digital camera

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aj

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What is the best digital camera to buy? I could probably pay 200-1000$.I was told they make as good as quality of pictures as regular camera's anymore. Thanks in advance.
 

cowz

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I have a neighbor who is a professional rodeo photographer.  She has a Nikon 8.5 megapixal and takes some amazing shots.  I have seen the 10 mega pixals are now out on the market.  I was quizzing her about cameras just the other day.  Her advice was to get the best you could possibly afford and to stick with Nikon or Pentax.
 

red

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I use a Kodak EasyShare DX7630, Love it! also have the printer dock for photos. you can upload the pictures to the computer & also print them off from there. Many great features.
Don't go w/ the cheapest & as Cowz said try to get one w/ as many megapixals as possible.

Red
 

Jill

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We have been looking at the Nikon D40X, it seems like the best one out there for movement, it has several lens options and I think is the best value, it has dropped 150-200 in the past month, the only thing that makes me cautious is it states that it isn't for dusty conditions.  We just bought a Kodak Z1275 for my son, it is priced around 200 and makes a great take in your pocket camera at 12.1 mega pixel
 

knabe

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200-1000 is quite a range.

the basic difference between camera's is shutter speed.  if you can afford a "solid body" like the canon ae1, (i'm not recommending anything, just the form factor), it will take pictures in low light situations, give better contrast between light and dark.  also, with black cattle, the better the camera, the more detail you will see in the shadows, or black areas which are limited to the number of colors in a narrow range of colors.  16.7 million isn't enough for blacks.  this is totally evident in flat screen tv's and is probably the sole difference in price.  the better the black areas without pixelating, the better.  this is one reason i haven't purchased a flat screen tv.  the technology i want is still around 5000, it used to be 15,000.  it will move down.

will you do manual override?  if not, you are probably in the 2-400 range.  also, flashes only work to about 10 feet at best and is mostly for candid shots, which they market the price point for as most people won't bother with an externally attached flash or lighting which is necessary for REALLY taking good pictures, especially indoors of black cattle.

the other major difference is zoom without software interpolation.  if you don't understand any of this, yet feel burdoned to pay $1000 for a camera, it's probably a price point of an in betweener.  one that will produce film quality will probably be slightly more than that, and if you have any old lenses that are compatible, you can use those.  be careful of adapters which add focal length, reduce light capturing ability.  the lens is probably more important of a purchase than the camera.  most digitals let you override either the f stop or the lens speed.  it used to be the difference between the film cameras that they would do one or the other and nikon did both.  now you can have your cake and eat it too.


read, try, read, then purchase. 
 

aj

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I found on amazon a canon digital rebel xti 10.1 mp digital slr camera with ef-s 18-55 mm f/3.5 -5.6 lens black. It is supposed to be 1400$ camera but they price it at 589$. Why so cheap? Is this a good camera. Why the discount?
 

Jill

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Make sure you are buying the real thing, some of these you see priced cheap are not really what they claim to be.
 

red

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is it being discontinued? Sometimes when a model is being replaced they knock the price down.

Red
 

knabe

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the photos i took on the atyou thread were with a camera a step down from the slr digitals. you can see from the black heifer, what i'm talking about with the lack of clarity in the black area.  at the time i purchased the camera, i think it was 500 including a 1 or 2 gig chip, bag, charger,some other accs.  one of my employees purchased the xt from canon so she could use her other lenses.  it has almost no discernable delay taking a light reading and snapping the shot, also something extremely important to consider.  mine is ok, but a dramtic improvement over my other camera which my wife simply could not use as she just kept pressing the button rather than wait for the green light indicating a light reading had been obtained.  at the time i didn't want to spend 1500 on the canon, as i knew these would come down.  this is probably going to sound offensive, but at 400 bucks, this is considered disposable price as the product life cycle is about a year.  don't worry, you will feel disappointed no matter what you buy a year later when the price goes down or the feature set goes up.

again, if you are not considering ANY manual override, 500 bucks is about the most i would ever spend on a camera.

i would considering purchasing if possible from a local retailer, especially if price difference is <$25-50 as they will provide service, might have some combo package at less price.  if you purchase online, service can really be annoying.

i know this sounds stupid, but what you could do is actually rent a camera, perhaps even a film camera, try different manual overrides on different types of day, ie overcast, into the sun at different angles.  take around 50 pictures, write down what you did, take the photos to a real salesman and show him what you want to be able to do if you want to spend more than $500.  remember the law of diminishing return for more money of some features.

