
*also the best underwater camera when combined with its underwater housing
Sony W300 - 13.6mp... lots of resolution and it holds up well, quick and fun to use, again the pixels are spread across a larger sensor but I think nearly 14 is starting to push it. Only has a 35mm wide angle but it's very sharp, has smile detection and it works... fun when you've had too much to drink to be able to co-ordinate your finger with the subjects smile. If you like Sony - go for it, it's their best point and shoot.
Panasonic FX35/36 - I like this little guy, 25mm wide angle lens, small, strong build quality, great carry anywhere camera, and full HD video recording, image stabilized, it's only downside is that it has a small sensor, so low light image quality is not as good as the fuji or sony. There is also an FX500 which increases the zoom from 100mm to 125mm - the equivalent of walking about 2 steps forward. If you like your video in a small strong package get this one.
Panasonic TZ5 (TZ15) - This is the best travel camera, 10x zoom starting at 28mm zooming all the way to 280mm with a nice strong build quality and full HD video, 9mp sensor and huge 3 inch screen. It's just alittle too big to stick in a jeans pocket but the quality is fantastic. Also available in a slightly cut back version, the TZ4 (TZ11) has 8mp and a 2.5 inch screen. Image quality between the two is almost a non issue, the choice is more down to the LCD screen and your budget.
Canon 860IS - This is the best IXUS, 8mp on it's small sensor is not pushing the limit like the 10mp on the FX36(above), and it's 28mm lens is significantly better than the 850IS. The main thing people love about this camera is the 3 inch LCD on the back - it's the best i've seen on any camera yet - so if you like good image quality and really enjoy taking photos of people then showing them on the back of the camera for a laugh - this is the one for you, until the fuji F100 came out, this was the one I recommended to everyone.
Monday, June 30, 2008
The Mid Range Mark - June 2008
This is the category that is currently flooded, but only 3 really stand out for me:
Canon IXUS 80 IS - This little one comes from a long line of legendary cameras, most people believe that you can't go wrong with an IXUS, 3x zoom with image stabilizer, 8mp, still has the viewfinder and it's really small - if it wasn't for the 38mm focal length it would be the only one to look at in this category
Panasonic FS3 - I like this one, 33mm field of view is noticably wider than the IXUS, leica designed lens with image stabilizer and a nice strong screen on the back, 8mp, lithium battery and looks great in black - this is the one I would buy
Last and probably least (because it's more expensive) is the Sony W150 - it's a really good camera, but costs just that bit too much more than the other two - and I don't like sony's memory cards - it does have a 5x zoom that starts at 30mm (wide) and has a good strong screen and viewfinder - it's quick and the images are great, only slightly larger than the other two
Canon IXUS 80 IS - This little one comes from a long line of legendary cameras, most people believe that you can't go wrong with an IXUS, 3x zoom with image stabilizer, 8mp, still has the viewfinder and it's really small - if it wasn't for the 38mm focal length it would be the only one to look at in this category
Panasonic FS3 - I like this one, 33mm field of view is noticably wider than the IXUS, leica designed lens with image stabilizer and a nice strong screen on the back, 8mp, lithium battery and looks great in black - this is the one I would buy
Last and probably least (because it's more expensive) is the Sony W150 - it's a really good camera, but costs just that bit too much more than the other two - and I don't like sony's memory cards - it does have a 5x zoom that starts at 30mm (wide) and has a good strong screen and viewfinder - it's quick and the images are great, only slightly larger than the other two
The Better Budget Camera - June 2008
This is a pretty clear choice for me, but there are two:
The Fuji F480 - This is the one to get if you only care about image quality - this is the one I would buy - it has a 28mm wide angle lens, 8mp resolution, a nice big screen and a lithium battery - you just can't beat a wide lens for groups of people and landscapes
Downsides: it's lens is soft in the corners - it's video mode sucks (320x240)
Samsung L730 - 7mp resolution, nice tough camera with a good strong screen and the best video mode in it's price bracket (800x592), buy this one if you care about video and don't think you need a wide angle lens
The Fuji F480 - This is the one to get if you only care about image quality - this is the one I would buy - it has a 28mm wide angle lens, 8mp resolution, a nice big screen and a lithium battery - you just can't beat a wide lens for groups of people and landscapes
Downsides: it's lens is soft in the corners - it's video mode sucks (320x240)
Samsung L730 - 7mp resolution, nice tough camera with a good strong screen and the best video mode in it's price bracket (800x592), buy this one if you care about video and don't think you need a wide angle lens
The budget camera - june 2008
Nikon L10 - it's 5mp with a 3x zoom takes 2 AA batteries and you can pick it up for around $98 (in Australia - mid 2008) if your lucky enough to find it. Great for the kids if you don't want them playing with your camera.
