Good Photos / Super-Zoom Advice??

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.zlr (More info?)

My first digital camera was a Kodak DC260. It's a great camera but it was only
1.5MP so I upgraded to a Canon s40 2 years ago. Again, it's a great camera but
fails in 2 areas:
1. The photos are often out of focus.
2. It only has a 3X zoom

I've done a lot of reading on digital cameras over the years but have never
really understood the SLR league.
a) Am I right in thinking that SLR cameras have better software / faster
autofocus technology so that the images are less likely to be blurry? I have
had some very disappointing results from my current Canon. In particular, when
shooting indoors, the camera has to use a low shutter speed. Does the larger
lens on SLR cameras alleviate this problem (by letting in more light)?

b) I regularly read www.steves-digicams.com website. Over the years, I've
noticed a few cameras (not SLRs) which claim to have over 10X zoom lenses.
These sound great until I read the technical specifications. The exposure times
are often poor and they don't seem to offer the picture quality found using
SLRs. Are they really inferior? If so, is it possible to get an SLR with such a
great zoom. I don't really know where to look for SLR lenses but my research
indicates that such a lens would cost almost as much as the camera. Is this
correct?

What should I do? I'm looking to buy a new camera in the next couple of months.
I'm very tempted by the latest SLR offerings (esp. by Pentax) but will probably
wait for the next generation of cameras next year.
Should I look for an SLR or a "super-zoom"?? I don't think that I'll need to
swap lenses (don't have any to swap at the moment!!) and probably won't take
photography to that level within the near future.

I've been trying to find this 'perfect' camera for several years now. I'd
therefore be extremely grateful for all comments and advice!!

Thanks in advance!!
Niall Bruce

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.zlr (More info?)

Niall Bruce wrote:
[]
> a) Am I right in thinking that SLR cameras have better software /
> faster autofocus technology so that the images are less likely to be
> blurry? I have had some very disappointing results from my current
> Canon. In particular, when shooting indoors, the camera has to use a
> low shutter speed. Does the larger lens on SLR cameras alleviate this
> problem (by letting in more light)?

Digital SLRs have larger sensitive areas (some up to 36mm x 24mm) which
allows them to operate at higher speeds (ISO levels) without creating so
much grain on the picture. The higher speeds allow shorter shutter
opening times, and hence less blur due to camera or subject movement.
They may also have faster lenses and therefore let in more light. All
this comes with a size, weight and cost penalty.

> b) I regularly read www.steves-digicams.com website. Over the years,
> I've noticed a few cameras (not SLRs) which claim to have over 10X
> zoom lenses. These sound great until I read the technical
> specifications. The exposure times are often poor and they don't seem
> to offer the picture quality found using SLRs. Are they really
> inferior? If so, is it possible to get an SLR with such a great zoom.
> I don't really know where to look for SLR lenses but my research
> indicates that such a lens would cost almost as much as the camera.
> Is this correct?

If you choose one of the better makes (e.g. Nikon 8800, Panasonic FZ20
with its f/2.8 Leica lens, Canon S1 IS) the long zoom is of adequate
quality. You would likely need two SLR zoom lenses to cover the 10:1 or
12:1 zoom that these cameras offer. I selected those models because they
include image stabilisation, which can significantly reduce the effect of
camera shake (but not subject movement).

> What should I do? I'm looking to buy a new camera in the next couple
> of months. I'm very tempted by the latest SLR offerings (esp. by
> Pentax) but will probably wait for the next generation of cameras
> next year.
> Should I look for an SLR or a "super-zoom"?? I don't think that I'll
> need to swap lenses (don't have any to swap at the moment!!) and
> probably won't take photography to that level within the near future.

If you have the money and don't mind the weight go DSLR. Otherwise go to
a dealer and check out the models I suggested. I bought the Panasonic
FZ20 which has both auto and full manual modes.

Cheers,
David

Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital.zlr (More info?)

> b) I regularly read www.steves-digicams.com website. Over the years, I've
> noticed a few cameras (not SLRs) which claim to have over 10X zoom lenses.
> These sound great until I read the technical specifications. The exposure times
> are often poor and they don't seem to offer the picture quality found using
> SLRs. Are they really inferior? If so, is it possible to get an SLR with such a
> great zoom. I don't really know where to look for SLR lenses but my research
> indicates that such a lens would cost almost as much as the camera. Is this
> correct?

The Panasonic FZ20 offers a 12X image stabilized optical zoom that's fast i.e. f2.8 across the full zoom range. The image stabilizer feature helps with the slower shutter speeds of low light shots. The camera also has an autofocus assist lamp and a hot shoe for external flash. Read about it and check out user opinions at www.dpreview.com