CameraRec » Recommendations

Digital Camera Buying Guide

toby — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 01:16:57 +0000

Let’s keep this short and sweet – If I had $____ to spend on a camera what would I buy. . . (see below for lens ideas)

	If I had $200 to spend I would buy the Canon HS300 This little P&S is little! but offers excellent quality, 1080p with stereo audio and the neat feature of slow mo video. I would spend the extra $50 on an 8GB SD Card (it comes w/ a 4GB and HDMI cable) an Ultra Compact Camera Case and a Joby Flexible Tripod. NOTE: This Camera at $149 is already blackfriday discounted – Amazon’s price matches the expected door buster price being offered by BestBuy.
	If I had $400 I would buy the Canon PowerShot S100 & that would require me to scrounge a bit for an extra $30 but it wold be worth it. The new DIGIC 5 Image Processor means fast performance and excellent low light images. Additional features similar to the HS300 above but with a very cool control ring for manual control over a range of settings and GPS for automatic location tagging of your photos.
	If I had $600 I would buy the Panasonic LUMIX G3 Four-Thirds Camera with 14-42mm Lens And just like that we are now in the territory of cameras with removeable lenses – DSLR like – this is not a true DSLR because it doesn’t have a mirror that directs the image that comes through the lens to an optical viewfinder. What it does have and offers is an electronic viewfinder and a flip out LCD screen with touch to focus (and lots of other touch to do something options) Fast and silent autofocus, 360 motion panorama and loads of video options. Downside- battery life isn’t great and additional lenses aren’t cheap. There are other really close competitors for my heart at this price range.
	If I had $800 I would buy the Canon EOS Rebel T3i with EF-S 18-55m IS Lens You get a whole lot of DSLR for this price- a gorgeous flipity out LCD screen, 1080P recording – in fact the T3i shares same image/video quality with the much more expensive 7D and even offers a few features like video zoom that you don’t get in the 7D. And for those that dream of going big as a photographer wireless flash control is a cherry on the T3i pie.
	If I had $1000 I would buy the Canon EOS Rebel T3i with EF-S 18-55m IS Lens (yep same as above) and add an external flash like Speedlite 320EX Flash – This is going to do loads for your indoor & outdoor photos and has a video light AND has a remote for triggering the shutter on the camera.
	If I had $1200 I would buy the Fujifilm X100 – this is a DSLR sensor in a small range finder like body with a fixed lens. Sure you are giving up the versatility of a DSLR with removable lenses and no zoom but what you get is a fantastically peppy camera, superb quality and it is all packaged in a stylish body.

Photographers Gift Guide 2011

toby — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 17:10:33 +0000

My Annual Gift Guide First and foremost I would be happy to chat with you about gift ideas – Lenses, Bags and Even cameras are a possibility if I know a little more about you or who you are buying from so use Chat or leave me a message on facebook or G+ and I will be happy to provide some guidance.


