looking to buy a new camrea

[maz]

Hi

this is my first thread here

I'm looking to buy a new camara and am a bit lost as to the great product&price range that is out there, so i could really use some help & guidance.

I used to take pictures using a simple point&shoot camera and was able to produce good pictures, at least as to the composition etc. But since photography has always been somewhat of a hobby of mine I want to take it to the next level.

Parameters that are important to me are:

MP = at least X10
Optical zoom = at least X12
Processing speed - Don't like waiting to long for the click
Good colors, reliability, and good macro - I like taking picture from up close
HD Video - would be nice to have

The cameras I had my eyes on so far are:

Canon SX20is
Nikon P90
SP 590
Olympus SP 590

So...there are probably many other candidates I'm not aware of.

Help is highly appreciated!

 

[robdavis305]

Nikon D90, Cant go wrong.

 

[maz]

Nikon D90, Cant go wrong.

However my budget (which I did not mention....) is up to 500$...

 

[musicaleCA]

Hrm...If you really want video I'd say get the Olympus E-P1. Compact, but you can buy a lens or two extra later to better suit your needs. But, that's still beyond your budget. My (completely ad-hoc and exhausted) opinion would be the Nikon or Canon first, Olympus second.

 

[maz]

Hrm...If you really want video I'd say get the Olympus E-P1. Compact, but you can buy a lens or two extra later to better suit your needs. But, that's still beyond your budget. My (completely ad-hoc and exhausted) opinion would be the Nikon or Canon first, Olympus second.

Thanks...
Anyone else?

 

[benlonghair]

Start with a cheap consumer body, like a D60 or the canon equivalent. Get the kit lens. Start there. The 12x zoom is what you're not going to get. I'm not sure what that works out to on lens length, but I'd guess you'd probably need a 400-600mm lens to get that. Maybe somebody that knows how the math works can chime in.

 

[maz]

So digitally speaking, what kind of zoom do I get wit hthe kit lens?

 

[musicaleCA]

Digital "zoom" is a load of crap, used to create buzzwords that sell cameras. What the camera is doing is sampling a smaller part of the sensor to create the image, which greatly increases noise. SLR's don't have "digital zoom". You zoom optically, by varying the focal length of the lens.

 

[FrankLamont]

When they talk optical zoom in P&S, they mean the camera shifts its optics to zoom - real way. An SLR has optical zoom, though its not called that.

Digital zoom is as ^^.

 

[Bruce G]

I have the SX20is and I like it very much. Great zoom, excellent macro and video, tilt screen very handy, image stabilisation powerful, lots of bells and whistles.

I am still testing the camera. I am using mostly Tv and Av mode now and have produced some beautiful pictures - sharp, colourful and well exposed. It's all a matter of getting to know the camera features and how to use them effectively for the best pics.

I decided against a DSLR because I didn't want to trapse around with different lenses, etc. I heard about the high end P and S cameras now available and narrowed it down to the SX20 and the Pan Z35. Both have long zooms and 12+ MP. You can't go wrong with either one. Try them both out at a camera store and have them show you the results on a monitor there. I prefered the SX20 pics when I tested it in the store. I also liked the design and weight in my hands. The Z35 is light and to me felt and looked a little "toyish."

Powerful camera with lots of potential for the serious hobbyist/photographer. With proper use of its many features the SX20 can produce top-notch pics and even better with added enhancement post-processing.