Camera opinions?

[Brown Eyed Girl]

A couple of thoughts on some of the questions/comments. As far as Nikon vs Canon...I think it really comes down to preference. I've never used a Nikon P&S, but know many who do. A lot of birders are now into digiscoping, where you attach a small P&S to a scope to get pics of things you couldn't hope to get without an eleventy gazillion mm lens. And the Coolpix seems to be their camera of choice. Most folks seem to be happy with their Canon P&S models as well. The only reason I chose Panasonic over Canon on my P&S was that the good feedback far outnumbered the bad for the Panasonic, it was opposite for the Canon I was looking at, even though I know folks who were perfectly happy with that model. The only P&S I've been really unhappy with is Sony...I'll NEVER get one of those again.

For DSLR cameras it is also a toss up between Nikon and Canon. Both have their loyal followers. My first SLR was a Nikon. My DSLR is a Canon. I've seen fantastic pics from both brands. I think Canon has the edge when it comes to lenses though...they just have superior glass. Most of the photographers I run into are using Canon...easy to tell because their lenses are so distinctive. And most were former Nikon users. Mind you, my realm is wildlife so I can't really say what the trend is for landscape, portraits etc. I think it boils down to what features you want/need and how the camera feels in your hands...some models and brands just fit better than others. Find the camera body that meets your needs for the best price and put your $$ into lenses.

As for batteries...both my cameras take special batteries. Both last a long time, although I always carry a spare for my DSLR. I had more issues with battery drain with regular batteries than I ever have with the special ones. The panasonic one charges fast, and both chargers are small and easy to carry....much better than carrying a bunch of batteries around, and I have yet to go anywhere were I can't find an outlet to recharge if needed. Again I think it just boils down to personal preference.

[shakerofsalt]

I carry around my DSLR (Nikon D700) everywhere, but then again I am a photographer! I don't even own a P&S. The pictures that come out of my D700 are so much better than a P&S. Even my D80 pictures were better than a P&S. I also carry around 3 lenses, an extra battery and a flash. The battery is a special battery, but it lasts forever. I can shoot all day without using much of the charge.

[AlbatrossFlyer]

if i was only going to get just 1 (ok i can hear the laughter now) i'd get the DSLR. mainly for maximum flexibility. interchangeable lenses, external flash, features, capability etc etc etc. ok it won't fit in your back pocket but they're not that unwieldy. and if you want to shoot video, get a camcorder....

one thing i insist on is a viewfinder. good luck trying to compose a photo in bright sun using only an LCD screen

but why get one when you can have 3 or 4......

canon Elan IIe, Rebel XSI, G11, and 3 or 4 canon P&S's of varying vintages lying around

[Brown Eyed Girl]

if i was only going to get just 1 (ok i can hear the laughter now)

I think some of us know you better than you know yourself.

[nutmeg]

I agree on the viewfinder thingie. Lets face it, most of us travel to sunny areas as much as possible.

Trying to see what you're taking a photo of in bright sunlight is just impossible on those LCD screens.

[SchoolGirlHeart]

if i was only going to get just 1 (ok i can hear the laughter now) i'd get the DSLR. mainly for maximum flexibility. interchangeable lenses, external flash, features, capability etc etc etc. ok it won't fit in your back pocket but they're not that unwieldy. and if you want to shoot video, get a camcorder....

one thing i insist on is a viewfinder. good luck trying to compose a photo in bright sun using only an LCD screen

but why get one when you can have 3 or 4......

canon Elan IIe, Rebel XSI, G11, and 3 or 4 canon P&S's of varying vintages lying around

Yes, I want a viewfinder again!! I miss my old Olympus P&S, where the viewfinder showed you the picture without offset.

[hawaiiboy]

I have a Canon SX10is which is not very different from the SX20is.
I have been really happy with it.......love the zoom capabilities and
the fact that it takes AA batteries. i use high quality rechargeables
with it. It does have viewfinder which as has been stated above is
something worth looking for. One of the other things that I
love with this one as well as the A610 that we have is the
LCD swivels...what a great feature.
It does have it's limits when comparing to a DSLR.
You will not be able to use any filters with it and in low light
situations it could be a lot better. You start to see
unwanted noise when shooting above 400 iso.

Here is a great site to have a look at
http://www.dpreview.com/

Most of the photo's that I have posted here in the last
year were shot with the SX10 as well as
on my website here
http://web.me.com/hawaiiboy/aloha/Aloha.html

[SchoolGirlHeart]

I have a Canon SX10is which is not very different from the SX20is.
I have been really happy with it.......love the zoom capabilities and
the fact that it takes AA batteries. i use high quality rechargeables
with it. It does have viewfinder which as has been stated above is
something worth looking for. One of the other things that I
love with this one as well as the A610 that we have is the
LCD swivels...what a great feature.
It does have it's limits when comparing to a DSLR.
You will not be able to use any filters with it and in low light
situations it could be a lot better. You start to see
unwanted noise when shooting above 400 iso.

Here is a great site to have a look at
http://www.dpreview.com/

Most of the photo's that I have posted here in the last
year were shot with the SX10 as well as
on my website here
http://web.me.com/hawaiiboy/aloha/Aloha.html

Good info! Thanks!!

[frozen bird]

We do a lot of video shooting for The Adventures of Tonto's Revenge and so far we've gone through three different video cameras. Continually doing research on other camera options, I think we'll step up to a DSLR with HD video capability next time we buy. However, thanks to the guy in the camera shop, we got to test out a Canon Playsport last week. The Playsport is a HD video camera that fits right in your pocket, kind of like the flip cameras, but with much better video results. We're already on the list to buy two. They retail for $149.00 and will be available in the beginning of April. It even shoots video up to 10 feet below the surface of the water. Add this to the P&S of your choosing and you can fit high quality video and still cameras in one pocket. Very handy for the expedition style shooting we sometimes do for our webisodes.

[The Lost Manatee]

If you go with a Canon DSLR and you happen to be like me and owned a 35mm Canon SLR, many of your old lenses can be used on your DSLR, which is not the case with Nikon.