Camera Choice

I think you have already moved beyond this, but to be clear...the video I've done with the canon 790 is pretty rudimentary. If you are used to a real video camera...this will seem silly to you. I am mostly playing with little clips, not doing nice videos that some of you frequently post.

playoutside said:

...the video I've done with the canon 790 is pretty rudimentary. If you are used to a real video camera...this will seem silly to you.

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i think i'm setting myself up for disappointment. I'm trying to find a combo device that does both good pictures and good video. I've had cameras that do OK video and camcorders that do crappy pictures but i can't seem to find the balance i'm after (at the price i can afford).

gmcunni said:

i think i'm setting myself up for disappointment. I'm trying to find a combo device that does both good pictures and good video. I've had cameras that do OK video and camcorders that do crappy pictures but i can't seem to find the balance i'm after (at the price i can afford).

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I wouldn't be so sure. The ZS3 does a nice job with zooming HD video:

Embedded GPS on the ZS7 sounds like a stash burner ;-)

gmcunni said:

costco has the 3 for $299.. buy.com has the 3 for $237

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Sale must of ended last week, IIRC they had a $50 or $75 instant rebate on it.

o3jeff said:

Sale must of ended last week, IIRC they had a $50 or $75 instant rebate on it.

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just my luck.. would have ran to costco tonight to grab one if they had them at the same price as buy.com.. but just pulled the trigger online so will have in a few days.

Greg said:

I wouldn't be so sure. The ZS3 does a nice job with zooming HD video:

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No optical viewfinder. A deal killer for me. I need a camera I can use without reading glasses.

The Panny HDC-TM300K camcorder is on my wish list but the MSRP is $1,299. I've never seen it more than 20%-off. With infinite money, I'd do that and a Canon Powershot G11.

Geoff said:

No optical viewfinder. A deal killer for me. I need a camera I can use without reading glasses.

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this will be my first camera without an optical viewfinder. don't wear glasses but always preferred the optical version.

ZS3 is a really good option. The new models are about ready to hit the market, so if you plan on getting the ZS3, make sure you are paying well under normal retail pricing. Low 200s sounds about right. That is a lot of camera for just over two bills. I doubt the ZS7 has enough enhancements to warrant waiting and paying full retail.

Personally, I am holding out to see what the photo quality reviews are like on Samsungs new top end P&S cameras. Never thought I would be excited about Samsung but their new TL500 looks absolutely sick and likely to compete favorably with the Canon G series. TL350 looks incredible for those more interested in zoom and not as concerned about picture quality, 10 fps at full res, IIRC.

gmcunni said:

just my luck.. would have ran to costco tonight to grab one if they had them at the same price as buy.com.. but just pulled the trigger online so will have in a few days.

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Make sure you post a review after you've used it and some sample pics and video!

o3jeff said:

Make sure you post a review after you've used it and some sample pics and video!

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i'll post the pics and video, you can do the review ;-)

o3jeff said:

Make sure you post a review after you've used it and some sample pics and video!

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first impression - it's going back to the store

NOTE - i got this to replace my video camera so i am judging it mostly on that aspect.
NOTE 2 - i've not really shot any real video or taken any pictures i intended to keep, just test stuff in my office.

size - OK. about the same size as my old panasonc camcorder, slightly smaller than my current dig cam, canon.

I stuffed my 8 gig mem card in the camera and started testing video.. using the AVCHD format i was going to get a respectable 1 hour on the card. problem is the AVCHD format does not work well with any of the video editing software i currently own and use. Panasonic's option is to use a basic HD codec BUT then i only get 8 minutes on the 8 gig card... i guess i could go with a 64 G card but not sure the camera can read one that big plus then i'm working with HUGE files.

it really is a camera, you hold it like a camera. no tilt screen means i can't hold it high or low and tilt the screen to see what's going on.

record button is in an odd spot. not a thumb trigger like a "traditional" camcorder has.

zoom is slow - zooming in while recording is very slow. zooming out is better.


will give it a better workout this weekend and make a final decision monday on whether to keep it or not.

