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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> Please HELP me choose the right Camera to buy?
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 03/06/2006 06:54:53 AM · #1
Hi, I am in the process of purchasing a new camera..... I already have a "Kodak" DX6409, which I love, and will always keep.

The one I would loved to have brought, was the "Cannon" EOS 20D, with 8.2MP, but my problem is that I "HAVE" to have a larger type "Illumination viewing screen" at the back, to view the images that I am taking, due to eye sight problems. I am unable to look into the tiny view finder at the top, as it is completely black with my eyesight.

These are two of the cameras suggested to me, and need your professional help re this decission. Does "Cannon" have a camera with a "Illumination" screen at the back.

If you have any other suggestions please let me know.....

Ist Option: A "Nikon" D70...along with zoom & macro lenses and filters etc.

2nd option: A "Olympus" 300...along with the extras.....

What I am looking for, apart from the "Illumination viewing screen" at the back, is also the following....

1 - Not to be to "Heavy", due to nerve damage in my hands...
2 - To be able to add lenses and filters etc...
3 - To take good quality images at night...
4 - To also be suitable for wide-angled lenses, as well as macro...
5 - To have at least 8 or more MB's

I think that is all.... I know it is a big ask, but need your valuable help..... thanks re sherpet

Contact me here, on this thread, or at my email address at;

sherryljohnston@dodo.com.au
03/06/2006 07:08:21 AM · #2
hi, well though call here :-)
what do you mean "Illumination" screen at the back ?

- EOS 350 D is the lightest AFAIK
- good quality images at night are dependable of lens used
- on every dslr you can fit all kinds of lenses, wide,macro,tele
- only EOS 350D and oly E-500 have 8 or more MPX (MB is a type i presume?)

that's it for now :-)
 03/06/2006 07:08:45 AM · #3
I don't think any of the DSLR's have but would something like this be of any help, I have one, it is good for framing but the screen res on it is not that high so you have to trust you auto focus or if you wait a few months someone will most likly bring one out with a higher screen res. atm this is the only one of it's kind on the market. //www.intro2020.co.uk/pages/zigview.htm
 03/06/2006 07:13:06 AM · #4
D200 .. it has a verty large viewing screen
heavier but suits your requierments
 03/06/2006 07:20:33 AM · #5
Originally posted by gooc:
hi, well though call here :-)
what do you mean "Illumination" screen at the back ?

sherpets reply to the ? above

You know the viewing screen at the back of the digital camera, well I have to be able to see the subject or image which I am taking in this screen, before I take the photo, as I can't not visually see in the smaller viewing screen at the top of the camera.....as it is all Black due to my problems with my sight..... I don't want a camera that shows me the picture after I have taken it, unless I can visually see it like that on a larger viewing screen before I take the picture. Like I have on my Kodak DX6490.

- EOS 350 D is the lightest AFAIK
- good quality images at night are dependable of lens used
- on every dslr you can fit all kinds of lenses, wide,macro,tele
- only EOS 350D and oly E-500 have 8 or more MPX (MB is a type i presume?)

that's it for now :-)


Message edited by author 2006-03-06 07:25:32.
 03/06/2006 07:29:13 AM · #6
After thinking about it some more, I think olympus has a DSLR with a LCD view finder, but I don't know what model it is or any specs on it.
 03/06/2006 07:45:25 AM · #7
Originally posted by 308:
After thinking about it some more, I think olympus has a DSLR with a LCD view finder, but I don't know what model it is or any specs on it.


E-330
 03/06/2006 07:48:23 AM · #8
Originally posted by 308:
After thinking about it some more, I think olympus has a DSLR with a LCD view finder, but I don't know what model it is or any specs on it.


E330.

Panasonic will be out with one as well, but not before this summer I'm afraid.

The E330 is the only DSLR you can use without using the viewfinder (which I think was the main requirement for the original poster).

"Pro"/"Semi Pro" type cameras do however have much brighter viewfinders so they *might* just work. Try to look through a Nikon D200, it is much, much brighter than the Nikon D70/D70s (ans also much more expensive).

I think the E330 is you best bet if you can't wait for the Panasonic.

HÃ¥kon
 03/06/2006 07:52:32 AM · #9
Preview of Olympus E-330

Preview of Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1

Edit: These are the only two SLRs at the moment which allow you to view the image in the LCD before you take it. All other SLRs use the screen for previewing the image *after* you've taken it (you compose the image using the viewfinder)

Message edited by author 2006-03-06 07:55:18.
 03/06/2006 08:11:51 AM · #10
Originally posted by ralphnev:
D200 .. it has a verty large viewing screen
heavier but suits your requierments


I didn't think you could use the rear screen as a viewfinder. I would recommend the powershot pro1 for her needs.
 03/06/2006 08:16:13 AM · #11
Originally posted by notonline:
Originally posted by ralphnev:
D200 .. it has a verty large viewing screen
heavier but suits your requierments


I didn't think you could use the rear screen as a viewfinder. I would recommend the powershot pro1 for her needs.


