Greetings,

I've searched and read through the previous digital camera discussions but I have some additional questions, etc to ask so I'm starting a new thread.

As some of you know Donna and I took a little dip Saturday during the canoe trip as part of the GGA meeting down in Savannah.

Unfortunately my Nikon CoolPix 4300 did not take well to the water and appears to be dead. I thought it was covered under my extended warranty through Best Buy but it isn't .

I know there's several camera repair shops up in the metro Atlanta area have any of you used any of them?

Assuming my Nikon is beyond repair I'll need to get another camera. From the other threads I see that it's important for me to write down the features I want and use that when selecting a camera. One feature I don't like about my Nikon is when zooming in you can only see things zoomed in when looking at the LCD screen. I want a camera that allows me to see the zoomed in image through the view finder and not just the LCD.

I'm not too partial to any one brand. In my SLR days I used an AE-1 Program. My first digital camera was a Fuji-film (I forget which model) which worked well until the LCD went out. I replaced it with the Nikon which has been a good camera up until it went swimming.

I would like a camera that uses the same memory cards as my Nikon. Next summer we'll be going on an Alaskan cruise so having a camera with excellent zoom capabilities would be a high priority for me. I'd say my max price for a replacement camera is $500.

Suggestions?

Zack

I have been looking for a new camera and am leaning toward the Canon S1 IS, $330-$400, 10x zoom, 3.2MP, good movie clip capabilities, uses Compact Flash cards (a 32 MB card included), and uses 4 AA batteries. The big 10x zoom lens is what I like best about this camera.

After using a camera with 2 AA batteries for 3 years (battery life is terrible), I now insist on either a 4 battery camera or Li-Ion rechargeable, and prefer the 4 AA because Ni-MH rechargeable batteries are interchangeable with my GPS and other equipment.

quote:

---

I want a camera that allows me to see the zoomed in image through the view finder and not just the LCD.

---

A DSLR is the only camera that will do that for you.

You might try eBay for a used Nikon D100, but be aware that you'll spend way more on lenses than for a body once you go SLR.

I have a Canon PowerShot A-70 3.2M which will show you the zoomed image in the viewfinder, but only up through the optical zoom. Once the digital zoom takes over you have to look at the LCD. And it uses Compact Fladh cards. You didn't say what your Nikon uses (read used). I'll echo Charlie's comment on the AA batteries. 2 cells doesn't give you enough juice for a long day of shooting, and I also like the fact that I can use the same AA NiMH cells that go in my GPS and FRS radios.

quote:

---

Originally posted by KVOM:

quote:

---

I want a camera that allows me to see the zoomed in image through the view finder and not just the LCD.

---

A DSLR is the only camera that will do that for you.

---

I will have to disagree with that one KVOM. Some digital cameras use optical viewfinders which don't zoom, but some cameras use Electronic View Finders (EVF) which zoom right along with the lens, and I think these EVF's show you an electronic "lens view". My 3 year old Kodak DX3600 has a zoom optical viewfinder ... it works but has its limitations. A zoom viewfinder is a must feature for me, because I use the viewfinder almost exclusively ... old habits are hard to change.

Take a look at the Canon Power Shot S410. It has about everything you want and the size is great for your pocket. It also has an underwater case if you take it Scuba diving or on a river,lake... plus it will float in the case

My Olympus 3000Zoom zooms just fine thru the view finder and uses four AA batteries just like my Garmin 12 Map. I think it's probably been superceeded by another model by now but I was happy enough with it to buy another Olympus for my son a year ago.

The batteries even last a long time in the thing - since I've turned off the LCD screen and use only the view finder.

~erik~

The best camera shop in Atlanta is Peachtree Camera and Video Repair in Marietta. They have done the work on my Cannon SLR film camera and our Coolpix digital cameras. That said, based on the nature of the damage (total immersion in river water), I would recommend a new camera. The cost would be too high compared to just buying a new camera.

My CoolPix 990 does zoom in the viewfinder too. That is an older camera now though. I love the images from the CoolPix cameras.

All,

Thanks for the replies. I spent waytoo much time on cnet.com yesterday reading about digital cameras. I plan to go to various stores where I can check out the cameras and then decide. One camera that kind of stood out from the others is the Minolta diMage Z2. It has 4X digitial zoom and 10x optical along with a memory buffer where images are stored which allows you to take several pictures quite rapidly.

I'll post an update after I've narrowed the list from 8 down to 2 or 3.

