Which camera to buy?
 

The wife wants to buy me a new camera for Christmas, another one..... At the Ft. Lauderdale race a couple of years ago I had my Nikon SLR with a few lenses, flash, filters and my Nikon Digicam worth around $5000.00 stolen from me. Anyhow, she wants to buy me another one. How fast are the new digicams and how do they compare to say the Nikon F5 SLR ??? She looked at the Nikon D70 and wanted to know if this is the camera I like. I am undecided as I want a fast camera and clear pic's but I do like the digital cameras as well. Help !!! Thanks, Dave

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Read this thread:

http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=91305

everyone I have talked to that seems to know about cameras just buys the FZ20 for now until digital camera's surpass the quality of 35mm. It isn't a super expensive camera. I think digitals will catch up in a few years, but until then I'm just gonna get an FZ20 and wait on the technology.

Ernie

plus if someone steals it, which seems to happen to me on everything also.... truck, laptop, welding machine, someone even stole all my clothes when I was moving. 600 bucks is better than having 6000 stollen.. just my .02

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Dave, i got the Nikon 5700 and i love it. Check out my posts and threads. The Key west pics were takin with the 5700 and i only had the camera for a week and still hadnt figured out proper operation. Good Luck and Happy Holidays.

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Hey Bern, How fast is it? I am looking for a digi that will compare to a SLR with about a 2 to 3 fps speed and I can add lenses, filters , etc..... Hope you and your family have a Happy Holiday's also and wish you the best in 2005 !!!


Thanks Top !!!


Dave Warden

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

"Best Sub $1,000 digital camera"
CNET
Pros: Excellent shutter response. Great for taking pictures of my kids. I love the 12x 36-432mm zoom lens f2.8 all the way to 432mm! This Panasonic DMC- FZ20 is the best digital camera I have owned. The flash is extremely powerful. The burst shot is a great and fast feature. I didn't have to read the manual to understand the buttons or menu.
Cons: Hard to get. I only found 2 online store who offered it. $500-600.00

I bought the Sunpak 383 ($ 65.00) for the hotshoe. Put camera on manual flash mode. Pick auto flash with f4 setting on flash unit. Match the camera to f4 on aperture mode...Auto all the way to 60'. Can't miss perfect photos. I really like mine a lot!

Nikon D-70 has a few more features at $ 1,200 + $ 1,200 for additional Zoom lens and software= $ 2,500 then add a flash with TTL for $ 400.00

Current best Digital SLR:

http://reviews.cnet.com/Canon_EOS_1D...l?tag=topprods

Canon EOS-1Ds Digital SLR
$6,700.00 + lenses about a $ 12,000 system

Picture taken with FZ-20

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Thanks Hydro, Nice pic's by the way !!! I am looking for something in the $1000 - $2000 range and have mostly owned Nikon's. I have owned Pentax, Cannon, Olympus and Minoltas but have always had good luck with Nikon. I have a Sony Cybor-shot 7.2 mega pixel that does a great job for just some thing to take a family still phot but I am looking for a new high performance camera that I can change lenses on and shoot fast shots. Thanks, Dave

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

:D :D :D Thanks Troutly !!! I think the Nikon is the way i'm gonna go.Why did you pick the D70 over the D100 ? Thanks for the info. Dave

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Here are a few I took with the Panasonic/Leica DMC-FZ-20

Remember it's a $ 500.00 Camera!!

1st is at 36mm

2nd is at 432mm

3rd is with the Canon TL-55 1.4x and full camera optical zoom so it is a 620mm zoom

All were taken hand-held with the lens stabilizer on. No tripods!!

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Panasonic DMC-FZ-20 vs. the Nikon D-70

Troutly has $ 1,650.00 into his Nikon with a max zoom of 200 mm if he added $ 5,500 for a Nikkor 200-400mm lens plus the $ 1,650 that's already into it you now have an
$ 8,000.00+ system. A Nikkor 600mm lens can cost up to $ 6,000.00

My Panasonic/Leica DMC-FZ-20 came with 420 mm max optical zoom. It has an ED glass multi-coated LEICA lens. With an $ 89.00 Canon TL-55 and adapter it takes the optical zoom up to 600+mm. A Sunpak 383 flash is $ 65.00 and good to 60' on Auto.

