Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with Cannon

Too many cameras! So many features! Too much choice! Arrrgggrhhhh!

gergtreble — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:17:08 -0800

Calling all Mefi photographers. Help me choose my entry level DSLR. I just went to my local camera store to buy a Nikon D60 but I made the mistake of asking the guy in the store if there were any other similarly priced ones he recommended. He immediately recommended the Sony a350. This totally threw me I had made up my mind that I wanted a D60 no question! But the Sony A350 has a host of extra features I wasn't expecting to find with the budget I have. Here are the pros and cons of each model as I see them.

1) Glass - Nikon lenses are generally better than Sony right? But Sony bought Minolta so I can use old Minolta lenses if I want. I've also heard that Carl Zeiss makes all Sony lenses! Is that true?

2) Live view - The Nikon doesn't have it, but the Sony does. And the display is movable for shooting from the waist or from over the head! This is drawing me to the Sony.

3) Vibration reduction - The Nikon uses VR in the lens. But the Sony's VR is in the body. Technically I should be able to get vibration reduction with any lens I use in the Sony. But i would have to buy specific VR lenses from Nikon

4) Autofocus - I think the Nikon's AF isnt back compatible with old lenses. But I'm not sure about this.

Now to top it off I've started looking at the Cannon EOS 400D / XTi too! I'm a beginner photographer so I'm looking for a camera that will help me learn the nuances of photography. My budget is £500 ish give or take. I also plan to buy a longer lens before Christmas as I am hoping to spend new year in The Maasai Mara.

I'm torn and conflicted here! A decision that once was so easy has become unbelievably difficult! I would appreciate any advice or testimonies that you can provide.

Thanks in advance.

Powershot Lens Error

GregWithLime — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 06:21:56 -0800

I'm getting a Lens error on the Cannon PowerShot SD630. What can I do to try and repair this myself? When I power up the camera, it beeps three times and a message appears on the screen that says, "Lens error, restart camera". The lens is stuck in the extended, open position.

I have removed the outer shell of the camera and have used a can of air to try and blow dust out of the inards. Nothing has helped so far. I'd like to get to the gears that extend and retract the lens. How would I do that? What else should I try?

Thanks!

Why can't my PC see my Camera? Works on the Mac.

lotusmonster — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 07:19:38 -0800

Why can't my PC see my Camera? Works on the Mac. It's not the cable, the software, the computer, or the camera. I have a Canon HV20 HD video camera that only has a firewire output. Link to camera specs. When I take it to the computer lab and connect it to the Macs there, it works perfectly. However, my desktop PC does not recognize it. I have installed the software that came with the camera. And I can connect my external hard drive to the Desktop through the same firewire port, so I know it is not a hardware issue. And since I used the same cable at the Mac lab, I know it is not the cable.

Any ideas as to why it will work on the Mac and not the PC?

I tried Canon Customer Service already....

thanks

How do I get more Cannon crack for my videogame fix?

anthill — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 15:07:29 -0800

Videogame Filter: Anyone ever found another game that plays the same as Cannon Cat?? Too much fun, too few levels. Cannon Cat has something I haven' t seen before: No movement keys. The only thing you can do is 'fire'. You have to trade off being able to attack enemies and navigating through the 2-d game by recoil alone. I love the gameplay. If you know Japanese could you please tell me what the author says about the game?

Right camcorder for a mac guy?

Dennis Murphy — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 14:43:42 -0800

I'm a mac guy. Is this camcorder a good fit? I'm looking for a budget (400 or less) camcorder. I'm leaning towards, and was actually going to buy, the Canon Elura 100. However, it seems the Digital video input format is AVI, which is a windows format.

Using a mac, iMovie/iDVD, would that make this a bad choice?

Also, I read, but don't quite believe, that video is transferred through Firewire only, no usb. If my next mac comes without Firewire, am I screwed?