also, remember to defrag your memory after you download your pics, it will make things a little faster during write mode and give you back your light meter faster.  also, turn off redeye filter as this robs time as well.

or just take a class in digital photog first!
 

chambero

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A good camera that will fit in the pocket for rugged outdoor use is an Olympus Stylus.  They make a fully waterproof and shockproof version.  I use it on hunting trips and knocking around in the pickup.
 

aj

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Jill, are you talking fraud fine print or what when they are not what they say they are.
 

knabe

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chambero said:
A good camera that will fit in the pocket for rugged outdoor use is an Olympus Stylus.  They make a fully waterproof and shockproof version.  I use it on hunting trips and knocking around in the pickup.

that is an excellent point chambero, i purchased waterproof binoculars with a lifetime warranty on cleaning the inside if they ever condense, which is a total pain to clean if you don't have the tool to take of the lenses, and it costs about $75 bucks to have them cleaned.  i left my last pair out on the porch and they condensed overnight.  i like bird watching a little.
 

knabe

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aj said:
I was told they make as good as quality of pictures as regular camera's anymore.


hmmm, i didn't pay close attention to that comment at first.  to do this, you will need a slr body camera with interchangeable lenses as a minimum for lens speed, focal length, light gathering, flash flexibility.  without accs at current prices, they will start around $600 for body + standard type lens.  add memory, carrying case, flash, extra lens.  look at the lens first, then get a body and buy an extra camera like chambero said.

 

Jill

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aj said:
Jill, are you talking fraud fine print or what when they are not what they say they are.
Some are knock offs from other countries that come with no warranty, some are remanufactured, problem cameras that were sent back for repair and are resold, I'd do some checking, if they are cheap there is usually a reason for it.
 

shortyisqueen

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aj said:
I found on amazon a canon digital rebel xti 10.1 mp digital slr camera with ef-s 18-55 mm f/3.5 -5.6 lens black. It is supposed to be 1400$ camera but they price it at 589$. Why so cheap? Is this a good camera. Why the discount?

I have a canon rebel and it is an awesome camera. This is a pretty hefty discount though, so I think you should be wary. The lens that is on it, however, is a bit of a shoddy lens standard kit lens they throw in so you'll have to come back and buy a new one later. Its not that fast, not that sharp and won't leave you that great of photos. If you have to compromise, the photographer's rule is that it is better to get a better lens than it is a better body, as the lens will have more affect on your pictures. Getting a zoom to do cattle pictures is great, because you can shoot from across the pasture - but if you're not going to get a good one, your pictures be too blurry to use anyways and you might as well be taking pics with a point and shoot!!!
 

OH Breeder

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AJ,
When I started my search I went directly to consumer reports. I bought an Olympus 550. Has a ton of features and great zoom quality.I really like mine and it was reasonably priced. I went back to Consumer Reports and here are some recommened cameras.
                     
Compact
Cannon
PowerShot A460 $150

SubCompact
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9  $390

SLR-LIKE MODELS
  Fujifilm FinePix S6000fd  $320

For an easy-to-use SLR: Big Cameras

Nikon D40X (10 MP) $800
Olympus Evolt E-410 (10 MP) $800
Nikon D40 (6 MP) $600, CR Best Buy
 

aj

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The nikon D40x may be the way to go. I was going to go to a kansas archeology seminar in feb on how to take pictures of artifacts and stuff also. How many lens can you get by with... a couple?
 

Rocky Hill Simmental

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I got a Fujifilm 7.1 mega pixel camra for only $215 from Wal-Mart. I don't know too much about professional photography but this one sure takes some clear pictures. I haven't had a chance to take many pictures yet except for of my animals but when I put those on the computer, I can zoom in and see their individual hairs on my calves.

It has has macro and super macro, those might be good for taking pictures of artifacts.

I hope you get a good camra and enjoy the seminar.  :)
 

JSchroeder

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The Rebels on Amazon typically lack the full package and they're just the primary part of the camera (they sometimes don't have a lens, battery, etc.).

With a $1,000 budget, go with a digital SLR.  Speaking from experience, you won't see anything else (snap and shoot, fit in pocket, etc) in cattle photography classes.  find the highest quality Nikon or Cannon DSLR you can get for the price.  You can find the Rebel XT in the $500-800 range at Best Buy.

The differences between Nikon and Cannon are a toss up unless you already have lenses for one brand in which case you want to stick to that brand.  I have a Rebel XT and would prefer to try a Nikon or my old Rebel that got stolen because it is a bit small.
 
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