Zack

The Konica Minolta Z2 is very similar in specs to the Canon S1 IS. You trade the Image Stabilization for 3.9MP vs. 3.2MP, at about the same price. Both have good movie clip capability, the Z2 uses SD instead of CF cards, but big cards are pretty cheap now in either format.

quote:

---

Originally posted by mtn-man:
That said, based on the nature of the damage (total immersion in river water), I would recommend a new camera.

---

I got my first digital camera a Sony Mavica. I "picked" that one because I could get it free. While I accidently did a total immersion in river water with it. It still works today. Of course Robert yelled at me to yank the batteries out of it, which I think I would have done anyway. I let it dry for about 6 weeks before putting the battery back in it. So when he and his Mom got me a later model digital camera, they got a Sony.

All: Donna and I went up to Best Buy last night and after looking at almost every camera they had on display we settled on the Canon S1 IS. I'll be checking the web today for the waterproof housing

Thanks to everyone for your hints/tips, etc.

Zack

A very reasoned decision ...

OK, I got mine Tuesday! What a neat camera ... but I think I need to take a 6 week course on how to operate it. I was really disappointed in how fast and jerky the zoom was ... until I figured out that if you push the zoom control just a little ... it zooms slowly and smoothly. Another panic moment was when the view through the wiewfinder was all blurry ... then I found the little focus thingy. The Electronic View Finder (EVF) does give a "lens view" ... I tested that by putting my finger in front of the lens. That was the big limitation of the viewfinder on my old camera ... I have lots of shots of my left index finger. I like the fake shutter "click" the camera makes when you pull the trigger, I was never sure if I had made the shot or not with the old cam. The Image Stabilization seems to work, I took some full zoom shots today and they look crisp although the view was wobbly. Can you tell I like this thing?

Zack and Charlie, since I'm also in the market, what's a good reasonable price for the S1? Thanks!

Mine was $399 at Best Buy. The folks there were kind enough to give me a pro-rated credit for the unused portion of the extended warranty from the Nikon that went swimming. 24 months interest free payments by paying for it with my Best Buy card. You can probably get a better price from searching the 'net. Oh, I also snatched up a 512MB card for $45.00 with a $5.00 mail in rebate

I agree with CharlieP there's a ton of things the camera will do. I do like the way the focus thingy turns green when the camera is in focus and yellow when it can't focus properly. This will be a big help for Donna and me. I will be giving it a good workout over the next week while we're on our caching vacation in Myrtle Beach.

Zack

For those shopping, go to:
www.imaging-resource.com
This site will allow you to comapre your choices, side by side, down to the most minute details. Everyone should put this site in their favorites!
I have a CoolPix 4300 and have taken 12 weeeks of classes to use it and there are a few things I want to mention to all of you:
1-Waterproof cases can cost as much as the camera itself,depending on model!
2-Be careful with your zoom choice, it's an oxy-moron issue. Optical zoom is dependable, digital is not. If you are taking a very distant photo and get into digital zooming, the farther out into digital zoom you go the fuzzier your picture will become. When you click up each notch in digital your camera is forced to fill in random pixels matching surrounding information. You are FAR better off getting distance with a LENS! Therefore, if you want distance, get a good optical range with interchangeable lenses. It's misleading to sell people on higher digital zoom features because it's giving them increasingly poorer pictures.
3-Check the range of manipulation you have in the manual mode! Manual mode on a digital will vary GREATLY on models and, even in manual-with a tripod, you may not be able to get a clear distance picture!
The above website will let you compare picture quality from different cameras as well.

quote:

---

Originally posted by kikki d:
Manual mode on a digital will vary GREATLY on models and, even in manual-with a tripod, you may not be able to get a clear distance picture!

---

I agree with kikki, but would add one thing related to her statement quoted above. From my recent camera research, I learned that the combination of long zoom lenses (e.g., 10x) and digital photography has some limitations ... mainly that it is difficult to hold the camera steady enough to make a clear shot when zoomed in. And if the camera is on a motorized vehicle such as a car or boat, the vibrations from the vehicle can ruin a shot, even if the camera is on a tripod. The camera manufacturers have addressed this problem with Image Stabilization (IS), which involves linking small gyroscopes to a lens element that corrects for the movement during the shot. Pretty neat, huh?

One thing I can attest to about my digital camera - Fujifilm 1400 1.3MP- is that it didn't hold up too long after we started taking it geocaching. Years of heat, water, and vibrations have taken their toll & now I'm in the market for a replacement. The Canon A75 is under $200 and that's about as much as Maggie's willing to spend for a camera that goes on the trail with us. I'd love to have one of those $1000 bad boy digital SLR's but doubt they'd be five times sturdier or more able to handle extreme geocache conditions than a reputable 3.2MP point & shoot. -JB