I bit the bullet or lens in this case

[Char-Gar]

I can now join you guys and post some really nice pics of guns, loads, targets and boolits. Thus far I have been stuck with a ten year old low end HP camera that is truly ***.

I ordered out a new Sony CyberShot H5 and now I can join the crew and when the cry.."Where are the Pics...We want Pics" goes up, I can respond.

[Cherokee]

That is supposed to be a very good one. Thinking about it myself.

[Larry Gibson]

Charger

I've a Sony DSC-T1 I got in '04 before going to Iraq. It's been a really great camera. Seem cameras are "improving" like cell phones and computers, faster than I can keep up. Your model certainly is a very good one. Mine came with a 16 mega what ever capacity and I upgraded to 256. The battery goes dead before I either fill up the memory with still pictures or videos. I need another battery I guess. I'm sure you'll enjoy the camera and we look forward to pictures

BTW; read the instructions....hehehehe.....

Larry Gibson

[jhalcott]

Larry. my camera batteries die in about 1 1/2 hours of heavy use. My SIL has the same problem with a different camera..Maybe the cameras are BETTER than the batteries we can get now.

[Uncle Grinch]

I have been through half a dozen different digital cameras, for my wife and myself. My first was an Olympus D-460Z. Don't remember the year I bought it, but with all the miscellaneous stuff, ie... batteries, charger, media cards, bag, etc, it cost over $600 back then, and it's only a 1.3 Megapixal.

Still have it, but my son uses it for his ebay shots. My main camera now is the Canon 10D, which is a couple of models outdated already. However, since it's an SLR it's easy to upgrade to my next one as the lens will be compatable. (Canon 5D)

Technology and market economics change so fast that most are almost outdated by the time they are on the market for 6 months.

[Dale53]

I started with a Minolta P&S and after about a year realized I needed a better camera. I bought a Canon G3 and got my first cover shot with this camera. However, I missed an SLR (have had film SLR's for years and years). I kept the G3 and it is a really good quality 4.0 MP P&S with LOTS of bells and whistles. I bought a Canon 10D and used some of my "old" Canon lenses and bought some new ones. After 10,000 images, I bought a Canon 20D. This has been the camera that dreams are made of. I am now a staff writer and photographer with The Single Shot Rifle Journal (Contributing Ediotor) and just LOVE working with Digital photography. I've got more in software than my first new car cost[smilie=1:.

I had a color darkroom for years but I can do 100 times more stuff in daylight with digital and don't have to breathe noxious chemicals!!:mrgreen:

You will enjoy your new camera, I guarantee it. Remember, the better you learn to use it (read the manual twice and then read it again) the happier you will get.

Dale53

[monadnock#5]

I bought an Olympus D-560 two or three years ago. The batteries wouldn't last more than half an hour (Walmart specials). So I went to a real camera store and bought the correct batteries and a charger. The salesman told me at the time that he was teaching an adult ed. class on digital's at the local HS. I wish now that I had taken him up on the offer.

Ken

[Phil]

Geez! And I'm still using my Speed Graphic and Medalist II. What is this "digital camera" of which you speak?

Cheers,

Phil

[DLCTEX]

I recently bought a KodakZ710 to replace the camera the airline broke the LCD display on. My son had given me a $50 gift certificate from Best Buy for Christmas, so I put $220 tax included with the card and bought the camera with a photo printer dock. I stuck with Kodak so the accessories and memory card from the old camera would work. 7.1 megapixels, 10X optical, 5X digital zoom. So far I really like it. Have to tell my son not give me any more gift cards as I can't afford them. I need a class to learn how to do all that it's capable of. Dale

[Buckshot]

.............Gee you guys make me feel bad. I'm still using a HP 1Mp camera we bought way back when :-)

............Buckshot

[Bret4207]

So where does that place me with my Olympus OM-10? I feel like the caveman chiseling pics from a "B.C." comic. How do you guys get around the storage issue? For me not having a print, much less a negative, is a problem. It just seems wrong somehow. I do have a digital, SWMBO's actually, and have to learn how to upload, or practice I should say. The camera isn't much but it'll get the idea across.

[PatMarlin]

Don't feel bad Buckshot - I'm using the same old Walmart HP camera, and the thing's even been dropped in the river at the launch ramp. Tics on like a Timex.. :mrgreen:

Do they make a SLR digital that I can use all of my old Cannon AE1 lenses on?

[Dale53]

TPR. Bret:
"How do you get around the storage issue"?

Please explain.

Keep in mind that I am as "obsessive" about photography as I am about bullet casting (currently 60 some moulds and growing)[smilie=1:

[Bret4207]

Having a physical print is what I think of as storage, that and a negative. I still haven't found a quality way to print the digitals other than Walmart and that defeats the savings of a digital.

