[TriLUG] Digital Cameras

[Joel Ebel]

I can't comment much on the printers as I haven't looked at the market 
for them in a while.  But for cameras, I can make some good 
recommendations.  First, I recommend doing your own research and come to 
a decision yourself.  My favorite website for camera research is 
http://www.dpreview.com/  They have very detailed reviews of lots of 
cameras.  Given that, and after doing a lot of my own research, I've 
become fairly brand loyal to Canon cameras.  I have an S45 which they 
don't make anymore, but it has been replaced by the S60 and S70.  I 
chose it for being an excellent combination of compactness and 
outstanding features.  From the Canon lineup, it boils down to 4 
worthwhile categories.

The A60 to A95 are extremely popular, well-rounded cameras with an 
impressive set of features for the price.  They are a good initial 
recommendation.  I'd stay away from the other A series.

The S410 and S500 are the best when it comes to compactness.  These 
cameras are the size of a deck of cards.  And for their size they take 
excellent pictures.  Aaron Joyner can comment on them, since he's got an 
S400.

The S60 and S70 are more high end cameras but still retain some 
compactness.  They still function as point and shoot cameras, but they 
allow more customization of features.  If you want to experiment with 
photography more but don't want a camera so large you won't bring it, 
these are a good choice.  I love my S45.  It takes excellent pictures. 
I only wish it had the capability for a larger aperture.

Finally there's the larger high end cameras.  These are for if you're 
much more serious about photography.  The G6 is a very popular camera, 
identical in operation to the S70, but with a larger lens, flip out 
display, and a flash mount, among other things.  Of course you can go 
higher and look at digital SLR's, but for someone just asking for a 
"good" camera, I'd stick with one of the first three categories.  For 
someone just getting into digital photography, My initial 
recommendations would be an A85, or an S410 if you want something even 
more compact.

Like I said though, I'm brand loyal.  I like how Canon does things with 
cameras.  You can also consider Nikon, Sony, or Olympus, though I think 
they've recently had some trouble keeping up.  Maybe even Fuji, but I'm 
not a big fan of their technology.  I recommend staying away from most 
everything else.  Almost everyone I know has purchased a Canon and loves it.

Hope this helps,
Joel

Brian McCullough wrote:
> Slightly OT, but there could be a connection---
> 
> My sister sent me a note asking what I would recommend as a "good"
> digital camera, and not being currently interested in that market, I
> don't have any good answers for her.  She also wondered about possible
> printers to go with such a camera.  A friend mentioned an Epson
> "do-everything" printer that takes the data from the camera, shows it on
> a screen, manipulates the picture and then prints it, all for about
> $100!
> 
> Since this camera might sometimes be used with a Linux box, there is a 
> slight connection with this group!
> 
> Any suggestions?
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> Brian
> 
>