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General discussion

Camera Suggestions

Feb 22, 2005 2:46AM PST

First, I know very little about digitals. I've been using 35mm for color slides the last 30 years. Thinking of changing over and scanning my 1000's of slides. Question: What camera(s) would be recommended for my use which is wildlife/scenic photos. Use almost entirely outdoors on long/short backpacking trips. The smaller/lighter the better, able to take josling around and some exposure to moisture. Need a telephoto for wildlife shots and closeups of wildflowers, etc. Responses appreciated!

Discussion is locked

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New Digital Camera
Feb 22, 2005 7:59AM PST

If you are wanting a telephoto (8 to 10 X), the words smaller/lighter do not seem to fit.

But my guess is, your film camera is SLR. Which makes most cameras seem smaller and lighter weight.

Here is a list of some of the popular long lens cameras:

Canon S1-IS
Fujifile S5100
Kodak DX7590
Konica Minolta Z2
Nikon 4800
Olympus C765


The Konica Minolta Z2 is likely to be the most rugged and it is good for close-ups and macro work.

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My interests and background are similar
Feb 22, 2005 9:29AM PST

but I had hundreds and not thousands of 35m slides.

I would wholeheartedly recommend the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz3/
and don't understand why it and its more expensive siblings aren't recommended more often.

The dpreview conclusion is:

"It may be the baby of Panasonic's super zoom range, but the FZ3 is a mature, feature-rich product with a stunning lens, powerful processor and outstanding performance. It's fast, reliable, easy to use and packed with useful and powerful features and functions. Sure, you don't get the super-solid build quality of other Panasonic FZ models, but at under $400 you do get a small, light, solid camera capable of dealing with virtually any photographic task you throw at it - from macros to landscapes to handheld telephoto shots, the FZ3 comes up with the goods time after time."