Does everybody use for these great shots?

I've been thinking between a SLR - Nikon D60, or just a point and shoot PowerShot SX10 IS. The PowerShot SX10 IS has better zoom out of the box than the D60 without having to buy a 400 dollar zooming lense. Does anybody have the PowerShot SX10 IS? Hows the shutter speed while taking GID shots?

I'm curious to find out what everybody uses and the pros and cons for them.

My background is in photography (among other things) and I have always leaned to film over digital. I could instantly tell the difference 90% of the time. Unless you went with the crazy-expensive 20MP+ cameras the pros use then I always found it easy to tell the earmark of digital cameras.

you should weigh out your usage of the camera. If you're not going to be doing serious camera work then I'd say stick with a point-and-shoot. There are a ton of good cameras that are around the $200 mark or less which are good for everyday photographs. I normally do much comparison when looking at the cameras. Start with your favorite brand then go from there! User ratings are also valuable, so places like Amazon and review sites (camera sites along with ZDNET / CNET) are worthwhile.

If you're around any form of major electronics chain or photo shop then go in and play around with the camera! Best way to see if you want it...then find it online for cheaper

I myself went with a Sony Alpha 350 dSLR. Sony had a deal where you got the camera + 1 extra lens for $700. Great deal and man, wotta camera. I can say that I'm now using it the same way I did with my old film camera....LOVE the fact that I can add different lenses, filters, flashes AND the biggest is manual focus! The camera is packed with features...and the output is fantastic. Indoor is really solid but the camera sings when you have outdoor / natural lighting or a well-lit photo studio. Sony has 18 months no-interest financing going on right now

I use a lot of different cameras, but primarily:

My DSLR:
http://www.flickr.com/cameras/canon/eos ... rebel_xti/
Digital Rebel Xti


My Point & Shoot:
http://www.flickr.com/cameras/canon/powershot_s30/


and Many different polaroids. (mostly Big Shot & One Shot)

A good trick is to use Flickr to see what people use-If you scroll down on the right to any digital photo, the information about the camera is listed. it helped me to pick my SLR.

There are great camera reviews on this site:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/

http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html

I just got a D60 this last Tuesday and have been playing with it ever since. I'm new to the slr world and still learning a ton. I love taking GID shots. Here are some recent shots I took. There's been no editing on these. Also remember that I'm new to this camera and these shots could probably be improved on. Maybe this will help you decide.

Those look good! What ISO & Shutter speed are you using to get that effect? I have a terrible time taking pictures in the dark. I just get tons of noise.

Thanks! I'm going to try some other settings soon but these were all set at: shutter speed 20 seconds, aperture F4 and ISO 100. I too was getting tons of noise with a higher ISO. That's why I dropped the aperture and lowered the ISO.

thanks for all the replys!

zinc, what happens if you lower the shutter speed all the way down to 1/4000 sec.

i tend to use my free '5 years of service' gift from work to take all my toy pictures, which is why they usually suck...

I use a Canon Rebel XTi as well. I like this informational site regarding lenses for it if you are considering it.

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/

It really depends on what you want to accomplish with your camera. I think CCPfan said it best regarding what to choose based on what you want to do.

I had a Canon point and shoot that did an awesome job and I upgraded to DSLR because I wanted my pictures to have more...I dunno depth to it that I've seen with the DSLRs. It takes a while to get used to it because it's obviously bulkier but I am very happy with the pictures I take.

Good luck with your decision!

Canon, from the IXUS line. (Model numbers are different in different countries so I'll leave it out.) 8 MPs, I think...

Very nice point and shoot with image stabilizing, great color, and nice range of manual settings. I find it a nice "middle ground" camera for taking good shots without having to be a camera expert. Plus it fits in your pocket and only costs a couple hundred bucks.

I've used digital cameras from Sony and Minolta (ugh!). Canon wins, hands down.

I will add this caveat, though. Above ISO 400, noise is a problem. So for good indoor toy shots, I always use a base or tripod. But my model is a couple years old, so this may be a non-issue for newer builds.

(BTW Zinc, that Rangeas shot is mind blowing! I just reread your post - no editing on the shots! Bravo!)

DSLR: Canon 350D (Rebel XT) with 50mm Macro lense
Point and shoot: Canon SD 870IS

My camera is called Kirkland. He's at almost every event so I don't have to bring my little point and shoot.

On a GID pic- you get a black picture.
You need longer exposure to capture the low levels of light from the glowing vinyl. Usually 7-10 seconds is plenty.

