View Full Version : Whats best digital camera for boat pics?
burtandnancy
12-01-2002, 01:38 PM
Nancy & I are going to treat ourselves to one of the new digital camera and printers for x-mas, but don't know a thing about them. Have looked at Canon, Sony and Kodak so far, does anyone have any recommendations for a couple who uses nothing but no-brainer camera's. We're going to want a lot of pictures of our newest boat this summer...
roln 20s
12-01-2002, 01:46 PM
I bought a Kodak digital camera about 3 years ago and I still love it. It was the best at the time with 1.2 Megapixels. One thing I have noticed- always have batteries. The viewing screens on the back take up a ton of battery power.
I was looking with my bro a couple days ago and didn't even know where to start- so I found this website on yahoo.com (best digital camera under $500)
http://pcworld.shopping.yahoo.com/yahoo/article/0,aid,106151,00.asp
If you want to spend more- I will recommend whatever my roommate just got. It takes (10) 30 sec MPEGs and like 50 pics all on one disk or whatever his cartridge is. I'll get the name of it when he gets back later. I think it was about $750. But none the less, BAD ASS.
Good luck -
Roln 20s
I went thru this earlier this year ...looked at em all and chose a Fuji Fine pix 4800 zoom
I have been very pleased with it real easy to use ..manual options and very easy to use software for picture uploads.
When looking for one I was wanting ,
1 rechargable battery
2 the ability to take mpeg movies with sound
3 at least 2 megapixels ...good for up to 8x10 clear prints
4 a reasonable zoom
The fuji was the only one inb the price range that had all the features I wanted
I also was able to buy it online $150 cheaper than locally thru
17 photo (http://www.17photo.com/)
very nice people to deal with
For a printer I chose the HP deskjet 6122
it prints very realistic photos at any size you like
good luck!
KCook
12-01-2002, 02:17 PM
In the interest of adding to the confusion. I have heard that there are now a few video cameras that also have a digital still frame capability. Eliminating the need for two different cameras.
Just a thought,
Kelly Cook
Hermosa
12-01-2002, 02:30 PM
I bought the Fuji FinePix 3800 last week, love the x6 optical zoom, nice photos!
spectras only
12-01-2002, 03:02 PM
Burt, don't get fooled by pixel numbers. A quality camera like the olympus ultrazoom [only 2 megapixel, 10x optical zoom ]will get you better pictures than most 3-4 mp camera.Go for a camera with the largest objective lens and the most groups/elements with the highest optical zoom rating like 6-10. I like the newest canon G2 or the less prized olympus with 7x optical .One of the best sites for specs is www.dpreview.com (http://www.dpreview.com) ,they have resolution charts for the highend cameras. One of the best cameras for the money is the nikon coolpix series .If money is no object, canon has a digital SLR with 11 megapixel for 8000 us retail wink .Happy hunting
Craig
12-01-2002, 03:26 PM
It depends on how much you want to spend, but before we went to Tahiti on our honeymoon, I wanted a good digital camera. Ended up with an Olympus E-10. 4 megapixel, uses both compact flash and smart media cards. The best thing about it is it has an eyepiece like a normal 35 mm camera, so you don't have to deal with the sun when using that view screen on the back. The E-10 has the view screen if you like it, but I only use it to preview pic's. I know Eric from Hot Boat and a friend who does a lot of photography for the road rally guys both use the E-10, that was part of my decision as well.
Craig
Kindsvater Flat
12-01-2002, 03:36 PM
All my pictures on my website were taken with a Sony Mavica. Its 1.3 megapixal. The only thing I do is take the picture at the highest resolution and then reduce it in photoshop to keep the size down without loosing quality. Plus for the price I paid I won't feel totally bad of I drop it in the water...
BoatPI
12-01-2002, 05:17 PM
Hey, I take photos for a living. get 3.3 mpxl at minium.
The hot deal today is Olympus model 3020. On a model closeout at Office Max i beleive, $349. Was $550 three months ago, 3.3 Mega Pixel. Uses Smara Mdeia as storage and will provide nice 8 X 10 prints.
I use an Olympus model 3040.
DickDanger
12-01-2002, 05:47 PM
I have been doing a LOT of digital camera research as of late, and heres what I have found.
Sony has a nice 3.2 megapixel for right around $350. It comes with a 16 mb memory card (I would buy something with more memory). It is the DSC7 model. Warranty is 3 months on parts, 12 months on labor.
Fuji has a 3.2 megapixel as well, and the warranty is slighty better at 12/12. However, I have heard that quite a few people have had difficulties with operation.
My advice would be to hit circuitcity.com, that way you can look at the cameras, and also read the customer reviews, warranty info, etc. for
yourself.
