Digital Camera

[TallTitan34]

I am looking to get a new camera as the one I have now is pretty old and outdated.  I was wondering if there was a certain camera you scoopers would recommend to get or avoid.

[Mobot]

I have had good luck with anything by Canon.  Their point and shoot models test out among the best.

[APieperFan3]

Are you looking for just something small to bring around with you?

Or something to take (extra nice) pictures of children in sports, family pics, etc?

I use one of the Canon "powershot" or whatever it is. Smaller but takes GREAT photos. My old man has one of the nicer, more bulky cameras. He takes a lot of sports and action photos of my younger brother (in HS) that turned out incredible.

Can't go wrong with Canon IMO.

[TallTitan34]

I'm looking for a small one to bring on my honeymoon. 

[reinko]

I'm looking for a small one to bring on my honeymoon. 

I picked up the Sony Cybershot W350 for my honeymoon acutally.  Very happy with it.

Reviews: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Sony+-+Cyber-Shot+14.1-Megapixel+Digital+Camera+-+Black/9758498.p?skuId=9758498&id=1218168159247#tabbed-customerreviews

Where Mr. and Mrs Titan vacationing??

[ChicosBailBonds]

I am looking to get a new camera as the one I have now is pretty old and outdated.  I was wondering if there was a certain camera you scoopers would recommend to get or avoid.

Point and shoot or a Digital SLR?


I have had nothing but Canons and love them.  Currently using the Canon D SLR Rebel T2i which is 18mb and also has HD video.  If you're going to get a SLR, don't buy the kit lens with it...they are trash (I'd say the thing if you were buying a Nikon or anything else).  Just get the body and order a good lens.  Get a nice walk around lens that can do a bit of everything (telephoto as well as portrait).  I use a 28mm-135mm for my walk around and it's wonderful for what I do.  You can certainly spend a ton more if you want, but for capturing my kids, sports, etc, works great.  Others use a 24-70mm or some folks may buy a third party lens like a Tamron 18-200.

At any rate, have fun.  Plenty of lower level 'starter' Canon and Nikons that are really good, too.  Then if you upgrade down the road (that's what I did), the lens' will work with the new body as well.

Enjoy

[TallTitan34]

Thanks guys I'll check these out. 

We are just heading to Florida reinko.

[MUEng92]

Chicos, I have the 15MB version of that camera and I love it too.  Only issue is that I want a better telephoto lens.  Is it possible to buy a decent telephoto lens without paying as much as I did for the camera?

In the little research I have done to this point, the Auto-focus and image stabilization functions seem to be where the $$$ increase significantly.  I would think both would be beneficial if not essential for taking photos of kids basketball games, softball games, school plays, etc.  Any comments?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Chicos, I have the 15MB version of that camera and I love it too.  Only issue is that I want a better telephoto lens.  Is it possible to buy a decent telephoto lens without paying as much as I did for the camera?

In the little research I have done to this point, the Auto-focus and image stabilization functions seem to be where the $$$ increase significantly.  I would think both would be beneficial if not essential for taking photos of kids basketball games, softball games, school plays, etc.  Any comments?

Well, if you buy any "L" lens you're going to pay your ass off.  One thing I've done is rent a lens for a few trips. Some camera stores will allow you to do that.

I did finally break down, however, and bought a telephoto lens that was pricey but doable.  I bought the Canon 70mm - 300mm lens.   I took it to the MLB All-Star game this year and despite sitting by the foul pole, I was able to get these photos (hand held, no monopod or tripod)...click link below.  I would estimate I was about 350 to 400 feet away for those shots.

http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?topic=21039.0




If you shop around, you can get that lens in the $450 range maybe even better (many stores have it north of $600 so shop wisely).  There are nicer lens' than that, but considering how much I use it, that was plenty.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-70-300mm-4-5-6-Lens-Cameras/dp/B0007Y794O

[StillAWarrior]

My wife asked for a new basic point and shoot for Christmas.  My research has revealed that the Canons are the best in that lower price range.  That's what I'll be getting.

[4everwarriors]

I'm looking for a small one to bring on my honeymoon. 

TT, trust me on this one buddy. Leave your small one home and bust out your big one on the honeymoon.

[TallTitan34]

TT, trust me on this one buddy. Leave your small one home and bust out your big one on the honeymoon.

Sound advise.

[🏀]

Sound advise.

advice*

[MUEng92]

I did finally break down, however, and bought a telephoto lens that was pricey but doable.  I bought the Canon 70mm - 300mm lens.   I took it to the MLB All-Star game this year and despite sitting by the foul pole, I was able to get these photos (hand held, no monopod or tripod)...click link below.  I would estimate I was about 350 to 400 feet away for those shots.

I believe that is the exact one I was looking at.  Around $650 at Best Buy, so I quickly lost interest.  I have been doing my best to restart the economy, but I am not going to push it.  I will have to keep looking around.

You took those photos from the foul pole?  That is way better than I was even hoping for if that is the case.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I believe that is the exact one I was looking at.  Around $650 at Best Buy, so I quickly lost interest.  I have been doing my best to restart the economy, but I am not going to push it.  I will have to keep looking around.

You took those photos from the foul pole?  That is way better than I was even hoping for if that is the case.

I went to Best Buy to purchase it.  Thought it was way overpriced.  Got on my iphone and found the same lens at Costco in the $450 range...showed the manager at Best Buy their price via my iPhone and he honored it.

