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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> Hmmm, I'm changing my mind.
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 01/12/2006 12:14:41 AM · #1
I was really going to upgrade this year to a Canon Rebel, but I have been thinking about it lately and am really leaning towards a really good point and shoot with manual adjustment modes, along with the shutter and aperture I really need, and is stabalized against quick moving action shots. This way I don't have to worry about carrying lots of equipment with me, and expensive new lenses, etc.

My interests really lie with landscapes, waterscapes, and wildlife (action preferably), and macros. I can't see anything at all I can't do and do well with the Pro815.

I see only one member on this site owns one, but they also own several other cameras. When I view the pics, it seems most are taken with the fuji and some no data.

Any thoughts?

Rose
 01/12/2006 12:16:27 AM · #2
The Pro815 is still a very new camera.

Check out www.dpreview.com for an in-depth preview.

They don't have a review yet, I don't believe.
 01/12/2006 12:21:23 AM · #3
Rose, I think you are probably making a very wise choice. The cost of doing everything 'well' with a DSLR rig gets very expensive. Everyone believes that their 'next step' should be the SLR rig, but it's not always the best path. There are a LOT of very excellent compact cameras that make excellent images. You can probalby get top of the line for $800-$900 and be very happy with it.
 01/12/2006 12:23:02 AM · #4
The Pro815 is supposed to be a pretty average camera.

If you want a good pro-sumer ultra-zoom camera look at the Panasonic FZ30...or if you want to spend more money look at the new Sone R1, it's the best one out there right now. Also the Fuji S9000 is a pretty good camera in that range too.

You really can't go wrong with a DSLR like the rebel though, as long as you can afford the lenses that you need.

Message edited by author 2006-01-12 00:28:39.
 01/12/2006 12:24:35 AM · #5
Fuji S9000.

Sorry, but just didn't want the search to come up fruitless :)

The Olympus is the Pro815
 01/12/2006 12:26:47 AM · #6
I put another vote in on the Sony R1. It has a variation of the same sensor that Sony and Nikon developed together for the Nikon D2x.

Preliminary shots are remarkable.

edit..Here is a link to the Sony DSC R1

Message edited by author 2006-01-12 00:28:05.
 01/12/2006 12:27:32 AM · #7
Actually, the Pro815 is by Samsung.
 01/12/2006 12:28:26 AM · #8
Originally posted by Artyste:
Fuji S9000.

Sorry, but just didn't want the search to come up fruitless :)

The Olympus is the Pro815


The Pro815 is a Samsung...

but you are right about the S9000
 01/12/2006 12:28:41 AM · #9
When I was comparing recently,Nikon 8800 seemed the most full-featured (and expensive) of the long-zoom almost-SLR-like cameras, and a pretty good compromise. I don't know if it's still available though.
 01/12/2006 12:31:54 AM · #10
Originally posted by stare_at_the_sun:
Originally posted by Artyste:
Fuji S9000.

Sorry, but just didn't want the search to come up fruitless :)

The Olympus is the Pro815


The Pro815 is a Samsung...

but you are right about the S9000


Eerrr.. HAHAHA.. I meant Samsung.
One good oops! deserves another I guess ;)
 01/12/2006 12:33:31 AM · #11
Thanks for the replies!

Well, I have read extensively on the Pro815, and I just read a review on it.

Stare-at-the-sun, please dont give me too many choices! LOL...I would be like a kid in a candy store and never be able to choose which is the best.

But the pro815 seems to be exactly what I need. Of course, the rebel can't be beat, and its not so much the lense costs, but carrying around all the equipment, etc.

You see, on any given time I could jump in the car and go down the road, or an hour away. I never know if it will be sunny, rainy, at the beach or to a farm or to the zoo. LOL....I don't want to lug with me every nuance of equipment I may need by way of the rebel. I don't plan my shots really. I just get a thought and go, and I find the best trips I take (and shots) are the impulsive ones.

With the pro815, its just grab the camera, the remote, and a tripod, and I am on my way. So I really like that idea, AND although just a small added feature, I really like the LCD on top of the camera as well as the large in the back.

I will look into this sonyR1 too, and thanks for suggestions!

