Recommendations for upgrading to a better camera?

[Shima]

So I'm looking to get a more higher end camera... one that's not just a point and click amateur camera, but one that's not like super pro "I know everything about all of these modes" either (unless someone is willing to teach me all the lingo and ways of using the different things x.x I'm the type of girl who takes pictures because I see the potential in them, not because I'm like "oh if I set this thing to that, and that thing to this, etc... then it will look awesome!" though I wouldn't mind eventually becoming that type of person...)... Anyhoo so here's what I'm using now... I'm open to changing brands of camera, etc, etc, though I really do love digitals, so that's what I'm looking to get again... This camera was originally picked out and purchased for me from my dad, so I didn't go through the nit picking that most people do when they buy things that gets them to learn all about different specs...

Any help is appreciated!

I currently use a Kodak EasyShare DX 6340.... it's 3.1 mp, 4x optical zoom, 3.5x digital zoom (so i can zoom up to 14x)...

for a few more specs, i copied this off of a cnet review:

Basic specs for Kodak EasyShare DX6340

Video input type-- Digital camera
Digital zoom-- 3.5 x
Effective sensor resolution-- 3,100,000 pixels
Gross sensor resolution-- 3,300,000 pixels
Optical sensor type-- CCD
Light sensitivity-- ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400
Still image format-- JPEG
Lens aperture-- F/2.2-4.8
Interchangeable lens-- No
Optical zoom-- 4 x
Flash type-- Built-in flash
Exposure metering-- Spot, Multi-segment, Center-weighted
Exposure compensation-- ±2 EV range, in 1/2 EV steps
Display type-- LCD display - TFT active matrix - 1.8 in - Color
Battery type-- 1 x Camera battery - CR-V3 - Lithium
Weight-- 8 oz
Service & support type-- 1 year warranty


EDIT:
Basic specs for Kodak EasyShare DX6340

Video input type-- Digital camera
Digital zoom-- 3.5 x
Effective sensor resolution-- 3,100,000 pixels
Gross sensor resolution-- 3,300,000 pixels
Optical sensor type-- CCD
Light sensitivity-- ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400
Still image format-- JPEG
Lens aperture-- F/2.2-4.8
Interchangeable lens-- No
Optical zoom-- 4 x
Flash type-- Built-in flash
Exposure metering-- Spot, Multi-segment, Center-weighted
Exposure compensation-- ±2 EV range, in 1/2 EV steps
Display type-- LCD display - TFT active matrix - 1.8 in - Color
Battery type-- 1 x Camera battery - CR-V3 - Lithium
Weight-- 8 oz
Service & support type-- 1 year warranty

EDIT: Please, please, please, keep in mind that my budget is that of a college senior (who is not 21 though) so while money does not go towards booze... it is still not in high supply, so buying a camera worth 1,000 bucks, isn't feasible. x.x

[Sheila Smart]

For an excellent "Point and shoot" with a lot of features of a dSLR, you cannot go past the Canon G6 (I think its up to that number now!). I owned a G2 for our months and its was a brilliant camera. I sold it because it spurred me to go to a digital single lens reflex.

When looking for P&S, don't take too much notice of the digital zoom aspect. Most digital zooms are hopeless. Optical zooms are OK.

Just check the Canon website or the reviews on DPReview.

Cheers
Sheila

[Shima]

I wouldn't mind a digital with more manual control, I just don't want it to be packed full of tons of manual controls to the point that I'm completely lost when picking it up. Thanks for the suggestion.

For an excellent "Point and shoot" with a lot of features of a dSLR, you cannot go past the Canon G6 (I think its up to that number now!). I owned a G2 for our months and its was a brilliant camera. I sold it because it spurred me to go to a digital single lens reflex.

When looking for P&S, don't take too much notice of the digital zoom aspect. Most digital zooms are hopeless. Optical zooms are OK.

Just check the Canon website or the reviews on DPReview.

Cheers
Sheila Looked at that camera, looks pretty nice.

Just wanted to add to this post for considering with recommending me something- I really LOVE shooting macro stuff, such as flowers and animals... I love being able to get lots of detail in my pictures.

And also, with that camera suggested, I see that it's good in low-light situations-- this is also something I'm looking for in a new camera, my Kodak is AWFUL in low light...

So yeah, after reading all its specs the Canon G6 is a rather nice recommendation, but I'm a girl who likes to comparison shop- so keep those ideas coming! thanks!