Maybe try one of these.
http://www.amazon.com/VARIATION-PARENT-PlaySport-Waterproof-Pocket/dp/B0032Z73B4/ref=dp_return_2?ie=UTF8&n=502394&s=photo

Not a lot of reviews on the net since it is new. Only thing it seems to be missing is a flash for the stills

Thanks everyone for the recommendations and info!!
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Ducati ST4

spend the money and get a good DSLR its fun learning how to use them and you can get some amazing shots!!

Chunk said:

spend the money and get a good DSLR its fun learning how to use them and you can get some amazing shots!!

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Thanks Chunk. I'm actually leaning that way. I know it's more than I need right now, but it's something that I think will be great for the long run.

You have any suggestions for me? There are some pretty good deals on the Canon Rebel T1i now that the T2i just came out (and video isn't important to me)...
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vape

DLSR is a great idea for the quality but I imagine it must be difficult practically. An ideal camera for skiing should be small enough to slip into a pocket and not require time to attach a lens. You should also consider the easier a camera is to use while skiing, the more likely you are to use it.

I have a DSLR. Yup, you can't beat the quality of the photos...but it's a pain in the rear to carry that around. Especially with a zoom lens. Lot of weight and bulk. I bring mine out for events like the S7 but I don't ski with it normally. If you do decide to mess around with DSLRs though, you don't have to buy new. Photography on the Net is a forum like this for Canon enthusiasts. I got my 10D body used on there for about $200. It's an older prosumer line... but I would recommend the 20D over it (used to have that and it was worth the extra money; the 10D has some issues with non-proprietary lenses and my zoom is a Sigma).

I am still on the quest for an adequate point-and-shoot. Still not happy and I've been through a Panasonic Lumix and a Nikon Coolpix. The problem is that the pictures just never are as good as the DSLR so I get really irritated by the results...

riverc0il said:

DLSR is a great idea for the quality but I imagine it must be difficult practically. An ideal camera for skiing should be small enough to slip into a pocket and not require time to attach a lens. You should also consider the easier a camera is to use while skiing, the more likely you are to use it.

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everything you said plus rugged (i don't want to worry about it getting wet or me falling on it and it breaking) and affordable (i will eventually fall and break it)

i really like the panasonic i just got for pictures but it comes up short on the video side so i'm sending it back.

panasonic lumix dmc-zs3

final review before i send it back unless in find some new info in the next couple of days.
note - i'm a casual photographer. don't know any technical stuff about white balance, aperture, ISO speeds or anything like that. just want a simple point and shoot that produces great results at an affordable price.

general
Price - $230 @ buy.com, free shipping, no tax
size - fits easily in my ski pants leg pocket

CAMERA -
Love it as a straight digital camera (still pictures)
10 mega pixels produced nice looking photos
camera controls pretty straight forward, buttons a bit small on the back but managable
12X zoom is great for capturing things not right next to you.
shutter lag - excellent, i was able to catch some people doing jumps. see them in the air, click the button and not miss the shot

VIDEO -
pros - size and 12x optical zoom

but here's where my problems lay.
camera records HD video and uses a codec called AVCHD. it records high quality video in a very compressed format. the problem is that none of the software i own for editing can read these files. I shot the sundown footage this weekend in AVCHD mode and it was painful to work with the files. I had to use 2 different programs to convert the files so i could finally get them in a format i could edit on my MAC (couldn't get them to my windows PC)

Panasonic recommends NOT using AVCHD if you plan to edit, AVCHD should only be used for direct playback on the TV. They recommend Motion JPEG for recording video that will be edited. This results in a MOV file (apple quicktime format) and only supports 4:3 format. File sizes are huge with MJPEG. I have to use the lowest quality setting to store 1 hour of video on an 8 gig card. The HD option for MJPEG only records 8 minutes of video on the 8 gig card.