Reccomendations For New Camera

[mrbojangles]

Guys and gals,

looking for a few tips, if you please.

In my proffession, i often need to take piccies inside peoples homes. I'm not a photographer and the quality doesn't need to be as good as a photograher could do. I've currently got a Cannon Ixus and a Sony Cybershot and for the majority of the time they take piccies that are good enough for what i need.

However, when i need to take a picture of say, someone's living room and it's quite a small room, i struggle to get a picture of the whole room. Because if you back up too far, your out of the room. So i've decided to buy a camera that can either have a wide angle attached or one with a built in wide angle lens.

Now in the good old days of wet film SLR's, it was pretty easy. Go buy a lens and click it on. Nowaday's I just don't know where to begin

I've just been browsing and seen this Canon Powershot S3 IS for about £300, so looks good value.

http://www.lowestonweb.com/products/displa...60-56C6AABBB725

Has anyone any thoughts on the above, or any tips / recommendations on a good buy.

Many thyanks, as always.

MrBoJ

Edited July 7, 2006 by mrbojangles

[The Skipper]

The Nikon Coolpix8700 was promoted as real estate camera I think.

Double check.

[mrbojangles]

The Nikon Coolpix8700 was promoted as real estate camera I think.

Double check.

Cheers Skipper. I'll google it now

[The Skipper]

Sorry

Coolpix8400 was it.

Here is a nice selection.

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6501_7-5554443-1.html

[mrbojangles]

Thanks for the links Skipper

[Nordlys]

However, when i need to take a picture of say, someone's living room and it's quite a small room, i struggle to get a picture of the whole room. Because if you back up too far, your out of the room. So i've decided to buy a camera that can either have a wide angle attached or one with a built in wide angle lens.

Now in the good old days of wet film SLR's, it was pretty easy. Go buy a lens and click it on. Nowaday's I just don't know where to begin

You can do the same with digital SLR. You'll probably need 24mm focal length for a lens of your need, or at least 28mm. However, expect 1.6X crop factor with entry level dSLR, which means you'd only get 38.4mm width coverage with 24mm focal length lens when attached on dSLR with1.6X crop factor (or else pay more than 100K Baht for full 35mm film-size-sensor dSLR). Powershot S3 comes with a very wide range zoom, but only 36mm on the wide side. Coolpix 8400 comes with 24 - 85mm lens, but I doubt if it's still available in the market today. As far as I know all 2/3 inch size sensor digicams vanished from the market almost a year ago.

A lens like one in the link below will cover 16mm - 35mm width on dSLR with 1.6X factor , more than enough width coverage for your needs, when most point-and-shoot cameras offer only up to 28 - 38mm on the wide side of their zoom. Or else you can get wide conversion lens attached on filter thread of point-and-shoot camera, which is usually available only up to 28mm anyway.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/...22mm-test.shtml

I shot the picture below with 17 - 40mm wide zoom lens, at 17mm focal length, on full-size sensor dSLR. You'll get a very deep perspective with a lens like this, making a room look wider and deeper than it actually is when you shoot indoors.

Edited July 7, 2006 by Nordlys

[Tywais]

An alternative is to use the camera you have and make a panoramic with it by multiple shots and stitched together with the right software. Comes out really well, did my living room and my laboratory and it comes out continguous and complete.

[mrbojangles]

Thanks for your replies guys, much appreciated. I think i'll have to test a few out.

Nordlys, excellent picture. How far did you stand back to get all of that in?

[Nordlys]

Nordlys, excellent picture. How far did you stand back to get all of that in?

About 3 - 4 meters from the Buddha figure. That's all the space I had for shooting this picture. With less wider lens I would have stepped further back to get the head of the Buddha in the composition as it was quite tall, which would have looked like this.

[astral]

Real wide lenses do open up some wonderful possibilities.

[mrbojangles]

Real wide lenses do open up some wonderful possibilities.

Absolutely, looks like i'll be purchasing one very soon

[tigerbeer]

you could get the PAnasonic FX01 in case you can do with a P&S instead of a DSLR. They have started selling it in Thailand this month and has superb reviews on it. Average retail price THB16,900 with 256MB SD card. It has 28-102mm equivalent. good enough to take some wide pictures. Also has Optical Stabilisation. Other options for P&S is the Kodak dual lens V series. V570 and another one newer model.

[mrbojangles]

Cheers Tigerbeer,

I'll add that one to my list for "test drive" at weekend

[astral]

28mm is not really wide.

For your requirements you need 24mm or even 20mm

for the best results.

Nordlys photos were taken with a 17mm lens!!

[percy2]

Why not just get a wide angle converter for the sony you already have?

Cheers

[mrbojangles]

Why not just get a wide angle converter for the sony you already have?