EDIT #2: These reviews for the G6 are superb... sounds like a really amazing camera, and quite like what I was describing that I wanted! Been reading at how it's great at point and shoot, but also a wonderful camera to learn advanced techniques with...it's good in low-light... it's got macro *and* super-macro... the list just keeps going on and on!

[Michiel de Brieder]

You may also want to consider the Sony V3, which is in the same class as the G6. While the G6 has a slight lead in image quality (marginal) the Sony has a clear advantage in speed. It kinda depends on what you're shooting, I think both cameras are very adequate!

Drop me a PM if you want to know more about basic photography (settings of camera and stuff) perhaps we can arrange some kind of MSN workshop for you (depending on the timezones off course :wink)

Cheers lass

[Shima]

I saw lots of debate between these two models on Amazon.com when I was looking at them...same thing on cnet.com... There is a bit of a tug towards the G6 though when comparing things currently... anyhoo, here's the differences I'm noticing when comparing the two on CNET's specs pages:

G6 costs a tad less, and is only .1 megapixel lower.
G6 has more ISO settings
G6 has more digital zoom power
V3 seems to have more shooting program options
More special effects on the G6
Max shutter speed is the same for both, but minimum goes lower on the G6
More exposure metering options on the G6
Additional "bulb" exposure mode on V3, the rest of the modes are the same
Lots of Status LCD display information available on the G6
V3 takes MPEG VX videos and G6 takes AVI (Also the G6 can only do up to 30 second clips and the V3 can do unlimited to your card memory)
Still image format is only RAW and JPEG for G6, V3 adds in TIFF

Lens stuff (some of which I understand what it means and some of which I don't):
V3 has a 7mm-28mm focal length versus the G6 7.2mm-28.8mm
Equivilant 35mm focal length therefore for V3 is 34-136mm and G6 is 35-140mm
The review for the V3 specifically says it does not have an interchangeable lens, the G6 does not clarify
Macro focus range is 10-50cm for V3 and 5-50cm for G6
V3 has a lens aperature of f/2.8-4.0 and G6 has f/2.0-3.0 (explain the difference in what this means for picture taking please?)

V3 has a pop up flash, G6 has a built in flash
Effective flash range: V3: 1.3-8ft, G6: 2.3-16.4ft
G6 has a remote, V3 does not
G6 has more video input features
Auto time for V3 is only 10sec, G6 has 2 sec and 10sec options
both have hot shoes
G6 has 2 inch LCD, V3 has 2.5 inch lcd
memory slots: V3 Compact Flash 1 or Memory stick... G6 Compact Flash I or II


thoughts on these comparisons in differences?



You may also want to consider the Sony V3, which is in the same class as the G6. While the G6 has a slight lead in image quality (marginal) the Sony has a clear advantage in speed. It kinda depends on what you're shooting, I think both cameras are very adequate!

Drop me a PM if you want to know more about basic photography (settings of camera and stuff) perhaps we can arrange some kind of MSN workshop for you (depending on the timezones off course :wink)

Cheers lass

[leebase]

Canon Digital Rebel or Digital Rebel XT....join DSLR world!

Lee

[DavidTO]

Review of the G6 (http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/G6/G6A.HTM)

and the V3 (http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/V3/V3A.HTM)

[DavidTO]

The conclusion from that G6 review: "If you're in the market for a rangefinder-style prosumer digicam, the Canon PowerShot G6 should be at or near the top of your list of likely candidates. Oh - and if you hadn't guessed by now, the G6 was also a shoo-in for a "Dave's Pick" as one of the better models on the market."

And the conclusion from the V3 review: "Wrap all this capability up in an attractive all-black body with plenty of metal panels and very high build quality, slap a beautiful 2.5" LCD screen on the back, and you've got a really compelling entrant at the high end of the prosumer digicam market. Highly recommended, and an easy Dave's Pick as one of the best digital cameras on the market."


Tough choice.

[Shima]

I was looking at those, but um, price? Aren't they a bit more expensive? I'm a college student here, not someone on a salaried man's budget x.x

Canon Digital Rebel or Digital Rebel XT....join DSLR world!

Lee

[Shima]

Indeed, currently between those two, G6 is winning a slight bit more, due to the finer macro ability... larger flash effectiveness... and other factors. But I'm still not settled on buying either yet though as spending this chunk of money is not a decision I take lightly.

The conclusion from that G6 review: "If you're in the market for a rangefinder-style prosumer digicam, the Canon PowerShot G6 should be at or near the top of your list of likely candidates. Oh - and if you hadn't guessed by now, the G6 was also a shoo-in for a "Dave's Pick" as one of the better models on the market."