So to compare both cameras if they had a 600mm optical zoom capacity and an external flash; the D-70 system would be over 14 grand with that kind of zoom capacity. The Panasonic DMC FZ-20 would be a $ 650-750.00 system.

They both take great pictures!

Troutly has a "better" camera in that you can add lenses and is an SLR. No doubt or arguments there. If money is no concern or you don't need a lot of zoom buy the D-70 and sink 2 grand into it and you will be happy all day long. Remember...Digital Cameras are not as well suited to off brand lenses. Keep it all NIKON..lenses..flash..etc.

The DMC-FZ-20 is the best zoom digital on the market under $ 1,000.00. The problem is you need to spend a heck of a lot more to get it's capabilities from a zoom perspective if you look elsewhere. The D-70 is the next TRUE move up and if you get the lenses to get it to 600mm you REALLY will spend 14 Thousand Dollars. Is it worth it? It sure is.

It's just that in 2-5 years everything on the market will be obsolete with the new CMOS Chips that ought be perfected in 2008. These chips will finally make digital SLR's equal to the best 35mm cameras.

If you have the $$$ to spend do get the Nikon...Troutly is right it's a better camera. If you want the best camera under a grand you won't find one other than the FZ-20 with 400+mm of zoom and outstanding pictures.

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Here are 2 pictures Phantom took with his FZ-20

Look at the zoom potential....remember..it's a $ 500.00 camera :p

If you take pictures of boat races or other events and need zoom you know where to go!

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Another letter from Trooper Troutly to me.....sheeeeet Hydro is at it again. I think 1/2 of Troutly's posts this year were to deal with that outhouse law boy. The other 1/2 were about lesbo's.

I am bringing a girlfriend for Troutly's wife as he asked....then I am going to watch him watch...should be fun! :D

...and send Hydro pictures with his FZ-20 so he will know what he gets next year if he is good. :drink:

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

OK....thanks for the letting me off with a warning...I can't afford another ticket from you!
:D :D :D :D

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

The D-70 is better than the more expensive D-100.

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Another major advantage of Nikon is that their lenses can be swapped from one body to the next. So I can take my manual lens off my FE2 and put it on any camera through their entire line.... Nice to know that if you buy an expensive lens that you may not use much you will more then likely be able to use it on thier next great camera.
IMO the camera's are already far outperforming what most people have for printers. That seems to me anyhow to be the big hold up with going to digital if you are that picky. If you talk to most any pro photo guy they are shooting all digital now and having their stuff printed in a pro lab. Even film is getting converted to digital then back again for prints. I have a customer with a 4,000 buck thermal printer (I think that is what he said it was) and you would be VERY hard pressed to tell me that it is not film. I shure thought they were film when I saw them and did not know that he had purchased the Nikon.

Jon

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

I could not be happier with the Panasonic/Leica DMC-FZ-20. Thanks again for the advice Hydro.

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Your photos speak a thousand words!!

You have a good eye for stopping motion in boat races!

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

I think we need to agree to disagree on a few points:


-The DMC-FZ-20 is a "hybrid" in that it has a "fixed interchangeable type lens" made by Leica. It's unique.

-The D-70 is a "pro-sumer camera" as is the FZ-20 as seen stated in the review articles. In some respects they are both point and shoots if you use the screen to compose.. A "pro" DSLR costs $ 5 grand and up.

-Some serious photographers do not like a DLSR with a multiplication factor as some lenses tend to vignette a bit; because of that they go to the Canon or Contax pro-models.

-Hands down the D-70 has the "potential" for being a better prosumer camera depending on the lenses and external flash you buy.

-The FZ-20's best feature...instant Zoom from 36-432mm without needing to change lenses and it maintains a fast f 2.8 all the way to 432mm. The Leica lens contains the lens stabilizer. A huge key feature for a mega-zoom camera.

-If I were shooting weddings for a living I would go Nikon D-70 for the TTL flash and better indoor ability to see through the viewfinder in very dark shooting situations.

