What Camera for Landscape Designer ?

[peter]

Have been reading your newsgroup for a few days - I'm impressed with the
range of knowledge and helpful assistance.
I've tried to learn but remain slightly confused.
Can you help me decide on the right camera for me - a landscaper ?

Camera will be used for:-
* Primararily work - i.e Pictures of landscapes, gardens and occassional
close-ups of flowers, fungus etc

Conditions are likely to be:-
* Cold, wet, windy and low light (I am in the UK !)

Resultant pictures will be :-
* Downloaded to computer (High Spec but Windows 95) and incorporated in text
documenmts or CAD drawings. Very occassional prints on glossy paper. I
currently use Corel Photo Paint as my 'editor' software.

Budget:-
* Within reason, I will pay what is necesssary to obtain a good quality
product but have to bear in mind that it may be dropped in the mud and
rained on from time to time. So, it seems to be pointless getting anything
too fancy and/or complex. (I will try and treat it with care but accidents
happen)

What I think I need:-
*Fully automatic, point and shoot - Well, almost.
* Zoom lens with good Wide Angle capability
* Panoramic capability - ? (only heard of this through your newsgroup)
* Microphone, or whatever means, to record a short notation for each picture
* Robust & good quality casing
* Good Battery capability. All this talk about recharging things every x
hours and carrying spare packs etc scares me. I don't have this problem with
my trusty Pentax SLR and I would like to think I was moving forward,
convenience and technology -wise.
* Reasonably compact - ie pocket style but I have very big pockets!
* A reputable manufacturer in case things go wrong.

I would appreciate your help in my decision making or alternatively pointing
me in the right direction for unbiased advice.
Many thanks.
Peter

[JOH...@worldnet.att.net]

Once again I would recommend the Canon Pro 70, it uses a nickel/metal
hydride rechargeable battery and will also work with a 2cr5 lithium.
The resolution is fine for web usage and for prints up to about 8"x10".
It's easy to use, has excellent low light capability as well.
I can't speak for it's "drop in the mud" capability but I would think that
most any digital camera would be a bit more susceptible to water damage than
a Pentax slr.
There are some digital cams that sell for less that have more pixels but few
that have better image quality for the price of the Canon.

John Emmons
peter wrote in message
<945642767.4076.0...@news.demon.co.uk>...

[Pete]

I would recommend the Kodak 290. I use it for landsdcaping and MLS listings
every day.

<JOH...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
news:83k409$gul$1...@bgtnsc03.worldnet.att.net...

[Stan Peters]

You can get 1.3megapixel cameras for $250-450. These are
fine for web work and most should produce very good 5 x7".
And acceptable 8x10 to a non (photo) critical audience.
Are you familiar with autofocus P&S cameras? I call them
never-ready as the picture is taken .8-1.8 sec. after you
press the shutter. Unless you half-press the shutter beforehand
or have manual focus (Nikon, Oly 2020, .........).

Then, thinking of a mud puddle, the Fuji 1200 comes to mind.
Fixed focus 38mm should improve its water resistance with
less moving parts.
f4.5 lens and ISO of 125 should be enough speed.
It also has a macro mode. $250

I like the Canon A-50. 28-70mm zoom f2.6 lens.
It also has software built into the camera to aid
in producing panorama and a Win 95 program
(Stitch Assist) to help making the panorama.
The rechargeable battery will take a couple
hundred pictures OR run the LCD for 45 minutes.
And I never upload from the camera using batttery
power. Camera with the battery kit is about $400.
The macro uses a field of 2x3" at it closest.
The camera is sturdier than most.

ON batteries, NiMh is a must. I take 10 times
as many shots as pre-digital. The cameras
that use AA can probably get by on NiCads,
just fewer shots.

I think a mic would be an extra battery drain and
I would rather carry a recorder. The cameras I am
familiar with put a serial number on all pix which
you can see on the LCD

[Mike Wright]

Stan Peters wrote:
>
> You can get 1.3megapixel cameras for $250-450. These are
> fine for web work and most should produce very good 5 x7".
> And acceptable 8x10 to a non (photo) critical audience.
> Are you familiar with autofocus P&S cameras? I call them
> never-ready as the picture is taken .8-1.8 sec. after you
> press the shutter. Unless you half-press the shutter beforehand
> or have manual focus (Nikon, Oly 2020, .........).
>
> Then, thinking of a mud puddle, the Fuji 1200 comes to mind.
> Fixed focus 38mm should improve its water resistance with
> less moving parts.
> f4.5 lens and ISO of 125 should be enough speed.
> It also has a macro mode. $250

[...]

Fuji has a couple of "hardened" models that are supposed to be water and dirt
resistant (but not "proof"). I think that one is the D-260 HD. I don't remember
what the other is, but it probably has "HD" at the end of the name.

--
Mike Wright
http://www.CoastalFog.net
_____________________________________________________
"China is a big country, inhabited by many Chinese."
-- Charles de Gaulle

[peter]

Pete,

Re:- Kodak 290

Thanks for your recommendation. In the UK, I can only find the 280 listed.

Presume the 290 is the follow-up model. If so, can you tell me what the main
improvements are - so I can judge whether to wait for the 290's arrival.

According to my listings, the 280 doesn't have 'audio recording capability'.
Also the wide angle facility is limited. Do you find either of these a
problem?

Do you think I would miss the 'panorama facility' that the Canon has?

Your comments would be most appreciated.

Oh, by the way, what are MLS listings out of interest ?

Thanks,

Peter

***************************************

Pete <spfl...@aeosince.com> wrote in message
news:GCi74.13953$Ke.7...@tw11.nn.bcandid.com...

[Mike Wright]

Mike Wright wrote:
>
> Stan Peters wrote:
> >
> > You can get 1.3megapixel cameras for $250-450. These are
> > fine for web work and most should produce very good 5 x7".
> > And acceptable 8x10 to a non (photo) critical audience.
> > Are you familiar with autofocus P&S cameras? I call them
> > never-ready as the picture is taken .8-1.8 sec. after you
> > press the shutter. Unless you half-press the shutter beforehand
> > or have manual focus (Nikon, Oly 2020, .........).
> >
> > Then, thinking of a mud puddle, the Fuji 1200 comes to mind.
> > Fixed focus 38mm should improve its water resistance with
> > less moving parts.
> > f4.5 lens and ISO of 125 should be enough speed.
> > It also has a macro mode. $250
> [...]
>
> Fuji has a couple of "hardened" models that are supposed to be water and dirt
> resistant (but not "proof"). I think that one is the D-260 HD. I don't remember
> what the other is, but it probably has "HD" at the end of the name.

Actually, it's the DS-260 HD. Here's part of a press release:

FujiFilm U.S.A officially unveiled its DS-260 HD digital camera, a rugged,
outdoor-friendly megapixel model that protects its inner workings with a
dust-proof, impact- and water-resistant outer shell. This tough exterior makes
the DS-260 HD an ideal choice for outdoor enthusiasts who want to capture their
images electronically.

The DS-260 HD has many of the top-notch image-capture features of traditional
Fujifilm digital cameras, including a 1.5 million-pixel CCD, 3x optical zoom and
Fujinon EBC glass lens.

Its protective shell resists impact damage while special seals and gaskets keep
dust, debris and rainwater away from the camera's vital image-capture
components. The CCD has RGB filters for truer color reproduction while offering
resolutions as high as 1280 x 1024. The 7.4- 22mm range of the DS-260 HD's 3x
optical zoom is equivalent to the 35-105mm range of a 35mm camera.