Agggg!!! I am so camera researched burnt out...

[ExpoMike]

Okay, I will start by saying I am a noobie to the higher end, manual settings camera world. I have been using a Konica-Minolta DiMAGE D600 camera for the last 4-5 years and have been very happy with it but I am starting to want to do things I am limited in doing with this camera.

I have been lightly researching camera info for the last 6 months but have stepped it up in the last week or so. I am so overloaded with info and each time I think I might know what I want, something in a review will get me looking at a different model, only to go through this all over again. I am going crazy.

I am at a crossroads of what I want to do and maybe the camera doesn't exist for this. Originally I had thought I wanted to go with a dSLR (Canon XSi or T1r) but the more I thought about it, the more I realized the size and support gear really needed, I would be unlikely to take it on most trips/outings. The main thing that was driving me this way was the tele/zoom lens available. I have found myself in many situations where I want to frame the shot better but am just too far away to do any justice. I cannot physically get any closer so a good zoom lens would solve that.

I also know I take a lot of pics while driving (safely) or do a quick, out the window shot of something that grabs my interest. This is where size matters. My current D600 is small and compact, that I can keep the case in my console drink holder, unzipped and just grab it quickly, when I need to. A large dSLR will not allow for this and the front of the Cherokee is already tight with the wife and I, gear, dog, etc., etc. The limit of the small size is that it limits the zoom range because of physical limitations.

I am also wanting to get more into manual settings, to improve my camera knowledge and usage. I also want to be able to use RAW format (ideally RAW+JPEG) so I can play with things post production. With all this in mind, I "thought" I had things narrowed down but then reality checked in and made me analyze things. Here is what I have been looking at,

Canon G11
Canon SX1 IS (or SX10 IS)
Canon XSi
Canon T1r
Panasonic LX-3
Olympus EP-1

I was leaning to the G11 but the lack of zoom was detracting me. I did find some teleconverters which would help and keep the package fairly small, especially when I don't need the teleconveter. Then I started looking at the SX1, which falls into the SuperZoom catagory. It has the zoom I was looking for and though smaller than a full dSLR, larger than any compact camera. This is what was steering me away from the XSi and T1R. The LX-3 was another option in the SZ category but again size was what I am worried about.

Then I ran into the EP-1, which is more compact in size but allows interchangeable lens. I could leave the 14-44mm lens on for quick grabs as it would be fairly compact but could swap on a longer lens when I needed to shoot far shots (obviously not driving). This seems like a good camera to go with but it definitely comes with a higher cost.


At this point I am just overloaded with info and no idea where to go. I know I need to go out and actually handle and play with them but I am interested in comments and ideas. Help me keep my brain from exploding. Thanks.

 

[BIGdaddy]

hmmm...we have both a point and shoot and a DSLR.

both have their place, I think.

The DSLR takes very good photo's but is physically bigger. so we just have
to decide what is important on a particular outing. Photo's? or experiencing what were doing, and having the point and shoot for opportunistic photo's or video.

[shrug] not that it helps any, I know. Good luck, we love our lens and body camera...and we love the ability to shoot raw, too.

 

[BIGdaddy]

We have a Sony A300, BTW, just to add to your overload. very solid setup.


http://www.pma-show.com/0397/sony/digitalcameras/alpha-a300-sony/

 

[Photog]

The Micro 4/3's format looks like a really great idea.

The two main cameras are:
Pen E-P1 by Olympus
Lumix DMC-GF1 by Panasonic

Comparison review of both here.

I think either one would be a nice piece of equipment, and fit most of the compromise issues.

 

[ExpoMike]

That's the problem I am running into. I realize that ideally I need two different cameras but I also know that most of the trips we do, I would almost never take a full dSLR because of the bulk.

Here is the picture I took two years ago on Kauai that made me start to think about replacing my current one. (sorry for the quality, it is a resized and not the original) On the last morning there, leaving our timeshare to turn onto the main highway, I spotted this waterfall (white line in middle of pic) that had not been there all week. It had rained a lot that night and this was the surprise to send us off to the mainland.

I SOOOO wanted to have a good zoom to really get a better picture and framed better. There was no way for me to get closer and this was at max zoom.

The current camera has also taken some great shots, for being a point and shoot.

Here is an example of the zoom limits though.

Full wide

Full zoom

I know most of the places I have gone, the likelihood of me bringing a large camera is very, very slim.

 

[nwoods]

I tend to shoot ultra wide all the time, and then crop down if I need it. With the cameras you listed, they all take very large images, much larger than you actually need. You can crop down over 50% of the image and still have an image that is 3 times larger than your monitor (most likely). If you final presentation of the images is online, then shoot wide and crop down. If you are taking photos to print as banners on the side of buses and billboards, then maybe consider a zoom

Here is an example of shots from the G10 taken last weekend. We shot in medium size/quality, as jpg, and they are 4400 pixels wide originally, resized to 1280 pixels wide for this forum:

This one is an example of how the image was cropped down (only 3500 pixels wide now):

 

[deserteagle56]

I went through the same dilemma a few years ago. It seems most of my photos are taken while hiking or dirt biking so weight is of primary consideration. I parked my SLRs and went for a Canon S2IS, and recently changed to a Canon SX10IS. I love it - relatively lightweight, with a 28 to 500 something zoom. No need to carry extra lenses - nor risk getting dust inside the camera during lens changes. Focuses right down to the front lens element for closeups. Although I mainly use the viewfinder (I find I can hold the camera much steadier that way), that articulating screen is great for ground-level or other different angle shots. I bought a couple Lensmate adapters so I can use a polarizer or other filter with ease and I pack this thing everywhere I go. The photos are of good enough quality to me - I don't do huge enlargements. Sure, I'd love to have a Nikon D700 and all its abilities. But all I had to do was heft that sucker and I knew I would never pack it with lenses on any trail. When is Nikon going to make DSLR equivalent to the FM2N??

 

[ExpoMike]

Well, went down to the local camera store and after playing around with the G11, EP-1, SX1 IS, I decided that the G11 will work for most everything I want to do, espcially after picking up a Lensmate adapter and a teleconverter.

It was smaller than the others, lighter and will work well for a quick point and shot mode but give me the control when I want/need it. I am excited to learn this camera.

 

[Michael Slade]

Niiiiiiice! :victory:

 

[Photog]

Outstanding :wings:
Let us know how the tele-converter works out. I have a wide angle lens, that I used to use on my G3, but it has a lot of "pincushion" effect to the images.

Sometimes, those views that are far away, are best enjoyed in our memories.