What camera or camera brand do you recommend to others when they’re purchasing a camera? My family has owned Canon cameras (still and digital) for a long time now so I would have to say Canon. I know everyone has different opinions about cameras/camera brands, but I’m just curious to know what you guys think. Canon has been very reliable and their products are amazing. A couple of years ago, my family and I went to China during the summer and we took a Canon digital camera…it wasn’t a fancy, expensive camera, I believe it was a PowerShot one. Anyways, our camera stopped working because of the “humidity” and “hot weather/climate” of China. Canon was kind enough to send us a new camera because of this. Of course, when purchasing a new camera, I always look at online reviews or ask others, but Canon is the brand I would recommend.

I would recommend Kodak, simply because it has been in my family ever since I can remember. (similar to you and Canon)
I currently have the Z7590. I use it quite frequently, and I love the fact that it can take movies with sound. I know its about 3 years old, but it works great, and can still keep up with some of the newer cameras.

I love photography. I started out on a Canon AE1 program. I eventually switched to an EOS 10S and it was a great camera. After getting married I kinda got out of photography as film cost so much along with gear. I recently decided to make the leap with a new DSLR and I really wanted to get a Canon. I had my eye on the XTI at the time, but I shopped around.

I eventually settled on an Olympus Evolt 410. It feels more like my old AE1 than the other DSLRs which feel more like my old EOS with the large hand grip. It is light weight and compact and since Olympus built everything around their new system, the lenses are compact as well. And although they don’t have the lens selection of Nikon or Canon, all their lenses are top notch. And if you like a camera with the larger hand grip, the E-510 has all the features of Nikon and Canon, plus build in image stabilization.

Olympus also has a 2x multiplier on their lenses. In other words, if you want to see how the lens compares to a 35mm film camera, you multiply it by 2. The other camera brands have around a 1.5 or 1.6 multiplier and Canon also has some with a 1.3 multiplier. Then there are full frame camera which have sensors the same size as 35mm film which means no multiplier. What that means is a 200mm lens is 200mm on a full frame sensor camera, 260mm on a 1.3x, 300mm on a 1.5x, and 400mm on a 2x. So if you like shooting subjects such as birds or other wildlife, Olympus has an advantage. Of course that also means they lose it on the wide end, but they have some very nice very wide lenses as well.

The disadvantage is that they do have a smaller sensor which means they don’t handle noise as well as the other brands, but I think that will even out in the future when more megapixels become mostly pointless.

Having said all that, even though I love the Olympus, I would recommend to someone wanting a new camera that they go to a real camera store if they can find one and feel the cameras out. They should have an idea what they want, and then they should try out the cameras in their price and feature range. Check out the menu and button layouts. See how the camera feels in your hands. Know what the accessories for that camera cost and what is available. And know what kind of photography you want to shoot. Nikon has the advantage with low light. Olympus has the advantage on range and small size. Canon and Sony have lots of mega pixels but don’t sacrifice quality. Factor everything in and pick the one you are most comfortable with. Each has their advantages, but I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the major camera brands (including the ones I didn’t name because I don’t know as much about them such as Pentax).

My wife just got this camera. It is easy to use and has some great specs. See below.

Cyber-shot? Digital Camera DSC-W300
Series highlights: 13.6 megapixel, 2.7” Clear Photo LCD Display, 9 point auto focus, Intelligent Scene Recognition, Smile Shutter? technology, Super SteadyShot? and HD output In stock. Estimated ship date: 06/02/2008.
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i own a canon ixus 86015

Key Features

Camera TypeCompact
Image Sensor TypeCCD
Resolution 7.4 Megapixel
Optical Zoom3x

Dimensions

Depth0.77 in.
Height2.24 in.
Width3.61 in.
Weight0.29 lb.

it was a great camera the image quality is really good and it is very light…really like it

I know everyone has their own opinion on this subject, but here are my thoughts on cameras:

At this very moment, I personally would not go for any brand other than a Canon or a Nikon. This is simply because now that I am in the SLR area of photography, I would like to stay up with the current companies competing up at the top of photography. As the person a few posts above me said, Kodak is a good camera company for a family. It offers great, easy-to-use features that can get quite extensive. However, for the serious photographer, or even an amateur (like myself), I would recommend either Nikon or Canon.