Rose
 01/12/2006 12:36:23 AM · #12
Lots of neat info in this thread. I'm not upgrading or anything, heck, I don't know how to use the one I've got (oly e10), but it was fun to read anyway.
 01/12/2006 12:40:36 AM · #13
This is a small piece of the Sony DSC R1 review at DP Review of Sony DSC R1

.... "I started to put together the price comparison table (page 20) and I soon realized just what you're getting. At $1000 you simply can't get close to the coverage and quality of that lens. Add to that the usable high sensitivities, great build quality, a package which is 'all in one', resolution just better than an EOS 350D and final results which can be extremely good indeed. Certainly there are a few niggles with the rest of the camera but at the price they can easily be excused. Hence it's a bit of a split rating, if you're an absolute perfectionist who doesn't mind spending more on lenses and shoots a lot at ISO 1600 you may wish to consider something else, for everyone else I have no hesitation in Highly Recommending the DSC-R1. "
 01/12/2006 12:40:57 AM · #14
I think the Pro815 is a pretty good camera. However, eventho they are touting the large LCD as a selling point, I dont really like it because it forces everything else off from the back of the camera(body). The viewfinder seems to be placed at such an awkward position. But of course, just my opinion.

As far as I know, the following prosumers are pretty well rated:
- Powershot Pro1
- Finefix S9000/S9500
- CyberShot R1 (dSLR sensor size!)
- Digimax Pro815 (your initial choice is a good one too)
- Cybershot DSC-V3 (most compact of the lot)
- Cybershot F828 (some say the R1 is the successor?)

01/12/2006 12:45:49 AM · #15
Also...with the Pro815 there is no image stabilization, so that means that the higher end of the lens is pretty much useless. Sure you have 653126135mm of zoom...but it's no use if all the pictures turn out blurry. Just another thought to keep in mind.
 01/12/2006 12:49:19 AM · #16
The Samsung seems to have a few flaws leaving it less desirable than others....

..."The Pro815 only has one or two serious flaws, and there is much to like. Unfortunately those flaws are significant, and for some users fatal - particularly the sluggish shutter lag and telephoto focus and lack of IS. The fact that you must shoot raw to get anything like the full potential out of the lens also limits the usefulness of the camera unless you don't mind working at a fairly leisurely pace. On balance, and taking into consideration the superb feature set, generally good performance and fair pricing we decided that it - just - had enough going for it to nudge it up from an 'Above Average'."..

Anybody have experiences to address these things...I have a sister looking at a high quality Digicam.
 01/12/2006 12:57:46 AM · #17
I think not having IS isnt really a problem.

My camera doesn't have it, but compensated by having ISO1600.
Though again, I rarely use a sensitivity that high.

My Shapes II photo of zebras grazing are taking at full telephoto (380mm?) with a very low ISO100. And it's handheld on a cloudy day too.

The digimax Pro815 has 15x optical zoom, I think you could take the photo of the nose-hair of the zebras with those, LMAO :p
 01/12/2006 01:06:15 AM · #18
Originally posted by stare_at_the_sun:
Also...with the Pro815 there is no image stabilization, so that means that the higher end of the lens is pretty much useless. Sure you have 653126135mm of zoom...but it's no use if all the pictures turn out blurry. Just another thought to keep in mind.


Actually, I read it does have a stabalizer? I will see if I can find the stats online again and post them tomorrow, but it specifically mentioned quick action shots not being a problem due to "something or other" it had, and I believe it was a stabalizer. That is another reason that I liked it. It's late now, but I will find it tomorrow.

Thanks for all the links and stuff. Yep, a nice thread!!

Rose
 01/12/2006 01:07:16 AM · #19
Lol...yeah, that beast has a whole lotta zoom on it.

It also has a problem with image grain at high ISO's though, therefore just turning up your ISO sensitivity in place of IS doesn't work too good on it.

It would work fine outside on a sunny day though I'm sure...but low light shooting wouldn't be so great.

I'm tellin ya...the Panasonic FZ30 is the way to go. It is cheaper than the Pro815 and has better image quality.