Zinc- Love that CP pic. Very cool.

I'd cast a vote for the Canon Rebel. I've got an XTi, but I think there is at least one newer Rebel version by now. I've been pleased with it for general use, and recently have had to really start digging into the manual controls for a photo-heavy project. I'm even more pleased with it now.

Nice price for the body, and a decent kit package (body and lens).

I think the only thing I would add to it is the optional remote and a third-party field guide book. The manual is byzantine, but that's not unusual for any SLR.

I haven't had a problem with the SLR, but when I had a problem with one of my Canon point-and-shoot models, customer service was stellar.

--
jJ

I think you are referring to the XSi, if I am not mistaken. I also agree that the manual is not first-time-DSLR-user friendly. I also have had to use the field guide to get a better understanding of the functions of my camera.

i got a canon powershot g9 about 6 months ago but have barely used it. most people are into the camera but its a bit heavy and i haven't figured out how to use it very well (totally clueless with cameras). i shoot in auto!

I have a Nikon D40 (DSLR) and a small set of lenses. I also have a Nikon Coolpix S10. The D40 is my favorite camera ever. And it make me appreciate how important a lens is over anything else on a camera. The 18-55mm lens it came with is... meh. No better/worse than most point and shoot cameras. But once I got the 18-200mm and 105mm Macro lenses I instantly saw the difference in color/quality.

The think is if you don't want to invest in lenses, then that route is just not for you. I've always been interested in photography and worked my way up in cameras over the years. Apple QuickTake back in the day. Nikon point and shoots. The prosumer. Then DSLR. So I grew into knowing what I want and like what I have.

But that Coolpix S10? I mainly use it as a point and shoot for parties and quick-shots. Very, very, very nice camera with 10x zoom and image stabiization. But that was few years ago. I'm sure there's even better stuff there.

So DSLR + lenses is pricey.
But a non-DSLR and a tripod would be great.

And if you get a DSLR, if you can buy the body but pick a better lens than what it comes with DEFINITELY go with that...

FWIW I've heard only good things about the Panasonic Lumix models that look like DSLRs, but have fixed lenses. They are low cost and have great quality.

I found this review helpful with comparison of the Nikon D60 vs. Canon XS
http://www.digitalreview.ca/content/Nik ... 000D.shtml

I ended up buying the camera though Beach Camera. It was $500 out the door with free shipping and included an 8gb memory card.
http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/home.aspx

Thanks andy & melek_taus for the compliments. Here are a couple more glow shots just for fun with different settings. Not trying to make this a show-off forum, just trying to show what camera is capable of achieving. Again, no editing other than cropping. I'm really happy with this camera and my photos have been coming in crystal clear with amazing color.

Have a look at this site http://www.dpreview.com in the camera database

It has 100s of camera listed - new and old models, and goes in to great details about each in the review.
Each camera is compared to other similar cameras, and there are sample photos taken with each camera so you can see what it's capable of.

I use a Canon 400D which I'm really pleased with

zincsaucier442 - Incredible glow shots. I need to experiment with my settings a bit to get more detail...

Thanks for the glow photo info earlier in the thread

I'm no photography expert, but I recently got a Canon XSi and I'm very happy with it. It's my first DSLR and I've found it to be pretty user-friendly.

Here are some pics I've taken with it.

Sorry to turn this thread in to a GID hijack but it inspired me to take the following...



...and more http://flickr.com/photos/fun9us

Thanks!

All taken with a Canon EOS 400D

great pictures, feel free to post pictures, normal or gid, and what kind of camera you used. that will give me and others a better idea of what these cameras can do and which one would be the best to get. thanks!

For my everyday shots I use a Nikon D40x. I like it solely because its small and light, so I can take it anywhere. As opposed to bigger dslr's like the D90/300, which kinda get heavy when its slung around your neck or shoulder the whole day. Also its image quality is pretty good, especially since you're not aspiring to be a pro, its good enough.

Personally, I prefer Nikon over Canon, and I have used both. I am by no means an amateur or a pro, I just enjoy photography. And if you feel the same, a D40 or Rebel would be a good way to start. Theyre both in the $500 range, usually including a lens. But let me just say, Nikon's 18-55 kit lens is probably one of the best kit lenses out there; in general it is really good at an entry level. But the best way to decide is to go to a cam store and play around with a cam that suits you.

Heres some stuff I took with my cam. I shoot RAW, but theres no photo editing done in these

Informative stuff.
Really beats a point and shoot.