This one doesn't do the job

kotte · Nov 22, 2005

Hey...

I've done some photography with an old SLR camera. I'm far from a professional and now I want to get a good digital camera.

I got a HP Photosmart M517 for my girlfriend. A pretty cheap consumer camera. Not one I expected greatness out of. I've been messing around with this for a couple of days, y'know just to see what I can get out of a cheapie.

Now I know it sucks. I know very little about cameras and this one a got because it was cheap and small, something to bring on vacations. But it really sucks. It doesn't have manual focus (only with a Fast Shot function which doesn't work with the flash and needs more damn light than the sun provides), so the camera needs to focus everytime I press the shutter which takes forever it seems. Especially when it can't focus right away. That's my biggest concern. My other is that I can't get a sharp shot without the flash but I've come to feel that's the case with professional cameras even. Low light, no flash...I need a tripod.
Is EV Compensation pretty much the same as F-stop? The EV Compensation ranges from -2, -1.5, -1, -0.5, 0, +0.5, +1, +1.5, +2.

My question is, if it's even a real question, am I being unreasonably harsh on this camera?

I absolutely love photography and as I said I'm planning on getting a good digital camera with lots of possibilities.
A good camera, what will it enable me to do? Alter the F-stop (EV?), White Balance, Auto Focus and Manual Focus, ISO Speed, Instant shooting (not having to wait 4 seconds between every shot I wanna take)?

I've told you a bit about the digital camera I have now, really, what is it that prevents me from taking a picture as good as with an expensive camera (with that I mean professional)?

If you help me one some of these questions I'll be very happy!

Thanks,

Chris

Big Mike · Nov 22, 2005

If you are used to using an SLR camera...you will likely be disappointed with any digital camera besides a Digital SLR.

The term, professional camera is kind of vague. There are entry or consumer level DSLR cameras. They are still quite expensive compared to point & shoot digicams but much less expensive than true 'professional cameras'.

Besides the lack of control with a digicam, the shutter lag is terrible IMO. You want to snap the image when you press the button...not 1/2 second later. One of the biggest differences between a typical DSLR and most digicams, is the size of the sensor. A DSLR camera will have a much bigger sensor...that means better image quality, even if the digicam has more mega pixels. Also, that means better performance at higher ISO...with most digicams, ISO 400 is full of noise and 800 (if available) is almost unusable. The newest DSLR cameras have fairly clean images at ISO 1600.

I suggest looking at the Canon Digital Rebel or the Nikon D50. They are both, really good entry level DSLR cameras. They have interchangeable lenses, so you can expand your system or even upgrade the body and still keep the lenses.

They may be more expensive than what you want to spend...but from the sounds of it...you would soon be disappointed with any digicam that is less expensive.