And the conclusion from the V3 review: "Wrap all this capability up in an attractive all-black body with plenty of metal panels and very high build quality, slap a beautiful 2.5" LCD screen on the back, and you've got a really compelling entrant at the high end of the prosumer digicam market. Highly recommended, and an easy Dave's Pick as one of the best digital cameras on the market."


Tough choice.

[Michiel de Brieder]

you might want to check these too:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydscv3/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canong6/

[gsgary]

Hi Shima

I have only been into photography for about 3 months now, i bought the Fujifilm S7000 after reading all the reports it cost £310 (about $580 ) cheaper than G6
http://gsgary.smugmug.com/photos/19070805-S.jpg
These are 2 i took this Sunday

http://gsgary.smugmug.com/photos/22747013-S.jpg

http://gsgary.smugmug.com/photos/22736413-S.jpg

May be worth a look
Gary

[Shima]

Seems like a rather nice camera, problem I'm having with it on the dpreview review site though is that it's not so great at night shots... and that's one thing I'd like to be able to took one of these days. My current camera is awful with night shots.

Hi Shima

I have only been into photography for about 3 months now, i bought the Fujifilm S7000 after reading all the reports it cost £310 (about $580 ) cheaper than G6

These are 2 i took this Sunday

May be worth a look
Gary

[Shima]

The reviews pages are much nicer than the general info pages on dpreview, thanks for the links...

Which would you go with if it was up to you?

you might want to check these too:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydscv3/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canong6/

[Michiel de Brieder]

The reviews pages are much nicer than the general info pages on dpreview, thanks for the links...

Which would you go with if it was up to you? A tough choice indeed.... I honestly don't know, I think I'd rack myself on the issue and then get the one that I can get the best deal on... Somehow I feel for the Sony, but for speed I already have a nice camera :D

The one thing I really would do to make the comparison between both cameras is handling both units. Working with a camera probably gives you the best insight which one of the 2 fits your needs.

The image quality is very close, so handling would be the deciding factor for me!

Cheers

[binghott]

before upgrading to my digital rebel i owned and love my powershot g3. i still keep it around for emergencies and to lend out to my friends to get extra shots at parties. i would assume that the g6 would be sufficient for your needs without being too technical, but if you wanted to improve your photography skills, you could toy around with the manual settings. plus, you could probably find one second hand for a decent price.

my advice to you: please don't worry so much about the specs of the cameras, they don't tell you very much. i mean, who cares if the camera is capable of iso 800 if iso 400 is already useless. reviews from reputable camera review sites are far more useful than spec sheets, my personal favorite is dcresource.com (http://www.dcresource.com), he really makes it easy to understand. that's how i made my decision to get the g3 and then the rebel, both were good decisions. i hope that helps.

-barry

[david_h]

Although my everyday cameras are Nikons, I really like the Canon digicams. I have an S1 IS and an S60, both of which are excellent for their intended use.

The S60 in particular (and it's newer version, the S70) produces really nice pictures and has lots of manual controls in case you want to explore photography more. It can save images in Canon RAW which gives you more options when you post process your pictures. I also bought one of my daughters a Canon A95, also a very nice small camera but lacking RAW and manual controls - just what she needed.

To be honest, all the manufacturers make good cameras that would work for you. A lot of the folks here have had great success with the Sony cameras. I've not used one personally, but I've seen some stunning pictures.

[leebase]

I was looking at those, but um, price? Aren't they a bit more expensive? I'm a college student here, not someone on a salaried man's budget x.x
The rebel is nor $699....not much more than the digicam's being suggested.

Lee

[wxwax]

Boy, getting into a digital rebel doesn't sound like a good idea for someone on a tight budget. The money will keep pouring out for lenses and stuff.

If money's really tight, and you can handle it, I go along with the suggestion of buying a used camera from reputable forums. You can get a used Canon G3 or G5 well within your budget, and they're excellent cameras. I'm sure the same is true for other manufacturers.