		Studiohut Hot Shoe Three Axis Double Bubble Level You can always fix your Horizon in post but it is certainly nice to get it right straight out of camera and if taking a series for panoramas its critical to keep your horizon straight.-Reader suggestion – Thanks Gene B.
		Giottos AA1900 Rocket Air Blaster Large – Black Perfect for cleaning lenses, sensors(gently) and anything else that gathers dust.
		SanDisk Memory Card Carrying Pouch I have crammed four cards in cases in here. though it is tight, those little memory cards are precious and if for a few bucks you add a layer of protection that lets you keep your cards from flying out of loose pockets you should do it. Buy two and color code for used/formatted cards.
		Sandisk Flash Memory Card Case / Holder (SDAC-13) for SD, CF, MS, MMC, XD, MicroSD When you want to offer a bit more protection of your precious media. tip: put used cards in face down, fresh cards face up.
		Tiffen Filter Wallet for up to 6 FiltersSame idea as the card wallet, keep all your filters in one place and nicely organized. Then again if you follow my advice you might only have one filter
		Hot Heads Glomitts! Its a glove..and a mitten! If you can get past the silly name these are great for shooting in colder weather.
		Domke F-34L 19-Inch Protective Wrap Personal protective wrap for your camera or other gear. The largest will just fit around a DSLR- use them for backpacking or turning a normal messenger bag into a camera bag
		The Travel Coffee Mug/lens Cup/thermos in a Shape of Canon EOS Ef 24-105mm F4 Lens with Stainless Steel IneriorStraight up Silly! Reviews are not stellar and sharpness is very low
		Fotodiox Thermo Lens Cup with Stainless Steel Insulated Tumbler, Coffee and Refreshment Mug, 1:1 Nikon Lens imitation Thermo Cup (Modeling 24-70mm F2.8G Lens), 16ozHas better reviews than the canon version – just so folks don’t think I am a canon fanboy.
		I love blurb, prices are reasonable and the products excellent. What photographer doesn’t love seeing their work in print. Recently Blurb began offering notebooks, take just a few photos and make your own custom notebook. Blurb will offer Free Shipping valid 12/1 through 12/9 with promo code AFFILIATEFREESHIP and 15% off all Blurb Books valid 12/1 through 12/31 with promo code AFFILIATE15OFF.
		Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any CameraSpeaking of books, it was an earlier edition of this excellent book that helped it all click for me (pun intended In plain language this book helps you understand how your camera sees the world and really understanding that is a huge step toward taking better photographs.
		The HDR Book: Unlocking the Pros’ Hottest Post-Processing TechniquesMaybe you or the photographer in your life has the basics down and is looking to explore the World of HDR, this text will guide the HDR curious to the next level.
		Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12.1 MP Digital Camera (Black)This camera has been my go to pick for the last year, it is still excellent and now that it is selling for less than $200 it is an amazing value. So tiny with HD video, stereo recording, snappy responsiveness and fun slow mo movie mode.
		Eye-Fi Explore X2 8 GB Class 6 SDHC Wireless Photo & Memory Uploads EYE-FI-8EXStick this in your camera and you suddenly have a network connected camera that can stream photos to another computer, the internet or a smart phone almost as fast as you can take them. I reviewed this version a few months ago but there are also cheaper models that offer all the functionality with 1/2 the storage for about 1/2 the price
		Dolica AX620B100 62-Inch Proline Tripod and Ball HeadThere are cheap tripods that I wouldn’t trust with a Fisher Price Kid-Tough Digital Camera and then there is this Dolica – I have loved the value and utility of this tripod for years
		Sony DPF-D1010 10.2-Inch WVGA LCD (16:10) Digital Photo Frame (Black)You got a snazzy digital camera show off those photos in a snazzy 2011 way, and although I am not usually a fan of Sony P&S cameras they did do an excellent job with this photo frame. resolution is good, USB or memory card slots to load your images and lots of options with the display.
		Gift CardsThey may not be the most exciting present to give but are always appreciated.
		Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3Fantastic software that makes it easy to get your photos in and then out to the gallery of your choice, or make a slide show or publish a collage or the list goes on.
		PhotoFrame 4.6 Professional EditionThere are times where a subtle texture or rough edge can really add to your images and for those times PhotoFrame is the program! -Reader suggested- Thanks Alan R.
		http://www.smugmug.com/,http://www.zenfolio.com/ How about a gift of some place beautiful to store, share and organize your photos. I use both Smugmug and Zenfolio and have nothing but great things to say – helpful support, multitude of customization options and privacy controls. Get your photos off Flickr and get them someplace where the people care
		SanDisk Flash Memory Vault 16 GBA neat idea for backing up your most precious photos- certainly much longer lasting than a DVD- which usually fails within 10 years.
		Related to the above but of a more immediate nature- the fast 16GB class 10 Transcend cards are now just $19 a piece – that is loads of storage for little $
		Energizer Ultimate Lithium Headlight (Batteries Included) If the photographer in your life heads out before sunrise, after sunset or during the night for star trails- having a headlamp for hands free illumination can be so. . . handy (sorry This headlamp has a red light mode that can save your night vision, perfect for setting up compositions in the dark. If you want to go smaller/lighter/cheaper take a look at thEnergizer Trail Finder 7 LED Head Light (Batteries Included)

Nothing on this list that interests you? Review the 2009 Holiday Gift Guide and 2010 Holiday Gift Guide AND Updated daily is my The Big Camera Holiday Recommendation Guide

