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General discussion

ISO new digital camera

Nov 9, 2004 11:23AM PST

I'm looking for a new digital camera and (like many people) am more confused the more reviews I read. I have been using a Kodak 2.0mp with 3x optical zoom for 4 years and have been happy with it. I would like to upgrade to something with more optical zoom and less shutter lag time. Video capability would be nice too. I am hoping to spend $300-400. Most of the pictures I take are of my children who seem to move very fast when a camera is pointed at them! Any suggestions (about cameras, not about fast moving children) would be appreciated,

Cindy

Discussion is locked

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Re: ISO new digital camera
Nov 9, 2004 11:48AM PST

We just bought our first digital camera. We chose the Kodak Easyshare DX7590[$440.00]. We chose it for several reasons. It had a fast shutter speed for quick shots of sports [we tested a number of them]. It has a 10 optical zoom, and 5 megapixels. So far we really like it. It has a new chip in it that gives great color. We printed a photo we took in the store from it and some other cameras, and the new Kodak chip gave the best colors of all.

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Re: ISO new digital camera
Nov 10, 2004 12:14AM PST

Also check out the Kodak DX7440, which sells for $300.
Schneider Lens
Short shutter lag time.

You can also take a look at the Konica Minolta Z2.
You can find it for about $400 now.
Short lag time, 10X zoom and it has "burst" mode where you can capture a series of photos by holding down the shutter button.

...

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Re: ISO new digital camera
Nov 13, 2004 4:37PM PST

While less shutter lag is helpful in situations photographing rapidly changing subjects like small children, I think learning the best shooting techniques is at least equally, if not more, important. Prefocusing in the general area of the activity with a small enough aperture to give good depth of field will vastly improve your "trigger" time and let you capture the shots you want. A camera with a fast frame rate in "burst" mode is also helpful, but be sure you have plenty of memory media on hand, as it doesn't take long to fill up a card using 6-8 exposures each time you press the button hoping one of them will catch the shot you're looking for. And be aware that "burst" works much faster when the flash is off and the time needed to reenergize it is not part of the "cycle". Turning off other features on some cameras will also decrease shutter lag and increase the frame rate in "burst" mode. (e.g. the "AIFF" focusing aid on my Canon, while helpful for some shots, adds time to the "checklist" the chip in the camera runs through before it records the shot). Try setting exposure manually to reduce metering time at the beginning of each shot. The idea is that the fewer things the camera must do between the time you fully depress the button and the time the picture is recorded will reduce the lag time.