[NHBubba]

before upgrading to my digital rebel i owned and love my powershot g3. i still keep it around for emergencies and to lend out to my friends to get extra shots at parties.I made this same upgrade path. My G3 has since been reassigned to backup duty. It lives in the truck now for those instances where I didn't bring the DRebel yet still want some shots. For that application (backup) I'd rather have something smaller, but as a primary camera it was wonderful! The G-series really are great. In some ways I believe they are better than the DRebel and possibly even the 20D. I too am very happy w/ both cameras..
I also bought one of my daughters a Canon A95, also a very nice small camera but lacking RAW and manual controls - just what she needed.The A95 lacks manual controls? I have been recommending this camera to friends and family on a budget especially because it has manual controls (Av, Tv, M modes, WB override, etc). That and the ability to take threaded filters are the two most important things for a budding photographer in my opinion. The A95 seems to be an excellent choice from what I've read. As I keep telling people: were I to do it all over again today I'd probably start w/ either an A95 or an A85..

[binghott]

Boy, getting into a digital rebel doesn't sound like a good idea for someone on a tight budget. The money will keep pouring out for lenses and stuff.
that is too true, i dont think you're ready to step into something like that anyway, even though i'm sure you could learn the stuff pretty quick if you had to.

In some ways I believe they are better than the DRebel and possibly even the 20D.
i can only think of one thing right now: the flip/rotate screen. garsh, i miss that thing. it's really useful at concerts to get that shot over people's heads and can create great angles. now, i just put the rebel in the air, guess, and pray. actually, i use the 420ex's red focus lamp thingy to kinda aim, i've become pretty accurate with it. it's really satisfying when i get a great shot from that technique.

[NHBubba]

i can only think of one thing right now: the flip/rotate screen. garsh, i miss that thing.How about the ability to shoot in JPEG and convert to RAW after taking the shot by pressing the SET button? Or the ability to zoom in when in record mode review w/o going to playback mode. And switch between histogram and non-histo views in that same record review mode?! I could go on.. 99% of the things I liked better about the G3 are usability nit-picks. I can't think of anything the G3 does functionaly better off the top of my head..

[Shima]

that is too true, i dont think you're ready to step into something like that anyway, even though i'm sure you could learn the stuff pretty quick if you had to.


i can only think of one thing right now: the flip/rotate screen. garsh, i miss that thing. it's really useful at concerts to get that shot over people's heads and can create great angles. now, i just put the rebel in the air, guess, and pray. actually, i use the 420ex's red focus lamp thingy to kinda aim, i've become pretty accurate with it. it's really satisfying when i get a great shot from that technique.
yeah that's another one of the many little things that is winning out on the Canon vs. the Sony debate for me...

and I would very much love a Rebel, but don't feel I'm advanced enough to fully use all of it's abilities so that it would be worth it, and likewise it is a tad more expensive... my cousin has a Rebel (he's out in CA, so I only got to see it briefly when I visited last week... I live in NY) and they are extremely nice, but I know I'm not quite to that level of camera use... when I get better though it sure could be a goal camera...just not yet.

so yeah, so far unless someone really gives me good reason to go elsewhere, I think I'll start saving for a G6 and try to get myself down to Best Buy or Circuit City or something so that I can hold it in my hands and compare it to the other cameras and see how it feels (as was also suggested above)..

You've all been extremely helpful, if you think of more things to point out in my upgrade fiasco, let me know, I probably won't be purchasing it quite yet... I'll probably research and figure out what I want, and then put it on my birthday list so that in August the parental units can help me to get a hold of it... (since I'll be doing a summer language program June 10th-August 12th, so I may not have the greatest need for it quite yet until I get out of that anyway... birthday is August 4th)...

Now that I'm finally home (I just finished driving home from college this evening, I go to school out in IN... long drive...) I can see about driving down to electronics / camera stores and scoping these things out in person...

[bfjr]

but have you checked into Panasonics line of FZ camera.
That's what I shoot right now. If you would like to see some images from this fine camera just click my link below signature.

Also people like Kirwin, behr shot this camera and you can find many of their shots on this forum as well.

[Shima]

Nice pictures, I'll take a look into it, though currently I'm still pulling towards that G6... we shall see... time shall tell...

but have you checked into Panasonics line of FZ camera.
That's what I shoot right now. If you would like to see some images from this fine camera just click my link below signature.

Also people like Kirwin, behr shot this camera and you can find many of their shots on this forum as well.

[Shima]

I just wanted to add that I think the biggest pet peeve I have about my current camera, is that it's awful at detecting light correctly... all the lily of the valley's I tried to photograph today were whitewashed, and several other flowers just didn't come out correctly because it couldn't sense the light correctly and so changed the way they looked upon snapping the picture...


are all of these camera's good with keeping colors true to what you see?

[SteveF]

Hello,

My suggestion is to get the DSLR that you can afford. You will learn more, have a more responsive camera and IMHO enjoy it much more than the P&S cameras.

