Fuming mad, unscheduled replacement camera suggestions?

Hello!

Looking for a new camera, probably a low end (maybe SLR) Nikon
only because the last 'troublefree' camera I had was a Nikon.
I wish all (camera) manufactureres had a substantial selection
module on their web site!


something like this guitar selector
http://www.selectsmart.com/FREE/select.php?client=electricguitars

or the Gates belt design simulator (need to sign up):
http://www.gates.com/dfproweb/index.cfm


Having had a very bad and expen$ive experience with a fujifilm
(Fine?)Pix-s1500 product I am extremely cautious in finding a
replacement. Here are some of the problems encountered and some
inclusive features I'd like from my next camera.

Focusing
========
The fujifilm doesn't have manual focus so it has always been impossible
to shoot through a window because it locks on the window pane and all
else (outside) is severely out of focus!

- I set up a zoomed (outdoors) nightshot including a shoreline
settlement with its lights and the full moon rising only to
find that after having pressed to the autofocus detent, upon
pressing further for the actual exposure the focus went and
slewed to a blurr. This has not cleared and pretty well makes
the camera unusable ever since.
- I want a camera with manual focus in addition to auto.
- Preferably with an auto focus feature that also serves as
a rangefinder providing distance information only
- Preferably with a compensation feature to be used with
autofocus (such as already exists for exposure) so that I
might adjust autofocus +/- 20% in 1% steps


Exposure Control:
=================
The usual auto/apperature/shutter priority features with exposure
compensation/bracketing i.e. for example I want to be able to set
up shutterspeed priority with auto exposure CORRECTED by a desired
compensation % OR a bracketing sequence.


Movies:
=======
- INAUDIBLE MECHANICAL FUNCTIONS such as zooming and all others.
The Fujjifilm-s1500 sounds like a factory on the soundtrack even
without active zoom motoring during filming
- wide range manual framerate selection (down to 1 frame per minute)
between 1 & 30 fps in 1 fps increments
between 1 & 60 fpm in 1 fpm increments
- SOUND-ZOOMING allowing the sound from a distant source to dominate
and to partly suppress ambiant sound
- auto or manual but variable sound sensitivity OR limiting that
doesn't produce a distorted overkill in even a light wind


Power:
======
Standard (preferably 12vdc or else 6vdc) plus a wallplug adapter plus
an external DC adapter (cigarette lighter adapter for automotive 12vdc
battery) for one-week timelapse photos.


What is better, a widereange optical zoom or changeable (telephoto)
lens? Is there some rule of thumb to relate say a 15x zoom
to XYZ mm telephoto? Are there sharpness/distortion advanteges?

Does the gps feature in Nikons include a timestamp independant of camera
setup?


Thanks for any info

 

Nikon D3200. An insanely great bargain at $699. Once it is released.

 

...... and we are unanimous in that opinion.

 

a little rich for me and doesn't offer everything I'm looking for but
still very tempting, when is the release expected?

 

Supposedly, it was released on Apr. 19, but stock isn't available yet.

 

thanks

I'm also looking at the coolpix series which are more within my budget,
like the S6300 (retired). As far as not getting everything I want, and
eveb the d3200 would not give me time lapse features) this model would
do as a minimal camera except for the bloody autofocus! I'm still
traumatised by the focus problems my other camera gave me costing some
really good opportunity shots. Is there a way to lock the focus to
infinity on these models? I don't mean the so called focuslock which
seems to actually mean autofocus and autoexposure lock-in, just the
autofocus and a lock OUT? I'm thinking like pointing the camera to the
sky and then somehow disabling AF altogether. Anyone with ideas??? Or
should I just accept the autofocus and be confident that Nikon's will
not lock onto window panes nor slew back from infinity once set?

 

I'm also looking at the coolpix series which are more within my budget,

The lenses you would use with the D3200 have an auto-focus on/off switch
on the lens. You may also find more options on the AF as to whether it
focuses on nearest object or something else. Likely a lot more options on
a DSLR than a P&S. Go to the shop and try it, or ask the assistant to
demonstrate.

