Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with digitalcamera

Best Discreet Subway Camera?

joshwa — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 08:00:54 -0800

DigitalCameraFilter: I am trying to find a small, discreet point-n-shoot camera that I can use on the subway to take pictures of my fellow-passengers (think Walker Evans - Many Are Called). Trying to find something that is: small (fits in pocket), quiet, sharp, can disable the rear lcd, and has minimal shutter lag. Good high-iso performance also a plus. Zoom not necessary. The Canon G-series would fit the bill, but they're rather bulky are mega-pricey for this application.

Hoping that someone here has experience with such an application and can recommend something?

Googling, as you'd imagine, is of limited usefulness. There are just too many small digital cameras and thousands of spammy spycam and bogus affiliate sites.

The most "bang" for my photography buck.

siclik — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 11:03:13 -0800

What are some upgrades I can purchase for my Canon EOS 40D that will provide me with the most improved images for the least amount of money? We're expecting a baby this spring and I foresee an increase in the amount of pictures we'll be taking, so I want to make sure we're doing it right.

I don't mind paying for new upgrades (combined, probably up to $1,000). Right now I have only what came with the stock kit (standard body, 28-135mm lens).

Specific recommendations for flashes, lens upgrades, remote controls, etc. would be very much appreciated. For example, I'd assume, for starters, we're going to want a pretty quality portrait lens, right?

Thanks!

Need help choosing a camera for video

bDiddy — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:26:16 -0800

Wife wants a video camera, I want a still camera that shoots video. Hope us! The wife and I are soon going to be parents and as such I would like to be able to take HD video of our son.

I currently have a Panasonic Lumix Camera that managed to get some dust inside the lens. Ideally I would like to replace this with a newer Lumix camera that shoots HD.

I don't know if the wife wants HD or if she just wants to be able to shoot 3 hours straight of video.

Either way, I don't really want to have to worry about carrying a still camera and a video camera but I may lose that battle.

To me, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 seems to be the best bet. I've been very happy with the stills on my current Panasonic, aside from dust smudges.

So that was the build-up, here's the question(s):

Will the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS3 shoot video for as long as I want, or is there a limit to video length other than memory card size? Is there a better option for shooting decent stills and HD video aside from that camera in the $300-$400 range? Or, is there a decent handheld HD video recorder that is much better than the video taken by the Lumix that is around that price?

That's a lot of questions. I guess the bottom line is I'm looking to find out if digital camcorders in the $300-$400 are superior to the P&S cameras in the same price range. I doubt that they are, but I have no evidence to back it up.

Thanks.

Note: As great as I'm sure they are, DSLR cameras are out of the question. I'd love one, but they're just too big.

What's a good sub-$500 digital camera for general use and macro work?

hjo3 — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:43:22 -0800

What's a good digital camera for someone that wants to do long exposures, macro photography, and has roughly $500 to spend? Okay, so I want to get a new digital camera. Right now I have a Casio EX-Z50 and I hate it. Budget is ~$500. There are three things I especially want in a new camera:

The ability to do long exposures (>5 seconds).

The lowest noise I can afford.

Something that's good for, but not only for, macro photography.

Another cool feature would be the ability to take a picture every x minutes, but I don't even know if that exists. And an easy UI (like the one on Sony Cybershots) would be nice, but not critically important.

Can you recommend something for me? Or can you point me to a site or something that lets me compare lots of camera stats for various models at once?

Looking for non-fugly camera case!

katillathehun — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 09:29:31 -0800

I need a case for my new Olympus E-P1, but I can't find one that I like! I really love the leather one I've been seeing in pictures of the camera everywhere, but that case/strap is hard to find and exorbitantly expensive to boot ($85-$200 everywhere I've found it online). So, is there something similar to that that's under $80 and available in the US? (Yes, I've checked eBay.) Olympus shows something similar for a decent price on their site, but it's not available anymore. If not one like that, is there an attractive case/strap combo of another kind that might fit the E-P1? Or any handy tips for making something on my own? I'm good with crafty type things.

Camera reviews are taking over my sanity

TravellingCari — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 20:10:49 -0800

Following my previous question, I've narrowed down my camera options and done a lot of reading, but I'd love some Hivemind input. My Previous Question

Since asking, I've been reading reviews online and went to B&H to play with some of the models I thought I liked. End result, I walked out with two different ideas than when I walked in. Below are the ones I'm considering most and why, but I'm having issues with the reviews I read online because I know every product will irk someone and it's a question of cutting through that to get to what matters.

