Photography 2006: A Call for Help
6 January 2006, 10:49
Start with an aside: Dr. Michael A. Covington writes an online notebook almost every day. He’s a prof at the Artificial Intelligence Center at the University of Georgia. He photographs the skies among other things. He also has wisdom to share. While I haven’t found a syndication feed, I’ve got his site bookmarked and enjoy his work.
I need any reader’s advice. Within the next thirty days or so, I’m going to dive into digital photography. There’s a photography show coming up in February which gives me some pause. New product announcements are frequently made there. That’s the only thing that may delay my decisions.
Otherwise, my dilemma is one of too many choices. Here are four cameras I’m thinking about:
The other piece of this puzzle involves printing photographs. Two printers caught my eye:
I’ll be photographing everything from travel sites to family gatherings to items to list on eBay. Some of those cameras are reach-in-the-pocket-and-shoot. Some are semi-pro SLR’s.
Now for the questions:
- What do you use and like?
- What are the must-have accessories to go with these?
- Where do you like to buy this stuff?
- What are the good rumors about new equipment?
- What can I buy now that offers pleasing and broadly flexible photographic options for the next thirty six months?
I’ll hang up and listen to your answers.
Filed under: Photography
We have the first gen Canon Rebel EOS. It is the 6.1 MP model. We love it. It was a chunk of change but takes fantastic pictures. Like all SLR cameras it takes some time to get to know the features to make it do what you want it to. It came with the standard 18-55mm zoom. We have three filters for it all from Quantaray:
Close Up +3
Dual multi-coated UV
Circular Polarizer
(my bride knows what they all do, I’m the point and shooter)
We also have 2 cases for it. The Canon semi-hard cover which is compact but not very functional (I am putting it on craigslist this week). The second case by Quantaray Pro is awesome. I don’t have a model number for it but it is their mid-size case and has room for extra memory, battery charger, and polarizers.
(OT: my portfolio cranked out 14.24% for 2005!)
— trip 6 January 2006, 11:47 #
Lots of confirmation. Lots more to think about in this Philip Greenspun essay
— Steve 7 January 2006, 13:18 #
Hey Steve, just touching base to see why my comments from Friday disappeared?... I thought I posted some feedback re: the Casio Exilim line. At any rate, I don’t think I’ll re-type the whole thing, because for all I know you deleted it… (smile).. BUT, just a note to not underestimate the advantage that “ultra-compacts” give you—notably that they are always at-hand. I have an Exilim, and so do my folks, and they just keep getting better and better, IMO.
— Cass 8 January 2006, 16:03 #
Cass: Sorry your comment never came in. I didn’t get an email notification and it never posted to the site. I’ve got some serious spam protection working here with the comments, so that might have been the cause. Good to hear from you. I’ll look at the Casio line-up. SP
— Steve 8 January 2006, 18:11 #
Good to hear from you, too. : )
I think maybe I didn’t make it through the “email requrired” + graphic-number entry requirements, but didn’t realize it. (i.e. the UI gave me the impression my comment posted, when maybe / probably it didn’t).
Anyway, here are a bunch of shots take with an Exilim Z3 (which has since been succeeded by superior-but-similar models):
http://thoughtsonliving.weblogger.com/stories/storyReader$108
— Cass 8 January 2006, 20:12 #
Cass: Great photos. Thanks for sharing them. I’ll definitely add the Casio to the mix of cameras I’m reviewing. I may be mistaken, but I think Ray Ozzie is a Casio fan.
Yes, here it is
— Steve 8 January 2006, 20:31 #
Too funny – THAT is the post that lead me to the Casio Exilim in the first place… found via a link from Flemming Funch’s blog a couple-three years back…
— Cass 8 January 2006, 23:18 #