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How old is the battery? I only ask because I've had cameras that start to struggle with focus in the past when they are getting power - but not enough power. You can get cheap off brand replacement batteries pretty inexpensively if that might be the problem.It might also be a lens issue. Does the problem persist with every one of your lenses?'ODoyleRules said:
With the pancake lens, do I get to zoom at all? Or is it just a "see what is in front, take pic" kind of thing? We take lots of photos of our kids and aren't always right on top of them (sports, for instance, or school plays) and we'd like to be able to zoom in to see expressions before shooting. Does that make sense? What are the differences between the zoom lens that would come with the camera and the one you pointed out? I'm clueless on cameras so sorry about all the beginner questions. I have never used anything but a Canon PowerShot Digital Elph P&S camera.
Which model of Elph do you own? There's a good chance your Elph had a 3x zoom lens so the kit lens would be similar to the Elph zoom lens you are used to using.No, the pancake lens is a fixed length lens. No zoom at all. Not a good option for sports.What type of sports are you talking about? Soccer/baseball you might get away with the 18-200 lens I linked because games are typically during the day and outside with a lot of light available to work with. Any sports at night or indoors(basketball, football, volleyball, wrestling, etc) will present lighting limitations and what you really need is a high quality lens. Same goes for school plays. Those are some of the most difficult situations to photograph. The lenses you need are fairly large and expensive so I would forget the mirrorless route and get an inexpensive dSLR and pair it with a quality telephoto lens. I'm more familiar with the Canon side of things but I'd take a look at the 85mm/F1.8, 100mm/F2.8, or 135mm/F2 lenses depending on how close you can get to the action and how much you are willing to spend. The perfect lens for you would be the 70-200mm/F2.8 zoom but that's almost $2k and is much bigger/heavier than the other lenses I listed.What type of output do you plan to use? Sharing web pictures with family/friends? Standard size prints? Larger prints(8x10 and above)?
This one is the current Canon we have. Looking at that page, yes it is a 3x zoom. For the sports, right now they are into soccer and tee-ball and a little basketball. Nothing at night (kids are 4 and 6). So if I'm understanding it right, the pancake lens is ok for shooting pics at home just playing around, birthday parties, things like that. For a vacation in Hawaii, though, it may not be the best type of lens? This isn't really going to be a hobby (at least that isn't the plan), I'm just looking for a nice step up from the point-and-shoot. Budget is going to be up to $750 but looking for the best value for the dollar. The mirrorless was attractive b/c of the lack of bulk with using the camera. For the near future I wouldn't see us really willing to walk around with more than two lenses at a time...it would just be a bit bulky/annoying I think. As for output, it is mostly for printing out regular size photos, some web sharing. I'm sure the wife would really like to be able to print some out 8x10 or so, but the quality from what we have now just doesn't really cut it for that.
The battery is a potential culprit - I'm still on an original battery. I do have a knock-off battery too and I'll try that and see if there is any difference. I hadn't bothered to think of that to date. Thanks.I don't think it's a lens thing as I see the same prob with 2 lens (18-200mm and 50mm 1.8)
I have little to add except that for $750, you should be able to get something that will blow away what you have today (I used to have that same camera). Even getting the most basic stock lens on the lowest SLR will be an awesome upgrade. Have fun!
Getting an itchy trigger finger to purchase...anybody have any thoughts on the Nikon D3100 given the info above?I would never buy it from there, but planning to swing by Best Buy over lunch just to take a look at in person and see how she feels.
Not familiar enough with the 3100 to give a recommendation, but if it fits your budget you'll be fine with it. I'm still using an old Nikon D50 and getting great pictures with it. I've sunk my money into lenses rather than upgrading my camera body and it has served me well. There will always be a bigger/better/newer camera out there. But if you aren't a pro, I'm not sure that it makes sense to worry about it. Pretty much any Nikon DSLR is going to give you good photos if you are a good photographer.
I manhandled the Nikon D3100 at Best Buy over lunch....felt good in my hands and gonna make the purchase. I have a feeling it won't take me long to get obsessed and start purchasing bigger and better lenses, but for now this should give me a good starting point.
What lens comes with it, 18-55? If so, that's actually a pretty nice lens for a kit lens. You can get some nice photos with it until you decide if you want to go with a longer zoom or a prime first. Eventually you'll probably end up with both.Enjoy!