I'm also trying to keep in mind that a) I'm upgrading a 4 year old camera and b) I don't need perfection on every shot. I'm not ready to make the jump to DSLR because I don't take pictures nearly enough anymore, but I want a camera that can take good landscape shots, a good zoom to take pics at sporting events from bad seats and ability to shoot close up (i.e. Macro). I have pros and cons below. Do you have any experience with these cameras? Anything I'm missing? As I've said, I'm familiar with the review sites and have read extensively. If those are all to be believed, there's no decent camera out there.

*Sony HX 1 - Pros: good zoom, I have media for the camera, familiarity w Sony cameras, good battery life, feels good in my hand, without a doubt the best video capabilities. Cons: 9.1mp, Price, video stuff I don't need (I don't know what 1080i/p means, and I rarely shoot video)

*Nikon P90 - Pros: 24 optical zoom, known for good sports photography, good macro, price. Cons: hate the look and feel of camera, reported poor battery life, no zoom while shooting video.

*Olympus SP-590 - Pros: Price, 26x zoom, good response time with fast photos (sports).Cons: AA battery (although I don't mind this too much, means you're never caight without batteries), dial seems weak

*Canon SX 1 - Pros: 20x zoom, known brand, RAW support, Cons: AA battery (see above), hate hate the fold-out LCD, least zoom (although I'm upgrading from 12x so it's still big jump

So, I'm still torn. At the moment, I'm leaning Olympus but I don't know enough about the brand. I covet the Sony but at 399 even on Amazon (have $65 credit so likely to buy there) it's steep. I came out of B&H really not liking the Canon at all but I feel like I should because it's such a known brand that people love. Nikon was my first choice walking in, but I really don't like the body of this camera.

Anyone have any input or am I destined to eenie meenie miney mo? Thanks in advance!

How long will my point-and-shoot underwater digital camera stay waterproof?

woodblock100 — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:39:34 -0800

How long will my point-and-shoot underwater digital camera stay waterproof? For my work, I need to take some underwater shots (not diving, just wading in shallow water), so just picked up one of the new type of simple point-and-shoot digitals that are claimed to be waterproof to about 10 feet - the Fuji Z33WP.

It's working great in my first testing, but - and this is something that I didn't discover until reading the fine print in the manual - it seems that it may not stay waterproof. Namely: "The waterproof sealing material is replaceable at cost. The material should be replaced once a year to maintain the camera’s water resistance."

There is a nifty rubbery gasket that covers the battery/card compartment, which I imagine would degrade at some point in the future and need replacing, but 'once a year' sounds a bit iffy to me.

Does anybody have any experience with this? Will I really have to replace this annually?

Ho to make photoshop save photos?

-harlequin- — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:02:23 -0800

How can I save JPG images in Photoshop CS so that a digital camera can read them? Cheap crappy software can do this easily, but no matter what file settings I use in Photoshop, I've never been able to get any of my digital cameras to be able to read any JPG that was written by Photoshop - I have to load and re-save them with other piece of software to get them to work. Surely there is a way to make Photoshop save JPG files that cameras can read? My impression is that (naming conventions and so forth aside) there is a JPEG standard that most or nearly all cameras read, rather than every camera having it's own random special requirements.

I want a way to start saving files in that standard, because I'll be using a camera as an image storage/display device, and want to load the memory card with images and graphics in addition to photos it has taken, but right now, I have to individually process each file to do this, or the camera won't read it, and it's driving me nuts.
(I also don't want to save as RAW or TIFF)

Thanks!

What can I do with an old G4 Mac that involves robots and cameras?

infinitewindow — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 11:26:48 -0800

What should I do with an old 450 MHz Sawtooth G4 Mac running OS X 10.2? Assume that it runs well as-is and that I have $100 to spend on accessories. Bonus points to answers involving robots (for which I don't have materials for) and/or digital cameras (for which I do).

“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.”

TravellingCari — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:37:45 -0800

My beloved digital camera just died, and I'm trying to match features. Any suggestions? I don't want it to fit in my pocket. Well regardless of saying here that I wasn't in the market for a new camera, I am now because my trusty Sony just died. First the LCD screen went, which was not a huge issue, but then the view finder followed, rendering it a paperweight.

The camera I'm replacing is the Song DSC-HI, which had a fabulous zoom, and that's what I'm eager to find again. For example, I spend a good amount of time at sports events in less-than-great seats and I loved the zoom on this to get good pictures. I still have the DSC-S650 which filled in well on this trip, but it's great for snapshots, not action shots where I need a zoom. I've also found the up-close macro is better with the larger lens. I'm the oddball, I don't want a pocket cam. The only reason I have the little Sony was for a wedding.