[Dale53]

Tpr. Bretl;
I regularly print various sizes up to and including 13x19 at home. I use a Canon Ink Jet printer.

However, the savings in digital is NOT in the prints (burning to a CD and printing at Walmart or similar) is no doubt cheaper than you can do at home). The REAL savings is in film, or rather, the LACK of film. You take digital pictures, you load them on your computer (big hard drive memory is CHEAP - now running about one dollar a GB). You only print the "keepers". I recently read where a successful professional photographer mentioned that he took 58,000 photos in the last two years. 1000 were keepers. That is a ratio of 58/1 for a PROFESSIONAL. As a matter of interest, if he had to pay for film for the 57,000 images he took but didn't use, he would be bankrupt.

Further, the lack of film cost encourages a photographer to experiment with the view of becoming a better photographer. No cost is involved in taking the pictures until you print.

For those who really don't want to become a "real" (note the quotation marks) photographer, the easiest method is to buy a Kodak with a docking station on the companion printer. You take the digital pictures, place the camera on the docking station, look at the LCD on the printer docking station, select those you want to print and press a button. My oldest son got such a set up for his wife (who only desires to take snapshots) and it solves their problem (she wanted instant prints but had no desire to learn to be a "real" photographer). He is an accomplished photographer and is computer savvy while she is not. Works very well for both of them (he has his serious cameras and software and she has her "instant" prints).

For those that may think that this thread has no place on this forum, I suggest that most of us REALLY enjoy when someone posts a picture to illustrate a point. I know that I sure do.

Dale53

[DLCTEX]

We store our pics in our computer or on a disc after viewing them and deleting those that we choose to. We have a program that let's us make changes, such as removing red eye, placing open eyes on a person who blinked, removing things in the back ground, or even as radical as putting some one else's head on a body (amusing). Our printer dock makes really great 4X6 pics, or we can print with our printer on photo paper or plain paper, as we choose. I printed out some aerial photos we took of deer in a wheat field just outside of town, 73 in one pic, and geese and ducks in astounding numbers, and took the pics to the coffee shop to share with the local guys. Most had no idea there was such numbers of either so close by. The fact that it was printed on plain paper for pennies made it easy to pass them around without worry about damage or loss. We can share pics with family and friends instantly through the computer, and my daughter-in-law sent a picture of the whole family taken last thanksgiving by computer to a company that produced a 4X6 ft. cloth wall hanging embroderey that she gave us for Christmas. I love being able to instantly see the pic and see how many heads I cut off or if I had my finger in front of the lense.There is so much more that I want to learn. What's not to love about digital? Dale

[drinks]

I avoided dc's for a long time, I started with a Practica slr, the kind where you open up some metal sides and have a waist level finder, just did not like grainy digial photos, compared to film.
2 years ago, I picked up a Walmart $20 ps ***, I was surprised it made 1/2 way decent pictures.
Played with it a little while and got a Pentax Optio MX with 10x optical zoom, $150 on closeout, now I have taken the batteries out of my 3 Pentax film slr's and they and the 6 lenses are on the top shelf of the closet, where I needed a large bag to carry a day's shooting supplies, I can now put the camera and a spare battery in my pants pocket and have the same wide angle, telephoto and macro range the rest of the stuff gave me.
One day, Pentax will come out with a digital slr that will use my PK mount lenses and I shall go back to a slr, but I am waiting until the price gets below $350 or so.

[Scrounger]

Digitals are just great. I traded my first one for a rifle after I used it two years. Bought another one and recently up-graded again. Plan on keeping the old one in my pickup for emergency use.

Dale, what software do you have that allows you to switch heads on other bodies? Always wanted to do that.

[DLCTEX]

Scrounger: paint shop pro, it's pretty versatile and even I can puzzle out how to do most things with it. $80 two or three years ago. Dale

[armoredman]

Splurged a year ago on a Vivitar 5 MP, the 5385 model, from WalMart for $200 or so. I know hideaously outdated, but it has done some nice work for me...allow me to demonstrate.


http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/10-8.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/posterproject1-1.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/PCR3.jpg

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b13/armoredman/PCRPO1.jpg

You might detect a faint bias towards CZ products. I assure you that is quite intentional.8-)

[Dale53]

Excellent pics, guys! Just goes to show, if you can cast bullets you can do most anything:mrgreen:.

Dale53

[Bret4207]

So do any of the newer cameras work like an SLR? I have some nice Olympus lenses and I like looking through a view finder and seeing about what I'll get if I snap the shutter. This looking at a screen and taking a pic is unnatural. I can't afford a $500.00 camera, but I'm interested in something that gives me the feel of an SLR.