Yep, 18-55 lens.Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm NIKKOR VR Lens
So, I found a number of online places selling this camera for around $550 (no tax, free shipping)Came across this one listed at $398. Am I missing a catch here that it's $150 cheaper than anything else I'm finding for buying this new? Risky source?http://www.sammisdeals.com/product.asp?id=13154
If you don't know anything about them, I'd steer clear. Probably gray market, at best, which would mean no US warranty.
That's what I'm thinking as well. Found 2 other places with good feedback and both have 1 year warranties. $530-$550 range.
The pancake lens is also good for landscapes, so it would be good in HI as well. It's just a a very poor choice for sports photography.What you really want is a compact camera that does well in all lighting conditions and can take telephoto pictures as well. Honestly, there aren't any cameras that can do everything. Not all P&S cameras are created equal... there are plenty of cameras that can deliver better photos and are more versatile than the Elph.I'd suggest, and a lot of people will likely disagree with me, you should just get two cameras that compliment each other.Buy this camera for low light shooting(indoors, dusk, dawn, school plays, etc)$393.95 Free Shipping after Coupon Code: "BGSpringSavings10" (Exp 3/31).....http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=CNPSS100K&omid=122&utm_id=17&ref=pricegrabber&utm_source=PriceGrabber&utm_medium=cpc&tab=descriptBuy this camera for daylight conditions and you need the versatility of a big zoom for sports/etc for $200(less expensive than a sports zoom for an interchangeable lens camera)....http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320795165964+Both are compact and both do very well in certain conditions. Use the Elph as a glove box/coat pocket camera that you have with you all the time(the very best camera is the camera that you actually have with you).Buying an interchangeable lens camera is a good solution for plenty of people but not for everyone. In the end I think you'll be better off with the lenses that work for you and a smaller sensor than a camera with a large sensor but using lenses that don't quite work for you(due to size, weight and expense). If you really want to print the occasional 8x10 you can absolutely do that with any of those cameras and touching them up with some software after you've taken the pictures.
Admittedly, I'm a Canon guy but I don't believe the bolded is true at all. Nikon, Canon, Sony, Pentax... they all take great stills. Nikon might be a little faster focusing, especially in lower light conditions but even that is kind of nit-picking.If I was spending $500+ I'd go for this...
I've got the D3000, which the D3100 replaced as Nikon's entry-level camera (I purchased just before the D3100 was released). I think they are pretty similar besides some extra features that were added to the D3100. Anyway, I've been happy with the D3000, and no complaints about it. I'm still learning a lot of the technical stuff, so it's a good camera that can put on automatic, but can also play around with. So, you'd probably find the same with the D3100.For lenses, I've got the kit 18-55, a 55-200, and a 35 prime, which has given me a pretty good range.
Maybe I'm a lens snob, but for something I'm investing in for probably the rest of my life I wouldn't sink money into Tamron lenses. Quality is too inconsistent from the stories I've heard. When you buy Nikon glass you know you are getting a good product every single time. You could probably make the same claim about Canon, although I've not had any experience with Canon.
It depends lens to lens. There are some Nikon lenses that are better than the similar Canon, and vice versa. In the end it's probably best to research the specific lens rather than make assumptions based on the manufacturer. That particular Tamron lens is pretty good - but at the end of the day it's an 18-270mm mega zoom so optical quality will obviously be compromised for convenience. To some people the convenience outweighs the dropoff in optical quality, that's why I gave a range of suggestions. A real glass snob would likely say that you should never buy zooms at all. The best optical quality is usually associated with fixed lenses. For instance they would much prefer a Sigma 85mm/F1.4 over the Nikon 18-200mm or Canon 18-200mm all day long no matter what name was on the box. Even in the sphere of zooms Tokina is recognized by most people as having some world-class wide zooms. Similarly, Sigma has a few super tele-zooms that are very highly regarded when directly compared to Nikon/Canon glass of the same category. I wasn't exactly clear in my post though, and when I spoke of the 24-105mm/F4 and the 24-70mm/F2.8 I was talking about the very popular Canon lenses even though I didn't specify the manufacturer.
I've never had trouble with third party batteries but I also take the user ratings into consideration when making a purchase.You don't need to be worried about the quality of microfiber wipes, brushes, and blowers imo. Even the lower quality products included in those kits should work fine.I think these are so much better than screen protectors because they help you to actually see the screen in bright, sunny conditions while also protecting the screen....http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HB2TJ2/ref=oh_o06_s00_i00_details
Thanks for the input. Any info on the filters? Picked up a 32GB SDHC Class 10 card yesterday for $28. That should be plenty to start with, right?
