High End Digital Camera Advice Needed

I just sold my junkie digital camera and now want to get a very good 4-5mp camera like the Olympus 5050 or Canon G3.

They both take beautiful macro pictures and have many more features that I will never use but I'm going to do it anyway.

I've read the on-line test sites and both of these are highly recommended.

Anybody have any personal experience with the brand or the model?

Marty

Re: High End Digital Camera Advise Needed

In my experience Canon's have more straightforward user interfaces than Oly's. I haven't used those particular models but have used some others from those companies.

You should also try the Sony F717.

Also you might look at a digital SLR like a Canon EOS-D10.

Re: High End Digital Camera Advise Needed

I'd second the FC717... Loved my FC707 to death...

Minolta Dimage 7's also a good bet.

Re: High End Digital Camera Advise Needed

Just curious, what are you going to use the camera for, usually, higher megapixel cameras are good if you play on making huge prints or need to crop from a really big file.

Re: High End Digital Camera Advise Needed

I looked at the G3 seriously and had the older Olympus 3040. The 3040 was too cramped for my tastes and the 50 series is not any bigger. The G3 Is good and well thought out control wise. I don't know about the battery life but if it is like the Digital Elph S230 it will go for a long time with frugal use of flash.

G3 is a 4 MP camera but I don't feel that is much of a hinderance. I bought the Nikon 5700 instead as I like the SLR type compared to the Argus C3 rangefinder/brick style for large cameras. 5700 handles well in all areas except for two. Battery life is short compared to some and it is a bit pricey. I swapped a 4500 for the 5700 and the difference with the same battery is astonishing. The 4500 went about 2 hours and the 5700 goes about one on a battery.

The Current crop of Canon cameras are good focusing cameras with a fairly accurate intelligent focus system. The G3 also has a better brighter lens than the smaller S40/45/50 series which has most of the same electronic features.

For big work I use a Nikon D-100 and the battery lasts a long time. I am amazed at it's life. I think the D-10 from Canon is similar. The only major drawback with the D-SLR's is dust on the chip. If you change lenses often you will have dust. And cleaning the chip is a pain.

The "Prosumer" digi cams are great for macro work. Better than the D-SLR because you don't have to buy special lenses. My tag pic was taken with a Canon Elph S230 sitting on my computer bench. It was about three inches away from the camera and the wimpy flash works fine with most small macro work.

If it were a choice between the Oly and the G3, I would pick the G3. That is my $0.02. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Re: High End Digital Camera Advise Needed

I've considered upgrading myself and have read lots of reviews and compared many sample pictures including comparisons for the Oly5050 and the G3. Both are worthy cameras but I feel that the Oly sharpens the hell out of the pictures so they are quite noisy and display obvious noise straight from the camera. The Canon G3, despite giving up a meg of resolution produces much more cleaner and life like pictures in my opinion. The Sony F717 is indeed a worthy alternative if you can handle the form factor. Download pictures from all three cameras and zoom in on clear areas such as blue sky and you'll see what I mean about the noise. For me, it would come down between the Sony 717 and the Canon G3 and I would probably take the G3 by a very slight margin as I personally think it handles the colors just slightly better. Sony is coming out with a much smaller then F717 camera called the DSC-V1 which is 5 meg pixels and shares many of the features of the F717. It is just hitting the market now and might be worth looking into.

Re: High End Digital Camera Advise Needed

keithhr

I'm going to use it for general photography and for extreme closeups. I sell stuff on eBay that sometimes requires extreme detail (like the face of a watch) and have miserable success in using my "old" Kodak DX4900.

Marty

Re: High End Digital Camera Advise Needed

I definately would prefer the form factor of the DSC-V1 over the F717's, specially if you are going to carry it around... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

Re: High End Digital Camera Advise Needed

I have been using my Olympus 5050 for about 6 months now. It took a little getting used to as far as figuring out the best settings for different situations. I have owned a few digitals, and have handled others owned by friends or family. The 5050 is by far one of the best I have tried. Noise is not a problem once you figure the camera out. It can be a factor in low light slow exposure shots. The camera does have a noise reduction setting that seems to work fairly well.

The macro modes are very good, but I find I dont use them much at all anymore unless its a very small object that I want to get very small details out of.

I think you will be extremely happy with the 5050 if you are willing to put in the time to learn it.

I have never used the Canon, but by all accounts it is supposed to be one heck of a camera.

