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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 8, 2009 - 08:40pm PT
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Getting closer to the decision every moment. love those shots one up.
Meanwhile I gotta go get the disposible from this weekends tmeadows jaunt, processed.
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Wes Allen
Boulder climber
KY
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One other thing to think about, is buying used. You can usually get a previous generation camera for around half of the new model. So, you don't have the cash for G10 (I want one as a carry around!), but you might be able to swing a G9. Many times the previous generation will have better features then a new model of a lower model line. And, from what I have seen, the IQ of the older, lower MP models is as good, or even better (higher ISO) then the newer, high MP models. If you are just talking mostly nothing bigger then 8 x 10 or for the web, 4-8 MP is plenty, and you can fit a whole lot more images on a card, and on your hard drive.
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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Just went through this and picked up a Canon SDD990 which is the same Digic IV/14.7mp as the G10 in a smaller package. My constraint is a camera has to fit in a Lowepro Rezo 10 or 15 case to go on my shoulder harness securely.
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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I like the Nikon coolpix. I've had two. I killed the first one canoing upside down ;-) The latest one has taken thousands of photos and much abuse. There is some sort of damage to the sensor as I see a horizontal line in the images that has the colors off. I'll have to upgrade it.
I used to spend a couple hundred bucks a year developing 35mm film, so the compact digitals paid for themselves many times over.
Just bite the bullet and get one. If you're a costco member, I'd say get one there as they are great about returns. I had a canon that lasted about 1 month, seemed to have gotten some sand in the lens and was fully refunded no questions asked.
I'm also a fan of AA's over the fancy expensive lythiums.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 8, 2009 - 09:45pm PT
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I went to Costco yesterday, they had no cameras with a viewfinder, that will go in my pocket. Oh well, I'd love to buy one there otherwise.
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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You'll get used to not having a viewfinder, take the plunge, you'll wonder what took you so long.
The only thing I don't like about the older point and clicks is they were slow to record so sucked for action pictures of the kids playing soccer, basketball etc. I'd imagine the current generation records faster.
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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You may have a tough time finding one without a viewfinder.
I can get 2 hours (of continuous "on") and 500 shots out of the Pentax W30 before it's battery burns out. It may have a way to shut off the screen, but I haven't figured that out yet.
The viewfinder on my 6-year-old Olympus Stylus 400 is only a slight improvement over just pointing the damn thing by looking over the top of it (like a shotgun), and firing a burst of shots. Especially if I'm using any zoom at all.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 8, 2009 - 10:17pm PT
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There are stacks of them with viewfinders, I am unshakeble on that feature, you guys wear bifocals? or take photos in the sun? viewfinder is not negotiable.
No way, Tolman,I spent the last three yrs with an otherwise cool, coolpix, with only a screen, that nonfeature eliminated it from any further consideration, and it as an otherwise bomber camera. I probably took 1000 shots that I could not see.
Life is too short...
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Chaz
Trad climber
greater Boss Angeles area
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I'm glad you've been able to find a bunch of cameras with optical viewfinders. I'm happy to stand corrected!
My ideal kite-camera would have a viewfinder - because a camera with a viewfinder would almost certainly have a screen-off (battery-saving) feature, zero zoom (or a fixed, non-telescoping lens like the Pentax W30), a shutter-priority feature, so I can set up the camera to work around a fast shutter speed, and an IR remote control, which would allow me to dispense with the mechanical shutter trigger.
No such camera exists, or has ever existed. (I could come close with a Canon + CHDK) Finding camera you can work with is just one of the challenges of photography (yet designing one sounds like a piece of cake!).
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 8, 2009 - 10:47pm PT
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Yeah, that's how it works, Chaz. Figure out what you need then get as close as you can. I have no need for remote control, but I can barely fly a kite!
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nature
climber
Tucson, AZ
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dang... i forgot about the view finder. though... my last camera had one and i used it about 5% of the time.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 8, 2009 - 11:14pm PT
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5% can be everything!
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Jaybro,
I wear contacts, need readers and my vision, uncorrected is -10.5 in the right and -11 in the left. In other words, I'm damned near blind. I, too, was dead set on finding a digi PHD camera with a viewfinder. The search was grim, however. Nothing with a viewfinder had the other feature set that I wanted or was anywhere near state-of-the-art. While my search was going on the LCD viewfinders got a lot better. Bright sun? Out-of-focus eyes? Weird tourist body language? No problem. I got over it.
Here's what I found. An optical viewfinder is a wonderful thing if, and ONLY if, it has a diopter adjustment. That's what my Nikon D200 and the coveted D700 have. The viewfinders without and adjustable diopter were much less useful than a modern LCD. When I'd try to use those cheap viewfinders without my readers they would be all out of focus. Then when I'd put on my readers (bifocals) I'd get so much light leakage and parallax distortion the view would be worthless.
Here's what I suggest. Go to CostCo or another reputable shop, forget about the viewfinder and buy a modern camera that has the technology you want. Try it out for a few weeks. If you can't live with it take it back and continue your search.
Good luck,
Mal
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 9, 2009 - 12:17am PT
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Thanks, Malcom. I've pretty much been there. Didn't work, ever, for my particular astigmatism, I just want a simple camera with a viewfinder. Though I will also go for a higher end DLR when I sign a new contract. For now most of the Canon A series fits my bill, is that so bad?
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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Jaybro,
I don't battle astigmatism so can't advise there. I'm not familiar with the A series but almost everything Canon makes in the PHD category is pretty good. The Panasonic Lumix cameras have impressed me as well. Don't know if they have any viewfinders.
Mal
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healyje
Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
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The Canon SD990 has a viewfinder - also a criteria of mine. I can't deal with anything but the viewfinder when I'm leading.
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maldaly
Trad climber
Boulder, CO
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healyje, you take pictures while you're leading? Cool! That would even impress donini as long as it didn't slow you down.
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Climbing dropout
Trad climber
Vancouver, BC
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Jul 14, 2009 - 06:23pm PT
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I used to drag along a Contax/Ziess film camera back in the day. It was only a fraction bigger than the G10
Now I shoot Canon DSLR's but the camera I use quite often is a camcorder that takes awesome stills. its very compact and lightweight.
Its the Canon HF 10 . Very good low light, compact flash, video rig.
I have been having fun with video and utube for a while. Much more complex than stills though. U also need a lot of CPU/GPU horsepower to grind the AVCHD format it produces when editing.
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=177&modelid=16186
I am waiting for a dedicated camcorder that mounts my existing set of Canon lenses which is not a DSLR cmos chip like the 5D II is. In my opinion thats the next level of camcorder.
I thought the G10 was good, in good light. Viewfinders are essential on sunny days.
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Topic Author's Reply - Jul 15, 2009 - 01:32am PT
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I ended upi ordering a used Canon A590IS, Fit all the requirements, on a, pink slipped, teacher's budget.
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