Cheers

Cheers Percy, i'll look into it. I didn't know you could get a converter. I thought that they where just a fixed lens

[peterjackson]

Hey

If and when you are back in the UK, go to a Costco. Pay the joining fee (approx £ 25) and they have an amazing selection of DSLR all at great prices. But here is the best part, their return policy is such that you could take it back after 12 months for a full refund (not a credit) and then upgrade to the latest and greatest at that point. If you want to test a few cameras, buy one, take some pics. take it back, get another and test that, until you find the one that is right for you.

I Purchased a FujiPix from their Leeds Branch in 2004 (£600), unfortunately, I dropped it into a Lake whilst taking some pics. from my Jet Ski. I took the camera with my UK receipt to their Boca Raton Branch in Florida during Nov. 2005, I told them of my story and they promptly refunded all my money $ 1100 approx and I purchased another NEW DSLR for $ 600. What a company. If every company treated their customers to such great Customer Service, what a pleasure it would be going shopping. Now, I use them for as much as I can and recommend them to anyone who is looking for a company that stands behind the products they sell and always puts the customer first. Even when the customer is at fault, as was the case with me.

Good luck with your purchase

Peter

[mrbojangles]

Good one peter. My ex's father used to (maybe still does) go to Costco and he buys something. Then he'll go to a local auction and but the same thing but a duff one. He then goes back to Costco with the duff one and gets his money back. In the end he's paid penny's for a good one

[tigerbeer]

Good one peter. My ex's father used to (maybe still does) go to Costco and he buys something. Then he'll go to a local auction and but the same thing but a duff one. He then goes back to Costco with the duff one and gets his money back. In the end he's paid penny's for a good one

if not mistaken, cameras here a lot cheaper than UK. factor in your travelling expenses to and in england. dslrs' are nicely priced especially if the model is a bit older. prices drop every couple of months.

what is really missing here though it your budget. how much you willing to spend on a camera? perhaps that can help narrow down some choices for you for the best cameras out there. reviewed and tested!

Edited July 15, 2006 by tigerbeer

[mrbojangles]

what is really missing here though it your budget. how much you willing to spend on a camera? perhaps that can help narrow down some choices for you for the best cameras out there. reviewed and tested!

I don't really have a budget Tiger, i'll pay as much is needed. However, i don't and never will be a Lord Snowdon. It doesn't have to top quality, as the Coolpix and the Canon Ixus do a great job, except for when we need to take pictures in quite a small room.

[tigerbeer]

what is really missing here though it your budget. how much you willing to spend on a camera? perhaps that can help narrow down some choices for you for the best cameras out there. reviewed and tested!

I don't really have a budget Tiger, i'll pay as much is needed. However, i don't and never will be a Lord Snowdon. It doesn't have to top quality, as the Coolpix and the Canon Ixus do a great job, except for when we need to take pictures in quite a small room.

reason i asked is cause if you wanna get down to as wide as 17mm on lenses, you'd have to go the DSLR way. DSLR and P&S cameras <----- big differences in pricing. did you manage to test some cameras already???

[mrbojangles]

did you manage to test some cameras already???

No, unfortunately i have no cover for the office today so i'm stck in here all day and to make matters worse, it's blistering hot outside

[peterjackson]

Hey

I have just looked at two cameras that would be ideal for your purposes. The best one looks like the Olympus. I would be interested to know what the present price in LOS for these would be. They are both the equivalent of 25,000 BAHT here.

1) Olympus E-Volt E-500 8MP. It comes with 2 lenses. Lens (a) 40 - 150mm and lens ( 17.5 - 45mm. 2.5'' LCD.

2) Canon Rebel XT 8MP comes with a 18 - 55mm lens and a 1.8'' LCD.

Kind Regards

Peter

[astral]

Why not just get a wide angle converter for the sony you already have?

Cheers

Convertors usually degrade the overall performance of the lens,

losing at least one stop in addition.

OK for home video, not really for quality still photography.

[Firefoxx]

DSLRs have come down quite a lot in cost... with rebate the Digital Rebel XT is around $600, with lens. Factor in the cost of a really wide angle lens (perhaps the EFS 10-22), and you're set. The difference between a PS and a DSLR are pretty big for actual "work". However, you do pay for it, as it's more expensive and a lot bigger.

[peterjackson]

Hey

On Thursday my new Olympus EVolt arrived with both lenses and a lens hood.

I am no expert or Lord Snowdon, but it takes amazing pictures and has more bells and whistles than I would ever need.

A great buy for me at $ 660

I may look at Canon or Nikon when i get to Thailand next year, but this camera will certainly do everything I can forsee I would want a camera package to do.

Just thought I would post an update.

Kind regards

Peter

[mrbojangles]

Cheers Peter, hope your liking your Olympus

Update on my situation. I have been out and about over the last few weeks and think i've found the one i want. It's the Nikon D50, looks good, feels good etc. On this review here:- http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond50/ It has a table of the differences between the D70 and D50, do you think these differences will matter, regarding what i want to use it for?

Anyone with any personal experience with the D50?