Fed up with my camera

[AirportFF]

I'm using an old Sony Mavica that uses 3.5" floppies. I'm getting fed up with the inconsistent quality of the photos that it takes. I've been considering a replacement but the digital SLR's are waaaayyyyyy out of my price range. I'm trying to keep the new one around $200-$250.

Any suggestions??

 

[dubdrvrkev]

Here is a fun site to look at www.dpreview.com maybe it can narrow your search. I might try to throw another $100 dollars at it to get you up market a little. It also depends what else you use the camera for.
The thing I am fed up with most is lack of optical zoom, no big deal shooting pens but everytime on vacation I try to take some wildlife it is futile. Almost all of my pen pics are with a 6-7 year old Sony 1.3 MP. While my photgraphy isn't great I think it does okay for this.

 

[Dario]

As Kevin said. Note also that you can find better deals elsewhere than prices listed there so you may want to add a bit more than your actual budget when doing your search.

Their review is topnotch [].

 

[clewless]

We started with my wife's Olympus Camedia. I've since bought used Olympus cameras on e-bay for a small price compared to retail. Everyone a winner. Give it a look.

 

[DCBluesman]

I'm far from an expert, but I generally know who to listen to. Rich Kleinhenz takes wonderful photographs and sent me this email a few months back. You might want to check out the Olympus SP-310. If you shop it online you can find it for under $200 delivered.

I got a new digital camera, a small one, an Olympus SP-310. It has a lot of manual control... But just playing around for 1/2 hour got the attached. As you know I like straight-on shots for 99% of what I do, and this camera lets me put a highlight on. See the attached - the highlight is the internal strobe. The main lighting is generated by 2 small slave strobes. I'm quite happy with the overall effect. Just discovered some more controls (or rather read the manual to find out what they do) and hope to get rid of the shadow at the lower edge. I can get rid of it now - but loose the highlight.

69 is a gray card that I used to set the white balance. That makes quite a difference! None of the built-in settings gave the right colors. Some looks OK, but once I had it right the others started looking off.

 

[gerryr]

I have a Konica Minolta Z5 and am pretty pleased with it, plenty of manual settings. The "anti-shake" feature is very nice when taking closeups even on a tripod. It has a macro setting as well as a super-macro setting so it will focus really close. I know they just came out with a newer model so the price of the Z5 should have dropped. Also, you might be able to find the older Z3 at a good price. Whatever you get, make sure it has a macro setting.

 

[Pipes]

Originally posted by gerryr
<br />I have a Konica Minolta Z5 and am pretty pleased with it, plenty of manual settings. The "anti-shake" feature is very nice when taking closeups even on a tripod. It has a macro setting as well as a super-macro setting so it will focus really close. I know they just came out with a newer model so the price of the Z5 should have dropped. Also, you might be able to find the older Z3 at a good price. Whatever you get, make sure it has a macro setting.

I was out shopping tonight and been looking at a buying a new camera ! well I have had Sonys Canons Nikon and pentax and Konicas over the yrs ! I Found a Konica Z3 on a close out with a Minolta/Konica flash for $375.00 bucks out the door ... guy even tossed in a 128 memory card duno how this a work out for us BUT I use to love my 35 mm konica FT 1 motor back in like 1979 ! anyway I poped for it remembering reading about it here and ME thinks I got a deal..he said they been out a production for a bit ? But hey it is a AD and all warantys are with it and the flash ...after ordering $$$$ in pen blanks and kits from Berea and others today I needed a break :O) besides our pictures were starting to look awful somthing is wrong with the canon we use images are not as sharp as they once were and it needs work I think !! posts some pics with it soon I hope :O)



http://affordablepipes.com/

 

[gerryr]

The only difference between the Z3 and Z5 is the resolution, other than that, they are the same. You should be able to take very good pictures with the Z3. If you don't already have one, get a tripod, build yourself a light tent and get some of those daylight flourescent bulbs at Home Depot. Then you'll be set.

 

[Pipes]

Originally posted by gerryr
<br />The only difference between the Z3 and Z5 is the resolution, other than that, they are the same. You should be able to take very good pictures with the Z3. If you don't already have one, get a tripod, build yourself a light tent and get some of those daylight flourescent bulbs at Home Depot. Then you'll be set.

already got all that :O) I was as John Wayne would say BORN READY :O) were giving it well the wife is giving it a workout as I type ! adding some things to our site we have a nice canon but it seems to have went on the fritz so this a be a nice new one and then the canon can go in for repair :O)[]



http://affordablepipes.com/

 

[Pipes]

The O has the Z3 for 269 bucks NO extra flash but thats a nice price IMHO[] your gona have to BUY a memory card bout 20 to ?? bucks depending on how large you get BUt a nice camera at under 300 bucks !![]




http://affordablepipes.com/

 

[Scottydont]

I am a former manual camera snob and I have been through 6 cameras before landing ona digital I liked. I have a Canon A610 5.0MP and love it. Great point and shoot pics and enough manual settings to keep me happy. I really like dpreviews.com too.

 

[slink74659]

I have been using a Z3 for over a year with no complaints. I got a 1 gig card and have never filled it up yet. I like the fact that you can use AA batteries.

 

[mrgreen]

Originally posted by Scottydont
<br />I am a former manual camera snob and I have been through 6 cameras before landing ona digital I liked. I have a Canon A610 5.0MP and love it. Great point and shoot pics and enough manual settings to keep me happy. I really like dpreviews.com too.

I have the previous model to that camera, the A520, and I love it. It doesn't have the newer DIGIC2 processor (or whatever it's called), but it is 4.0MP, has full manual controls, can use standard sized attachment lenses, and has a custom made waterproof casing (not great for pens, but nice for vacation []). Best of all is that you can snag one for $150 on clearance, and a 256mb card (which are super cheap now) will hold ~120 pictures at the highest quality. A whole setup (camera, small case, tripod, memory card, batteries and a charger) will be right around your $250 limit.

 

[Pipes]

I just was reading were Konica sold there Digital camera biz to Sony as of 3/31/06 I just bought a konica ! But Iam not really concerned as I have had a few a there cameras and always great service ! I don't really think this sffect there cust service on what they sold and built IMO.....




http://affordablepipes.com/

 

[jscola]

What is a decent camera to take pictures and post them on the web for someone that is just starting and knows nothing about cameras ? "the only picture taking I have done is with throw away cameras" Any suggestions would be apreciated Joe