Holiday Shopping: Camera Guide – If I had. . .

toby — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 23:24:57 +0000

Cape Neddick ("Nubble") Light - Copyright Tobias Gelston

Let’s keep this short and sweet – If I had $____ to spend on a camera what would I buy. . . (see below for lens ideas)

Black Friday Updates 7am

HS300 at $149 -See description below, Excellent buy for a tiny but high quality camera

SX230 at $199 – Very similar in quality and features to HS300 (which is to say excellent) AND adds 3″ LCD screen, 14x zoom GPS for tagging photos – this is a stellar buy – View on Amazon Price includes a 4GB SD card and Mini HDMI Cable

Sony Cyber-ShotTX10 16.2 MP Waterproof Camera is Amazon’s Gold Box Deal of the day and at $169 for a waterproof rugged camera that shoots 16MP and 1080i video is very tempting. Be warned that this camera is sloooooow, slow to start up and slow to take photo/video. Also the touch screen that lets you control most of the operations is no fun to use especially once the screen gets wet. . like underwater!! Amazon’s return policy is good so if you are dying to try out a waterproof camera you could give it a shot. The next waterproof camera I feel comfortable recommending is $100 more, the excellent Panasonic LumixTS3 12.1 MP Rugged/Waterproof Camera Simple controls and truly feels like it can take some abuse and spend some time underwater.

More Amazon Black Friday Deals & BF Electronic Deals

	If I had $200 to spend I would buy the Canon HS300 This little P&S is little! but offers excellent quality, 1080p with stereo audio and the neat feature of slow mo video. I would spend the extra $50 on an 8GB SD Card (it comes w/ a 4GB and HDMI cable) an Ultra Compact Camera Case and a Joby Flexible Tripod. NOTE: This Camera at $149 is already blackfriday discounted – Amazon’s price matches the expected door buster price being offered by BestBuy.
	If I had $400 I would buy the Canon PowerShot S100 & that would require me to scrounge a bit for an extra $30 but it wold be worth it. The new DIGIC 5 Image Processor means fast performance and excellent low light images. Additional features similar to the HS300 above but with a very cool control ring for manual control over a range of settings and GPS for automatic location tagging of your photos.
	If I had $600 I would buy the Panasonic LUMIX G3 Four-Thirds Camera with 14-42mm Lens And just like that we are now in the territory of cameras with removeable lenses – DSLR like – this is not a true DSLR because it doesn’t have a mirror that directs the image that comes through the lens to an optical viewfinder. What it does have and offers is an electronic viewfinder and a flip out LCD screen with touch to focus (and lots of other touch to do something options) Fast and silent autofocus, 360 motion panorama and loads of video options. Downside- battery life isn’t great and additional lenses aren’t cheap. There are other really close competitors for my heart at this price range.
	If I had $800 I would buy the Canon EOS Rebel T3i with EF-S 18-55m IS Lens You get a whole lot of DSLR for this price- a gorgeous flipity out LCD screen, 1080P recording – in fact the T3i shares same image/video quality with the much more expensive 7D and even offers a few features like video zoom that you don’t get in the 7D. And for those that dream of going big as a photographer wireless flash control is a cherry on the T3i pie.
	If I had $1000 I would buy the Canon EOS Rebel T3i with EF-S 18-55m IS Lens (yep same as above) and add an external flash like Speedlite 320EX Flash – This is going to do loads for your indoor & outdoor photos and has a video light AND has a remote for triggering the shutter on the camera.
	If I had $1200 I would buy the Fujifilm X100 – this is a DSLR sensor in a small range finder like body with a fixed lens. Sure you are giving up the versatility of a DSLR with removable lenses and no zoom but what you get is a fantastically peppy camera, superb quality and it is all packaged in a stylish body.