[DLCTEX]

My camera has a view finder as well as the screen, but I can hold the camera low to the ground or over people's heads and be able to see the pic before it's shot, mo better! I think if you use it a while, you'll love it. Dale

[Dale53]

Tpr. Bret;
As far as I know, a Point and Shoot is still a Point and Shoot. They can do a very nice job but have certain limitations. Generally, the more expensive that they get the better they are (not always). If you want an SLR, unfortunately, you have to pony up a considerable amount of ready cash. The biggest "lack" that most point and shoots have is the "lag" between pushing the shutter and taking the image. It is generally pretty serious in P&S's. SLR's are instant. A good P&S will do a very good job on static subjects but do NOT do well in action or sports shots.

Arguably the best SLR for the money is a Canon Digital Rebel or the similar offering from Nikon. I prefer Canons due to their much lower "noise" at higher ISO's. My current camera is a Canon 20D. It is one generation back, but a wonderful piece of equipment. You can get the newer Canon 30D for $1000-$1100 (body only). The lenses are extra, of course. I can recommend B&H Photo Video as a very reliable online store that day-to-day has discount prices. Adorama is another good dealer as is "One Call". These are authorized Canon dealers and you get what you order with no "tricks". Many camera dealers online are unscrupulous and you MUST be careful.

The very good "Consumer SLR" the Canon Digital Rebel (the newest is the "Xti") can be had (body only) for just under $700.00. It has the same sensor as the Canon 30D but has fewer bells and whistles and the build quality is not considered as good as the 30D (more of a consumer/professional camera). The nice thing is that they use the same lenses. Camera bodies come and go but lenses can last a couple of lifetimes - so buy the SLR body that you can afford now, work on your lens collection over the next few years and if you need to upgrade your body, you can do so without having to replace all of your lenses.

FWIW
Dale53

[felix]

Dale is absolutely correct. The lens is the action, and the camera body the barrel. This is the opposite of what you would ordinarily think. Getting the best action(s) you can afford is the name of the game in total satisfaction in cameras and guns. ... felix

[C1PNR]

So do any of the newer cameras work like an SLR? I have some nice Olympus lenses and I like looking through a view finder and seeing about what I'll get if I snap the shutter. This looking at a screen and taking a pic is unnatural. I can't afford a $500.00 camera, but I'm interested in something that gives me the feel of an SLR.
Not a lot of good news regarding Olympus SLR products, but perhaps their lenses fit other camera bodies.

Not sure where to find that info, but this could give you a start.

http://www.getolympus.com/compare.asp

[DLCTEX]

My camera did a dandy job today of freezing wild flowers that were blowing in a stiff wind. So far my only objection is I need more optical power and I don't think that there is any way to attach a lense. DALE

[Ron]

Dale 53 I am using an Olympus C760 and find it very good to use. I use Photoshop 7 for printing etc as well as restoring old photographs like some my mother had of my grandfather in France during WW1. They have come up great. I was wondering what computer program you use for this.

[Dale53]

We sometimes, me included, put too much emphasis on camera equipment. The truth of the matter is, it takes a photographer to make good images. Just like it takes a good cook to bake a good cake (and it doesn't matter much what pans she/he uses:mrgreen:

However, there is no doubt that some equipment tends to make it easier to make good images.

Ron;
I have just upgraded to PhotoShop Cs3 and LightRoom. I have long used Qimage for my sharpening and printing program. I must confess that I need more work on my PhotoShop skills. That program is VERY powerful but the learning curve is quite steep. I still have a lot to learn and I seem to learn something new every day.

A year or so ago, a fellow showed me an original photograph he had of Adolph Neidner and his friends with their gallery rifles sitting alongside the "Edison Trophy" (yep, Thomas Edison was a confirmed shooter and donated a magnificent traveling trophy to the sport). The picture had evidentally been taken with, I believe, an 8x10 view camera. It was quite sharp but stained and faded. The photo was quite valuable and a fine addition to the owner's collection. I offered to "clean up" the photo if he would "loan" it to me. He graciously did (we were at the ASSRA Nationals at Etna Green, IN). I took the photo home, scanned it and ran it through PhotoShop. It cleaned up quite nice. I then printed two 13x19 prints (gave him one) and donated the extra print ( I framed it and put the attribution to the fellow who had loaned the print to me) to ASSRA for the club house. It is a handsome addition to the "decor".

I still view digital cameras and the software as "magic". I have kind of specialized in gun photos and associated stuff and it is marvelous what we can do with digital if we work at it. Just for the record, I made my first gun magazine cover with a Canon G3 (a nice point and shoot). Many published pictures later, that cover shot still looks good.

R. Dale McGee