My Digital Camera went pear shaped.... I need a new one?

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thataintchicken

thataintchicken

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So, after many years of faithful service, my Canon G3 has kicked the bucket, pulled the croak chain, joined the choir eternal.

I am tempted to grab another point and shoot, but there are so many newer cameras out there. I may just go for a DSLR and mess with the photo-hobby a bit. I sold my old 35mm gear years ago to pay rent. Perhaps now is agood time to get back into it.

thoughts?
 
If you're into photography as a hobby, then by all means go the DSLR route. Of course, it's not inexpensive and nice lenses will end up costing more than the camera body. Tip...buy a DSLR based on the family of lenses that you like rather than the individual camera body. The bodies may come and go but the lenses will stick with you for years. I use Nikon since I had a lot of Nikon 35 mm gear already. Obviously Canon is a great choice too. I'd stick with either of those for DSLR's.

If all you want is snapshots then just get a compact camera. It's not particularly convenient lugging around DSLR gear for a handful of snaps of your kid on the beach. But then since you already had a pile of 35 mm gear you know this.

Of course, getting both is ideal. Invest in the DSLR gear and pick up a $150 compact camera for the frivilous stuff.
 
My old point-n-shoot (a Canon S1 IS) also became and ex-parrot last summer. The LCD went all screwy, so I phoned Canon and they said to ship it. They sent me a box and label and in it went. A few days later, they called me to say they could repair it for something like $150, but would send me a refurbished S3 IS for $163. Now, this is known to be the very best of the PNS of the "S" line and I said "Hook me up!".

Well, then I get a call from a supervisor, who says that she is very, very sorry, but the camera that I was promised was no longer available. Would I be willing to take a DSLR Rebel with starter lens for $280?

Hell ya.

So I did, and bought myself a telephoto lens to go with it.

Personally, after having this a few months, my learning curve is insufficient for the camera. I love it, at times. And hate it, at times. I am more of an artsy-fartsy shooter, less technical than just interested in composition. I haven't gotten near the quality of shots with the DSLR that I did with my little S1 IS. And it's heavy and it doesn't travel well on the motorcycle. I find that I worry about it, cause it's worth so much.

Well, ****.

So you know what I did? I went to ebay and picked up a gently used S3IS for about $180 and love it. I bought it not from a dealer, but an individual enthusiast who moved up. It's perfect.

My plan is to use this little camera for trips and such, and take my time learning more about my DSLR. I may even go to a workshop. Canon has a few weekend classes in Cincinnati that look interesting and isn't a bad ride from here. Can take the East KY route and enjoy the scenery/curves. Yeah!

Hope this helps.
 
if you liked the G3 then you'll love the G10. Canon has done some great things with it and it's a very powerful little point 'n' shoot. If you want to go up to a DSLR then there are lots of options, but if you are the kind of person who likes having a pocket camera with you then you wont want to lug around a DSLR.
 
I have the Canon G9. I couldn't love it more. I wanted a very versatile camera that could be used as P&S or fully manual. This camera brings both. Its nice and compact, so its easy to take backpacking and on trips without taking up too much space. I couldn't be more happy with the manual features either. Most digital cameras, besides DSLR's have a ton of menus to go through to adjust aperture and shutter speed. You adjust this with a turn of a wheel. It is also capable of taking very high res pictures, and has a RAW capability. If you want a very functional camera, I highly recommend this line.
 
We have an Olympus 10Mpix PnS and a Pentax DSLR (I already had lenses from my film body when I upgraded). Both have their place. The Olympus is great for effortless shooting, but when light is low or shutter speed are critical (moving subjects) the DSLR rules.

The Canon 30D would be a good choice if you want to get into a DSLR. The lower end DSLRs have poor metering and autofocus, making shooting in auto mode hit or miss, so it's worth springing for the better body.
 
The best advice I could give you is to follow this link to Ken Rockwell's Website and click on the link to "Recommended Cameras". Ken is a great guy and a friend of mine. You will love his no BS approach to photography. Take some time to read around the wealth of knowledge on his website and you will be equipped to choose a camera on your own based on your wants and needs.

Personally, I love Nikon. I started with a D40 and added a D700 and a D90. I love them all, but find that I am gravitating back to my D40 more often because it's so small and light, but still yields terrific results. Remember one important thing though, just as the best piano will not make you a good pianist, neither will the best camera make you a good photographer. I've seen photos from people that blow me away only to learn they took them with their iPhone!
 
I love my G10. The only thing its missing is time lapse which is rumored to be released in a firmware update buy I doubt that will happen.
 
