Digital Camera Fiend - A Camera Review

The Canon EOS 30D is the upgrade to the Canon’s popular EOS 20D model. It was released exactly a year ago and was well-received by the photography community. It’s a fine piece of machinery and I would recommend buying one here.

The 30D isn’t an exciting or ground-breaking upgrade from the 20D, in fact it has the same CMOS sensor and image processor and 8-megapixel count.

The real improvements are a larger 2.5-inch LCD monitor, third stop ISO selection, an improved shutter, faster start-up from sleep mode, and a new spot metering option.

These are nice, but not “I’ve gotta get that” improvements, so if you already have the 20D, you don’t have anything to worry about. Those who don’t may want to take a look at the 30D, or its direct competitor, the Nikon D200.

Its stubby (read: ugly) design isn’t the only reason I dislike the Olympus E-300 EVOLT.

This camera, 8-megapixels, was released in 2004 and is a decent piece of equipment for the price, with a few significant drawbacks.
You can check prices and review an Olympus E-300 here.

Reviewers generally praise its resolution (comparing it to the Canon EOS 20D), good automatic white balance and lightning fast image write time. It also priced itself very competitively against other cameras.

But the E-300 has shortcomings that cannot be overlooked, most importantly with its ISO (light sensitivity). You won’t be able to go into a dark church in Rome and confidently shoot–the E-300 begins to falter at ISO 1600.

Stick to ISO 100-400. You’ll start noticing significant “image noise” when you push it to higher sensitivities because its Kodak sensor simply can’t handle it.

Others don’t care for the camera’s design. It was made with a horizontal viewfinder, causing the camera to be shorter and appear wide. The viewfinder is also unusual in that it uses four mirrors instead of a prism, but you won’t know the difference.

For its price, the Olympus E-300 is definitely a good buy, but it might be wiser to spend a little more and get a superior DSLR camera.

It’s the smarter and faster sister to the Nikon D40 (and she weighs less too!) The Nikon D40x, releasing today, builds upon one of Nikon’s most popular SLR cameras.

At just 1 lb. 1 oz., the D40x is now the most compact Nikon digital SLR camera.

Designers maintained the ergonomic comfort and build of the D40, but packed the D40x with extra features including more megapixels (10.2 compared to the D40’s 6.1), an improved Image Processing Engine, enhanced auto white balance, extra battery juice (up to 520 shots compared to the D40’s 480), and a nearly instantaneous start-up time (.18 seconds).

But is it worth the extra money? At $750, the Nikon D40x is 33% more expensive than its sister model.

Sure there are improvements, but could it be that consumers are paying for the extra megapixels–something that’s not really needed? Megapixels are kind of an antiquated way of measuring a camera’s quality.

The D40x is no doubt an excellent camera, following in the D40’s footsteps, but I would suggest taking the other sister instead. It’ll save you money that you can use to buy an amazing new lens, like the Nikon 55-200mm VR.

Two years ago Sony paired with struggling camera manufacturer Minolta to create a new product. The Sony A100 digital camera is the fruit of their efforts, and although Minolta has since bowed out of the camera business, its influence reverbiates through Sony’s digital SLR camera products.

The design of the A100 is patterned after Minolta’s Maxxum 5D camera, with stylized updates and battery improvements by Sony. The A100 was good enough to be namd Popphoto Magazine’s 2006 camera of the year despite many who claim it is only an average camera.

“It doesn’t make my cut as something I’d use personally,” photographer Ken Rockwell said, when explaining on his website why he WON’T be reviewing the Sony A100.

Rockwell dislikes the Sony camera’s interface and believes Sony’s forray into the DSLR field will be a short one. He suggests buying the Nikon D50 or a cheaper Canon Digital Rebel instead, two DSLR companies that will definitely be around for years to come.
But supporters of the A100, like Popphoto, say the A100 has put Nikon and Canon on notice. A Popphoto reviewer said the Sony A100 successfully combines many elements to create sharp pictures. In a Popphoto lab test, only the Nikon D80 beat out the A100 for image quality (for DSLRs $1000 or less).

Priced at $850, Popphoto believes that the Sony A100 set a new standard for how much camera you can get for under $1000.

Every wonder what would happen if the Nikon’s D50 and D200 had a love child? This is the camera you’d get. The Nikon D80, released in mid-2006, builds upon the framework of the D50 while borrowing some of the upgraded features from the D200.

The D80 is the perfect camera for the advancing photographer who wants more than the entry-level D50 or D70 but is not ready for the semi-professional D200.

At 10.2 megapixels, the Nikon D80 has the same number of MPs as the D200, but weighs less than any of its predecessors. It retails for around $900.

Another amazing macro photo with an enhancing title to go along with it. The photographer who captured this extreme close-up of a tulip bud reported that the subject was on a window sill with direct, but weak, sunlight shining straight into the bloom.

“It looked stunning and irresistible,” the photographer said.

Macro photography can be tricky depending on the subject due to their slower shutter speed. A good macro camera lens is a must in any photographer’s equipment cache. A short macro telephoto lens (90-105mm) is great for portrait works and other close-ups. Try the longer macro telephoto lenses (180-200mm) for great close-up action shooting.

The little brother to the Nikon D2X, the D200 can hold its own in the digital camera schoolyard. It’s magnesium alloy body, 1/8000 shutter speed and medley of other features give it a truly professional feel.

When dpreview assessed this product, released in November 2005, it said users would have difficulty finding a situation where the D200 couldn’t stand up to its big brother. Many describe it as a compact version of the D2x.

It’s also half the price. The lowest price I could find for the Nikon D200 (body only) was $1,279, while the Nikon D2X lowest price was $3,899 (body only).

The Nikon D50 Digital Camera was released in 2005 as a direct competitor with Canon’s Digital Rebel XT. Nikon users will recognize it as a simpler, less expensive version of the D70. It retails for about $625.
DPReview outlined a few of the major differences between the Nikon D50 and D70.

• The Nikon D50 has improved auto focus, especially in the area of motion tracking (take a look at the “Photo of the Day: Jump Ball” blog post below, which was taken with a D50).
• D50 is slightly smaller and lighter.
• D50 has a lower resolution metering sensor, but the sensor is a newer generation.
• D50 has a larger LCD display screen (2-inches).
• D50 uses a SD card, while the D70 camera uses CF cards.
• D50 is missing several supperfluous features that come with the D70 in order to make it easier to use.

Digital Single-Lens Reflex, or digital SLR cameras, are typically used by the serious hobbyist or professional photographer who wants maximum manual control over his or her camera equipment.

Although more bulky and expensive than their compact cousins, digital SLR cameras generally produce superior photos due to their larger image sensors, faster shutter speeds, and adaptability. A digital SLR camera will often produce better photo prints than a compact camera that has a higher megapixel count.

SLR cameras, whether digital or not, are most easily recognizable by their removable lenses. However the true definition relates to a reflex mirror inside the camera which shows the image that is about to be captured through a viewfinder. The mirror flips up as the photo is taken, allowing image sensors to capture the picture.

When deciding whether to buy a digital SLR or point and shoot camera, it’s helpful to prioritize what’s important.

• Have you already mastered the settings in your point and shoot camera?
• Do you want more control over your camera’s settings?
• Are you willing to invest a bit more for an advanced camera and camera accessories?

If you answered yes to these questions, a digital SLR camera may be right for you. Check out models from Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Kodak, and Sony.

Digital Camera Fiend is your guide to photography and camera equipment. Pick up some useful photography tips, view our photo gallery, and learn about all types of cameras from digital cameras for kids to underwater digital cameras.