Zoom lenses

[sweetpeakaris]

Hi,

I really need to make a decision fast so that I can buy my new camera and have time to play with it before our trip. I was looking at the Sony H1 or the Canon S12(i think, the one similar to the H1). I was also looking at another Sony Camera DSC-N1 that came out a few months back, it has 8.0 mega pixels. How important is having 12x zoom, 5.1 mg pixels? or is 8.0 mg pixels and 3x zoom better? Is having 12x zoom really that important, to get lower mega pixels? I would like to find a Camera for no more than $500 that will take very nice photos, so any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I would like to stick with Sony since I can use the accessories I have, but open to other brands as well, just need a great camera for at or under $500. I also have no clue of how far you can zoom with 12x vs 3x, would 3x zoom be enough? Please Help, I'm a camera dummy , lol


Link to the 8.0 Mega Pixel
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Sony/sony_dscn1.asp

 

[LordAthens]

Most people don't need and 8MP camera. I would personally go with the Canon, it's a far better camera for more than just the zoom.

Don't forget, that sensor is behind glass. You could have a 100MP sensor, but if the glass in front of it isn't very good, you've already lost resolution and won't get as sharp of a picture as you would with say a 5MP camera with a better \ longer piece of glass in front of it.

 

[ndelaware]

If you want 8 megs you are better off looking at the S80.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons80/

 

[CleveRocks]

Number one, when you're talking 3x zoom versus 12x zoom, make sure the zoom you're talking about is OPTICAL and not DIGITAL. IMHO, the amount of digital zoom is a worthless number. Without going into too much technical detail, let me explain digital zoom this way: Get closer and closer to your TV screen, and as you get closer the image quality degrades, right? That's digital zoom. Digital zoom is done by computer. OPTICAL zoom is done by the lens itself, and as long as it's "good glass" as someone else above said, it can serve you well.

To me, the most important thing about zoom is composition. Composition means, for lack of a better explanation, what you see in the finished photo. The more zoom you have, the greater control you have over the composition of your photo. You can literally zoom in on just one piece of what you see with your naked eye, and make that one piece the whole picture. The trade-offs with zoom are that you need more light (everything else being equal), and your photos are slightly more susceptible to camera shake.

GOOD LUCK, AND HAPPY HUNTING!

 

[Kelly Grannell]

For that kind of money I think you can get a Canon S2 IS. Very fast AF, includes optical Image Stabilizer, enough MP to enlarge to at least 8"x12".

Put it this way, using my dRebel (6.3 MP), I did a product shot that's blown up to 20"x30" with no problem whatsoever. The picture was used last year by a Japanese electronics company for their posters at various electronic stores in the US and Canada. If you've been to Best Buy in the past 3 years and you've been in their audio/video section, you've seen my works using a 6.3 MP camera (well, last year I used 8MP, but that's because they don't make 6.3 Canon dSLR anymore)

 

[handicap18]

Here are a few to get you started:
Canon PowerShot S80; Canon PowerShot A620; Canon PowerShot S2 IS; Sony Cyber Shot DSC-H1; Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1; Olympus Camedia C-4000 Zoom; Nikon Coolpix 7900.

Take a look at cnet.com, amazon.com, www.dpreview.com, www.epinions.com, www.steves-digicams.com, and www.imaging-resource.com to get more indepth reviews from "experts" and consumers. You'll also get reviews of other camera's just from looking at one of the above. Most places will give you a list of other items people looked at or another camera will be referenced in the review itself.

The actual size of each camera can differ greatly so you may need to take a trip to a Ritz Camera (or similar) or Best Buy or another electronic store just to be able to get your hands on the camera to see how it feels in your hands before buying.

Good luck and happy shopping.

 

[sweetpeakaris]

Thanks Guys, all of the posts are very helpful to me, this is such an Awesome board, I love DIS

 

[Longhorns99]

I just recently purchased the Canon S80 and it takes wonderful pictures. I do alot of nature photography with my wife and daughter and the macro zoom is awesome on the camera. Also you can purchase it from beachcamera for well below retail cost with fast shipping. I ordered mine on a Friday had it on Tuesday and saved almost $140.00 off of what it would have cost at the local retail store.

 

[mcgrawfan]

I am wanting to get a new digital camera with a better zoom. I currently have an Olympus Stylus 3.2 mp. I like the camera because of its size and it does take great pictures. I would like something with a little more zoom. I don't want to spend a fortune. I appreciate your opinions. Thanks in advance.