-If I wanted something for the boat races and home pictures as well; then the FZ-20 would be my choice; you need fast zoom and a fast lens at high zoom to get those action shots frozen without big bulky lenses and tripods.

-Overall if both cameras were priced the same with equal zoom you would win without a question.

-Throw in price and I win to a point. That point is my camera is 1/3 the price of yours and it takes pictures that are very similiar. In 2 years I can get a new Panasonic/Leica with a CMOS and 8 million megapixels for around $ 600.00 they say and still have invested only a grand.

It is all about price.
-Mine will always be the best for a grand or less says Steve's and CNET.
-Yours is the best $ 1,500-2,000+ " prosumer" DSLR.
-Contax/Zeiss and the Canon Pro models whip us both.
-Then we realize nothing beats a 35mm Leica/Contax or "pro" Nikon 35mm with Kodak "High-Definition film" yet.

Fair enough Troutly?

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Any suggestions on a decent printer for pictures ? Dislikes & likes.
I really didn't want to start another non-boating thread.So i thought i'd jump in here. Don't shoot please. :)

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Don't print. Upload to Sony Image station or Kodak ofoto and have your pictures mailed and they arrive in 2-3 days. They are true photos and not printed for about 16 cents ea. The best printers are the Kodak kiosk units at drug stores in my opinion. I have an inkjet with photo quality and some Kodak paper around for "emergency photos".

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

leica supposedly makes the best lens on the market...my father has sworn by them for many years

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

West Germany stills makes better lenses than Japan and always have. Leica and Zeiss are the best lens manufacturers in the world. Some previous Japanese lens makers are now haveing lenses made or assembled in Taiwan and Hong Kong. They are not the same you have to check!

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

camera: syn. apache

u would never think it would be such an exciting topic

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Spectator sports are huge in America.

- Finally you can get a 432mm Mega Zoom digital camera for 500 bucks with a West German made Leica aspherical ED Glass Multi-coated lens with a built-in image stabilizer that can hold it's own against cameras costing 5 times the price. Add a 1.4x Canon TL-55 and the zoom is now past 600+mm. You can actually see craters on the moon. Kick in the digital zoom on top of that and the 600mm goes up over 800mm. This used to be impossible and only if you rented lenses costing thousands could you take a whack at it. Now it can be done easily by anyone for under a grand without the need for a tripod until you are past 600mm.

-So you can go to a sporting event; boat race; even do a wedding or just landscapes and then do a little editing and have a picture that only a true Pro could accomplish a few years back.

It makes having one at any event even more fun!

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

I was asked what is the most "advanced" CMOS DSLR

The Kodak DCS Pro DSLR.

The body costs $ 5,000.00 It is a 14 megapixel camera. It has the best CMOS sensor on the market. 1:1 lens magnification so no "factor" and associated potential problems.

It uses Nikon Lenses and flash units!!


The Nikon and Panasonic take nicer pictures I think as seen in the next post.

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Here are 3 pictures from Steve's review site.

Top left Nikon; Top Right Kodak

Bottom Panasonic/Leica FZ-20


The Nikon is a $ 1,250 base price unit.

The Kodak DCS Pro DSLR a $ 5,500.00 base price unit.

The Panasonic/Leica DMC-FZ-20 $ 500.00 complete.

You can see CMOS technology has a way to go with the Kodak picture in sharpness and saturation; but it is moving along.

The Nikon D-70 picture is fine.

The Panasonic FZ-20 picture is very close to the Nikon D-70.

Can you see why I am sold on the FZ-20? A $ 5,500 camera can not touch it. The D-70 is about equal in picture quality.

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Canon Digital Rebel vs. Panasonic DMC FZ-20 and D-70 from Steve's Site

Panasonic DMC FZ-20 Top Left

Nikon D-70 Top Rt

Canon Digital Rebel Bottom


The Nikon and Panasonic take about equal pictures. I think the Rebel is close in these pics.

My only point is all you need to spend is $ 500.00 to get pictures that can go toe to toe with a $ 5,500.00 camera.

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Wardey, Those pics I sent you were taken on a new Digital Rebel. And I had no idea how to use it :D

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Then the D-70 is for you!!

