Cameras

[icepixie]

Dear Olympus and Nikon,

...Seriously? You're going to make high end bridge cameras, with ultra zoom features, and not put a filter screw thread on the lens? SERIOUSLY?

Astonished and disturbed,
Me

I was leaning toward either the Olympus SP800 or the Nikon Coolpix P100, but the lack of threading threw that right out. A life without my graduated neutral density filter is not a life worth living. I think I could count on two hands the number of landscape photos I've taken without it that I actually like.

(As for why I'm looking at cameras...well, I don't need a new one; my four-year-old Olympus C-765UZ still works very nicely. However, 10+ megapixels and 30x optical zoom? YES PLEASE VERY MUCH.)

The other options in that general super zoom category all have other drawbacks (high price and a weird two-handed zoom toggle on the Fuji HS10, focusing issues on the Canon Powershot SX20 IS), so I don't think I'll be buying anything in the near future, but if cameraphiles have recommendations, lay 'em on me.

Comments

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

Have you considered the Panasonic FZ28, or whatever the current model of that camera is? I ask because dpreview.com has a very in-depth review of "Super Zoom" cameras, and they had the Panasonic FZ28 and the Canon SX 10 IS as the joint winners. Not sure what changed with the SX20, though most of their readers seem to like it.

Might be worth checking out the review (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q109superzoomgroup/).

[icepixie]

My dad has that camera, and I like it a lot. I was just looking at reviews of their latest model, actually, and it has a lot of nifty parts. The pictures generally look good too. I'm going to see if any store in my area has one on display so I can go play with one before I buy.

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

I've always been a fan of Canon, and have had Canon cameras since 1992 (I still have that camera, which is a film SLR that has seen much usage over the last 18 years), but I don't like the fact that the SX10 or SX20 require AA batteries. I much prefer the rechargeable, which I see the Panasonic has. I'll have to see if I can find a store which carries one so I can take a look.

What's the model number of the latest model?

[icepixie]

My mom has an earlier Canon Powershot (I think it might be the S1), and says she has a lot of trouble getting it to focus. The colors are very nice when she can focus it, though. I tried out the SX20 in Best Buy a couple days ago, and also had trouble both at the long end of the zoom range and especially at macro, where I couldn't get it to focus at all. My mom has rechargable AAs for her Canon, but my Olympus's one little LI-ion is still much easier to fool with.

The latest Panasonic is a DMC-FZ35.

[chiroho.livejournal.com]

My SLR is an old Canon EOS 1000 (which I think sold in the US as an EOS Rebel), but I also have a PowerShot SD1000 which takes great pictures and I've never had even the smallest issue getting it to focus. I'd really like to get something like an EOS 550D or maybe an EOS 7D, but that's a much more significant investment. :)

I'll definitely try and take a look at a DMC-FZ35, and it's available at Amazon for just $314 at the moment, so might be a good time to buy.

[icepixie]

Possibly our focusing issues are user error? But I very rarely have enough trouble with my Olympus that I have to switch it to manual focus, like I had to in the store with the Canon, so I dunno.

Every once in a while I covet a DSLR, but then I think about needing to buy a separate telephoto lens, and all the bulk of the camera because of the mirrors, and I figure a super zoom is camera enough for me. Especially now that they've got so many features on them.

Yeah, the Panasonic is available for cheap online right now. I'm definitely going to wander through some stores tomorrow and see if anyone has one to play with.