I would like to keep with SONY so as not to deal with all new memory formats, but I've heard good things about some new model Canons. I love the manual options on the H1 as well as the scenes, and the large-ish LCD screen. I also love that it used AA batteries, which made things easy if I'm caught without batteries. I don't think I need or want a DSLR despite lens capabilities, because when I travel I don't want that much stuff to juggle and don't take photos as often as I used to to warrant that investment. My previous camera before the Sony was a Nikon-forget the Coolpix model but it was another with a good zoom. It died in the Australian sand and heat. Both lasted me 3+ years and owe me nothing, but I like the bigger models - I feel I can take a better picture with them.

I'm familiar with DPReview and some of the other sites, but I'm also curious for personal experience - what models have you found that do the trick. Which would you avoid? Any specific review sites I should make sure to check out? I'm in NYC so I'll certainly be making a trip to B&H to play with the models as I can't buy it on specs alone, but am not sure where to start as I haven't been camera shopping in some time.

As I said, I have a backup camera so this isn't an immediate purchase. I'm willing to save up for a good camera so there's no set budget. As always, thanks all!

Help me photograph Israel without changing memory cards every five seconds!

TravellingCari — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:36:19 -0800

I need a new Sony Memory Stick Pro Duo for my cameras, but have no idea where the best place to buy any more is. Also any particular size recommendations or is bigger better? In preparation for this summer's trip, I need more memory cards for my Sony digital cameras. I'm looking for the Pro Duo My google-fu is good and I know about Google shopping but being unfamiliar with most of the stores, I don't know which are reputable. I've had bad experiences in the past with unknown websites and don't want to get caught with a non functioning memory card while away, though I know that's a risk with electronics as things can be lemons.

The last two times I needed memory cards I:
a) asked a friend who worked at Sony who got it with her discount (she no longer works there)
b) needed it "now" because I was using my camera and realised I didn't have the memory card so I walked into the local BestBuy.

I have some time (trip is mid-July) and have no issue with ordering online, but I don't know where to start. Is there a particular online vendor you know to be reputable? Any you suggest staying away from?

Also - any thoughts on how big is too big? I'll either be bringing my laptop or have access to my mom's so I'm not looking to store the whole trip on there - I'm a shutter bug - but I also don't want to be flipping memory cards constantly i.e. at Petra. Cameras are 5.0 and 7.2 megapixels, but I don't tend to take fine quality photos. When I do, they're the exception for a few photos.

NB: yes I know, there are newer and better cameras out there and Sony media is not ideal. Mine are 4 and 2 years old, respectively, but they suit my purposes fine and I don't have the budget for a new camera at this time so it is what it is.

As always, thanks for all your help.

Can My Canon PowerShot S2 Be Saved?

briank — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:38:35 -0800

My too-expensive Canon digital camera has developed the dreaded "E18" error. Anybody here ever successfully get their camera working again after this happened? Google suggests that Canon charges a lot of money to fix it and takes too long to do so. I have already visited www.e18error.com but would like first-hand reports, if any, of fixing it yourself.

I'm getting sick of no point and click!

Kid Charlemagne — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:23:14 -0800

My ~~Your~~ digital camera ~~favorite band~~ sucks down the batteries! Is this fixable or would I be better off getting something else? So I've got a Fuji Finepix pseudo-SLR that's a few years old. It's autofocus is iffy, but most of the time (or if I resort to manual focus) it produces some really nice images. The problem is, it will decide it's done with four AA's after about three pictures, even if the backlight and flash are off. A volt meter will still show the "dead" batteries at better than 1.5 volts, which leaves me pretty displeased (but if you ever need to power about 30 small flashlights, I've got your back).

I've looked at some of the previous ask-mefis on this subject, tried some of the advice and gotten a wall wart power supply for the thing, but that's not really that useful when I'm camping or bike riding. Is there some amazing trick that has recently come to light (like a firmware upgrade or capacitor replacement or the like) that might fix this or am I better off getting somethng new?

If get something new is the answer, can anyone recomend a good medium to medium-low end digital camera that will let me take a reasonable number of pictures on a single change of batteries? As long as I'm asking for a pony, how about a dependable autofocus.

Which digicam should I choose?

MaryDellamorte — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:18:13 -0800

I need a decent, all-purpose digital camera that would take good pictures of jewelry to sell on Etsy for around $200. Less would be better, and if it's worth it, I would be willing to go higher. I'm going to use it for everyday purposes, but also need it to take picture of small items, such as earrings and pendants that I will be selling on Etsy. I don't really have much experience with digital cameras and my current one is about to hit the shitter. Need some suggestions, please.