David

 

Beware. $699 only buys you a camera body. Pay a little more and you
get a 3X 18-55mm zoom 'kit' lens that is good but not great.

To get anything like the zoom range you get in a p&s, you would need
to buy at least one more lens, probably the 55-200mm. There is a
choice of two. one with vibration reduction at about $250 and one
without for $150. There is also a 55-300mm with vibration reduction
at about $400. Once again, they are good but not great lenses.

If you want just one lens that covers the zoom range of the 18-55 and
55-200mm lenses there is the 18-200mm with vibration reduction at
about $850. This is an 11X zoom. Lenses of that zoom ratio generally
are not good performers, and this one is no exception. It may be
slightly better than others of its type but they are all optically
poor.

So consider whether you want to spend $699 plus $850, a total of
around $1550, on a combination that will still fall short of the zoom
range that you can get from a Coolpix costing far, far less. Even the
camera body, 18-55mm lens and cheapest 55-200mm lens will cost you
around $1050.

Unless you are certain that you have a real need for 24 MP and are
happy to carry around a bulky kit with camera body and either two
medium sized lenses or one large, heavy lens, I think a Coolpix or
another good superzoom camera will probably suit you far better.

 

The 24 MP is handy for subsequent cropping (or zooming). Much obliged
for the substantial response BTW!

I don't really want any $1k+ digital kit because my experience with
digital anything has been that it goes for a crap and soon regardless of
how expensive it was. Still have my 35mm SLR Nikon and it still works,
must be like 18 years old but since the digitals have arrived I have
gone through four of them, they were all loaded with features I had no
use for, none could go out in -35c, and all just quit working or
degraded to the point of being unusable :-(

I could go for a P&S but none that I've seen has AF override.

 

I did extensive research on point and shoots about 6 months ago,
read, compared, took notes, went to stores, held about 30 in hand.
I would have liked a manual focus override but evidently there
is no such thing on P&S.
I settled on a Panasonic ZS-8 and am quite happy with it.
Once in a while it will be fooled by glass but not very often.
I can always zoom out,lock focus, then zoom back in if
that happens. Full manual options for everything else.
Pros: It was the only camera that filled all my requirements.
Fits in shirt pocket, metal case, F 3.3-6.3, 60 seconds
to 1/4000 shutter, 16x zoom.
Its the ONLY one I found that can be operated with one hand.
I coated most of the case in clear packing tape as soon
as I got it. It is used in industrial environments.
I don't care about mp. 3 mp is what I use.
Dropped once on concrete from 3' with no damage except
to tape. Its been wet, dirty, sandy, hot, cold, etc.
Con: reds are somewhat brighter than blue or green.
Screen is somewhat hard to see in direct sun.
IMO, its a far better camera then any other P&S.
Nothing else even came close. Got it from B&H.

 

Both my Canon G11 and Fujifilm E900 have manual focus. Both of those
are perhaps not strictly P&S cameras. However compared to my DSLRs they
are positively tiny, but not shirt pocketable, unless you have a
particularly baggy shirt pocket.

 

Both very nice cameras. I came close to buying a G12
but really needed a shirt pocket cam. Sometimes I have to
climb structures at refineries and and chem plants and take
photos using one hand while I hang on for dear life with
the other hand. Easy to do in my 30's, not so easy now in
my 60's.
It was the recommendation of posters here that I check
out B&H and am quite happy I did.

 

I was just about to undertake a complete analysis so you saved me a lot
of footwork, I will look that zs-8 up for sure. I like the concrete
floor bit, the universal test should be throwing one against a wall
no, I'm NOT kidding! I too need a shirtpocket camera but I also need
some goodies few of them offer like 1080 hd because I live in an
opportunity rich locale for rare shots (like two days ago when my
foot-and-ahalf tibetan terrier ran out to face down a moose 20 feet from
the house in the backyard). Looks like I may have to get two cameras,
which is ok if I find what I need. If I have to settle for AF I'd want
it to be one that does not use a beam but only optical analysis. Looked
at some manuals and there's never any 'beef' in them like how actually
focus is accomplished. With hardcopy printed material gone out of style
you'd think that the otherwise now zero-cost manuals would contain some
technical detail other than brain-dead repetition and white space.