After using a DSLR the P&S's will just seem too unresponsive and limited. They have their place (I own one), but when you are really trying to take the best picture the DSLR will most likely serve you better.

If the Rebel is too much, consider a used 10D, or even a used D60. There are a few shooters at fm still using the D60 and posting fantastic pictures.

The canon 50 f/1.8 is about $60. Or there are sigma/tokina/whatever zooms for about $200 if you wanted a little more range. Sure you can buy a boatload of accessories, but you don't have to. Get a camera and a lens and enjoy it.

I bought a 10D about 18 months ago (it was 1500 then - they are about $650-700 used now) and it was the best thing I ever did. Well, ok, not the best thing, but it stood a chance of making the top ten.

My 2 cents.

[Shima]

My goal is to spend 500, maybe max 600... but I'd prefer to be closer to 500. I would love a DSLR, though I've noticed they are a bit higher in price... that's really my own delay in thought in regards to that... I may not upgrade right away though either, in which case I can save a little more... so do you think I should do that, wait a little longer until I'm back and working so that I can put that extra bit aside to just get a DSLR instead?

Money is tight right now since the fiance and I are going to be moving into an apartment in August and we still need a chunk of furnishing and such... so until those things are under control extra bits of money going out are a little hard to predict how much I have extra to work with.

EDIT: When I searched for the 10d on amazon, it was 850 starting price for a used one x.x

I really don't want to go too much above my original 500 dollar guidelines... how much of a difference in photo quality will it make?

EDIT 2: Does this come with the lens or not?

Hello,

My suggestion is to get the DSLR that you can afford. You will learn more, have a more responsive camera and IMHO enjoy it much more than the P&S cameras.

After using a DSLR the P&S's will just seem too unresponsive and limited. They have their place (I own one), but when you are really trying to take the best picture the DSLR will most likely serve you better.

If the Rebel is too much, consider a used 10D, or even a used D60. There are a few shooters at fm still using the D60 and posting fantastic pictures.

The canon 50 f/1.8 is about $60. Or there are sigma/tokina/whatever zooms for about $200 if you wanted a little more range. Sure you can buy a boatload of accessories, but you don't have to. Get a camera and a lens and enjoy it.

I bought a 10D about 18 months ago (it was 1500 then - they are about $650-700 used now) and it was the best thing I ever did. Well, ok, not the best thing, but it stood a chance of making the top ten.

My 2 cents.

[leebase]

A used rebel should be in the $400 range. I had a digi-cam and liked it...the Nikon Coolpix 990. But I LONGED to have the responsiveness and control of an SLR.

Lee

[DavidTO]

I'll say it again...

on your budget, DO NOT buy an SLR. The body is just the tip of the iceberg. The kit lens will quickly frustrate you in its limitations. You are better off and will get better versatility from a nice, all in one digital camera. Down the line, when you have more funds, you can sell/upgrade.

[gus]

My 2 bob's worth...

Buy any of the pro-sumer range. G5..coolpix..DMZ-20...C-8080...they all have their pros & cons.

Run it flat out & just keep experimenting over & over & over again until youve reached you limit with it. This 'limit' will come to you in a blinding flash one day & you will be ready for a DSLR.

Its then onto the feeding platform.. with the rest of us DSLR'ers.. that andy walks onto & throws lenses at us on a daily basis to keep us addicted.

Gus.

[Shima]

The canon G6 is currently the one I've been drooling over after all the talk in here... though I want to get down to a best buy or circuit city to hold it / compare it to the sony v3 which has bee the other talk of this forum...

I'm glad you all agree that I should hold off on a DSLR, they seemed a little too high tech for me at this point, and I really don't have the money for it yet...

I read in another thread a while ago about a guy who took his memory card into the store to test and compare how camera's he was debating over did... will most stores let me do this? My camera uses an SD card though currently... so I might need to get a CF card in order to be able to do that in the first place, heh.

(also- any reccomendations on what stores might have the best deals on these prosumer cameras?)

My 2 bob's worth...

Buy any of the pro-sumer range. G5..coolpix..DMZ-20...C-8080...they all have their pros & cons.

Run it flat out & just keep experimenting over & over & over again until youve reached you limit with it. This 'limit' will come to you in a blinding flash one day & you will be ready for a DSLR.

Its then onto the feeding platform.. with the rest of us DSLR'ers.. that andy walks onto & throws lenses at us on a daily basis to keep us addicted.