I have a Nikon D90 dslr and I love it. I also have plenty of use for it and all of my extra lenses and gadgets because I am getting into photography on the side. I agree with stunned monkey. Don't get a dslr just because. Do it if you REALLY want to get into photography. If you won't be taking the camera out of auto mode or be getting different lenses and accessories then you would be much better off with a good point and shoot. My wife has a compacts sony point and shoot (I forget the model off the top of my head) but it takes VERY good pictures for a point and shoot and if I remember right is only around $150.
 
I agree with most of the other posters... If you're thinking you might be interested in pursuing photography as a hobby, go with the dSLR. I bought my first dSLR a few years back (a Nikon D50) and have never looked back. I've since upgraded to a Nikon D300 (shot with a D80 along the way as well). However, I'm currently in the market for a new point-and-shoot myself... I love my D300, but there are plenty of times where I don't feel like lugging around my heavy camera that has well over $2K wrapped up into it. I think I'm going to go with something from the Olympus Stylus line, we're going to Jamaica next month and I'd love to have something I can take into the water with my while we're snorkeling.
 
If you just want to take good, easy pictures, the point and shoots available take great pictures. If you want another hobby, though, DSLR is the way to go. I have a Canon 20D and three lenses. I love the flexibility you get with real optics, but be prepared for the weight. The other thing, if you think brewing can be expensive, wait until you are lusting for another $2000 lens! I have a very tolerant SWMBO!
 
I used my 35mm gear for Food Photography. One of the stupid freelance things I did to pay bills. I wouldn't mind getting a Rebel for that kind of thing again.

The G3 was my go everywhere shoot everything camera. I have a pair of mounts for my motorcycle that worked PERFECTLY with that camera.

I may go for a G10 initially then see if I can find a deal on a DSLR around my Birthday.
 
Ritz's online store is OK, but they usually have higher prices than the other places I buy equipment from. I love Adorama Camera in NYC. Great customer service! I also buy from B & H and Amazon.
 
johnsma22 said:
Ritz's online store is OK, but they usually have higher prices than the other places I buy equipment from. I love Adorama Camera in NYC. Great customer service! I also buy from B & H and Amazon.
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I agree. The only online vendors I've ever used for new equipment are B&H and Adorama. I'd not trust anyone else. There's not much shadier than most of the online photography equipment sites.

Since we're on the subject, I'll toss in a plug for KEH for used equipment. Not sure I'd buy a used digital body, but it's a great place to get used lenses or 35 mm bodies. If you stay away from the BARGAIN and UGLY grades then the item will be in near pristine condition. I have a beautiful Nikon F3 body that was graded EX (not even the top grading) and it doesn't have a mark on it. I'm not sure I'd ever shell out for a new lens again so long as KEH is around.
 
StunnedMonkey said:
I agree. The only online vendors I've ever used for new equipment are B&H and Adorama. I'd not trust anyone else. There's not much shadier than most of the online photography equipment sites.
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^^ Agree, Made for foreign market cameras are no bargain.
 
StunnedMonkey said:
I agree. The only online vendors I've ever used for new equipment are B&H and Adorama. I'd not trust anyone else. There's not much shadier than most of the online photography equipment sites.

Since we're on the subject, I'll toss in a plug for KEH for used equipment. Not sure I'd buy a used digital body, but it's a great place to get used lenses or 35 mm bodies. If you stay away from the BARGAIN and UGLY grades then the item will be in near pristine condition. I have a beautiful Nikon F3 body that was graded EX (not even the top grading) and it doesn't have a mark on it. I'm not sure I'd ever shell out for a new lens again so long as KEH is around.
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+1 to KEH.

And i know someone that works at ritz so he can usually give me a decent deal. Plus even if he couldn't their extended warranty would still make it worth the extra money to me. I have over 2K in gear but because of that warranty I have no problem taking it anywhere or doing anything with it. If it gets dropped or broken in any way it will be replaced no questions asked. They even give free cleanings which someone should not ever do themselves and cost 100+ to have done professionally.
 
I've bought several things from Beach Camera in NJ. They have an actual store so you can call and talk to someone if you want to. Their prices beat B&H and Adorama and they often have free shipping. I have been very satisfied with them (even bought an LCD TV from them). Even better, they are not in NY, so no sales tax. :ban:
 
You're right about Beach Camera. I forgot to mention them. They are top notch. I find that Beach, Adorama and B&H are usually not too far from each other in price.
 
The point n shoots are good these days. Good meter, quick autofocus. Lag time can still be a problem unless you spend $$$.

My chief complaint is that the affordable PnS cameras can't shoot 12 or 16-bit raw mode. The extra 2-3 stops of exposure latitude in raw mode really helps in difficult lighting situations; a good CCD has a 10-11 stop range whereas storing in JPG limits you to ~8 stops since there aren't enough bits per pixel. With my DSLR I can purposely underexpose by a stop in difficult lighting and then bring up the shadows in Lightroom during postprocessing. With the PnS camera the shadow detail is lost and the highlights are washed out.
 

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