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| I am getting a new camera for the boat, what's the best out there for outdoors use under $400? It doesn't have to be waterproof, I have dry storage for the thing.I read that the lens quality is more important than pixel count as long as you get the pixel count high enough if you are blowing up the picture for framing or not using the camera for publishing the picture. What's the minimum you would get if the picture might end up in a magazine? |
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Posts: 82
Location: Oshkosh,WI | Go to www.dpreview.com and you will find great info and places to purchase digital cameras. |
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| I went through this a few months ago. Thought about buying a model that would accept my high end lenses from my regular SLR Nikon N70, but elected to go with a "point and shoot" style for boat use that woudl take up a bit less space and be a bit more water resistant. I ended up going with the Olympus Stylus - model number was either 300 or 400. I've been happy with it - easy to use and it takes the pics pretty quick. Problem with a lot of digital cameras is they take too long to actually take the picture and you don't get spontaneous shots.
Steve |
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Location: Darboy USA | I like my Nikon Coolpics quite a bit. Good deals on them at Walmart or Best Buy usually. I've taken quite a few fish and deer pics with great results. Just like being there! I think staying under $400 with one of these would be simple, I think I paid around $320 and that was 2 years ago. There are great comparison data on walmart.com if you want to compare cameras. |
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| This is kind of like asking which lure works best. Too many things to take into consideration.
For my boat camera, I have a Olympus Stylus 400. Its a 4MP camera, takes good shots in all outdoor lighting that I've been in so far. It even has a pretty good nightscene mode. It does not take the best indoor shots however. It also is durable and for me, that was important when choosing a camera for the boat. Its also simple enough that I can get it out, open the lens, and take pictures with one hand. I wish it had a little better optical zoom (this is the only zoom to pay attention to. Digital zoom just spreads pixels and you lose a lot of quality.)
I also have a 5MP Nikon Coolpix and a Nikon Digital SLR. Both of these cameras take better shots than my Olympus but not to the extent that the average viewer would even notice. I wouldn't take these cameras fishing with me though. Not only are they bigger and less durable, but they are not as easy to use when you're trying to get a quick shot before you release that hawg back to the depths.
I don't think I would go anything below 4MP for a shot that might be reprinted and published. Again, most people wouldn't notice but when you take a shot that makes a magazine, you're saying "Here...this is a good picture" and people are going to look a little closer. I also like editing (Photoshop) pictures from at least a 4MP camera. Its much easier to get in there and do very fine tweaks. |
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Location: Gladstone, Michigan 49837 | Using the Kodak CX 7330 Easy Share, has the digital zoom and does a great job. As all cameras it's not waterproof but water resistant like most.
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Location: Webster,NY | First, a few things to consider. If you're serious about magazine publication, I agree that you need at least 4MP. For everything else, including prints to 8"x10", 3MP is generally enough. I would select a camera that uses either compact flash (CF) or secure digital/multi media card (SD/MMC) for storage. They are the most common, prices are cheap and you can now buy them alot of places. Buy a camera with at least 3x OPTICAL zoom. Some cameras have 10x and more now. DO NOT USE DIGITAL ZOOM !!!It is only a cropping tool that reduces the amount of information in the image.
I own approximately 15 point and shoot digitals and have used many more. I own 2 digital SLR's. I shoot thousands of digital pictures a year (about 75-100 rolls of film still too). I have managed a digital photo lab and have seen prints from many manufacturer's cameras. For best results (sharpness, color reproduction, ease of use, etc.) I would stick with Kodak, Nikon, Canon, or Olympus. These are strictly my opinions from using and printing images from many manufacturers.
Photography is second only to fishing on my list of things I enjoy spending time (and lots of money) on.
If anyone would like, please feel free to private msg me or ask any questions you may have. |
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Location: Webster,NY | I forgot to mention. There is a great camera out that is being replaced by a newer model. The Kodak DX6490 is a 4MP, 10x optical zoom camera. I have seen them for around $400 and they just announced a DX7590. The new one is a 5MP, 10x optical zoom. The prices on the DX6490 are already dropping below $400. I have one and love the long zoom. I have recommended them to friends. I can name about 10 people that have bought them on my recommendation and all are very satisfied. |
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Location: Isle MN. | I like my olympus 560-D I have not had any problems with it what so ever. I wish I'd have spent the extra cash on one that has a rechargeable battery. But those Esquared energizers in the blue pakage last forever!! |
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| Thanks, everyone. Are the optics really as important as some articles I read imply? Fuji and Canon and Nikon seem to have really good optics on the type od camera I am looking at for a reasonable price. Any preference or model from those three? |
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Location: Rhinelander | I have a Fugifilm Finepix with the Fujinon Zoom lens-6X optical zoom (1:2.8-3.0 f=6-36mm) Very nice pictures at a reasonable cost. It has a really bright flash, too, important when taking pictures on overcast days. |
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| I am no photographer, but my Canon Power Shot A75 does an excellent job for my everyday outdoor needs.
http://consumer.usa.canon.com/ir/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcat...
I only have a 32bit card in it and was playing with it the other night on the water with a walleye and still was able to get about 15 sec of MP on it, not to mention the photos that were on there already.
I also was able to increase a photo size through my software on my computer to 11"x17" and you could not tell the difference between the smaller image and the resized larger image.
Very happy with the camera and it cost me only $270 at Target.
Looking to get a 132bit card fot it now.
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| I got a Fuji, nice camera. I hope I can post some good pictures with it this fall. Thanks, everyone. |
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