I have been using the same Canon 2pix camera since 2002. It has served me well, but I am beginning to get frustrated when I take pictures of my artwork. I cannot get up close or detail at all...it totally washes out and blurs. Any suggestions on a camera upgrade for me? Specifically one that I can use to photo my work.

I was thinking new camera recently too (same predicament- old powershot from 2002). I would love to go apeshit and get a Nikon d50 or Canon Rebel but I can't really afford one (toys?). I recently saw pics jcat took using this: canon powershot a2000is. After researching it has several features which intrigue me including a 6x optical zoom with optical image stabilizer. It might serve well for close ups and the camera can be had for 150-200.

great price on this p&s
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-SD1200IS-Stabilized-Light-Gray/dp/B001SER48S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1251590214&sr=8-1
honestly any p&s from from the canon sd1000 line and up is a great deal and is capable of taking great pictures and videos.

if you wanna go mid range but not quite SLR, look into the G10. I use a G9, and the G10 is just as good. a new G11 comes out later this year also.

thanks for the suggestions, guys. i'll do some research on these!

the best all around cheap camera i have used (and still use everyday) is the canon a620. not only is it affordable, but it is incredibly flexible compared to other cameras in its class and price range. you can find it on the secondhand market for a low price.

pros

• crisp macro down to a few millimeters
• variable angle viewscreen (perfect for odd angles impossible for your head)
• use of AA batteries rather than an expensive proprietary battery (comes in handy when on vacation and your rechargeable ones run out unexpectedly)
• ability to add on lenses and filters like a dslr without the bulk and cost of dslr equipment (requires a lens adapter barrel, also cheap)
• easy auto modes, but multiple manual control modes available
• underwater kit allows for snorkeling/light-diving use (not cheap, but i love it)
• good size in hand, nice location of controls

cons

• a little larger and heavier than "pocket" p&s due to use of AA batteries (i find the battery compartment to be perfect as the camera grip, though, whereas most tiny p&s cameras are awkward to hold)
• flash control is a little difficult, as it is on most p&s
• not SDHC compatible, but works fine with regular SD memory cards up to 2gb

it's a great camera for toy photography and vacations alike. and all the fun add-ons make it even more appealing to gadget freaks who like to learn and experiment. there are newer canon a6x0 models out which have better specs but are more expensive.

a word of caution: i find that the smaller the camera and more pocketable it is, the more lint and dust ends up behind the lens. beware of linty pockets

good luck!

that a620 sounds like what i'm looking for. thanks i'll check it out!

I am into Canon too for quite some years and very satisfied.
I still use my old Powershot G5 as I am very familiar with its settings.

I am now thinking of changing too.

Even though the auto-focus was good, for toy photography I switch to full manual mode. And one of the difficult feature of the G5 was manual focus (difficult to set on the LCS screen). I don't know if this has been improved on the new models.

The A620 seems to be an evolution of the G5 but I am not familiar with this model and it is now from an older series (2006 I think). It had good reviews anyway. You could find it for cheap but beware of second hand since you could get one with dust on the capture device.

I was personally tempted by the SX10 which, contrary to the G10 has the articulated screen feature which I find very handy. Maybe not only for toy photography as you surely use a tripod, but for outdoor and event photography it is really great (you can take pics above people's head or even walls and still master your picture).
Now it seems the SX20 has been released for the same price than the SX10.
The G11 is a novelty. It does "only" have 10 M pix and 1600 iso (light sensivity) (the G10 has 14.7 M... and 3200 iso...) but I would rather go for the G11 one since I will certainly not print any photo in a larger format than A3.

If you want to take 16:9 pics, the SX100 & SX200 might be of some interest if you want to take some short movies too.

Here are links to my 2 favourite :
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/contr ... elid=17630
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/contr ... elid=19209

If you want a dSLR go Canon or Nikon.

If you want a compact digi camera the Panasonuic Lumix LX3 is just about the best out there. To my mind the Canon G9/10/11 is just too damn bulky and expensive - at that price you may as well get a dSLR

I tried out the Canon dSLR and didn't care for it - I went with Sony dSLR - they usually have bundle deals, so I got the body x2 lenses for $700.

broke my sony dsc w170 with carl zeiss jena lens
and thinking about getting one thats a little better,
checked out g 11 and really like it, looks great, feels good,
reminds me of old dslr ones back in the day, but very bulky indeed.

compared to handy panasonic lumix LX3 (that doesnt close shutter of lens automatic - big minus to me)
does anyone know whether these are comparable (quality of pictures)???
thanks!

I just received a G11 for christmas and am loving it.

Can't find the actual thread but supposedly the LX3 is better than the G11 in image quality. There are several discussions regarding these two cameras. http://www.flickr.com/groups/843626@N22/discuss/72157623054743134/

Not surprising since Panasonic teams with Lieca for their cameras. (Panasonic for electronics, Lieca for optics.)

I have a G9 and love it. Although bulky I personally like the weight as I was used to shooting with a big old Nikon F2 HP in the past but didn't want or need to go the SLR route this time around.

I also lucked out and got mine on the cheap as it was the display model when the G10 came around. You might find yourself in a similar position now considering the G11 is here.

The Leica lens and zoom on this blow anything else in it's price bracket into the weeds! Have just upgraded to a Canon 500D DSLR but am already missing the zoom!

Andy, the Macro setting is unreal. This is taken with the Leica (same as LX3). First Macro shot right out of the box.

totally helpful thread!!! thanxx for info. ...ended up with pre-owned G 10 for half price and really happy with it.
awesome shot joel!

I'm in the market for my first dslr camera and the market seems to have changed somewhat in the past few months.

I'm looking to spend 1k or less. My subject matter will be my kaiju collection, probably everything I see at sdcc and the various cons I attend and in the downtime the hummingbirds that all seem to love my yard.

I'd like to make sure that lenses I purchase are usable in future cameras. From what I read I want it to be full frame with the image stabilization in the body, not the lenses.

I leave for a nice vacation in about a week and intend to buy before that so i can have it with me. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Dave

^Any of the Canon Rebels would be perfect for you.

Thanks Winu, the order is in for the Canon Rebel T2i. Hard one to find though. Everyplace was sold out.

Joel loves kisses.
Remember that when you guys are after customs.

Im a fan of the Canon Powershot series, which is their mid-range point & shoot. However, its got a lot of settings you can mess with manually. Add a 4gb or more memory card, and you can take as many pictures as your battery time will allow.
General rule of thumb, Canon & Nikons are considered very similar. Canons are a little slower on taking a picture, but have better picture quality. Nikons are faster, and apparently have a lens thats lower quality. But I haven't tested the two.

One other thing about Canons is http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Downloads, hacked firmware that enables almost every Canon model out there (?) to shoot in RAW format, as well as extend functionality beyond the average snap & shoot. Can be installed without overwriting current Canon firmware too. ++

The thing about a DSLR is it's all about the lenses. If you get one with some crappy kit lens, you'll think the whole camera sucks. But stick a decent lens on it and *BOOM* it suddenly takes great pictures.

A Nikon DSLR with a $100 50mm lens is a decent setup. And opens the door to getting more lenses as time goes on.