I probably could have gotten it cheaper online but I was somewhat in a hurry to get it before our trip and I waited too long.

[spiral97]

I actually LOVE my casio exilim.  I was looking for something decent that fits easily in my pocket and wouldn't bring me to tears if I lost or broke it on any trips.  I found it at Walmart for under $200 and it's turned into one of the best cameras I've had.  If I upgraded from this it would be a digital SLR but those take up a bit more room (not really pocket friendly) and I generally hate having to carry around a bag or backpack on vacations.  Plus keeping the camera in there means that it takes longer to get to if I suddenly decide  I want a picture of something.

[rocky_warrior]

I'm also a Canon fanboy.  Right now I've got the PowerShot SX120 point & shoot (10x optical zoom, 10MP) picked up about a year ago (the newer model is the sx130 with the 12x and 12MP).  Awesome little camera, and has the Digic 4 processor which is the same one they use in their SLR's.  The image stabilization, and light sensing is fantastic.  I can take clear pictures indoors and out without the flash (which it's actually nice that you can force the flash to be off by not flipping it up), and even using 10x zoom I've gotten some fantastic shots

And this is from a guy that would consider himself about the worst photographer in the world

All for less than $200 - a great option if you ask me!

Edit: I should add, bigger than a lot of P&S cameras, but well worth it in my opinion. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

MU ENG...a few examples of the videos from that camera with that lens....granted that youtube compresses them down a bit

You may want to select the 1080 button on You Tube to get the better visual (though the buffering on 1080 can be brutal depending on your network connection).


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWAsfLAvc5o


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLW4qoUMZB0

[reinko]

Good looking swing on Chico Jr. 

[gjreda]

TT, if you go with a Canon and decide to get extra nerdy, you should look into the Canon Hack Development Kit.  A group figured out how to hack the firmware on a bunch of Canon models and it allows you to get all sorts of SLR features on your P&S.  Plus, it's just a piece of software you put on your SD card, so you don't actually make any physical changes to your camera.

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK

[mu_hilltopper]

Another comment .. I love having an Eye-fi SD card in my PHD (push here dummy) Cannon.

The eye-fi card is pretty cheap, $40-50 .. and will send your photos to your PC over wi-fi when you have it turned on.  No cables = nice.

I assume there are a few cameras out there that have that capability built-in.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Good looking swing on Chico Jr. 

Yeah, he's a good kid.  Very proud of him, especially on the academic front.

[gjreda]

MU ENG...a few examples of the videos from that camera with that lens....granted that youtube compresses them down a bit

You may want to select the 1080 button on You Tube to get the better visual (though the buffering on 1080 can be brutal depending on your network connection).


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWAsfLAvc5o


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLW4qoUMZB0

Little man's gotta keep that lead arm up on his delivery.  Putting too much stress on his throwing shoulder.  Better hitter than me though, that's for sure.

[4everwarriors]

Yeah, he's a good kid.  Very proud of him, especially on the academic front.

Unsolicited advice from the old sage:
Send him to somewhere better than a middle of the road school.

[augoman]

You know, Chicos, Northwestern has a great baseball program, and the academics are tops. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

Little man's gotta keep that lead arm up on his delivery.  Putting too much stress on his throwing shoulder.  Better hitter than me though, that's for sure.

Absolutely true eagle, absolutely true.  He's since started taking pitching lessons from a former Triple A Brewer, Yankee and Houston Astro....David Glick  That particular game he was thrown in to pitch the last inning because they were saving arms for the next round (double elimination).  He wasn't even a pitcher on that All-Star team so his bad fundamentals were definitely exposed when they threw him in there....but it was a thrill for him.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Unsolicited advice from the old sage:
Send him to somewhere better than a middle of the road school.

Good advice.  We'll cross that bridge in a few years and see what the opportunities are.  My family has never been one to go to where dad went and I suspect he will probably go his own way, though he did love MU when he visited a few weeks ago.

His older cousins all went to Stanford and Cal...I'll scream if he goes to Cal as I'll likely breakout in hives entering the Berkeley area.   

[reinko]

His older cousins all went to Stanford and Cal...I'll scream if he goes to Cal as I'll likely breakout in hives entering the Berkeley area.   

Yikes, if that happens, this could be him in 30 years! 

[Pakuni]

I have had good luck with anything by Canon.  Their point and shoot models test out among the best.

My last two point-and-shoot Canon's have been abysmal. They're fine when they work, but frequently just quit on me. I recently got a Panasonic Lumix as a replacement and have been pleased with it so far.

[🏀]

My last two point-and-shoot Canon's have been abysmal. They're fine when they work, but frequently just quit on me. I recently got a Panasonic Lumix as a replacement and have been pleased with it so far.

I also got a Lumix, loved it on my Honeymoon last week.

[4everwarriors]

I also got a Lumix, loved it on my Honeymoon last week.

Did you sleep with it?

[🏀]

Did you sleep with it?

There's some unbelievable features.

[chren21]

Absolutely true eagle, absolutely true.  He's since started taking pitching lessons from a former Triple A Brewer, Yankee and Houston Astro....David Glick  That particular game he was thrown in to pitch the last inning because they were saving arms for the next round (double elimination).  He wasn't even a pitcher on that All-Star team so his bad fundamentals were definitely exposed when they threw him in there....but it was a thrill for him.

Not sure how much opus higher up gives, I know it's a lot but you would think they would give McShane a taste after his donation to start the construction management program...??