christmas

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wannabe
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christmas

Post by wannabe »

I'd like a GPS for christmas, but i don't know what kind...so i thought i'd ask you guys...you seem to own a few lol (between all of you). it can't be too expensive, but i don't know what features i'd like....

also, i'd like a camera (i know, expensive christmas). there i do know what features i'd like, but what camera is best, i have no clue. right now i have a cannon olympus, which works great, its just showing signs of the past 4-5 years...

i'd like awesome macro settings, a setting that allows rapid fire pictures when shutter button is pressed (my x, bryan's camera does that...it was sweet), a setting that i can change shutter length, etc.

let me know what you guys think, otherwise i have to let my family pick...and none can be tooooo expensive....thanks :)
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Re: christmas

Post by ElectroGhandi »

You don't need a GPS system. Use Mapquest.
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Re: christmas

Post by Tups »

What kind of camera are you looking for? Something simple for random snapshots or perhaps a bit more advanced model for more serious photography? Do you want to shoot video with it as well?

Even without knowing the exact answers for those questions I'd recommend Canon PowerShot SX20 IS with 12.1 megapixels, 20x optical zoom (28-560 mm) with image stabilization, ability to record 720p video at 30 fps, 0 cm macro focusing range, aperture/shutter priority etc. The only drawback is the continuous shooting rate of 0,7 fps, but I'm quite sure that you can't get more without getting a dSLR.
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wannabe
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Re: christmas

Post by wannabe »

Tups wrote:What kind of camera are you looking for? Something simple for random snapshots or perhaps a bit more advanced model for more serious photography? Do you want to shoot video with it as well?

Even without knowing the exact answers for those questions I'd recommend Canon PowerShot SX20 IS with 12.1 megapixels, 20x optical zoom (28-560 mm) with image stabilization, ability to record 720p video at 30 fps, 0 cm macro focusing range, aperture/shutter priority etc. The only drawback is the continuous shooting rate of 0,7 fps, but I'm quite sure that you can't get more without getting a dSLR.
thats too expensive...with the economy in the tube, noones gonnna be spending a boatload on christmas...they n ever have, actually...my current camera was 100$ and my parents bought it....

a PnSwould be fine, if it had what i wanted...

video is good, i don't care about quality...its usually my friends im taping.

i just really want a good macro setting...my moms cameras macro (its a sony something...lol) isn't as good as my PNS' macro...i really like taking up close pics
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Re: christmas

Post by 1974Alfa5spd »

1) Refurbished Garmin or TomTom. They can run between $60 and $90.
2) Nikon D40/60. D40 runs about $450-ish and is 6.1MP. D60(my personal favorite) is going to run about $550 and is 10.2MP.

Although if someone feels REALLY generous, you could go D90, which will run about $1000 and is 12.3MP, but includes live-preview and can take video.
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Re: christmas

Post by watkins »

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS.
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/contr ... elid=18144
Remember, I used to work in the Imaging department of CC. I know my cameras. That, and Canon makes the best point and shoots out there.
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Re: christmas

Post by theholycow »

Get the Droid phone instead of a GPS. Check it out:
http://www.allofftopic.com/showthread.p ... #post16919
The Droid is coming with a new version of Google Maps that has FREE turn by turn directions! It speaks street names, shows top view or 3d view, map view or satellite, zooms into streetview and shows you upcoming turns with an actual picture of the intersection, and when you get close to your destination it shows a pic of where it is. You can even go to it and say something like "navigate to the museum with the king tut exhibit" and it uses google to figure out the actual musem and give you directions to it fsckin FREE. It's apparently just as good as a fsckin tomtom...
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Re: christmas

Post by Tups »

I wouldn't recommend even thinking of getting a digital single-lens reflex camera if you're not seriously into photography. They are expensive, inflexible, cumbersome and generally a pain in the ass to carry, and without spending a shitload of money on better lenses and other equipment they won't beat modern point & shoot cameras. Well, of course they have some advantages, but lets compare Nikon D3000, the newest and cheapest ($549.99 with kit lens) entry-level Nikon dSLR, to the SX20 IS ($355.43) I suggested:

- The Canon has a 28-560 mm lens with image stabilization. To get similar focal length coverage for a dSLR you'll need more than one lens, but for the sake of simplicity let's assume you could settle with a 11x zoom lens, i.e. Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED AF-S VR DX. The street price according to Digital Photography Review is US$680, more than you paid for the body.

- The Canon can record 720p high definition video at 30 fps. The Nikon can't shoot video.

- The Canon has a macro focusing range or 0 cm, i.e. it can focus to the front lens element. The minimum focusing range of the lens I mentioned earlier, despite being rather expensive, is 0,5 meters, so it doesn't really work for macro photography. So, we need another lens. Fortunately there's AF-S VR Micro-NIKKOR 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED that Amazon sells for US$755, again more than you paid for the body.

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Re: christmas

Post by camera_man »

I agree with what has been said here. If you are not either: A) Fairly serious about photography or B) Using your camera for work then a digital SLR is NOT the way to go. They have a bit of a learning curve to them, and they are, as stated, not always the most convenient to carry around with you. My personal camera is a D300, one of Nikon's pro models, and adding on my range of lenses and flashes, it not only gets expensive, but also gets annoying to haul a backpack around with me everywhere I go. I am personally looking to get a small camera to complement my DSLR so I can have it at parties and such. Being partial to Nikon, I would go with their Coolpix line. As for what specific model, depends on what you want from it.
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Re: christmas

Post by watkins »

Nikon PNSs fall apart when you blow on them. Canons are the most robust PNSs. There is no reason for her to get anything beyond a point and shoot.
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Re: christmas

Post by theholycow »

My Canon A560 has been treating me well for a year. My only complaints are that it's slow; it's slow to start up, slow to focus when you press the button, slow to take a pic when you press the button further, won't take a pic at all half the time when you just jam the button past the focus trigger, slow to cycle between shooting pics, and takes forever to recover after taking a flash pic.

Picture quality is great, ease of use is great, adjustability is good (awesome if you use CHDK), video is great. Low-light performance is not so great, but not awful; if you use CHDK and the timer you can get great long exposures.

CHDK is open source software that runs on cameras, mostly Canon point-and-shoot cameras but also on some others. You don't have to flash it over your camera's firmware, it runs off the memory card.
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK
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Re: christmas

Post by watkins »

The Canon A series of cameras is notoriously slow. They also chug down batteries like a bar full of Irishmen chugs down beer. Better to stick with a Li ion camera or get some quality Li ion AAs
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Re: christmas

Post by 1974Alfa5spd »

watkins wrote:The Canon A series of cameras is notoriously slow. They also chug down batteries like a bar full of Irishmen chugs down beer. Better to stick with a Li ion camera or get some quality Li ion AAs
Agreed, we had a Powershot A70, and it couldn't even keep Lithium batteries in it for a week. It also broke constantly. $100 and a trip to idaho later, it was fixed. Then it broke a week later. It did that about 3 or 4 times.
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Re: christmas

Post by theholycow »

NiMH AAs last plenty long in my A560.
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Re: christmas

Post by noob5,000,000 »

paul34 wrote:LiIon AAs
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