WHAT BRAND is the powershot pro1 as I tried to look it up in the EQUITMENT - Camera - and it couldn't find it....
 03/06/2006 08:18:46 AM · #12
Originally posted by sherpet:
Originally posted by notonline:
Originally posted by ralphnev:
D200 .. it has a verty large viewing screen
heavier but suits your requierments


I didn't think you could use the rear screen as a viewfinder. I would recommend the powershot pro1 for her needs.


WHAT BRAND is the powershot pro1 as I tried to look it up in the EQUITMENT - Camera - and it couldn't find it....


Canon: Here
 03/06/2006 08:19:02 AM · #13
Canon Powershot Pro1

Not a dSLR, this is a fixed lens.
 03/06/2006 08:24:15 AM · #14
Originally posted by ergates:


The E330 is the only DSLR you can use without using the viewfinder (which I think was the main requirement for the original poster).



No, that is not correct. The Canon EOS 20Da has a LCD preview capability as well, but it is optimized for astrophotography and needs a special lens filter to be used for terrestrial photography.
 03/08/2006 07:01:34 PM · #15
Found out it is a truely "professional" camera with over a $4,000.00 price range, so to high for me.

Panasonic suggested the "DMC-FZ30" so will look into that one.....

I know a few DPC members have this camera, so would love some feedback from them please.....

I THINK I am finally getting there.....I am off to visit the stores to brouse and ask lots of questions..... I will keep you all informed.....

Thanks for all your replys.....

I think the camera for me is the;

"Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1"..... which is "new" so does anyone out there know anything about this camera "PLEASE".....

Message edited by author 2006-03-08 20:40:24.
 03/08/2006 07:15:20 PM · #16
Sherryl - I only know what I've read about the L1 on dpreview.com. Looks like a lot of interest in it and it got a top rating (according to dpreview) at the PMA last month. It does look like it would fit your needs though. If you check over there you might be able to dig up some more info on it. I'm trying not to look at it myself ;)
 03/09/2006 09:26:37 PM · #17
Only dslr's that have a liveview on the LCD is the Olympus E-330 and the upcoming Panasonic version of it.

03/09/2006 09:55:11 PM · #18
Panasonic has not announced the price yet of it's new L1 camera, but it will most likely be more than $1,000 and then you'll have to buy a lens or two. The Leica lens that will be "kitted" with this body will most likely be very high quality and with image stablization, but also very expensive, and probably the kit will run upwards of $2,000. In addition, the Panny L1, though it will have the ability to preview the shot from the rear LCD before taking the shot, will be fixed in place. This camera is aimed for the older photographers who are familiar, and prefer shooting, with rangefinders. It looks like one and is not in the usual form factor of the more common pentaprism hump cameras that you normally see with the Canon 20D, Rebel, Nikon D70, etc.

I think your best bet will be the Olympus E-330. It's already out in the stores, has a large 2.5" rear LCD that can be used for pre-shot previewing/viewfinding, is light weight, and CHEAP! You can get it bundled with the two lens kit for about $1,100. (not sure if it's out with the two lenses yet, though.) The rear LCD comes out and swivels out of the body so that you take shots over your head, or close to the ground. In addition, it has a macro mode viewfinder that will make focusing very easy. If you wait till the two lens kit is out, you will get two lenses that take you from (35mm equivalents) of 28mm to 300mm, and they are of high quality lenses. The E-330 body itself will be easier to hold (somewhat smaller) and light weight. High ISO shots may be more noisey than say the Canon bodies, but you will be able to use ISOs 100-800 with no problem for your low light/night shots.

Go to the stores and handle all the cameras you are considering before you buy to see which one feels best in your hands. They will all give you outstanding image quality. Good luck and have fun with your choices.
 03/09/2006 10:41:18 PM · #19
Sherryl,

You have gotten some very good information about specific cameras from others here. Maybe I can provide some useful background.

A film Single Lens Reflex has a mirror just behind the lens. In the down position, the mirror reflects all of the light coming through the lens to the viewfinder at the top of the camera. These normally have a prism that acts like a mirror so that when you look through the viewfinder at the top of the back of the camera, you are actually looking at the scene through the lens of the camera. When you press the shutter button, the mirror flips up out of the way and the shutter opens to expose the film. After the exposure, the mirror flips back down. The view through the viewfinder goes black during the exposure because the light can go either to the viewfinder or to the film but not both at the same time.

Digital SLRs work exactly the same way. The mirror sends all of the light to the viewfinder so nothing gets to the sensor to show on the LCD display. During the exposure, the mirro flips up and the view through the viewfinder goes black because all of the light is sent to the sensor. As you can tell from this description, there is no way to get a live preview on the LCD screen because no light gets to the sensor except when the mirror is up during the exposure.

Olympus and Panasonic make digital SLRs that do have live preview. I have an Olympus E-10 which has served me well for several years. I think the way these work is that the mirror is "half-silvered" so that in the down position it sends half of the light up to the viewfinder and the other half goes through the mirror to the sensor. The light to the sensor provides the image on the LCD screen composing the shot. I can use either the viewfinder or the LCD screen to take the picture--depending on which works best under the circumstances.

If I understand you correctly, you cannot use the viewfinder at all. Thus you don't get any advantage to the dual modes provided by Olympus and Panasonic. Maybe you would do better to find a digital camera with more features you need but without the digital SLR capability that you cannot use.

I hope this is helpful.

--Dan
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