Camera Reviews in 140 Characters

toby — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 17:54:11 +0000

I often interact with folks on twitter so I thought I would squeeze some reviews of common P&S and DSLRs into 140, or less, characters for your information. Would love to hear your reviews in the same format. Canon 300 HS: Best performing traditional sized P&S on market, easy 2 use & consistently provides xclnt results, bonus feat: slo-mo video! Canon S95: Xclnt control scheme 4 photog that wants more manual control, low light perf is suprb n clas S100 out so S95 cheaper/great value Canon S100: Simlr on outside 2 S95 Amazngly diff on inside w/ 1080P video, new CMOS sensor = stelar LL perf, 5x zoom starts at 24mm & GPS Panasonic FH25: Solid budget choice – simple to use, gives you 8x zoom nicely stabilized w/ 720p video all consistently praised in reviews. Canon SX40 HS 35x zoom(crazy), zoom while videoing, stereo sound and the newer HS sensor w/ flip pity-out LCD but you pay $$$ 4 all that! Nikon D3100: very beginr friendly DSLR, full time video AF but don’t buy it 4 that, might outgrow if you have dreams of serious photogrphy Nikon D5100: beginr friendly, xclnt low light perf, full time video AF, but ergs/plasticy feel, leave pointn u 2 D3100 Canon T3: u must have DSLR but budget is tight? T3 xclnt option, won’t b shooting sports but solid performer and offers lots for <$500 Canon T3i: feature rich begnr DSLR w/ gorg LCD, wireless flash, variety of video res & fps No constant AF while video & slow AF in live view FujiFilm X100: DSLR sensor, response time packed into cool retro style body with optical viewfinder. Price? if you have to ask not 4 u. Ready to buy? All of these cameras listed on Amazon

Good Zoom, Lowlight Capable & Pocketable for less than $250

toby — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 03:10:55 +0000

@happyflier (check his blog out if you want some great Air Mile runs) asks for a camera with good zoom, low light capable and still fit in a pocket for less than $250. What started the question was an Amazon lightning deal on the Fujifilm FinePix F500EXR 16 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Fujinon 15x Super Wide Angle Zoom Lens – During the deal it was $199. Its a good camera and good buy at that price but now that it is back up several notches above $200 are there any other options? Starting at the top of my list Canon PowerShot SX230HS 12 MP Digital Camera with 14x zoom at $279 is this the priciest of the bunch and nearly $30 over budget but consistently receives high praise and offers 14x zoom, 1080p video with stereo sound and the newer HS sensors which do quite well in lower light, loads better than last generations sensors. Bonus feature, built in GPS that automatically tags your photos with latitude and longitude- a traveling dude like happyflier might find that pretty cool. Another fun feature – slo-mo movie mode, at low resolutions you can record at 120 or 240 fps and then play back at normal speeds- not much practical use here but it is fun. One more nice feature, I mean I do have to justify sticking a camera over budget here, is the built in eye-fi menu. I reviewed an eye-fi this summer and some of the newer canon P&S and DSLRs offer in camera support for the cards making them even more useful. In short eye-fi cards let you wirelessly upload your images to your computer, online through wifi or to a smartphone. Snazzy but does impact your battery life. Second option is the Panasonic DMC-ZS9 14.1MP Digital Camera with 16x zoom for less than two hundred you get a 16x zoom that starts at 24mm, wider than most of the other options here except the F500 which also starts at 24mm. At the longer end of the zoom, and this is true of just about all the cameras on this list, it will suffer from noise as it cranks up the ISO to keep the images properly exposed. I am going to throw the Nikon COOLPIX S9100 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18x in this list as well. I have never used it, reviews are mixed but it certainly offers the most zoom and the silver version is currently $220. Beyond the zoom it has the highest resolution LCD with 921,000 dots crammed into 3″, all the other cameras in this list have 460,00 or in the case of the sx150 only 231,000. It also offers 1080P recording, something you see in the SX230 and the Fuji. If I was buying for myself and I had to stay under $250 I would pick up the ZS9, an earlier model was a long-time favorite and my top recommended camera. It offers lots of features and having just that little bit of wider lens can make a nice difference in your walk around travel shots. You can’t expect amazing lower light images out of it but it does very well and only by spending ~$80 more and moving up to the HS sensor of the canon, can you get better. Don’t forget to pick up a Transcend 8 GB Class 10 SDHC Happyflier if you or anyone else has questions about this post or the cameras discussed give me a shout @camerarec and until Nov 28th I am giving away a really nice camera bag- all the details at Facebook

