Camera Recommendations.

Monty said:

I would like to have a digital camera with me for some of the rides. I see a
lot of wild life and beautiful vistas. I have a Nikon D70, but that is MUCH
too large. I would like to put the camera in my jersey pocket. The smaller
the better, but I would like to be able to get 5x7s and maybe an occasional
8x10.

I recently purchased a Canon SD300 ELPH, 4.1mpx, VERY small. 2" screen,
replacable battery

It takes wonderful photos and you have 2mpx and 5mpx options (SD200 and
SD400) as well. I paid $304 with tax. Only complaint is I wish it
indicated battery life remaining. Other then that, for a point and
shoot automatic, it's a very nice camera and about the smallest they
come.

cnet.com as well as the camera review section of this site has add'l
info.

SB

Monty said:

I would like to have a digital camera .....

Any recommendations?

http://reviews.cnet.com/Digital_cameras/4520-7603_7-5023995-7.html?tag=dir.dpg

Quoted message said:

I recently purchased a Canon SD300 ELPH, 4.1mpx, VERY small. 2" screen,
replacable battery

The Canon Digitial Elphs take nice pictures, good size to take with
you anywhere....I have one, like it.

:I would like to have a digital camera with me for some of the rides. I see
a
: lot of wild life and beautiful vistas. I have a Nikon D70, but that is
MUCH
: too large. I would like to put the camera in my jersey pocket. The smaller
: the better, but I would like to be able to get 5x7s and maybe an
occasional
: 8x10.
:
: Any recommendations?
:
: Thanks
: Monty

I have a Canon A80. One of my main reasons is that it is not totally flat
like the Elphs and the Sony that my son bought. I can put it in my back
right pocket and reach around grasping the bulge (where the batteries fit
in) and have a nice tight grip on the camera.

Pat in TX
:
:
:

For teeny the previously mention Canon SD300 is a good choice but do look at
the Canon A510 & A 520 3M and 4M respectively and as cheap as $165 and $200
if you hunt around the net. Somewhat larger then the SD300 but still small.
Also several advantages to the A series: Uses 2 AA batteries instead of the
proprietary Canon batteries in the SD series, buy rechargable NIMH AA or any
convenient store will have AAs. Zoon is 35-140 optical equivelant. Has more
manual control features then the SD series. Frankly the SD is almost too
small for my hands, but you should hold each.

For what its worth I'm a professional photographer.

Rick

In article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

I would like to have a digital camera with me for some of the rides. I see a
lot of wild life and beautiful vistas. I have a Nikon D70, but that is MUCH
too large. I would like to put the camera in my jersey pocket. The smaller
the better, but I would like to be able to get 5x7s and maybe an occasional
8x10.

Any recommendations?

Thanks
Monty

Monty said:

I would like to have a digital camera with me for some of the rides. I see a
lot of wild life and beautiful vistas. I have a Nikon D70, but that is MUCH
too large. I would like to put the camera in my jersey pocket. The smaller
the better, but I would like to be able to get 5x7s and maybe an occasional
8x10.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_cps4.asp

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

I bought a used A60 (the 2MP version of the A70, A80 series).
Fantastic image quality.

One caveat on Canon's: the dreaded E18 error.

Google "E18 error Canon". Mine developed it and I've since fixed it. It may
render a Canon inoperative until fixed though. The short of it: a large
number of their models share a zoom/focus mechanism which has a screw that
can come loose with repeated vibration. (such as experienced cycling)
Happened to mine after a few months of riding around in a wedge bag.
Fortunately there are also some good tutorials online on how to fix it but
you have to dissect your camera...

Wouldn't stop me from buying a Canon though.

C.

"Monty" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I would like to have a digital camera with me for some of the rides. I see
a lot of wild life and beautiful vistas. I have a Nikon D70, but that is
MUCH too large. I would like to put the camera in my jersey pocket. The
smaller the better, but I would like to be able to get 5x7s and maybe an
occasional 8x10.

Any recommendations?

Thanks
Monty

"Monty" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I would like to have a digital camera with me for some of the rides. I see

a

Quoted message said:

lot of wild life and beautiful vistas. I have a Nikon D70, but that is

MUCH

Quoted message said:

too large. I would like to put the camera in my jersey pocket. The smaller
the better, but I would like to be able to get 5x7s and maybe an

occasional

Quoted message said:

8x10.

Any recommendations?

Thanks
Monty

I use a very small Pentax Optio s4i digital camera myself.
It is small enough to fit into a Altoids Mint Box.
It also has macro close up capability and a zoom capability too.
Mine is a 5megapixel size so it does up to 8x10 pics OK.

Quoted message said:

I would like to have a digital camera with me for some of the rides. I see
a lot of wild life and beautiful vistas. I have a Nikon D70, but that is
MUCH too large. I would like to put the camera in my jersey pocket. The
smaller the better, but I would like to be able to get 5x7s and maybe an
occasional 8x10.

