Anyone who reads this blog knows that I love digital photography. You can imagine my delight when I stumbled upon Instapundit's three-part "Digital Camera Carnival". It's full of reader's opinions about digital photography, equipment, etc. with lots of links to reviews and photos. See Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
There is much I could quote from these three posts, but would recommend you read them all in their entirety.
Having said that, here's a few things that stood out to me, particularly in Part 2 of the carnival.
Some advice from a reader working for a major retailer (emphasis mine):
Prime lenses are nice, but Image Stabilized or Vibration Reduction zoom lenses are a lot more versatile. In the digital era, one shouldn't be changing lenses any more than necessary, as dust on the sensor is a pain to clean off. My favorite lenses are ones that start at about 28mm equivalent (for the smaller APS "C" class sensors most manufacturers seem to prefer) and end up at 300mm equivalent. Nikon has a nice 18-200mm VR, as do Sigma and Tamron. Canon, as usual, is playing catch up. If you're an enthusiast or a pro with specialized needs, buy primes. Otherwise, don't waste space and weight in your camera bag.
So what if it's only 6MP? I've got news for the camera manufacturers: Pixel stuffing is killing the industry. There's not a compact or point and shoot camera over 8MP I'd dirty my hands with. I wouldn't even own them for a paperweight, they're that bad. Image quality for compacts peaked at 7MP, and went downhill from there. Too many pixels on the sensor means too little light at each pixel site, which means too much noise in the image.
DSLR's are getting cheaper all the time. At the moment, almost every major lens manufacter out there has a compatible digital body. Given that DSLR sensors are 5 or more times larger than compact camera sensors, the consumer can expect DSLR pictures to be as much as 5 times better, particularly in terms of digital noise.
This is very similar to what David Pogue recently found out from his test putting enlarged photos on display in Times Square. (He found that above 5 megapixels, people couldn't tell the difference on a 16x24 inch print.) Also read Ken Rockwell's thoughts on the "megapixel myth".
I was also impressed with this review of Canon's SD800 IS, a camera I've been eyeing since it came out:
And N.Z. Bear has a review, including photos of his new Canon SD800IS, which he likes a lot.
I've owned a total of four digital cameras so far. My first was the Canon PowerShot S45 which I had to replace when it fell onto concrete as I was climbing out of a hammock in Panama. :( My next camera was the Canon PowerShot S230, which I sold to some friends after our trip to Europe together. The two I now own are the Canon PowerShot S1 IS which has a 10x zoom with image stabilization. I bought it for my trip to Antarctica so I could take pictures of the wildlife. It worked superbly as both a still and video camera. (Here's a video I took with it in Antarctica and another I took of the baby panda at the National Zoo.) I also bought a Pentax Optio 33WR for that trip, a small waterproof camera to use while kayaking. It was great not having to worry about getting it wet. (It's the only camera I've ever owned that I rinsed off at the end of the day. It's also the only digital camera I've owned rugged enough I don't keep it in a case.)
My experience with digital cameras has taught me a few things.
- It's nice to have one type of media (compact flash, SD card, etc.) that all your cameras can use. I'd currently opt for SD cards, as they are readily available, small, and many laptops now come with built-in readers.
- Both my current cameras use AA batteries, but my previous ones did not. While there's been a few times this has come in handy, I've almost always been able to get by carrying two extra camera batteries instead, even when it was days between having a chance to recharge. (I'm atypical in this -- most people could get by fine with just one extra battery.) I agree with Ann Althouse on this. The size and weight savings are very much worth it. Not only does it lead to a smaller camera, but also a smaller charger when you travel. (However, if price is a major constraint, rechargeable AA batteries are much cheaper than proprietary camera batteries.) While there have been a few times being able to buy AA batteries saved me from missing some great photo opportunities, I don't think I would have run out of juice if I had two or three proprietary batteries for my camera. Battery life on digitals keeps getting better which also makes this less of an issue.
- Digital SLR's can take some tremendously powerful pictures. Ultimately, a photo is only as good as the photographer taking the picture, but last summer my father and I took a 30-day trip across the US. Comparing the photos my dad took with his Nikon D70 vs. my photos I took of the same setting with my Canon S1 IS, there was no comparison. Dad's camera had a better lens, a polarizing filter, and had far less exposure problems. Part of this was due to my inexperience using the manual features on my camera, but I am convinced I could have gotten much better shots with a DSLR. The same was true comparing some of my photos in Antarctica to other people on the trip who had Digital SLR's.
