Digital camera's

[walt-m]

Hello to all forum members
I am in the frame of mind to change my camera's from film to go into digital ,I'am considering the cannon E.O.S 10D so if anyone could give me any tips It would be most helpful, I want to take bird photo's. thank you.

walt-m

[bcurrie]

Hello Walt, and sorry that you have not received a response sooner. Also, welcome to BF.

The 10D is a wonderful camera. I mainly take bird photos and you are certainly welcome to look in the gallery under my name, or you can look at www.pbase.com/bcurrie. I reference this only so that to give you at least a little idea that I know something of which I speak.

I do not have the 10D, but know people who do and none have been sorry with their purchase. However, none of them are bird photographers. The problem with the 10D is the price of the lenses, certainly not exclusively a problem for the 10D, but any true DSLR. And of course, if you mind it, the weight that would come with those lenses. With birds, one really needs the reach to get a decent to great shot. That is why I have opted for a camera with a built in 10X optical zoom, the Canon Pro90IS. Now out of production, but coming down in price (around $400-ish) and still a great camera. However, the new Minolta A1, with a 7X optical zoom, could be a worthy contender, especially with that 1/16000 shutter speed and 5 MP. Not the perfect camera, certainly not a DSLR, but either the Canon or Minolta A1 are worth considering. Personally, I do not think the Minolta Z1 is worth considering, though it does have the 10X optical zoom.

However, if you are set on the 10D, you cannot go wrong. If you haven't already, check out www.dpreview.com and his review of the 10D.

[Geoff Brown]

I stumbled across an aviation digiscoping/telephotography forum last night and almost without exception every photo (and they were absolute crackers - as Frank Carson used to say) was taken with Canon 35mm or DSLR bodies and Canon lenses. Out of about fifty posts only two others were for Nikon equipment and just one user was with Minolta gear. This forum too was worldwide like ours.

[Rosah]

Brian, why do you think the Minolta Z1 is not worth considering? I have been drooling over this one and would love to find out all I can about it before I even think about it further. Also, do you have any idea if it can use a teleconverter lens like the B-300? I know it advertises a wide angle lens but have not read anything about one for more distance.

[bcurrie]

Rosah,

Well for one, I have the Pro90. Aside from that, at only 3.3 megapixels I think that if one waits for 3-6 months a much better camera with 10X optical zoom will be available. For me, there is just too much happening in the digital camera world, including those coming out with the 10X zoom to make this camera worthwhile. I also think that it does not use a CF card, which is where most of the savings is coming in media these days. Still, it is an affordable price. Sorry, but I do not remember your camera experience. If you are familiar with cameras, then this would not be an upgrade. I believe it is a good "entry" model, and at that price, must be what Minolta is aiming at.

[Rosah]

Thanks Brian. You make some good points. I have gone from a Minolta Maxxum 3xi (35mm) to an Olympus C2100UZ, to an Olympus C-730. I am not in a hurry so I'll wait and see what else comes out in a 10X zoom. I am mainly looking for a replacement or backup camera for when this Oly quits on me. My 2100 had sudden death syndrome and the 730 hasn't worked quite right since the beginning so I'm looking toward other brands. I was interested in the Minolta because I've had good luck with that brand in my 35mm. The Dimage Z1 is described as an slr type digital. The other slr/digitals I have seen have been quite expensive so is the $379-$399 too good to be true?

[IanF]

Hi Rosah,

I'd like to hear from someone who has the Z1 too as it does sound an awfully good specification, though I think the actual shape of the design is a little naff. If it gets good reviews from owners then I may even consider one for myself.
I think it's only an SLR type in respect of the TTL viewfinder and metering just like the C2100UZ. I understand it takes a wide angle tele lens too, but I haven't seen any mention of lens armour or as to how it fits. I'd be more interested knowing whether it can take a B300 or Tcon17.

I think it's due to be launched any time now isn't it ?

[Rosah]

It's already launched Ian. I think on August 4th. I have found it at about four or five websites but not in any local shops yet. I am also interested in seeing if it can use the T-con or B-300. I don't mind the shape though it is a bit different. The price is sure right if it is any good for shooting birds.

[bcurrie]

Rosah,

The price is definitely right. With the advent of the Canon 300 that is forcing lower prices. And while the jury is still out on both of these cameras, the Canon 300 at least should be a superior camera and therefore the Minolta can not sell for now for what it could have a year ago.

Amazingly, I have not seen any reviews either of the Minolta.

Here is a review I found from dpreview, don't know if you have seen it. www.dpreview.com/news/0308/03080703dimagez1.asp
(their website must be down right now because I cannot access it.)

[Rosah]

Thanks for the link Brian. I have read that one. I will have to go check out that Canon 300. I haven't seen that one yet.

[eric s]

One sould be very careful of the 300D. They have cut many corners in it, many subtle.
No flash bracketing
You can only do exposure comp in 1/3 increments (1/2 or 1/3 in the 10D)
Fewer buttons/wheels - so some things are harder to set with the 300D (like in manual focus mode you turn the wheel to set shutter speed, but you have to hold a button and turn the same wheel to set aperture... that seems acquard to me!) And the same thing for exposure compensation - its a button & wheel combination.
The picture buffer is only 4 deep (9 deep on the 10D, and I'd love for it to be larger!) and I'm sure other things which I haven't noticed (or read... owning the 10D, I really haven't read that much about the 300D.)

And I heard a rumor that the EF-S lenses have plastec lens mounts. Sure, they made some good strong plastecs today, but this just doesn't seem right.

The 10D is a great camera for the money. Don't look at the 300D as a savings, look at it as a lesser camera which costs less. If you can deal with what it offers (and doesn't) then get it. But to me, it doesn't look like the savings is worth it.

Canon must love it, though. They will make so much money on lenses with this camera.

[Rich Smith]

Does anyone have experience with this camera? I like the idea of in-body image stabilization and spot focusing. Rich

[PatT]

Does anyone have experience with this camera? I like the idea of in-body image stabilization and spot focusing. Rich

I'm using the 7D. AS is a huge advantage when shooting with long lenses and/or low light. The 5D has the same AS. :t:

Pat

[Leicaman]

I'm using the 7D. AS is a huge advantage when shooting with long lenses and/or low light. The 5D has the same AS. :t:

Pat

I also use the 7D and find the AS very useful. It has enabled me to take flight photos, handheld, of gulls using the Tamron 200-500mm lens in bright sunshine.