Any recommendations?

I've used quite a number of small digital cameras while riding, primarily
Olympus (D220, D340L, D450Z, C3000, D40, 5050) which were all nice cameras,
although the 5050 was too large for a jersey pocket (the C3000 just barely
fit, while the others had no problem). I've also used a couple of Fujis, the
E510 (*not* recommended!!!) and more recently, the F10.

The Olympus cameras are difficult to get a bad photo with, at least the ones
I've used. White balance is always perfect, colors rendered nicely but not
obviously oversaturated, moderate noise at low ISO. Higher ISO tends to be
too noisy, as it is with virtually any small camera, except...

....except the Fuji F10. Strange little camera that can't quite make up its
mind as to whether it's a point-and-shoot or something that aspires to
greatness in the hands of a skilled photographer. Strange menu system,
"manual" controls don't let you set that much (you can specify neither
aperture nor speed), but it's FAST, really FAST starting up, and it's got
usable ISO to 800, with a 1600 mode that is similar to what most cameras
offer at 400.

High points-

FAST startup speed. Turn it on and boom, she's ready to go.
Very low noise, even at ISO 400.
Nice rectangular shape, with a bulge on the right side so you know it's
orientation when you take it out of your pocket.
Phenomenal macro capabilities (which won't be much help when riding)
Surprisingly decent movie mode.
Extraordinary battery life (300+ photos without flash).
Seems built well
Big screen

Low points-

No optical viewfinder. A problem taking photos in bright light when you
don't have much time (such as riding downhill and approaching a corner at
35mph, when you need to shoot fast and put the camera away).
Bizarre menu system that takes time to get used to. Setting ISO hard to do
in bright light.
No direct control over shutter speed; you need to set the ISO appropriately
to force it into the range you want.
Lens only goes to 36mm (equivalent) wide; for shots taken while riding, 28
would be nice.
Purple fringing on high-contrast shots at 36mm.
White balance gets thrown off in less-than-sunny conditions.
Semi-proprietary battery (LP120).
Ridiculous dongle thingee needed to charge battery & download photos.
XD media cards are relatively expensive (although truthfully you really just
need one, and you can find 512meg for about $50)

Seems like quite a few negatives, but for taking shots while riding, these
are the factors that outweigh all else-

#1: Fast startup (and shutdown). Things happen fast on a bike, and you don't
want to be getting into trouble because you're taking pictures.

#2: Those beautiful ISO 400 (and even 800) photos. To keep pix sharp while
riding, you really need to keep the shutter speed above 1/300th at wide
angle, and at least 1/500th when zoomed out a bit. Using the higher ISO
settings keeps the shutter in the range you need.

#3: Long battery life is a real blessing for those of us who take zillions
of shots, hoping that something comes out. Nice not having to carry two or
three extra sets of AA NiMH batteries!

#4: The rectangular shape and bulge on right side helps you pre-position the
camera in your hand as you remove it from your pocket, so you don't have to
mess with it (and risk dropping it) once it's out.

What do I miss from my Olympus cameras? Mostly the always-perfect white
balance, better lens and, on later models, the "my mode" feature where you
can specify a ton of settings and get to them really quickly.

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles
www.ChainReactionBicycles.com

Monty said:

I would like to have a digital camera with me for some of the rides. I see a
lot of wild life and beautiful vistas. I have a Nikon D70, but that is MUCH
too large. I would like to put the camera in my jersey pocket. The smaller
the better, but I would like to be able to get 5x7s and maybe an occasional
8x10.

I have the D70 also; terrific camera. I also really like the Panasonic's
with the Leica lenses (e.g., FZ5), but those aren't too much smaller.
For the size you're looking for I'd agree with Pat, Rick, and C.J. on
the A series Canons. They get a lot of recommendations on some of the
photo forums.

Look for reviews on <http://dpreview.com/>
Look for example photos from different cameras at
<http://www.pbase.com/cameras>

Regards,
Randy.

Monty said:

I would like to have a digital camera with me for some of the rides. I see a
lot of wild life and beautiful vistas. I have a Nikon D70, but that is MUCH
too large. I would like to put the camera in my jersey pocket. The smaller
the better, but I would like to be able to get 5x7s and maybe an occasional
8x10.

The Canon SD series is probably your best bet. I preferred the S500
because it uses CF as opposed to SD, but it's no longer available. The
A510 and A520 are cheaper, and a bit larger, but the big disadvantage is
that they use AA cells, as opposed to a Li-Ion battery.

"SMS" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The Canon SD series is probably your best bet. I preferred the S500
because it uses CF as opposed to SD, but it's no longer available. The
A510 and A520 are cheaper, and a bit larger, but the big disadvantage is
that they use AA cells, as opposed to a Li-Ion battery.

I consider the use of AA cells an advantage, not a disadvantage. Especially
when traveling, and most especially when traveling independent of AC power
for the charger.