Gus.

[DavidTO]

I read in another thread a while ago about a guy who took his memory card into the store to test and compare how camera's he was debating over did... will most stores let me do this? My camera uses an SD card though currently... so I might need to get a CF card in order to be able to do that in the first place, heh.



All the best online review sites have sample images shot with the camera, which would be a much better way to judge the camera, IMO. They shoot under different conditions, measure and judge image quality based on different criteria.

The thing that the in-store experience can give you is an idea of how the ergonimics and controls work. That's something you'll never get online.

[Shima]

Sample images are the reason I'm leaning more towards the Canon G6 than the Sony V3... I've only looked at the pictures on dpreview.com-- do you have any other good sites w/ sample images that I can look at? Thanks.

I'm really anxious to get a feel for the different cameras though as far as how tricky they'll be to operate, hold, change settings on, etc... that's the main reason I want to get myself into a store for handling... :)

All the best online review sites have sample images shot with the camera, which would be a much better way to judge the camera, IMO. They shoot under different conditions, measure and judge image quality based on different criteria.

The thing that the in-store experience can give you is an idea of how the ergonimics and controls work. That's something you'll never get online.

[binghott]

do you have any other good sites w/ sample images that I can look at?
dcresource.com (http://www.dcresource.com)

(also- any reccomendations on what stores might have the best deals on these prosumer cameras?)
any major camera purchases i've made have been from amazon.com, typically the best prices plus free shipping. i've been extremely happy with all of my amazon purchases.

[david_h]

(also- any reccomendations on what stores might have the best deals on these prosumer cameras?) I've bought most of my equipment online from B&H. My D70 actually came from BestBuy though. They often have pretty good deals and you can go play with the cameras first. :D

Check their site to see if they have and sales going on on particular brands.

[leebase]

I'll say it again...

on your budget, DO NOT buy an SLR. The body is just the tip of the iceberg. The kit lens will quickly frustrate you in its limitations. You are better off and will get better versatility from a nice, all in one digital camera. Down the line, when you have more funds, you can sell/upgrade.
There are reasons to get a point and shoot and reasons to get a DSLR.

If you just want to take pictures...get a point and shoot. If you want something small and uncomplicated...get a point and shoot. If you don't mind red-eye and "flash look" photos indoors...then get a point and shoot.

If you want to learn photography...then get a DSLR.

Can you spend LOTS of money on a DSLR? You bet. Do you HAVE to? Not at all. Just because you CAN buy "L" lenses, doesn't mean you HAVE to. It's that you have the OPTION of buying different lenses to meant your growing interests and needs.

If the lady pretty much likes here didgi-cam experience, and just wants something "a little better" -- then upgrade to a better digi-cam.

If she wants to grow as a photographer -- get a DSLR.

There are plenty of folks I'd never reccomend get a DSLR. But the reasons I've heard on this thread are just ones I'd never give. A used Rebel with kit lens and $75 50mm f1.8 will provide a LOT better platform to not _only_ "take pictures" but really progress as a photographer.

Lee

[binghott]

If you want to learn photography...then get a DSLR. . .

. . . If she wants to grow as a photographer -- get a DSLR.

i don't agree, imo prosumer cameras like the canon g-series certaintly enable you to learn photography and grow as a photographer.

[Shima]

Firstly: find me a used DSLR in my price range that also happens to be from a dependable seller, and maybe I'll be able to afford it

Secondly: A lot of people have been arguing above that a DSLR is too large of a leap for me to take all at once, and quite out of my budget at the moment. Many people above have stated that they think going to a prosumer camera with lots of manual features will be a good thing to start my learning curve and get me to understand what all a camera can do... which to me seems like a lot less daunting of a task than to jump right into a DSLR

Mainly I don't think I'm ready for a DSLR quite yet. Not that I wouldn't mind eventually getting one, but I still don't even *know* what some of the manual settings a person can control can even do! I'm working on learning this, but my knowledge of manual things on cameras is extremely low... a stepping stone from my point and shoot to a prosumer point and shoot wit ha ton of manual features that Dpreview considers "slr-like" seems like a much better idea for me at this stage...

I guess a lot of it though breaks down to the fact that I'm vary cautious when it comes to used items... if I knew and trusted the seller it might not be an issue, but I don't really know many high tech camera users... that and I'm pretty sure with a DSLR that they don't come with a lens initially do they?