- If you get a camera with high levels of zoom (more than 4X), strongly consider getting something with image stabilization technology. It helps keep the blur out of the images. Image stabilization also helps for taking photos in dark settings and at night, regardless of the zoom. It can also help reduce red-eye in your pictures by making your flash less necessary in low-light conditions.
- It's often been said but bears repeating. Size matters. You won't take a picture with a camera you don't have with you. Owning a small, pocketable camera can lead to a ton of fun and lets you capture many unexpected memories.
- Canon PowerShots have never disappointed me in terms of reliability or image quality. I love the way colors turn out on them more than on any other (non-SLR) cameras I've used. Unless I purchase a DSLR, I will probably stick with Canon's in the future.
- Buy the biggest memory card you can afford. This will be the main constraint you have (besides batteries) on how many pictures you can take on a given outing or trip. This is doubly true if you travel without a laptop. It becomes particularly critical if you take much video. (I ran into a problem with this on msfy trip to India. Thankfully, one of the guys we traveled with had a laptop and kept copying all my photos and videos on his laptop and sent me a CD of them all after we got back.)
- Video can be more fun than you originally think, particularly with the advent of services like YouTube. The inability of Digital SLR's to record video and their larger size are two downsides of owning one if it's your only camera.
- No matter what camera you have, you will have fun with it.
Bottom line: Photography in general and digital photography in particular is one of the most enjoyable hobbies I've ever had. It can be a social activity, is a great way to share experiences with friends and family, creates a record of memories, helps you to appreciate the environment around you, and, may even lead to making some extra income if you learn to do it well.
It is difficult to buy a bad digital camera today. Find one that fits your budget, ease of use, and zoom requirements and go have some fun!
My shortlist if I were buying a camera today:
- Digital SLR: Nikon D40 with 18-200mm VR lens. I'd start off buying this cheaper camera (cheap for a digital SLR) and put money into the lens instead. The fact that the D40 is also Nikon's smallest and lightest DSLR would make it great for travel. The versatility of this lens would really make this camera shine and should be great for anything but professional level photography. (If I ever went pro, I'd probably invest in an even higher end camera(s) and a good set of flashes and lenses.)
- Pocket Camera: The Canon PowerShot SD800 IS would be at the top of my list. It is small, has a 4x zoom, and image stabilization. I also love the size and shape of the Canon PowerShot SD40, but am unsure of its performance. It is a camera I'd always have with me and does look like it would be a ton of fun. I would personally recommend the SD800 over the SD40, however.
- Ultra-Zoom: I've loved my Canon S1 IS, but have found it a tad slow for focusing (particularly in dark environments) and recharging the flash. I've missed a number of shots due to this. The new Canon PowerShot S3 IS solves most of these problems and would be at the top of my list. I particularly have loved the ability to have a 10x zoom for taking pictures and videos. (I got some great close-ups of penguins with this.) The S3 IS has a 12x image stabilized zoom. These cameras are also nice because they have a whole host of manual settings that you can use as you become more advanced in your photography. (I've gotten some great time exposure shots with my S1 IS.) You can get the S3 IS for about 25% the cost of buying the Nikon D40 with vibration reduction lens. It makes a superb video camera. I also like the electronic viewfinders in these cameras, because they let you see what you're actually taking a picture of without using as much battery life as using the screen on the back of the camera. (This also makes using it feel like a mini-SLR.)
- Another Good Alternative: The Canon PowerShot A710 IS also looks to be a good, lower cost choice that has a smaller form factor than the ultra-zooms, while still keeping a 6x image stabilized zoom. It also features many manual controls. It may be a good choice if you have only one camera, and may fit in the sweet (sour?) spot between a pocket camera and ultra-zoom. I'd rather carry the A710 with me everywhere I went than the S3 IS. It also uses AA batteries, which can help keep costs down. (According to Steve's DigiCams, it's a real power miser.)
Also be sure to check out Ken Rockwell's 2006 Holiday Camera Guide. He also offers a very similar shortlist with some excellent thoughts on why he recommends the cameras he does and which cameras he thinks are good for what types of photographers. (I was pleasantly surprised to see he made many of the same recommendations I did.)
Useful Links for Camera Reviews and Further Information:
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