 

You're welcome. Good luck with your choice. ;-)

 

I have an app on my Iphone that lets me change the focus point. Camera
Awesome. It's a free app.

 

In that case the Canon S series might also be a good place to check.
The S100 has all that you require; full manual, RAW, IS, 1080p24 HD,
built-in GPS, and a good reputation.
....and very shirt pocketable.
< http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons100/ >

 

For what it's worth, the ZS7 came up as a high choice when I evaluated
super-zoom cameras my wife could take hiking and birding a while back;
so it's not too surprising that the next in that series is also looking
good.

I'm not aware of any mainstream camera that uses anything but optical
analysis for focusing. (Two different methods -- contrast detect, or
phase detect; phase detect uses special sensors, and is mostly limited
to DSLRs, and is MUCH faster, and is often less accurate.)

 

A very nice cam, indeed!
I looked at a S95 but got the ZS-8 before the S100
came out. Guess its been 9 months now and not 6.

 

The zs-8 fit my specs but may not fit yours.
The zs-10 and zs-20 have full HD, fast sensor, gps.
SavageDuck suggested the G11 and S100.
I looked at the G12 and S95. Those are great cams but did
not fit my specs. I did not want pop up flash and needed more zoom.
Pop up flash gets the flash further away from the lens for a
better photo but I can see it easily getting broken in my line
of work.

 

: On 2012-06-01 22:45:00 -0700, Paul in Houston TX <> said:
:
: > Savageduck wrote:
: >> On 2012-06-01 21:59:23 -0700, Paul in Houston TX <> said:
: >>
: >>> bad sector wrote:
: >>>>
: >>>> I don't really want any $1k+ digital kit because my experience with
: >>>> digital anything has been that it goes for a crap and soon regardless
: >>>> of how expensive it was. Still have my 35mm SLR Nikon and it still
: >>>> works, must be like 18 years old but since the digitals have arrived I
: >>>> have gone through four of them, they were all loaded with features I
: >>>> had no use for, none could go out in -35c, and all just quit working or
: >>>> degraded to the point of being unusable :-(
: >>>>
: >>>> I could go for a P&S but none that I've seen has AF override.
: >>>
: >>> I did extensive research on point and shoots about 6 months ago,
: >>> read, compared, took notes, went to stores, held about 30 in hand.
: >>> I would have liked a manual focus override but evidently there
: >>> is no such thing on P&S.
: >>> I settled on a Panasonic ZS-8 and am quite happy with it.
: >>
: >> Both my Canon G11 and Fujifilm E900 have manual focus. Both of those
: >> are perhaps not strictly P&S cameras. However compared to my DSLRs they
: >> are positively tiny, but not shirt pocketable, unless you have a
: >> particularly baggy shirt pocket.
: >
: > Both very nice cameras. I came close to buying a G12
: > but really needed a shirt pocket cam. Sometimes I have to
: > climb structures at refineries and and chem plants and take
: > photos using one hand while I hang on for dear life with
: > the other hand. Easy to do in my 30's, not so easy now in
: > my 60's.
: > It was the recommendation of posters here that I check
: > out B&H and am quite happy I did.
:
: In that case the Canon S series might also be a good place to check.
: The S100 has all that you require; full manual, RAW, IS, 1080p24 HD,
: built-in GPS, and a good reputation.
: ...and very shirt pocketable.
: < http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons100/ >

Or you might look for a used S90 or S95. My daughter had an S90 before she got
her S100. She told me she actually liked the S90 better, although she admitted
that it may just be that she still has some learning to do.

My daughter has three young children and is very hard on cameras. When she
gets a new one, it's usually because she's wrecked her old one. But she's far
from a newbie, and I think her opinion can be trusted.

Bob