-DD Out
roln 20s
12-01-2002, 06:00 PM
If you want to spend more- I will recommend whatever my roommate just got. It takes (10) 30 sec MPEGs and like 50 pics all on one disk or whatever his cartridge is. I'll get the name of it when he gets back later. I think it was about $750. But none the less, BAD ASS.
The one I was talking about was the Canon G2! Check it out- its awesome.
Roln 20s
Rexone
12-01-2002, 06:01 PM
Hey Burt,
I have an Olympus C2500L, 2.5MP which I've been using for about 3 years now with zero problems. I've heard nothing but good about Olympus stuff when it comes to digital. Granted mine's now old technology but it works great for all our catalog photos and stuff as well as outdoor shots. I'd check em all out but if I was gonna buy another one I'd probably stay with Olympus just because of my experience with this one. :)
lovemyultra
12-01-2002, 06:28 PM
We use a Sony that is 3.3 Mp with a nice HP printer my wife does alot for the kids it has been awesome we also have a sony digital video cam but the still resolution isnt as good it is only 2.2 but its cool to take stills of the boat in motion
Jrocket
12-01-2002, 08:14 PM
Ive got the Sony DSC-S75 with the 128MB memory stick and the Tiffen 0.75X wide angle lens.Seems to work pretty good.Holds about 2000 pics at 640x480 size.And about 90 minutes of video at normal settings.The pics and video come out great when someone knows how to use the thing......And thats not usually me.. :D
missboatnam1
12-01-2002, 08:30 PM
mr b bought me a real nice one, i just know you will enjoy it, one of the best presents iv ever got!!!!! :rolleyes:
Havasu Hangin'
12-01-2002, 08:35 PM
I use an Olympus D-490 zoom (which is now the 520)...love it...even I can take good pics.
Before I buy, I usually check epinions.com (http://www.epinions.com/Digital_Cameras) and consumerreview.com (http://www.pcphotoreview.com/Cameras/PSC_3784crx.aspx)...I haven't been steered wrong yet, although the newest stuff usually doesn't have (m)any reviews...
572Daytona
12-02-2002, 05:41 AM
I would add Nikon to your list as well. I have a Nikon Coolpix 990 that I've had for a almost 2 years and I'm very happy with the picture quality. One nice feature is that you can purchase additional lenses such as wide angle and telephoto for the Nikons. The 990 is an older model, I think the 4500 is an equivalent. Here are some pictures I just took from Key West trip to give you an idea of the quality. Keep in mind that these have actually been reduced in quality in order to make them more web friendly but they are still pretty good:
http://www.havasubarney.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard.pl?s=3deb5b1c0690ffff;act=ST;f=5;t=2023
superdave013
12-02-2002, 07:17 AM
I would say just about anyone that's 2.0M pix or better will be fine. No need to spend a ton O cash as the prices seem to have droped. Yeah, they dropped shortly after I bought mine anyway.
Charley
12-02-2002, 07:47 AM
check out the new SONY mavica 2.1mp and it writes on CDR's!!!!! thats the 1 I want :D
[ December 02, 2002, 07:48 AM: Message edited by: Charley ]
lakesmodified
12-02-2002, 08:08 AM
Which ever camera you buy, make sure you learn how to use it prior to taking any pictures on the launch ramp! Don't want to upset those that want launchings accomplished in two minutes or less :D
gmnhra
12-02-2002, 08:36 AM
i have been thru this decision recently and it is damn confusing...
my two cents:
decide if size matters (it usually does)...the small "fit in your pocket" cameras only have 3x optical zoom (ignore the digital zoom claims)..if long zoom is a priority, then the small stuff won't do the job...my choice for the small camera is the canon s40...+/- $450
if you don't mind a bigger camera then all of the above suggestions are valid
for pricing at legit ecommerce places, i have used buydig.com and amazon.com...be carefull, some of the ecommerce places sell grey market stuff...make sure they provide the factory warranty stuff...
good luck
Another camera to consider is the Sony DSCS85. You should be able to find it on the web for around 480 or so. It even has a burst mode...3 full resolution pics @ 2 pics per second when pushing the buttom once. :)
Whatever you get, buy an additional media storage card. atleast 128k
HBjet
12-02-2002, 11:35 AM
Olympus and Nikon would be the only two brands I would ever look at. I currenty have a Nikon CoolPix950 and have taken over 8000 photos with it. I plan on getting another Nikon simply because of the swivel body design.
Here are some good sites I found helpful.
www.dcresource.com (http://www.dcresource.com)
www.dpreview.com (http://www.dpreview.com)
www.imaging-resource.com (http://www.imaging-resource.com)
And remember, you get what you pay for. And don't base your choice on what memory comes with the camera because almost everyone buys a larger memory card.