Wide angle/superzoom cameras

xanthippe — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:53:13 -0800

Digital camera recommendations in the wide angle/super-zoom/everything-but-a-DSLR category? I'm looking to buy the best digital camera I can get that's a step below a DSLR, as I'm unlikely to actually use one on a regular basis and can't afford much over $500. I am looking at several models around $400 that have wide-angle lenses, including the following:

Canon SX10IS

Nikon P80/P90

Fuji S2000 HD

The wide angle lens and general image quality and availability of manual features are my main concern - I would like to get professional-quality images without lugging a DSLR and lens kit around, but haven't been paying any attention to the market in the last few years since I was satisfied with my previous camera (an older Fuji similar to these new models but without the wide angle - I was waiting to replace it with a camera that came with a wide-angle, and it seems these have just become available). All of these cameras have relatively similar features but I don't know how the brand names compare at this level (it sounds like Nikon is not as good with non-DSLR cameras as one might expect based on some online reviews I read).

Also, the Nikon P90 seems to be a step above the Canon and Fuji models as well as the P80, but won't be out until mid-March. Will it be worth waiting for? (I need to either buy a camera tomorrow or wait a long time for international shipping since I'm on a quick trip to the US now, so unless the P90 is significantly better, I'd rather not wait.)

On what basis should I choose among the cameras I listed? Are there other models I should be thinking about? If anyone answering this has one of these or a similar camera in the same price and feature range, feel free to post your flickr page. Thanks.

Digital camera: repair, upgrade, replace, fix it myself?

funkiwan — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 08:46:31 -0800

Please help me decide whether I should have my digital camera (Casio Exilim EX-Z750) a) professionally repaired, b) upgraded at a discount, c) replaced with a completely different one or d) repaired by myself. My Casio camera recently broke. The LCD readout was completely jumbled, though it took pictures just fine. The display would adjust as I moved the camera but in no way was it readable, preventing me from using any of the screen-based menus. I sent it back to the manufacturer secretly hoping they would fix it either cheap or free (Ha!), as there was no obvious trauma that caused the problem. It seems I have the following options:

a) Repair it. Cost is $79 + tax and shipping

b) Upgrade to one of the following refurbished Casio models with a 1-year warranty:
1. EX-S10BE for $129 + tax and shipping
2. EX-S880BK for $119 + tax and shipping
3. EX-Z200BK for $139 + tax and shipping
4. EX-Z80BE for $99 + tax and shipping
5. EX-Z9BK for $99 + tax and shipping

Looking online, it seems I can probably match these prices new, so this isn't looking like too hot of an option. Am I missing something?

c) Just go ahead and get a new one. For that I figure I'll research the links in this previous askme thread, though if anyone has any other suggestions, I'd love to hear them. I'm most interested in a digital camera that handles low light situations well, as that's where I'm usually thwarted. I do tend to play with some of the more manual controls so I'm looking for something above the simplest point-and-shoot. This camera cost me about $400 in 2005 and I would want to feel like I upgraded if I got a new camera.

d) Have them ship it back to me and repair it myself. Any idea what would cause a jumbled LED display?

Currently, I'm leaning toward asking them to just send me back the camera and opening it up myself, blowing the dust out and hoping for the best. I avoided doing this before sending it to them in fear that I might make the problem worse. If that doesn't work, just up and buy a new camera. Thoughts?

Best 720p shooter?

jjsonp — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 06:11:03 -0800

Best digital camera with 720p 30FPS+ unlimited video? I want a new digital camera. Both of my previous ones (a Minolta and a Casio) had 30FPS video, but only VGA resolution.

Since this is such a common feature now I'd like some opinions regarding which inexpensive point-and-shoot cameras take the best 720p video. Do any do better than 30FPS? I know some of them had time limitations but not sure if that's still an issue; I want to be able to shoot until my memory's depleted. And I want to be able to shoot stills, so I don't think a Flip video device will work out well.

If you have experience with multiple brands that will be most helpful. Many people seem to have brand loyalty with cameras but if they haven't actually used/owned other brands the recommendation doesn't carry as much weight IMO.

Latest-and-greatest not necessary. Smaller/thinner preferred. Looking at around $200-$300 price range.

Digital Camera advice

Astro Zombie — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:34:51 -0800

My girlfriend is looking to buy a new digital camera and is looking for some suggestions. Specific wants inside. Wants: AC adapter so she can charge from a wall outlet, lithium-ion battery, room to add additional memory sd card, great sound quality and continuous (at least 10 minutes at a time) recording/movie mode, at least 7 megapixels, at least 3x zoom, pocket-sized (very thin cameras preferred).