I should have added:

While Fuji and Olympus digicams take very good quality photos, they use xD
cards.

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE. xD, while available now, is yet another dead-end
technology based on "SmartMedia" - an already-dead memory card format.

Stick with SD cards or Compact flash. Supporting xD by purchasing a camera
that uses it is just encouraging manufacturers to make more bad,
non-standard formats.

C.J.Patten said:

While Fuji and Olympus digicams take very good quality photos, they use xD
cards.

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE. xD, while available now, is yet another dead-end
technology based on "SmartMedia" - an already-dead memory card format.

We have a camera that uses xD cards and I don't see the issue, as the
media is pretty much "transparent"; we never take it out. It'll store
100s of pics, and we upload directly to the computer, never removeing
the card (OK, we did remove it once to replace the original with a
higher capacity one, but never since).

Additionally, I've seen xD cards for sale in checkout lines at drug
stores, so I think they're relatively common.

I'd choose based on the cameras abilty to take the photos you want, not
it's storage medium.

Rich

SMS said:

Monty said:

I would like to have a digital camera with me for some of the rides. I
see a lot of wild life and beautiful vistas. I have a Nikon D70, but
that is MUCH too large. I would like to put the camera in my jersey
pocket. The smaller the better, but I would like to be able to get
5x7s and maybe an occasional 8x10.

The Canon SD series is probably your best bet. I preferred the S500
because it uses CF as opposed to SD, but it's no longer available. The
A510 and A520 are cheaper, and a bit larger, but the big disadvantage is
that they use AA cells, as opposed to a Li-Ion battery.

We have a Canon A85 and we use a set of NiMH AAs that I bought, seems to
do well on them.... The big advantage to AA's though, if your batteries
do die (including your spares), then even in the tiniest settlement you
can get a set of disposables.

If you do long distance biking, then carrying a charger and battery for
the camera, another for the GPS, another for the Weather radio, another
for the cycle-computer, another for the lights. If they all use AA then
you need one set of spares for the device that takes the most batteries
(probably 4), and one charger. When batteries run out, you swap the
spares into that device, and charge them at the next stop.

W

C.J.Patten said:

I should have added:

While Fuji and Olympus digicams take very good quality photos, they use xD
cards.

AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE. xD, while available now, is yet another dead-end
technology based on "SmartMedia" - an already-dead memory card format.

Stick with SD cards or Compact flash. Supporting xD by purchasing a camera
that uses it is just encouraging manufacturers to make more bad,
non-standard formats.

Excellent point. Not really an issue, since the best small cameras use SD.

SMS said:

... are cheaper, and a bit larger, but the big disadvantage is
that they use AA cells, as opposed to a Li-Ion battery.

The advantage of Li-Ion batteries is they are smaller and lighter for the
charge that they hold.

Don <www.donwiss.com> (e-mail link at home page bottom).

Actually battery life for the A510/A520 with 2AA batteries is as long or
longer then the proprietary Li-Ion batteries. And a pack of 4 2500MA AA NIMH
is about $10 and chargers can be had for as little as $10; or if you forgot
batteries and you're out riding just about any convenient store carries AA but
none will carry the specific Li-Ion you're camera needs . . . or any LI-ions.
Also you really need to have a backup Li-Ion for your SD series, the Canon
battery will definitley give you sticker shock.

Not withstanding my above remarks, much of my opinion is based on my having
many AA batteries around (with several rechargers) and not wanting to ad
another system. For someone just buying a camera, this may not be an issue.

Rick
www.rickschiller.comIn article <[email hidden]>,
[email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Monty said:

I would like to have a digital camera with me for some of the rides. I see

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

lot of wild life and beautiful vistas. I have a Nikon D70, but that is MUCH
too large. I would like to put the camera in my jersey pocket. The smaller
the better, but I would like to be able to get 5x7s and maybe an occasional
8x10.

The Canon SD series is probably your best bet. I preferred the S500
because it uses CF as opposed to SD, but it's no longer available. The
A510 and A520 are cheaper, and a bit larger, but the big disadvantage is
that they use AA cells, as opposed to a Li-Ion battery.

Don Wiss said:

SMS said:

... are cheaper, and a bit larger, but the big disadvantage is
that they use AA cells, as opposed to a Li-Ion battery.

The advantage of Li-Ion batteries is they are smaller and lighter for the
charge that they hold.

This advantage is real but fairly modest. Another important consideration
is that Li-Ion rechargeable batteries wear out rather rapidly, even
without use -- something on the order of 2 years or so. If the
manufacturer no longer makes the proprietary battery when yours is worn
out, you are unlikely to be able to find a replacement (NOS batteries will
be also worn out) and will be forced to discontinue use of the camera,
even if it still works fine otherwise. AA cells will be available
essentially forever.

(This is a big problem with cell phones.)

Reid