HBjet
RandyH
12-02-2002, 12:09 PM
Charley:
check out the new SONY mavica 2.1mp and it writes on CDR's!!!!! thats the 1 I want :D You can't go wrong here. I have the CDR 300 and the CDR 1000 at work and you just can't get more storage that I have found. 156 Meg. Thats something like 175) 850KB shots.
I shoot so many that I forget whats on them till I look. No cables, docking stations, just pop the disk in and copy them. Not real small however. I wish they made a wallet size with a CDR camera.
I would have to agree with HBjet on this one.
I just purchased four Nikon Coolpix 3500 for my employees. The decision was made after I turned the search over to a private camera vendor. After researching Sony, Kodak, Olypus and Nikon, he felt the the best value for a point and shoot digital camera was the Nikon Coolpix. Good luck with your search!
RP
spectras only
12-02-2002, 02:35 PM
The quality of any picture is still dependant on the quality of the optics ,followed by the pixels of the ccd .I was a camera tech for nearly 30 years [canon],and my preference for optics was the following. 1960's to 70's ; nikon.1970 to present nikon [nikkor lenses],canon[canon lenses],olympus[zuiko lenses],lately ; sony with zeiss lenses[too expensive].Any brands mentioned in the previous posts above ,will give excellent pictures up to 5x7.Our company developed a 6 meagapixel leafshutter ,[which sounds low today]that attaches to large format cameras like Hasselblad and Mamiya for professional photographers ,and will create an image unequal by the 11 megapixel canon.For average use I personally wouldn't go higher than 3-4 megapixel [wasted money]. Get a better scanner [we need one anyway :D ]and scan your prints with 300-400 dpi that would meet most magazine requirements.That way you'll and up with a hard copy and negatives as well.
[ December 02, 2002, 02:38 PM: Message edited by: spectras only ]
spectras only
12-02-2002, 02:36 PM
[ December 02, 2002, 02:37 PM: Message edited by: spectras only ]
spectras only
12-02-2002, 02:37 PM
sorry for double posting :p
spectras only:
my preference for optics was the following. 1960's to 70's ; nikon.1970 to present nikon [nikkor lenses],canon[canon lenses],olympus[zuiko lenses],lately ; sony with zeiss lenses[too expensive].Any brands mentioned in the previous posts above ,will give excellent pictures up to 5x7.Our company developed a 6 meagapixel leafshutter ,[which sounds low today]that attaches to large format cameras like Hasselblad and Mamiya for professional photographers ,and will create an image unequal by the 11 megapixel canon.For average use I personally wouldn't go higher than 3-4 megapixel [wasted money]. Get a better scanner [we need one anyway :D ]and scan your prints with 300-400 dpi that would meet most magazine requirements.That way you'll and up with a hard copy and negatives as well.The DSCS85 has the Carl Zeiss lense.
spectras only
12-02-2002, 03:06 PM
Roz, a friend uses one of those in his electronic shop ,takes pretty good shots.I'll wait til next year when they come down in price.In the meantime , I just bum the company camera [free] wink .The camera [Hasselblad] on the moon was used had a zeiss lens. Linhof technika also used zeiss or schneider lenses.If you go to a camera store, check out a zeiss binocular compared to a nikon,pentax or minolta .You'll "see" the difference immediately,especially when distortion concerned.
[ December 02, 2002, 03:15 PM: Message edited by: spectras only ]
novaguy
12-02-2002, 03:33 PM
I went through this a couple of months ago. I found that the hp photosmart 720 works great and is priced just right. 3.3 MP total resolution; 12x total zoom- 3x optical and 4x digital zoom. You can even record video on it. It has 16mb internal memory, but I bought an additional memory card. I also bought the photo dock which recharges my batteries and the hp 130 printer that prints 4x6 photos. Stick with 3 mp and above, you'll get almost 35mm quality. Good luck.
spectras only:
Roz, a friend uses one of those in his electronic shop ,takes pretty good shots.I'll wait til next year when they come down in price.In the meantime , I just bum the company camera [free] wink .The camera [Hasselblad] on the moon was used had a zeiss lens. Linhof technika also used zeiss or schneider lenses.If you go to a camera store, check out a zeiss binocular compared to a nikon,pentax or minolta .You'll "see" the difference immediately,especially when distortion concerned.That thing originally retailed for around $700.00. I bought one for my wife a few months ago when employee rate was 500.00 out the door. I think our retail stores are selling them at 500.00. Compared to others on the market, I think it's a good buy. Audio and video I know, but am handicapped when it comes to digital cameras and computer gear. :o
spectras only
12-02-2002, 05:22 PM
Roz, the camera you have, has excellent resolutions and an optical viewfinder [less power to drain the battery] that I prefer to electronic [the simpler the better].Burt mentioned in his original post, that he wants a simple camera and printer ,so I would suggest those to get the sony CD200 , CD300 or CD400 depending on their budgets.Disks are cheaper than cards or sticks wink .