In my case, I chose the Nikon D40 to be my first SLR. There are a few reasons for this:

1) This specific camera was a Consumer Reports Best Buy

2) I looked at many reviews online and they all were fairly similar (between Canon and Nikon)

3) Although the MP of the D40 was lower than that of the EOS, I saw many comments that the lens quality of Nikon was much better than that of Canon. Therefore, if I am going to be upgrading my camera with better lenses, the picture quality will be increased, and when I carry on to buy a new camera, I will have quality lenses for that camera.

4) Finally, I chose Nikon because of its seniority. I figured it has been around longer than Canon, therefore the company should be wiser and be more used to the way the business works.

I currently use a Pentax Optio T20

Key Features:
IT HAS A TOUCH SCREEN!

3.0” Touch Screen

that’s it…

It does have a pretty nice interface. but it freezes every so often and gets on my nerves sometimes.
i would recommend a Panasonic Digital Camera. *wait until December of this year to get one. They’re coming out with really nice cameras.

Purjewl - 31 May 2008 06:39 PM

I would recommend Kodak, simply because it has been in my family ever since I can remember. (similar to you and Canon)
I currently have the Z7590. I use it quite frequently, and I love the fact that it can take movies with sound. I know its about 3 years old, but it works great, and can still keep up with some of the newer cameras.

I hate Kodak.  I have never liked a single Kodak camera I have ever used, and it just feels like they’re a company that’s past it’s prime and on the way down.

ComputerNerd53 - 01 June 2008 05:13 AM

At this very moment, I personally would not go for any brand other than a Canon or a Nikon. This is simply because now that I am in the SLR area of photography, I would like to stay up with the current companies competing up at the top of photography. As the person a few posts above me said, Kodak is a good camera company for a family. It offers great, easy-to-use features that can get quite extensive. However, for the serious photographer, or even an amateur (like myself), I would recommend either Nikon or Canon.

I still recommend the Nikon, Canon and Sony point-and-shoots over Kodak, but as far as SLRs go it’s Nikon or Canon all the way.

ComputerNerd53 - 01 June 2008 05:13 AM

In my case, I chose the Nikon D40 to be my first SLR. There are a few reasons for this:

1) This specific camera was a Consumer Reports Best Buy

2) I looked at many reviews online and they all were fairly similar (between Canon and Nikon)

3) Although the MP of the D40 was lower than that of the EOS, I saw many comments that the lens quality of Nikon was much better than that of Canon. Therefore, if I am going to be upgrading my camera with better lenses, the picture quality will be increased, and when I carry on to buy a new camera, I will have quality lenses for that camera.

4) Finally, I chose Nikon because of its seniority. I figured it has been around longer than Canon, therefore the company should be wiser and be more used to the way the business works.

1) And with good reason.

2) As far as bodies go, there are only a few minor differences between Nikon and Canon’s lower end SLRs.  One feature I wish my D40x had that the Canon does is Exposure Bracketing, but I’ve managed without it so far.

3) As mentioned, I’ve got a D40x, because I make fairly large prints of a lot of my better photos, so I sacrificed the higher light sensitivity of the D40 for the higher resolution of the D40x.
The comment I’ve bolded concerning the lenses is about 95% true.  Canon does have some amazing lenses, but nearly every lens Nikon makes is better than the Canon equivalent.  However, Canon’s Image Stabilization is generally a little better than Nikon’s Vibration Reduction, but both still work very well.

So, to summarize in convenient pseudo-flow-chart form:

-Point and shoot:
—I like Sony, Nikon and Canon.  I also like http://www.dpreview.com/

-SLR:
—Do you plan on buying new lenses?

—-No: Don’t get an SLR.
—-Yes: Is low noise at high ISO more important than sharpness?

——Yes: Canon usually has better noise reduction (unless you’re a rich man and plan to buy a Nikon D3*)
——No: Nikon.

*If you have that kind of money, why are you looking for recommendations?  Get a D3 already.

Nikon, the best camera for me, ha ha ha

Its got be either Nikon or Canon,go with the compnay that has experience in delivering quality.also they usually don’t overprice their products like Sony does.Sony is just an embarrisment personally,always charge like they are a luxary brand.

Most of Nikon’s sensors are made by Sony. And when it comes to cameras, Sony’s prices really aren’t that much more than Nikon or Canon. And if price is a major consideration, Olympus offers more bang for the buck than either Nikon or Canon.

And I heard a rumor the other day (just a rumor now) that the next Sony full frame camera will be priced well below any other full frame camera on the market. So if you want the full frame experience it might be worth waiting to see if those rumors are true. BTW, Sony’s camera division was purchased from Konica/Minolta. Nikon may have been around since 1917, but Minolta has been around since 1928 and Konica since 1873.