Re: High End Digital Camera Advise Needed

I bought two cameras last year, both Olympus, for what you are going to use it for, 4 to 5 mp is probably way overkill. The second camerA I bought is an olympus D-520 at about $200 which is 2 mp and will make a good 8x10 print, big enough?. The pixels doesn't equal better picture (just make a bigger print)and frankly, the more complicated the camera the more of a true shutterbug one must be to operate it. My D-520 using macro mode takes brilliant close up photos, if you like I can e:mail you something to check out.
ps
I emailed you a photo

Re: High End Digital Camera Advise Needed

I think I'm on my 9th generation of Olympus digital camera, a 4040. I love the thing and have found I can get great macro results as well as good low light rendition. It may be better or worse than other models out there; I don't know. I do know that I am more than satisfied. I use it primarily for close shots of parts, designs and flashlight mods on occasions. What I really enjoy using it for is UW photography and with this in a Light&Motion housing, it makes a great package. I find that I often use the high reslolution to allow for considerable cropping.

- Don

Re: High End Digital Camera Advise Needed

Marty- For closeups and product photography, the Nikon 4500 can't be beat. Or even an older 995. I still use my old 950 for that kind of shot, even though it is less than half the MP of my new Minolta.

The Sonys are almost as good.

I am not happy with my Minolta Dimage 7hi; You really have to "tweak" the settings to get a decent photo. I do like the 28 - 200 mm (equivalent) lens,; very flexible for a wide range of shooting.

If I had it all to do over again though, I'd spend the extra $1500 and get the Nikon D-100 and a couple of decent lenses.

Silviron

I don't have the need for any other lenses but want a built-in zoom that goes from wide-angle to telephoto.

I also don't need a pocketable camera which I think the Dimage is. After thinking about it, I really have only several requirements:

- Outstanding macro capability
- Long battery life (AAs would be nice)
- Sturdy (mostly metal) body

I should be able to select from a whole field of cameras considering I don't have any budget constraints.

Marty

Some of the dimages are small, the 7hi is larger than many 35mm SLRs.

Very few digitals do "true" wide angle: Most people consider 28mm (equivalent) or lower to be wide angle.
Most digitals these days only go down to 35 or 38mm equivalent without adapter lenses, which is OK for casual photography, but does really limit you.

I do a fair amount of real-estate and "oooh, look at that beautiful view" photography, and that was the deciding factor for me on going with the Minolta; It does go down to true wide angle and still manages to zoom in pretty well. With most of the average 35-38 mm minimum(equivalent) focal length "built in" lenses I had to either "stitch" two photos together or use a wide angle add-on lens (which is a hassle and degrades the photo quality) to get a good photo of most of the real estate stuff I do.

If ease of use and macro photography is your primary criteria, go with the Nikon 4500 (or even a 995); it is a good overall camera for just about anything else too. You don't have to spend a lot of time learning the ins & outs of the camera. The "Auto"settings produce remarkable results.

I haven't used one, but the Nikon 5700s are a good all around camera too, and will do decent closeups, but not as good and as "automatically" as the 4500. GREAT zoom range from the built in lens; 35mm - 280mm (equivalent).

Unfortunately the newer Nikons don't use AAs like the 900-950-995 series did.


If you don't mind spending money and having a powerful camera for serious photography, go with the Nikon D100 (It is a true SLR Digital) with a 17-35mm Nikon or Sigma zoom lens for close ups and wide angles, A Nikkor 60mm Macro lens for true macrophotography, and a Sigma 28-200mm (or 28-300mm) zoom lens for everything else. THIS is MY "dream" system, and you can do a good job of whatever kind of situation you run into with the three lenses mentioned.

Although the Canon true SLR digitals are also very good.

It can be kind of confusing talking about lens focal lengths on the digitals, especially when you get into the true SLR interchangable lens ones.- That is why I sometimes use "(equivalent)": The sensor chip size gives a multiplier effect on standard 35mm lenses of 1.5 to 1.7 (depending upon which chip);
So, if you put an actual 28mm-200mm zoom lens on a Nikon D100, you really have a 42-300mm lens equivalent. And a standard 17-35mm zoom would give you a 25-52mm equivalent.

Rumor on the Nikon forums is that the CP4500 is being discontinued? If macro is your top priority then the Coolpix series is indeed a good choice. I can attest to the macro abilities of my CP990.

I've been reading alot a good stuff about the Olympus C-5050 Zoom. It has macro capabilities down to 1". This is exactly what I'm looking for. Does anyone have one.

Nascar

RichardMT has had one for 6 months. See his post earlier in this thread.

Marty

Thanks Marty. I don't know how the heck I missed that one.

Ray,

I think you will be very happy with the C5050!


- Don

From the models and brands you are throwing around it doesn't sound like it'll be a problem but remember that chip and lens design are more important than pure resolution. My dad has a *nice* 3.2 MP Toshiba he purchased with a Toshiba gift card he got from a Class Action law suit, I oft recieve full resolution pics from Darell who has a Kodak digicam...my dads cam is higer res than Darells but the Toshiba interpolates crappy, so pics don't look natural...they look "digital."