We use a Kodak DX4900, its as complicated as you want to make it and shoots up to 4 mega pixel. With the 128 meg memory card at 4 mega pixel it will hold 102 pics and at 1 mega pixel its 374 pics. Been a good camera. My .02
KC
Jrocket
12-02-2002, 09:23 PM
ROZ:
The DSCS85 has the Carl Zeiss lense.So does my DSC-S75.Vario Sonnar 6X. :D
burtandnancy
12-03-2002, 05:33 PM
Thanks everyone! You really came thru and gave me lots to work on. I noted every make and every model, then looked them up on the various web sites you suggested. I have even shopped a few outlets so far (Best Buy, Circuit City and others) but no camera stores yet. Looks like we'll be spending 5 to $600 for the camera and less than $300 for a printer. Your knowledge and practical experience are really appreciated. Nancy and I can't thank you enough...
Jrocket:
ROZ:
The DSCS85 has the Carl Zeiss lense.So does my DSC-S75.Vario Sonnar 6X. :D Hey, I also have the new 36" xbr tv that has the memory stick input in the front! We come home from parties, pop in the stick, and see what fools we were! Actually my daughter loves this feature. She has us take goofy pics of her just so she can see herself on tv.
572Daytona
12-03-2002, 05:55 PM
Good Luck and I'm sure you will enjoy whatever you decide on. A couple of web sites that I've used in the past for digital imaging products and had good luck with are Ecost and Etronics:
http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/showcase/digital_imaging/default.asp
http://www.etronics.com/mysearchcat.asp?prod_type=DIGITAL_IMAGING&SC=1
Jrocket
12-03-2002, 07:21 PM
ROZ:
Jrocket:
ROZ:
The DSCS85 has the Carl Zeiss lense.So does my DSC-S75.Vario Sonnar 6X. :D Hey, I also have the new 36" xbr tv that has the memory stick input in the front! We come home from parties, pop in the stick, and see what fools we were! Actually my daughter loves this feature. She has us take goofy pics of her just so she can see herself on tv.Sweet...Do you have any info on that TV? That would be cool to have... :D
WetWillie
02-16-2003, 09:40 PM
Well I was at the boat show today and had the old Mavica FD88 out. I was slapping disks in and out and decided I need a new camera!!!
I will donate the FD88 to the office so that way we have two.
I am considering the Sony MVC CD400 Here (http://www.barnabeez.com/prod.asp?prodID=SONMVCCD400)
Give me some input. I want a GOOD quality camera and like everyone else have no idea were to start..
WW :confused:
locogringo
02-16-2003, 09:59 PM
WetWillie:
Well I was at the boat show today and had the old Mavica FD88 out. I was slapping disks in and out and decided I need a new camera!!!
I will donate the FD88 to the office so that way we have two.
I am considering the Sony MVC CD400 Here (http://www.barnabeez.com/prod.asp?prodID=SONMVCCD400)
Give me some input. I want a GOOD quality camera and like everyone else have no idea were to start..
WW :confused: I have the Sony DSC S-85 and it has worked perfectly for me.
4 megapixels, etc. etc.
I wouldn't mind this for the next one though..
Sony DSC-F717
http://pix.crutchfield.com/products/2002/158/l158DSCF717.jpeg
RandyH:
Charley:
check out the new SONY mavica 2.1mp and it writes on CDR's!!!!! thats the 1 I want :D You can't go wrong here. I have the CDR 300 and the CDR 1000 at work and you just can't get more storage that I have found. 156 Meg. Thats something like 175) 850KB shots.
I shoot so many that I forget whats on them till I look. No cables, docking stations, just pop the disk in and copy them. Not real small however. I wish they made a wallet size with a CDR camera. I have both of these cameras too. The CD is cool, just pop it into the 'puter. I take tons of photos because the disc holds so many, and whaddya know, some of 'em turn out really cool.
BoatPI
02-20-2003, 06:20 AM
Just moved up to an Olympus 5050. Great stuff.
beyondhelpin
02-20-2003, 02:44 PM
I just ordered the Fugi Fine Pix A303. 3.2 megapix, real small so easy be put in front pocket or wherever, 3x optical zoom 3x digital. It also uses AA batteries. That is what got me to pick it above the Cannon 230 elph. If my rechargable batteries give out on me at a bad time I can always buy some alkalines to tide me over. I dont know how many times I heard people say their batteries went out on them so they could not take more pics.
It uses a fugi lense which I dont know much about but they claimed they were good. Now I just hope it takes good picks. Dont need any blurry bikini pics this summer!!!!!!
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