That's a great deal on a card with good capacity and speed, although I'd suggest having two memory cards. Even with a brand name card you never know when there might be a mishap so it's good to have a backup card with you and split your photos between two cards when you are shooting so you lower the likelihood of losing all your photos if something goes wrong with one card.The use of filters really comes down to personal taste imo. I tend to use a circular polarized filter and don't really use any others. Here is a quick explanation of what they are good for...http://www.advancedphotography.net/circular-polarizer-filter-circular-polarizer-filter/Some people swear by graduated neutral density filters but I just never feel comfortable using them. Seems to me there is kind of a learning curve using them and they can have a distracting effect if you don't really know how to use them well but your mileage may vary.
No that is one reason for the move. I have a spinal problem so bending down just doesn't work for me.
Do you know if the T2i doesn't have this same sensor/feature?
Understanding Exposure is a good one. Also, unlike most other tech gadgets, the camera manual is actually extremely useful to read and understand. If you're like me, the first time you read the manual, half the content will go over your head. You'll come back to it in 6 months and it will make a lot more sense. But Understanding Exposure is a great dummies' guide to how ISO, f-stop and shutter speed all go together. My advice for this first trip is just to shoot a lot in Auto or "P" setting (which is almost the same as Auto). Experiment with zooming in incredibly close on faces and zooming way way out. There's not some hidden setting on the camera that only experts know about that will make your pictures amazing. Getting good pictures (esp. portraits) is more about you understanding how your subject is lit than it is about a camera setting. Have fun!
I love Photoshop Elements. The biggest benefit I've found is that it's capable of editing RAW files (I'm aware that there other programs that do this, but I like PSE). To take advantage of this, if you change your camera settings to shoot in RAW + JPEG, the camera will create a version of each picture as RAW or filename.CR2. Once this file is on your computer, when you open it with Elements, there will be a dialog box where you can adjust the exposure, colors, etc. and Elements will recommend auto-fixes here too. Anyway, the editing in this dialog box is where I think you can take a good picture and make it great. While they've tried to make Elements user-friendly, I think the learning curve is pretty steep if you haven't worked with layers, filters in the past. I'd recommend trying a few pictures on RAW camera setting and edit it with PSE. If you find it's too big of a hassle for you, just shoot in JPEG, you'll still get good results. I know it took me awhile to appreciate what results are possible with the camera and software I have.
Are you editing on a PC or a Mac? If Mac, I recommend Aperture.
I think Picasa is a better organizer and is better at light editing than Elements. 90% of what you can accomplish in Elements you can do in Picasa.
Besides the RAW editing...If I have 2 pictures taken in quick succession and one kid is only smiling or blinking in one, I will copy/paste the face from one picture to another in Elements. (I learned this trick just to put friends' pictures in pron images).I have a few filters in Photoshop that I like that I can't do in Picasa.Elements is good for reducing noise in some pictures, but I rarely use this. If I want to make one part of a picture pop or remove some unwanted stuff from a picture (like overhead wires or stragglers in a background), Elements lets you selectively pick part of the image and remove it or deemphasize it. Most of the stuff above I don't do that often - usually a picture is either good or crap right out of the camera. If it's good, I can generally make it a lot better with editing the RAW file, but I think most of this improvement is in my eyes - I doubt my family notices the change.
I think it's pretty easy. The directions are easier explained through pictures, so I'm going to give a couple of links instead of me typing.The easy but results will vary way
...language filter caught the Sony a[fifty-five].