 

[Kelly Grannell]

at the risk of being accused for being "on a rampage", I strongly suggest Canon S2IS, or if budget permits, Panasonic Lumix 30 (can't remember the exaxt model number).

They both have image stabilizer, clean enough high ISO. Canon is smaller though and runs on AA batteries. Panasonic fits better in my hands.

 

[manning]

It's panasonic FZ30

They have just announced The Lumix DMC-TZ1 - the world’s smallest 10x optical zoom digital still camera for US $349.95. And it has image stabilization too.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06021405panasonictz1.asp

Here's more info on it:

http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/Panasonic-Announces-Compact-TZ1-With-10X-Optical-Zoom-.htm

 

[mhutchinson]

I would second both of Kelly's suggestions for the Canon or the Panasonic DMC-FZ30. Optical zoom over digital and what is more comfortable to use. If you did not want to spend as much for the higher zooms you could look at a lower cost camera with higher resolution and crop your shots on your PC to give a similar result. You can check out sites like www.dcresource.com and www.dpreview.com to help with your decission and see some good samples of each to help compare.

If you are comfortable in that price range you might also want to take a look at the Nikon D50 or the Canon Rebel XT which are both DSLR, but will open up the possibility of optical zoom range with interchangable lens (some available with stability control...but that gets into an an entirely different price area.

I had started by looking at the S2 IS and DMC-FZ30 and quickly decided I wanted to get back in SLR mode..after that there where rebate offers and I ended up buying way more than I intended...but I am happy with it...feel like a kid going to Disney again

 

[Dan Murphy]

Do a search on this board for that Canon mentioned above, lots of happy users, me among them.

 

[manning]

Konica Monalta just announced they are getting out of the camera business. The camera assets are being turned over to Sony.

You may want to stay away from them.

 

[anne930]

Help!! We are looking to purchase a new digital camera this year - one that is light enough to take to the parks, but also one that has a decent zoom. It would most likely be used 95% of the time on automatic or on one of the preset modes. We have had our eye on the Canon A610 and like all the features, except I was hoping for a better zoom. Can someone explain to me whether I should be looking at the optical or digital specs? My DH says to look at the optical specs, but the Canon website states the digital zoom specs in their comparisons - this is confusing me. All I know is when I compare the A610 zoom to my old 35 mm film camera, it doesn't seem as good.

Thanks,

 

[Chickysmom]

Well I cetainly am no professional and someone else here can make it very clear in pre terms...but, the bigger the optical zoom the better. If you have a camera with 20X total zoom, a camera with 10X optical and 2X digital is better than one with 5X optical and 4X digital....clear as mud? Hoe this helps.

 

[ndelaware]

Hi Anne, Don't even look at the digital zoom number. Digital zoom is just your camera making a picture bigger much like you do on your computer. It doesn't get you closer and the picture quality goes down as the digital zoom increases. Optical zoom is the important thing an is done with the lens. That way you get the same quality picture at 1X zoom as 12X zoom.

If you are looking at a fairly small camera like the 610 I think you will only find 3X or 4X zoom for the most part. If you are lookiing for 10X or 12X zoom you are more than likely to end up with a slightly larger camera like the Canon S2 IS, the Sony DSC H-1, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5S, or one of the high zoom Kodaks. They are not big cameras but they will not fit in a shirt pocket.

Have a look at this link, it will give you a pretty good idea what is out there in digital cameras. http://www.steves-digicams.com/best_cameras.html

 

[Anewman]

First thing I would do is turn off Digital zoom. Digital zoom is garbage, all it really is doing is cropping your image and upsizing it back upto stated megapixels. You can do that with any photoediting app.

Also the same way so many get caught up in the megapixel race, optical zoom race can also be missleading. I would rather have good quality optics/sensor with a short zoom than long zoom with terrible optics/sensor combination. The Canon A series cameras have decent sensors paired with decent lens, hard to match at those price points. Some of the Panasonic Lumix cameras may(opinion) have better lenses but their sensors are very noisy.

 

[tony64]

How can I tell if this lens is suitable for D50 if I'm buying over the Net???
PS. is there a breakdown of the codeing for lenses somewhere?????

G, ED, iS what does it all mean???????

 

[JR6ooo4]

IS usually refers to image stabilisation.
any other (non canon) info is not in my brain.
Mikeeee