i-rant

Besides my permanant page on Photography, A few cameras to look at:

Nikon P90 –  around $370. This is a new Coolpix point and shoot with near SLR quality optics.  Its big features are the specifications – super zoom and fast burst speed. Nikon is know for sport shooting so this all makes sense. I have to say, this camera was built for the feature wars though – it matches stats but may not be as wonderful in practice.

They are selling the range of the zoom lens here – its an amazing 24x zoom equal to a 26-624mm lens on an SLR. That won’t get you the widest of angles (I still rely on my 18mm for a panorama or when I’m close to the action in a crowded room) but the distance is amazing. It has ED glass but the optics are fewer and are smaller then a standard Nikkor lens.  The specifications are good f2.8 to f5 max Aperture.  Reports show pretty obvious fish-eye distortion and pincushion at either end of the lens – as with all max zooms this is a problem.  Its going to be a problem with most in this price range. You lose some detail at long range as well.  But you are going to capture the moment and often that is what is most important.

The sensor is a CCD 1/2.33 in with 12.7 million pixels.  Startup time is less then 2 seconds from turn on to shooting. Burst shooting gives you the ability to shoot up to 45 frames in one session at low resolution.  This all comes down to two things. The processor and memory.  If the camera has a fast processor it can move between frames with little to no startup. If it has a good memory buffer then it can store pictures before they go to the memory card; the more memory, the more it can store. Also – get a faster memory card to enhance this feature.  The thing I didn’t see was HD video and RAW format here.

Raw format gives you the chance to mess up.  I’ve often accidentally set my White Balance to flash and then gone outside – all my pictures are blue and ugly.  But with Raw – It stores all of the data for any white balance setting – so I can fix it in Apple Aperture, Adobe Photoshop or the software that comes with the camera.  Without RAW, you are stuck with your mistake. Like shooting with the wrong film in the “olden days.”  The KEY is you have to have the computer software to take advantage of RAW.  iPhoto can now process RAW but it doesn’t give you the control that Aperture or Photoshop do.  Otherwise – Raw only takes a lot of space on the card – shoot most things in Auto White Balance and set the white balance when you time. Having said that – I shoot everything in RAW and use lots of memory cards.  Be realistic with what you think you will do and plan for that.

Video is a convenience thing too.  For most video you want a camcorder.  But for incidental things this is very useful.  There is reportedly noise on the microphone and zoom is not fully functional but it does give you a option not available in my D200 and most DSLR’s. Nothing like the D90 but very useful.  So is the tilting LCD screen for viewing at an angle.

DMC-FZ50 – $1,000. Panasonic appears to have updated the DMC-FZ50 my mom bought.  She loves it.  I reviewed it briefly here.  This is a terrific camera matching Panasonic electronic know-how with a terrific Leica lens. Its got all the manual control you would ever want – similar to my D300.  It now has this Venus III engine that promises quicker response time and less noise.  From the company website: outstanding response time with an industry-leading level of shutter release time lag of as short as 0.009 sec*. minimum and the shutter interval of 0.8 sec*. Together with the fast startup time of approx.0.7 sec.* Based on CIPA standard.

The Panasonic DMC-FZ28 is a more affordable option at $300.  This is a terrific option with much less manual control but still boasing a Leica 18x 27-468mm lens and quality specifications.  It has the Venus IV engine: this slashes the release time lag to around 0.006 second minimum with a Burst Speed of 12MP per second at a lower megapixel range. Maximum of 5 images in Standard mode and 3 images in Fine mode. The Image Sensor is 1/2.33″, 10.7 Mega Total Pixels CCD, Primary Color Filter – the key here is that its bigger then the average point and shoot but half the size of a Nikon DX CCD. So for the same megapixels you get more color depth on a larger CCD or CMOS. This camera’s sensor is about the same as the P90.

With all of the main features of the Nikon P90 It adds HD Movie and HD Output options.  Its got all of the auto focus and image stabilization features you would expect. Focusing options, low noise, etc. JPEG, RAW, etc.  I’ve seen what Mom can do with her FZ50 so I have to think this is a great camera.  With RAW if you do go to digital editing software, you are ready. Just be ready to buy more memory cards.

So the processor and shooting/format options are better then the P90. Draw back is less zoom range on the lens and lower megapixels.  Exactly what Nikon was looking to do in wining the comparison matrix/statistic wars.