Just my 2 cents...
 01/12/2006 01:09:10 AM · #20
Originally posted by Rose8699:
Originally posted by stare_at_the_sun:
Also...with the Pro815 there is no image stabilization, so that means that the higher end of the lens is pretty much useless. Sure you have 653126135mm of zoom...but it's no use if all the pictures turn out blurry. Just another thought to keep in mind.


Actually, I read it does have a stabalizer? I will see if I can find the stats online again and post them tomorrow, but it specifically mentioned quick action shots not being a problem due to "something or other" it had, and I believe it was a stabalizer. That is another reason that I liked it. It's late now, but I will find it tomorrow.

Thanks for all the links and stuff. Yep, a nice thread!!

Rose


It has a setting on it that automatically bumps up the ISO...which acts sort of like an IS system, but not really. It will work...but the image quality will more than likely suffer because of it.
 01/12/2006 01:37:30 AM · #21
I've seen the Sony DSC-R1 and it's simply remarkable. The APS-C sized sensor alone puts it in a class by itself. The glass is very good. The build quality is very solid. It's hard for me to imagine a better prosumer camera than that one hitting the market in the immediate future.

But Rose, just for the sake of getting it down; here's what you're NOT going to get with this camera:

1. You mention wildlife; maximum zoom (35mm equivalent) is 120mm. That's not very long at all. My 70-200mm Canon lens is the equivalent of 320mm at the long end, and it's not enough reach to shoot birds in the marsh, for example.

2. It's not especially wide; 24mm equivalent. Still, that's quite a bit wider than most prosumers, so good points for that.

3. It has an electronic viewfinder, not an optical one like a dSLR. This means two things: there's a delay between an action happening and the viewfinder displaying it. Add to that the delay between your recognizing it and your pushing the button, and shots of anything that's changing rapidly are distinctly hit-and-miss. This was one of my major beefs with my Coolpix 5700.

4. The electronic viewfinder is a tiny monitor, and it will not allow you the fine control over focus that a dSLR does. Also, the Sony (like all cameras of its type) uses a "focus by wire" manual focus instead of a direct, mechanical manual focus like a dSLR, and this can be frustrating in critical-focus applications like macro work.

Still and all, the Sony seems like a remarkable alternative to a dSLR. If I hadn't upgraded to the 20D and didn't intend to, I'd be looking at it very seriously.

Robt.
 01/12/2006 01:39:58 AM · #22
I wouldn't get the Panasonic-FZ30 if I were you. Though have good lense, it has a rather noisy sensor - even at very low ISO settings.
 01/12/2006 01:45:37 AM · #23
Originally posted by crayon:
I wouldn't get the Panasonic-FZ30 if I were you. Though have good lense, it has a rather noisy sensor - even at very low ISO settings.


I've heard a couple of different viewpoints on this...some say that it is noisier than a lot of fixed lense cameras and others say that it has about average noise. I did see a comparison chart that showed a few different types of cameras and the FZ30 didn't look a whole lot worse than the other ones.

I've been thinking about switching to a fixed lense camera for awhile now...as I am sick of having to switch lenses all the time and don't have the money to afford the range I want.

I'm still not set on what to get though. The R1 is really enticing...

It's a tough decision.
 01/12/2006 01:55:14 AM · #24
Oh hey....might want to check out this link also:

Here

good reading there
 01/12/2006 05:00:47 AM · #25
Originally posted by Rose8699:
But the pro815 seems to be exactly what I need. Of course, the rebel can't be beat, and its not so much the lense costs, but carrying around all the equipment, etc.
...
With the pro815, its just grab the camera, the remote, and a tripod, and I am on my way. So I really like that idea, AND although just a small added feature, I really like the LCD on top of the camera as well as the large in the back.


If you bought the Digital Rebel with 17-85mm IS kit, you would never *have* to take the lens off and could treat it in exactly the same way. It would have a slightly better focal range than the pro815. You would have all the functionality (and more) of the pro815 and the other cameras mentioned here, and would have the option of other lenses and accessories (which you need never explore if it is not relevant to you).

If you think that you are going to want more, choosing the p&s option now *could* be a false economy...

Good luck (and have fun shooting with whatever you go for!).
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