Thanks for your input though on your thoughts between point and shoot and DSLR... but I really don't think I'm quite ready for / can afford it yet to take that big leap... (in my opinion, if I have to pay more than a month's worth of my rent for the camera, my priorities have shifted in a wrong way, lol...granted most of the prosumer camera's are a little above half my rent, but still...)

There are reasons to get a point and shoot and reasons to get a DSLR.

If you just want to take pictures...get a point and shoot. If you want something small and uncomplicated...get a point and shoot. If you don't mind red-eye and "flash look" photos indoors...then get a point and shoot.

If you want to learn photography...then get a DSLR.

Can you spend LOTS of money on a DSLR? You bet. Do you HAVE to? Not at all. Just because you CAN buy "L" lenses, doesn't mean you HAVE to. It's that you have the OPTION of buying different lenses to meant your growing interests and needs.

If the lady pretty much likes here didgi-cam experience, and just wants something "a little better" -- then upgrade to a better digi-cam.

If she wants to grow as a photographer -- get a DSLR.

There are plenty of folks I'd never reccomend get a DSLR. But the reasons I've heard on this thread are just ones I'd never give. A used Rebel with kit lens and $75 50mm f1.8 will provide a LOT better platform to not _only_ "take pictures" but really progress as a photographer.

Lee

[Shima]

thanks, that was the impression everyone else was giving me, and what i was trying to babble out in my above post, heh.

Being the weekend now, hopefully I can get myself out of the house and down to a store to fiddle...

i don't agree, imo prosumer cameras like the canon g-series certaintly enable you to learn photography and grow as a photographer.

[Shima]

Can someone explain to me the difference between getting an SLR-like camera (ie canon g6) sometime in the nearer future vs. holding off and waiting a year or so to have enough spare change to afford an actual DSLR... what would the big key differences be to someone of my level? My dad is saying that he's worried that it might not do everything I may want it to do... but with my low knowledge on so many manual functions, does it even make sense to shoot for the top right away?

Hope that's not too confusing of a question... my dad is pretty big on photography, he's self taught, so I'm not sure if he knows exactly what I do or don't need in a new camera. He wasn't really able to explain to me the exact difference between the two in terms of how it would affect me and my usage.

Help?

((p.s.- david_h: my dad says that when I do settle on getting one or another, we're probably going to take a trip into NYC and go to B&H or J&R--- we live like an hour to an hour and a half from the city ^_^.))

Plans for today are to head off to Riverhead and fiddle around at the Best Buy there though to get a feel for these different camera's.

Another P.S.- forgot to mention that my dad was letting me fiddle around with his Olympus E-10 today x.x that's a heavy clunker... still waiting for him to locate a card reader for me so I can see how the few trial shots I took w/ it came out--- dpreview calls that an SLR-like too... my dad has a DSLR, Nikon something or other... may or may not get to fiddle w/ that... more concerned w/ fiddling w/ the brands and such that we've been talking about on here...

[bkriete]

So, I wrote this giant reply discussing why I thought you should buy a DSLR, then I went and read a little about your DX6340; I see that it includes PAS mode which lets you choose between aperture, shutter, and program priority. In all honesty, I think aperture priority and shutter priority are the two most useful "semi-manual" modes. If you have figured out what those do, you won't be gaining much with a prosumer camera except more megapixels and you should buy a DSLR. If you haven't mastered the concepts behind aperture and shutter priority, etc, maybe you should stick with your current camera for now.

www.photo.net has some great articles in the "learn" section discussing camera techniques and features, though many of the articles are focused on 35mm film cameras. It would be worth spending some time reading there to learn more about technique and theory before getting too immersed in "4x zoom" and "7.2 megapixels." Research is free, cameras cost money.

[leebase]

A couple more thoughts...as I have no problem being a bit "contrarian".

For years people learned photography without auto everything cameras. The idea that you have to "work your way up" to an SLR is just silly. That's what puzzles me about your thinking on this. If you just want to "take pictures", that's one thing. But you've clearly stated that you want to learn photography.

Money...that's another issue altogether. What you can't afford, you can't afford. I understand very well "this is all I can afford". I have a 20D and about $3000 worth of quality third party lenses. Why? Because I can't afford a 1DsMkII and $10,000 worth of L class lenses.

I understood you wanting to upgrade to a better camera to "learn photography". To me that meant that you'd outgrown your current digi-cam.

Thus...I'd have you wait until you could afford an SLR and continue learning photography with your current camera.

BUT -- if your current camera is not meeting your current needs....and you can afford a better digi-cam but can't afford a DSLR...then go ahead and upgrade.