I'm admittedly a Canon guy, but that said I don't think with most entry-level models that you'll notice that great of a difference where you'd say Canon or Sony or Nikkon definitely has the advantage. When I bought my first Canon, I had a feeling I may get more interested than just wanting a consumer body eventually, so I wanted to make sure I had something easily upgradeable. At that point, I had photographer friends that swore by Canon and it had the largest selection of lenses available so my decision was relatively easy.If you feel like it'll just be an upgraded point and shoot and nothing more than a hobby, I don't think you can go wrong with any of the makers listed. If you feel like you could get more serious, you may want to look more into the subsequent steps down the line (Ex. I think I would like nature photography. How many lenses do each maker have for distance and what price range(s) are they in?)As far as paying for the next model coming out, I would say that's common. It's just like buying a computer: by the time you get it home and unwrapped, a faster and newer one comes out. You'll be constantly chasing the newest model and never purchase if you are overly concerned about this facet. Pick one you like the features of at this point and pull the trigger. In a few years, you can easily upgrade just the body with the newest technology if something more appealing comes out.By the way, when I was first starting out, the biggest piece of advice I got was if you have to choose, buy the more expensive lens over the expensive body. I ended up buying a starter kit and added a nice lens to mine. When I started to get more serious, I ended up buying a used pro-sumer body that was hardly used for a huge discount and ended up with a nice body and lens once I knew I was into it rather than worrying about the biggest and the best up front.About to take the leap into the DSLR market. My wife has been pining for one for the last year, and since we're about to take a vacation with lots of great scenery, now is the time.I've researched the crap out of this and have come down to looking at an entry-level DSLR, with kit lens, and a 55-200 (or comparable) zoom lens. I'm down to the Nikon D3100, Canon t2i, or the Sony ###.Was leaning strongly toward the Nikon, but then noticed yesterday Nikon has introduced the d3200. I know I don't want to pay for the upgrade to the new camera but I'm wondering if prices on the d3100 are going to drop in the near future. It looks like the dropped around February, so they may not drop again. But I don't want to buy now and then see them $100 cheaper in 2 weeks when the d3200 hits. Anyone have any insight on what to expect? Also, I know most are in the Canon or Nikon camp...anyone a Sony fan? I realize the ### has the translucent mirror so it's a bit of a different camera than a true DSLR, but it seems most really like it.ETA:
I purchased the Nikon D3100 about a month ago and am loving it. Very much a novice, but don't have any complaints. Found it at an online source for $520 total with no issues whatsoever (everywhere else I saw online was for $600+)About to take the leap into the DSLR market. My wife has been pining for one for the last year, and since we're about to take a vacation with lots of great scenery, now is the time.I've researched the crap out of this and have come down to looking at an entry-level DSLR, with kit lens, and a 55-200 (or comparable) zoom lens. I'm down to the Nikon D3100, Canon t2i, or the Sony ###.Was leaning strongly toward the Nikon, but then noticed yesterday Nikon has introduced the d3200. I know I don't want to pay for the upgrade to the new camera but I'm wondering if prices on the d3100 are going to drop in the near future. It looks like the dropped around February, so they may not drop again. But I don't want to buy now and then see them $100 cheaper in 2 weeks when the d3200 hits. Anyone have any insight on what to expect? Also, I know most are in the Canon or Nikon camp...anyone a Sony fan? I realize the ### has the translucent mirror so it's a bit of a different camera than a true DSLR, but it seems most really like it.ETA:
I'm not a Sony USER but definitely a FAN of the cameras they have been making the past several years. Not sure about the decisions they are making with some of their other product lines, but they are killing it in photography right now. Their cameras and camera bodies are every bit as good as the Canon/Nikon equivalents imo but if you honestly plan on spending a great deal in lenses you're options are much more limited if you choose the Sony family. Plenty of people only plan on purchasing 2 or 3 lenses(I'm not saying that's inherently a "wrong" approach btw) and in that case I wouldn't hesitate to go Sony or Pentax for that matter.Use coupon code "CowBoom20" by April 30th and this is a pretty good deal on a used Sony 14mp w/kit lens for just over $300...http://www.cowboom.com/product/742747... which leaves you quite a bit of $ left over for another lens, or monopod/tripod, filters, extra batteries, etc.If you are really into the idea of getting an extra lens or two right off the bat to add to the kit lens you might consider this deal on an early used Canon dSLR(only 6mp) w/kit lens but a good starter for under $200....http://www.cowboom.com/product/796231... (the coupon doesn't work on that one because it's under $300) and upgrade the body later as others have suggested. Sooner or later there will be another great deal on an 18mp T2i since it's a generation old now. For that matter, unless you are planning on printing larger than 8x10 you can get by nicely with a 6mp sensor that is much better than any 6mp sensor in a P&S or certainly any phone. The cowboom canon deal, with another $300 for a 75-300mm and a fast prime would be a nice place to start for most people. Pretty solid bag of photography tools for under $500 from which to start and decide if you want to upgrade later.'Ray Karpis said:
