Digital Cameras...which one?

[JMRV7]

I'll speak only from personal experience.. In terms of simple point and shoot digi's, I've had nothing but great luck with Sony's.. Had a Sony DSC-P50 (1.3 mp) through most of college, up until last year (2 years out of college).. Worked great, took a heck of a beating (the usual college weekend life, took it to New Zealand for 6 months, hiking, skiing, etc)...

I now use a Sony DSC-V1 (5 mp) and absolute LOVE it.. same durability, but now with full sound with the video AND Carl Zeiss lens, which is great for a point and shoot..


My father shoots with a Nikon D70 digital SLR and absolute loves it.. can do just about anything you can imagine with it, but cumbersome if you're just looking for a weekend warrior camera..

[flyerfly]

The criteria I used to decide were as follows.

1. Point and shoot vs SLR

Point and shoot is less expensive, lighter, and more compact. It also is slower to boot up and has a shutter lag (ie press the button and wait for a half a second or so before the picture is taken) that can be frustrating with moving objects. Your lens options are limited.

SLR is more expensive, bigger, and heavier. Most of them can instantly take a picture when you turn them on and have no shutter lag, you press the button and it takes the picture right then. You can also put any number of lenses on if you are inclinded toward that sort of thing. This means that if you want to have better control over depth of field you will be able to do that much better with SLR lenses. Good lenses are a money pit...fair warning...but oh are they fun

2. Decide which brand you want, they all seem to have good and bad points. I read alot on www.Dpreview.com
3. Go to a store if possible and try holding the camera and try taking some pictures (you might need to bring your own batteries and flash card).

This is just the start of the digital camera equipment list...then you have to get a printer that will make nice pictures...then you will wonder why the pictures may not look like what you have on the screen so you will have to get your monitor and printer profiled...I got sick of paying so much for ink that I plumbed my printer up with hoses and now buy ink in bottles and never have to change the cartridges .

Enjoy.