Can you get better - yes definitely, PLEASE - just pay the extra $$$ and get something good, but if you want to be cheap then this is your best bet - 5mp may not seem like much but it's pixels are larger than most 8pm cameras, and unless you need to blow-up the prints to above A4 your not going to see any difference - if anything the clarity is better because of the larger pixels
Can you get better - yes definitely, PLEASE - just pay the extra $$$ and get something good, but if you want to be cheap then this is your best bet - 5mp may not seem like much but it's pixels are larger than most 8pm cameras, and unless you need to blow-up the prints to above A4 your not going to see any difference - if anything the clarity is better because of the larger pixels
What I shoot with
I figure we may as well start with what I have owned and currently own.
My first digital camera was one of those credit card size cameras that had a whopping 640x480 pixel resolution - after less than a month it was time to step up a notch - so I bought a 1.3mp Mustek camera which i then modified for manual focus. Hooked on digital photography (I've had many film cameras but we'll get to those in a later post) I saved up for a Canon A80 in 2003 - for $800(aus) I got 4mp with a 3x zoom and a swivel screen, it took 4 AA batteries and had full manual control!!!
I then progressed to the world of Digital SLR's with the purchase of a 6mp Pentax *istDS - I then upgraded to the Pentax K10D which I used for almost 2 years before finally upgrading to my current camera in early 2008 - the Canon 5D. My main point and shoot for the last 2 years has been a Panasonic LX2, I also have in the house an old Canon "ixus i" (the 4mp one with the good lens) and a Panasonic TZ3
Through this I have learn't that you get what you pay for and if your passionate about it, it's worth getting the best you can afford.
My first digital camera was one of those credit card size cameras that had a whopping 640x480 pixel resolution - after less than a month it was time to step up a notch - so I bought a 1.3mp Mustek camera which i then modified for manual focus. Hooked on digital photography (I've had many film cameras but we'll get to those in a later post) I saved up for a Canon A80 in 2003 - for $800(aus) I got 4mp with a 3x zoom and a swivel screen, it took 4 AA batteries and had full manual control!!!
I then progressed to the world of Digital SLR's with the purchase of a 6mp Pentax *istDS - I then upgraded to the Pentax K10D which I used for almost 2 years before finally upgrading to my current camera in early 2008 - the Canon 5D. My main point and shoot for the last 2 years has been a Panasonic LX2, I also have in the house an old Canon "ixus i" (the 4mp one with the good lens) and a Panasonic TZ3
Through this I have learn't that you get what you pay for and if your passionate about it, it's worth getting the best you can afford.
Welcome
My Name is Simon and this is my Blog designed for people who just want to buy a camera, a good camera. It is also my attempt to be able to quit my weekend job of 4 years as a camera sales person and concentrate on pursuing my career as a pro photographer.
This blog will answer the many questions I am asked at work each day by almost every customer and I will give my recommendations on which cameras are good, just like I do in-store. My advice is not (and has never been) sales orientated, I believe that finding the right camera for the right occasion/person/style is important but never at the expense of image quality, after all, the resulting images are the reason for any camera purchase (well... should be as far as i'm concerned).
I will give simple no fuss opinions and recommend cameras in each price category based on performance, ease of use and image quality. My recommendations might be different to others and you may not agree with me, but I have learn't alot working in retail and hope that you - like my many satisfied customers - will appreciate my advice.
If you do appreciate my advice, please use the links to online sites when making your purchase or show your appreciation via paypal - your help will keep this blog running and help me stick it to the man (on weekends at least).
This blog will answer the many questions I am asked at work each day by almost every customer and I will give my recommendations on which cameras are good, just like I do in-store. My advice is not (and has never been) sales orientated, I believe that finding the right camera for the right occasion/person/style is important but never at the expense of image quality, after all, the resulting images are the reason for any camera purchase (well... should be as far as i'm concerned).
I will give simple no fuss opinions and recommend cameras in each price category based on performance, ease of use and image quality. My recommendations might be different to others and you may not agree with me, but I have learn't alot working in retail and hope that you - like my many satisfied customers - will appreciate my advice.
If you do appreciate my advice, please use the links to online sites when making your purchase or show your appreciation via paypal - your help will keep this blog running and help me stick it to the man (on weekends at least).
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