5 Simple Tips for Taking Better Fall Photos

toby — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:47:38 +0000

1/100 at f/2.0 ISO 160 24mm - I put the leaf on the fern

For us Northern hemisphere folks the leaves, they are a changing. Here are some quick tips for making the most of this photography wise. 1. If you have a camera that accepts filters purchase a Polarizer. I have written about and illustrated the effects of a CP(circular polarizer) previously. Take a moment and look that over. Be careful not to over due it and get unnaturally dark blue skies. 2. Shoot during the golden hour(s) – Around sunrise and sunset and at the very least avoid the high noon, the bright sun is just going to wash out the colors, to counteract you can try to underexpose a bit but if you really want photos that ellicit the “ooohs” and “ahhhs” you are going to need to make the effort to shoot at the best times of the day. Another benefit of the morning and evening times, more likely to miss the crowds if visiting/photographing popular places. 3. Gray and or rainy days also offer excellent photo opportunities. Get in close to your colors, leaves etc – the soft even light from a gray sky can be excellent for capturing Fall, just avoid getting much of the flat boring sky in your photos. 4. Related to #3 – get in close, instead of trying to capture a forest of colors, focus (pun intended – sorry!) on a single leaf. 5. Don’t be afraid to MAKE a photo. If you find a beautiful leaf on an ugly background pick it up and place it somewhere else.

Canon T3i(600D) vs T2i(550D)

toby — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 13:15:02 +0000

Both cameras share the same sensor and as a result have nearly identical image quality. Reasons you may want to consider a T3i over a T2i

Flip out LCD Screen
Wireless Flash Commander – Ability to fire external flashes not connected to the camera
Digital Video Zoom – This is different from the horrible digital zoom of most cameras and offers 3-10x zoom at no loss of quality.
In camera rating of images (adding stars) and some post processing features added to RAW files

Reasons you may want to consider the T2i

Tight budget – T2i currently selling for less
A bit smaller and lighter – though not significantly

Bottom line – The T3i offers a good bit more value, at a slight cost increase, but only if those features listed above appeal to you. And carefully consider the future, will they at some point ?

Other cameras to consider - Nikon D3100, Nikon D5100, Canon 60D, Nikon D7000, Canon 7D – Thoughts on those

Fantastic Photography Book. . you could WIN!

toby — Thu, 26 May 2011 16:32:08 +0000

Fantastic Foundation for Photography

There are loads of photography books out there, some try to be funny, some are packed with ridiculously basic information and some are filled with fluff(a problem closely related to the basic info problem). And then there is this book. I don’t think it matters where you are in your knowledge of photography and cameras this book is highly worth your time. The information is straightforward, explained with excellent photographs and I find the sections to be just about perfect in length – Giving what you need to understand how your camera “sees” without overwhelming or getting too technical. Check to see if you local library has a copy, mine did, or pick it up at Amazon for a reasonable and very worthwhile price of $15. Or you could win a copy from me Understanding Exposure, 3rd Edition: How to Shoot Great Photographs with Any Camera

99 Cents = 20GB of Online Storage + Lady Gaga’s newest album

toby — Mon, 23 May 2011 13:32:08 +0000

This might look a bit like a spam post but today and today only Amazon is offering Lady Gaga’s newest Album for 99 cents – the whole album AND they are still offering the deal where you get 20GBs of online storage space for a year, useable for music, documents and PHOTOS. That is a hard deal to beat. Get 20GB for 99 cents TODAY! We will be back to our regularly scheduled posts soon Topics coming soon. Delving into Time Lapse Photography, The Camera Bag I hate and photography cookbook, getting creamy water flow photos. Would you take a moment and make my day? Take a second and click the like button to the right. Pretty Please? Thanks!!

The New Casio TRYX

toby — Wed, 04 May 2011 19:42:39 +0000

I mentioned the new Casio TRYX before the CES show, a few months ago, out now and Engadget got their hands on review unit. . . My 140 character summary of their review

Casio TRYX: unique swivel P&S w/ snappy touchscreen, 1080p recordin, panorama feature but terrible batt life, funky charging cable & no zoom

I will just add that audio recorded is Mono only and the camera lacks a flash, though it does have a weak LED light. Currently selling for $229 on Amazon. If you are looking for a new P&S you are going to find better choices on my recommended list of P&S cameras.