Calling all photograghers

[wannabeH3]

i started out with sony but now i got a canon.. their flash is way better and battery life seems to be better too! but my hardwares a year old... cannon sd300

Heh! Another Nikonians member. Been there for quite some time.

I usually go to dpreview for the latest scoop on announcements or rumors. Than after I wade through all the crap posts, I go back to Nikonians and get the slimmed down versions of the info.

For the original poster, if you can swing it and want to go the SLR route, look hard at the D200. I don't think you will find another SLR that is built as well as it is in the price range. Magnesium body, weather seals, etc... It is like a small version of my D2H. I have dropped the D2H from a height of about 4 feet with a big 70-200 2.8 lens on it into the bottom of a fishing boat in Alaska and it didnt even scratch it.

I have every confidence the D200 would be the same.

That and if there is no bear spray around, you could use it for some serious self defense

[RubHer Yellow Ducky]

The FINEST Point and Shoot Digital Camera on the market today is the Leica D-LUX 2.

I have been a professional photographer for over 36 years photographing in formats from 35mm to 8x10 including digital. Although in most of my shoots I still use film I do use digital backs on my Hasselblad and Sinar View
Camera.

I recently obtained the Leica D-LUX 2 for fun stuff and rate it just behind GOOD WOMEN, MY
H-3's and World Class Food.

It has 8.6 MP, 3 different ratio formats, uses SD cards, LEICA LENS, Optical Image Stabilizer,
Focuses down to 2", all sorts of auto exposure modes as well as full manual... ETC, ETC, ETC

For a Street Price of under $900 nothing can touch it , NOTHING

Look into it.

RYD

[Racer-X]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by wannabeH3:
i started out with sony but now i got a canon.. their flash is way better and battery life seems to be better too! but my hardwares a year old... cannon sd300 </div></BLOCKQUOTE>


Ditto, my sony died inside of 1.5 years. I went to Canon 2.5 years ago with no issues at all. The canon just seems to be better built when it's in your hand.

[f5fstop]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by k9tim:
I second everything F5fstop said. I am a Nikon junkie big time. Even down to their point and shoot coolpix line.

Myself and my GF are both also semi-pro photogs. We both do landscapes, abstract, architectural and fine art nudes (studio).
She was a Canon Girl for many many years. Recently she got rid of the Canon gear and bought a Nikon D200. She was blown away with the colors she is seeing out of her D200. She loves it!
I shoot with my own D200 or my D2H. I sold a D100 for the D200. I can't imagine *not* shooting Nikon.

One aftermarket lens to consider that I didnt see f5 mention is Sigma. I have a couple Sigma lenses and I really like them.

@f5- nice posts! very informative!!


EDIT: forgot to add, if you think you will be doing any flash photography (on camera and slaves- not studio strobes or hot lamps), Nikon is widely considered to have the best flash system out there. Having played with my SB-800 master on the camera and the SB-80 or whatever the model number is as a slave, I can say I agree. Amazing results are there to be had. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Another Nikon junkie. Ever visit www.nikonians.org?

As for the Leica, I guess I should have clarified that there are some great point and shoots, and Leica is one of them. In addition some of the high-end coolpix have fast focus and hardly any shutter lag.
For versitility, I still don't think you can beat any Single Lens Reflex, be it digital or film, or by any major manufacturer.

You are also very correct on the flash photography, from everything I have read, Nikon leads the segment in flash photography. However, since I shoot only nature, I never use my flash; except on the kids and the dog.

[Ipedog]

F5 -

I just took a look at your sites and your landscapes are beautiful. You've got a great eye. You probably already know about this... Take a look at FredMiranda.com. Its a great photography site with a beautiful landscape section. You might enjoy it.

[hmrlvr]

I've got a small sony that works well. It seems to take a second or two to actually take the picture though (action shots are tough). My buddy has a Canon and loves it. I also just bought an Olympus Evolt E-500 SLR- 8.0 magapixel. Simply an amazing camera. A little big to just throw around though.

[YellowH3]

I am looking into buying a new camera. I am looking for some suggestions. The best one I found for the money was a Sony DSC-S600 6.0mp Can anyone tell me about the quality of a Sony camera. I am no photogragher. I just want it for HUMMER pics. Let me know what you guys/girls think. Thanks, Tim

[YellowH3]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by hmrlvr:
I've got a small sony that works well. It seems to take a second or two to actually take the picture though (action shots are tough). My buddy has a Canon and loves it. I also just bought an Olympus Evolt E-500 SLR- 8.0 magapixel. Simply an amazing camera. A little big to just throw around though. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
That was one of the questions I had. I have a Cannon 2.1mp now, and it is almost impossible to take an action shot. The shutter lags way behind the button.

[f5fstop]

I use only Nikon (F5, F100, D70, D2 plus lenses), but if you are looking at point and shoots, Sony/Kodak/Canon or Nikon are all excellent picks.

As for updating from a D50 to a D70, it will not give you any better photos. In fact a D50 is later technology. Updating to a D70s won't produce any better photos, but it will give you more selections to pick from, and the D70 and D70s use the compact disc cards versus the SD cards used in the D50.
In fact, if you are looking for nature and landscape, the D50, uses the IIIa color space mode which is better, while the D70/D70s uses the Ia color space which is better for portraits.
To start getting more pixels and better resolution, color space, etc., you would have to jump to the new D200.
Just rememeber, pixels are not everything. Color space, dynamic range and sharpness is very important. The type of sensor (CCD versus CMOS) is very important too. Generally speaking, CMOS is not as good as CCD, unless you jump into the high-end (above 3K) cameras with CMOS sensors.

1COOLH3: We should get together sometime and shoot some photos. Like your site.
Here is a link to two AOL homepages, I have never gotten around to an actual dedicated website...yet. I primarily sell mine through studios.
Co/UT/AZ

TN/NC/VA/NY

[Fubar]

I can't say enough good things about the Canon S80 for a little point and shoot it does a GREAT job with both stills and video.