She'll be upgrading from a Kodak z750, which she likes, but it's just too bulky.

What can I expect from a cheap digital camera?

deeper red — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:29:14 -0800

I bought a digital camera yesterday, and am not too pleased with it. But am I being too critical? I got a Fujifilm J110W, a cheap 10 megapixel camera. At 100% viewing on a computer screen, the image looks slightly grainy. Zoom in even more and it starts to look pretty bad -- lots of noise, jaggies, and so on. I can make the quality better by forcing a lower ISO speed, but that isn't always practical.

For my sins, I know a lot about digital cameras, and had hoped to get a cheap point and click this time around. I knew the quality wouldn't be top notch, although I didn't expect it to be quite this bad.

I'm thinking of taking it back and exchanging it for another camera of the same price, but am I likely to be just as disappointed? Are any cameras going to offer decent close-scrutiny picture quality at such a low price level?

Third party camera battery?

R. Mutt — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:54:08 -0800

After many years, my Canon PowerShot S20 needs a new Ni-MH battery. Canon sells a replacement battery for $49. Amazon sells a third party replacement made by Hi Capacity for about half the price. There are no user reviews for the cheaper batteries. Is the $49 Canon battery a waste of money?

compact digital camera

MrMoonPie — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 18:10:24 -0800

Wishlist time--what's a good small, cheap digital camera these days? I got great recommendations last time, so I'm trying again. Primary considerations are small size and under $150--I'm not looking for something fancy. 3X optical zoom, and I don't need super-duper megapixels, just enough to get good snapshots for the grandmother. And size is really important; I'd like something I'll be likely to carry around. As a friend said, the best camera is the one you have with you.

What should I get?

How can I make my camera take pictures faster?

Twicketface — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 07:17:57 -0800

How can I make my camera take pictures faster? I have a Canon PowerShot A720 (8 megapixel). We've had the camera for about a year and love it.

The camera has a setting for pets/children, which is supposed to allow you to take pictures in rapid succession. But, there's a 6 or 7 second lag between when I take a picture and when I can take the next one.

I have the camera set to take photos at 800x600, so they aren't huge images to be saved. Plus, we download the pictures off the camera every few days, so it's not as if the card has a lot on it (15-20 pictures at a clip).

My Googling is inferior, so I'm wondering if it has to do with the memory card. We have a 1GB ScanDisk. Would a larger capacity card make a difference? Or a different brand?

Appreciate any info to help me get cuter shots of my son actually facing me instead of my rapidly growing collection of photos of the back of his head.

The Button's Stuck and So Am I

foxy_hedgehog — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:17:49 -0800

Election Night Emergency AskMefi- the on/off button on my Canon PowerShot A60 digital camera seems to be stuck, and the camera won't function. Any ideas? Yes, I changed the batteries....Thanks comrades!

Digital Pocket Camera with RAW?

horseblind — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:09:30 -0800

I am looking for a pocket digital camera (point and shoot) that will store the files in RAW. I am looking for a pocket digital camera (point and shoot) that will store the files in RAW. Hopefully it will have a JPEG+RAW mode. I am interested in the Panasonic Lumix LX3 (as mentioned previously.) While I like this camera I thought it might be nice to have something just a little smaller. As for recommendations, you can recommend current or older models as I'm fine with hunting down used cameras if I must.

I have looked at previous posts, but thought it smart to ask since it has been a while since a similar question was asked.

In addition to a RAW mode, I would like it to store photos on CF cards, or SD cards. I also prefer that it has a pretty decent optical zoom and built-in flash. As for size, I would like it to easily fit into the pocket of an under seat bag on a bike, or in the pocket of my camelback water backpack. Preferably, it will fit into the pocket of my jeans.

Personal experience is preferred. I'd like to know what it is about your recommendation that makes it so awesome above and beyond my requirements (RAW being the most important one.)

Thanks in advance. I'll post back after I make a decision.

Can I charge a digital camera battery from America in a different country?

supercrayon — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 15:51:44 -0800

Can I charge a digital camera battery from America in a different country? I'm thinking of buying this camera from Amazon and having it shipped to me in New Zealand. However one thing I can't figure out (as I know next to nothing about digital cameras) is whether I would be able to use the battery charger for it here in New Zealand, as the voltage is different between the USA and NZ. Does anyone know offhand if this is a problem, and if so a workaround for it? Thanks!