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

i buy those disposable ones, they turn out pretty good... :rolleyes:

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Thanks all for the comments.....didn't mean to get an Apachee Thread going here. :D :D :D But here's what I think.....a Timex and a Rolex both tell the same time.....one stands more abuse than the other, one last longer than the other. I am hard on my shizzzit. I need something that is reliable and shoots good , fast pictures and is caparable to a 35mm SLR. Good points were made about the pricing and I want to look at the FZ20 REAL hard. I'll let you guy's know what I decide on. Thanks again !!! Dave Warden

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

I bought the fz20 based on hydrocruisers recomendation. Got it at www.mpsuperstore.com for $450.00. It should be here tomorrow. Its got very high ratings everywhere I've looked.

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

http://www.kbcamera.com/leicashop/ca..._73_80_2_27_89

Well Trooper Troutly.... the Leica R 9 system complete goes for around $ 150,000.00+ . You would get both a 35mm and a digital module. The digital module goes for $ 4,995.00 and fits on the $ 3,000.00 camera body. Heck a 100mm f 2.0 ED lens costs $ 6,395.00. A 400-800mm lens goes for $ 9,295 and then an additional $ 6,295.00 for the focus module.

I know a guy who has around $ 120,000.00 into this system. He does Designer fashion shoots @ 10k/half hour in London. You can't begin to compare a 100mm f 2.0 Leica lens that goes for $ 6,395 to anything Nikon or Canon makes. It isn't fair. I had heard some Jap companies have bought them to benchmark their own lenses by. They are that good.

This Leica system is way too expensive for most when a good Jap point and shoot can even do the job. A lens shade for a Leica lens can go for more than what some Jap lenses cost.

No slam intended but Leica rules.

The Leica R 9 system is what they use at Buckingham Palace for crying out loud. Not for lugging around in a car doing photo-journalism. :rolleyes:

The Leica R 9 is an Enzo :D

The Nikon D-70 is a Ford GT :p

The Panasonic DMC FZ-20 is a Corvette :drink:

The FZ-20 just gives the most bang for the buck is all. So for those looking for the most bang for your buck and a huge zoom lens; I did the homework for you. If you want to spend more on the best thing going right now in it's price bracket; Troutly did the work for you. I can't tell the difference between picutres taken with either the Nikon or the Panasonic camera in most instances. But then again I would not want to race a Ford Gt with a Vette either. The question is are you going to race a Ford GT?

Don't get me wrong; the D-70 is worth the extra money if you can or want to spend it.

But I will maintain that the Leica R 9 system is untouchable.

This picture of the Leica R 9 was actually taken with a Leica R 9.

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

So @ $ 450 ea x 4 = $ 1,800.00

A D-70 with a Nikon Flash and a couple zoom lenses is easilly that much if not more.

So you can buy 4 Panasonic DMC-FZ-20's........

oh forget it....4 Corvettes are not worth a Ferrari ..what am I trying to say? :D :D

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

To those with enough money a D-70 could be a disposable..everything is relative.

...sounds like something a lawyer would say...oh no.. :evilb:

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

I'm all over the Canon gear. :D :drink:

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

we throw everything away eventually... i just like the irony of taking pictures of 500k boats with a $2 dollar camera.... :drink: :D

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

i don't know about you, but that pic looks kinda fuzzy for such a high dollar camera.... :D

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

You mean client..clients..plural would be giving me too much credit. :D

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Will the Canon 1.4x fit the Pano FZM 10??

I bought the 10 the same day they announced the 20 and paid the same price the 20 cost... :mad: :mad:

The Pano also has a tele lens but it costs $$ 499.00

Re: Which camera to buy?
 

Sure can.

http://www.b-300.com/fz10ac.html

You just unscrew the lens ring..screw on the PD-55 and then the TL-55 onto the adapter.

The Sony 1.8x is a better/high magnifier lens if you want to spend $ 200.00 but the TL-55 @ $89.00 is fine. The olympus lens on the above site is decent too.

I bought the Canon as it was cheap and I didn't know if doing this would be a good idea. I am very surprised how well it works. My extender on the 35mm camera I had was useless.