I still say if you are SLR shopping, go to a camera store and try out cameras in your price range from Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus, Pentax, and any others they have (maybe Sigma, or Leica if you like something a bit different). If you find a few you like and it is an option, try renting one you like. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of those brands as they all have quality cameras and quality glass. Find a camera that fits you don’t try to force yourself to fit into a camera based on it’s brand name.

And one other thing you might think about if you are looking for a DSLR, do you have friends with DSLRs? If so, you might lean towards a brand they have. Good lenses often cost as much or more than the lower to mid ranged DSLRs (some costing much more). If you have a friend with the same camera brand, you might be able to swap and/or borrow each other’s lenses and other accessories. Of course, you would only want to do it with a really close friend that you trusted with your gear, but it is something else to think about.

n2sooners - 01 June 2008 06:40 PM

And I heard a rumor the other day (just a rumor now) that the next Sony full frame camera will be priced well below any other full frame camera on the market. So if you want the full frame experience it might be worth waiting to see if those rumors are true.

I hear it’s supposed to be launched in the $2000-$3000 range, which puts it well below the D3 at $5000, but Sony is squeezing ~25MP out of the sensor, so we’ll have to wait and see if it’s performance suffers because of this.  However, Canon is supposedly planning an update of the 5D, so that’s another one to look out for.

n2sooners - 01 June 2008 06:40 PM

BTW, Sony’s camera division was purchased from Konica/Minolta. Nikon may have been around since 1917, but Minolta has been around since 1928 and Konica since 1873.

Sony only got their dSLR division from Konica Minolta in 2006 after KM failed to get a foothold in the dSLR market that Nikon and Cannon had already dominated, they obviously were making digital cameras long before that (as evidenced by the $600 VGA, 3.5” Floppy Sony digital camera in an old Staples ad I found recently).

something they can afford like a Powershot by Canon

I have a cheap digital camera, it was only like $70.00. Its not a name brand but it gets the job done, I got it at walmart. The only thing I dont like about it is that it shows the shake in the pictures other then that it does pretty well licture wise.

I am just curious, have you guys found any camera brands that you would NOT recommend and why? I have only had Canon my whole life so I cannot really answer this question, but it would be helpful if you had a bad experience with a camera or know others who have had bad experiences with cameras.

Like I said before, I wouldn’t recommend Kodak.  Their cameras just feel cheap and sloppy to me.
I also don’t like Samsung cameras because I don’t like the UI and the picture quality isn’t as good as it should be.  This also covers Centrios cameras (available through The Source by Circuit City) because Samsung also manufactures those.
Other than that, they’re pretty much all good in my books.

Has anyone here ever used any model of Hasselblad?  Either way, what do you think of such high-end cameras?

I actually like Kodak’s cameras.yes they are not high-end as Pentax or Nicon but get their job done.I have Kodak Easyshare V610 Dual lens camera & i love it’s ergonomics,functions & picture quality.It’s the smallest 10X optical Zoom camera & has Bluetooth 2.0 EDR technology.I also love the in- camera retouching & red eye reduction function.Looks awesome too.It’s really very nice that i can keep a 10X optical zoom camera in my pocket.

When I was researching camera’s earlier this year, I was going to purchase a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18. I ended up not, but due to no fault of the camera.
Here is a review if you would like to read up about it.

I would strongly recommend Sony’s CyberShot models. They have deferent models and each one got its unique features.

sushrukh - 02 June 2008 07:01 AM

I actually like Kodak’s cameras.yes they are not high-end as Pentax or Nicon but get their job done.I have Kodak Easyshare V610 Dual lens camera & i love it’s ergonomics,functions & picture quality.It’s the smallest 10X optical Zoom camera & has Bluetooth 2.0 EDR technology.I also love the in- camera retouching & red eye reduction function.Looks awesome too.It’s really very nice that i can keep a 10X optical zoom camera in my pocket.

That’s actually a really impressive camera.  Is there any noticeable blink or flash when it switches from one lens to the other?  Assuming I’m correct in thinking the reason for the dual lens is to supply such a large zoom range, that is.  The closest I’ve seen to that is Casio’s discontinued EX-V8 7x compact: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VGTQAI

maybe my intro is useful for you 😊

http://www.gearlive.com/forums/viewthread/20207/