Wardey

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

TopSpin80

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

berns29scarab

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.

Wardey

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

Hydrocruiser

"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

Wardey

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

Wardey

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

Hydrocruiser

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!!

Hydrocruiser

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.

Hydrocruiser

Here are 2 pictures Phantom took with his FZ-20

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

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