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Camera search problem
I am looking for a camera, with specific (but not particularly unusual) properties. Unfortunately, I can't cut the range down to a number that is feasible to investigate individually, as my main sine qua non doesn't seem to be a standard search term! I.e. I need a viewfinder. No ifs, buts or maybes - I NEED one. I have tried to use my wife's one without, and it's hopeless - I can't see the viewfinder with glasses on and I can't see anything else without. A fairly common problem for people of my age with short sight. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be many small, light, (fairly) cheap ones with viewfinders, and I haven't found any with my other requirements (mainly as much optical zoom as possible). So I am trying to find the best of an unsatisfactory lot. Can anyone suggest how I can find out all or almost all cameras under 250 grammes and a viewfinder? I can do the former, easily enough, but not the latter. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#2
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Camera search problem
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#3
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Camera search problem
In article ,
Jürgen Exner wrote: Yeap, manufacturers more and more removed the viewfinder to save some money to the great annoyance of many people. I wonder if they will ever learn that customer demand should be a consideration. Probably not in my lifetime :-( Digital SLRs (still?) have viewfinders, but of course they are a different class wrt. price and weight. Yes. As it is for walking (backpacking), and I am not as young as I was, that is a problem. I'd check your favourite local camera shop and ask there. Been there - done that. I may try again. Thanks for your help. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#5
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Camera search problem
In article ,
says... snip Can anyone suggest how I can find out all or almost all cameras under 250 grammes and a viewfinder? I can do the former, easily enough, but not the latter. Canon does a number of compact cameras with optical viewfinders. The cheapest would seem to be the Canon Digital IXUS 80 IS. Review can be found he http://www.photographyblog.com/revie...ixus_80_is.php Currenly priced at ~UKP 115 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-Digita.../dp/B0012ZEDV4 If you are into macro (close-up) photography, then in may not be for you, as it states "Use the LCD monitor to compose close-ups in macro mode since images composed with the viewfinder may be off-center." -- Ian Riches Bedford, UK |
#6
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Camera search problem
David J Taylor wrote:
wrote: I am looking for a camera, with specific (but not particularly unusual) properties. Unfortunately, I can't cut the range down to a number that is feasible to investigate individually, as my main sine qua non doesn't seem to be a standard search term! I.e. I need a viewfinder. No ifs, buts or maybes - I NEED one. I have tried to use my wife's one without, and it's hopeless - I can't see the viewfinder with glasses on and I can't see anything else without. A fairly common problem for people of my age with short sight. Unfortunately, there don't seem to be many small, light, (fairly) cheap ones with viewfinders, and I haven't found any with my other requirements (mainly as much optical zoom as possible). So I am trying to find the best of an unsatisfactory lot. Can anyone suggest how I can find out all or almost all cameras under 250 grammes and a viewfinder? I can do the former, easily enough, but not the latter. Regards, Nick Maclaren. Nick, If you want a viewfinder and a wide zoom range that means DSLR. For low cost and weight, Nikon D40: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond40/ which is 522 grams, and for maximum zoom the Nikon 18-200mm lens: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0511/05...on18-200vr.asp which weighs 560 grams but isn't cheap. There are some ZLR cameras (also called "bridge" or "super-zoom") which have an electronic viewfinder where you put your eye to the finder just like in an SLR or optical finder camera. The quality of some of these viewfinders is f adequate only for basic composition, but the better ones may suit your needs. I have a Panasonic FZ5, of which the most recent version if the FZ28: http://www.dpreview.com/news/0807/08...asonicfz28.asp which weighs just 417 grams, and has a 27-486mm optical zoom (which is a good coverage at both the wide-angle and telephoto ends), and has an Electronic ViewFinder (EVF) (although the article I quote doesn't say how many pixels are in the EVF, i.e. what quality image it might provide). Other manufacturers also make "super-zoom" cameras - perhaps Canon and Olympus might be worth trying in the shop to see how they handle. You might also consider adapting a hand-held slide viewer as a sort of "LCD" viewer for the back of an LCD-only camera. Do Campkins and K.P. Cameras (IIRC) still exist in Cambridge? Cheers, David I think you are going to have to make a decision on what is most important. Decent zoom lenses or less that 250 grams. A decent zoom lenses is made of glass (The new Olympus SP=590UZ has 14 Lenses in 11 Groups, 4 Aspherical Lenses) and all of that glass is going to add weight. Also in the better zoom you have the weight of the larger batteries. I currently have a an Olympus C-740 it is DSLR 10X zoom and weighs about 290g. I have bifocal glasses and have no problem using it. Personally for landscape picture I like the zoom lenses and am willing to accept more weight. |
#7
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Camera search problem
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#8
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Camera search problem
Ian Riches wrote:
In article , says... snip Can anyone suggest how I can find out all or almost all cameras under 250 grammes and a viewfinder? I can do the former, easily enough, but not the latter. Canon does a number of compact cameras with optical viewfinders. The cheapest would seem to be the Canon Digital IXUS 80 IS. Review can be found he http://www.photographyblog.com/revie...ixus_80_is.php Currenly priced at ~UKP 115 on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-Digita.../dp/B0012ZEDV4 If you are into macro (close-up) photography, then in may not be for you, as it states "Use the LCD monitor to compose close-ups in macro mode since images composed with the viewfinder may be off-center." That's nothing to do with Canon, you wouldn't use an optical viewfinder for macro on any camera. There's a conflict between small size and incorporating an optical viewfinder. Although I too, wouldn't want a camera without either an optical or electronic finder, I've seen people outside using the lcd even on higher end models like the G canon series, so I wouldn't be so quick to assume that manufacturers aren't meeting consumer preferences. There's a tendency in this group to equate our own preferences with that of the wider buying public. This is a mistake, everyone in this group is to some extent a camera enthusiast even those of us who only take a limited number of shots per year and we only represent a small percentage of the camera market. The vast majority of buyers just want to point and shoot. Personally, if I had to replace my current model I would take a good look at the canon sx10-is, although not a compact, it's a good compromise between what I have (A95) and a dslr. Dave Cohen |
#9
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Camera search problem
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#10
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Camera search problem
Thanks for all of the information. I shall look into those ranges. Here are a few other points. Yes, I know that I am going to have to balance criteria - the problem is that most search pages and even camera shops think in terms of fixed requirements. And, when juggling several criteria, it's not like that - more "will I sacrifice P% of X for Q% of Y?" Hence my interest in surveying the field. 500+ grammes is too heavy - I stopped carrying my 35mm because of its weight, and it was about that - it is about 3% of a full pack weight or a complete day's food! I won't bother to explain why I can't use the sort of bifocals that would allow me to use an LCD finder, but I can't. An electronic viewfinder is fine, if it creates an image at infinity. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
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