Lee

[leebase]

BTW, I just went to your site and looked at your photos. You are no snapshooter ( I was looking at your nature section). You clearly have an eye and compositional skills.

Here's a $400 used digital rebel on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=43454&item=7518276914&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW


Lee

[Shima]

So, I wrote this giant reply discussing why I thought you should buy a DSLR, then I went and read a little about your DX6340; I see that it includes PAS mode which lets you choose between aperture, shutter, and program priority. In all honesty, I think aperture priority and shutter priority are the two most useful "semi-manual" modes. If you have figured out what those do, you won't be gaining much with a prosumer camera except more megapixels and you should buy a DSLR. If you haven't mastered the concepts behind aperture and shutter priority, etc, maybe you should stick with your current camera for now.

www.photo.net (http://www.photo.net) has some great articles in the "learn" section discussing camera techniques and features, though many of the articles are focused on 35mm film cameras. It would be worth spending some time reading there to learn more about technique and theory before getting too immersed in "4x zoom" and "7.2 megapixels." Research is free, cameras cost money. I'm quite familiar w/ the PAS mode, but it's really not that great of a mode on this model. I often have problems getting it to do things that I can get my father's camera's to do... which is why I want a better camera... this camera was meant for point and shooters and then the PAS is there in case they decide to stumble on it... it's really not meant as a regular constant mode, considering you have to go into the one button to do it, and it's the last button on the wheel... but yeah, great example of it earlier was that I was trying to take a certain picture a certain way, someone suggested I lower the aperature to get my background blurrier... so I did this... and then my Kodak would *NOT* focus on my foreground at all... I had to go back into macro mode and then I was still stuck w/ not being able to change the aperature. It was a bit fustrating... had much less problems when I borrowed my dad's camera earlier today...

Anyway, in other news, I'm going to upload the pics I took on the Olympus E-10 that my dad was letting me borrow and see how they actually came out, kind of hard to tell on just the preview screen...

EDIT: on that note, one of the features I'm wanting is a manual focus option x.x

[Shima]

BTW, I just went to your site and looked at your photos. You are no snapshooter ( I was looking at your nature section). You clearly have an eye and compositional skills.

Here's a $400 used digital rebel on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=43454&item=7518276914&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW


Lee
Thanks, I've put it in my watched items, it's still got just under 24 hours left though so it's still possible for it to take a jump as it nears the time of being sold tomorrow...

If I had enough money I would by all means be getting a DSLR... that's the main key problem I have...

The logic of it being a "stepping stone" was that there are tons of more manual features on the prosumers models... but mainly...it's affordable now...

If I can save up and end up with a dSLR that would be nice, but I have so many costs coming up in this last year of college that it's hard to predict if I'd be able to put all that aside at the moment...

If you find any other nice deals for dSLR's feel free to let me know though :) keeping my options open and continually looking...

[Shima]

Forgot to mention- went to Best Buy today, they didn't have the Canon G6 in stock, but they did have the Sony V3.. fiddled around with it for a bit... wished I had remembered to bring a memory card w/ me to test the pictures, but oh well... it had a sturdy feel to it, and I fiddled with as many settings as I could to see how everything worked, I probably missed some more settings that are available within the menu's, but I tried my best...

...really wished they had the G6 to compare to...

...and I would have fiddled w/ some dSLR's but all of those were locked up in glass cases not easily accessable for testing purposes....

I have learned that the small camera store in town (within walking distance from my house if I felt inclined to walk)... is still open, the son evidently owns it now... so I'm going to stop by on Tuesday when stores are open again and see if he has digitals and such... it's a really small store, so it's hard to predice what he will have... (my town is tiny, you can drive through it in like 3 miles...)

[Shima]

http://shima.smugmug.com/gallery/559964

There's the gallery of pictures I took while fiddling around on the Olympus E-10 today (slr-like, not a true slr)... some came out good, some not so good (sometimes the flash is too close and overwhelming, but most times it behaved)... I enjoyed macro on it.. and I loved being able to switch between auto and manual focus by just clicking this one thing left or right...

I definitly enjoyed having more control over what I was working with... though I didn't have enough time to work with it, will have to recharge the battery for tomorrow...

Anyhoo, that's what happens when my dad gives me his Olympus E-10 and leaves it up to me to figure out the options--- on this note, if there are any options I've yet to find that you would all recommend I fiddle with, please let me know...

Thanks for all your continued help everyone, you're all being quite helpful.