Sony A200 - Around $500 with an 18-70MM zoom lens.  This is a Digital SLR born of the Minolta acquisition.  I would put this camera on par with any of the Nikon or Canon entry level Digital SLR’s – so what’s different.  Sony style.  Its got a lot of very user friendly electronics.  Professionals might say too much but I’m looking at a really nice viewfinder with a lot of information in it; a comfortable rocker switch to control it all and traditional Minolta style dials on top for quick access to important settings like aperture and speed, ISO and Image Quality. It doesn’t have the LCD on the top though – I like that quick look.  Personally I would stick with the Nikon line – because I have the lenses.  If you are a Minolta fan – this is a great entry level camera.

The sensor has advanced features for low light an image quality.  10 megapixels  and raw support.   Good depth on the CCD sensor. The computer chip? I cannot tell.   I would say it is as good as the NIkon D80 comparing 10.2 MP – not sure what the startup is; Nikon has a .18 sec start-up with fast response and 3FPS.  The A200 is improved over the A100.  Here is a review by imaging-resource.com

What about lenses? Minolta AF lenses, so if you are moving from a Minolta Film camera you get to use all your old auto focus lenses.  The Alpha-Mount lens is the oldest in the business with lenses available going back 28 years. I

Update to the Nikon DSLR entry level models:

Nikon D40 – Ken Rockwell prefers it, even though its discontinued, to the D40x and D60.  Today, its the Costco camera of choice in a kit with two lenses.  It just goes to show you that the number of megapixels doesn’t matter as much as the quality of each pixel.  6.1 on the D40 is often better then a point-and-shoot 12 MP camera.  it has a 15.6 x 23.7mm CCD sensor. DX format 2.5 FPS How often are you blowing something up to 23×30 anyway. And if you have the lens to get close and frame the shot you don’t need to crop later.

You can go to Costco, spend $599 and get a D40, an 18-55 wide angle to portrait zoom and a 55-200 VR telephoto zoom for sporting events and other things that are far away and fast. Same deal on Adorama – either in the store if you live in NY or online.  I still prefer my 18-200mm VR for one simple reason, One lens – with kids anything can happen so its nice to have one that can do it all. One to carry, one to put on, etc. Otherwise the elements are very similar and you get less distortion at the 55mm focal point. Both will give you pincushion distortion at the top end. So in the end – if you aren’t lazy like me you save money (like $400) and still have two great lenses.   If you really want to get an SLR and you are just starting out then I really think this is it.  Look here at Ken Rockwel’s site. If this becomes your thing – then you can always upgrade later.  Piece by piece as I have. If you aren’t thinking this is your hobby – and you have other things you spend on like gardening, cooking, sports, KIDS – then consider the point and shoot options above.  Good glass is the key though – a convenient small lens point and shoot will be good for candids – to keep in your pocket or purse but without the glass of a real lens you will never have the quality shots.

I don’t want to talk about the D90 and D300. I’m envious of both.  But I’ll just mention two key points here.  The addition of Digital Video, viewfinder option and larger format CMOS sensor.  And just when I got over that they introduced the D5000!

The Nikon D5000 reminds my of my first film camera purchase the Nikon 6006.   12.3MP DX Format CMOS with fast processing.  D Movie Mode 720p HD movie clips with the quality of Nikkor lenses! variangle color LCD monitor. 4 FPS fast shooting.  Looks like they go for around $800 on the internet – with an entry level lens.

The D300 is a nice replacement to my D200 – it keeps the rugged magnesium alloy body and much of the stored custom settings. The body is out there for $1,600.  I have to say the D90 is a really good option though.  Today I’d probably have bought it instead.  The lure of video and still having DSLR quality in a terrific 12MP DX format CMOS is enticing.  Most places sell it with the VR 18-105 lens – Amazon has it for 1,150 for both. I’d prefer if they did a deal like the D40 above and those two lenses – you will always want that extra 100mm for sporting events.  In fact I’ve seen it packages with my 18-200 VR lens for $1,739.

My Gut Feeling:

Entry Point and Shoot:  The Panasonic DMC-FZ28

Entry DSLR: Nikon D40 with the 18-55 and 55-200VR lenses

Cool New DSLR:  D90 with the 18-200VR lens

But remember – I’m partial to Nikon lenses – the Sony is a good option for Minolta lens owners. For example, the new Sony a900 is a freaking work of art – they haven’t damaged the Minolta legacy at all.

Also – I didn’t look at the Canon SX10 IS – its also a very popular camera in the Panasonic DMC-FZ28 category. It appears to be the best of both but it will cost $75-100 more then the Panasonic.

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