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#1
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Have Nikon 5700,looking at Nikon 8800 or competitor,opinion/advice, Please!
Hi, I'm in love with my Nikon Coolpix 5700 when shooting
my favorite subject - car pictures - in daylight. I am completely dissasified with its flash performance not only with the puny Speedlight but also with the excellent Sunpak 433D Nikon-compatible external. I don't need to belabor that here, suffice to say the 5700 is going on eBay and I'm in the market for a new camera. To start, I really do not want a DSLR, of any make or model. There's lots of reasons for this but size, weight, and the lack of an Electronic View Finder are all show stoppers for me. The 5700's 5 mega pixels is more than enough, but I'm looking at the 8800 because it has a brand new flash system (apparently)called eTTL. And, this time, I'm not gonna be penny wise and dollar fooling - I'm gonna buy Nikon's SB-600. My requirements are the same as most peoples: clear, sharp, noise-free, detailed, well exposed, great color, great camera features. Who doesn't want that stuff? 8 MP is just frosting on the cake. I'm confident that the 8800 will work superbly for me in daylight. I don't know about flash. My local camera store will let me put the camera and flash on my Visa and give me 10 days to test drive it, so long as I don't open the CD, which is OK since I have a USB reader. I am not at all wed to Nikon. I've already started my research on the web, but still have a ways to go. What I'm asking of all the good people here is some opinions and advice from people that actually own a Nikon 8800. My main flash problems are in the dank light of car museums where there're no walls or ceilings for the flash to reflect off. I am completely open-minded on make and model. I'd say my budget is $1,000, which is where the 8800 is, less a $100 rebate. I understand that there's a major photo show in a couple of weeks, so the 8800 and its competitors may come down in price by the end of the month. I would appreciate advice and opinions. If I have been unclear as to my requirements, the problems I've had with the 5700 or why I'm anti-DSLR, I'll be glad to clarify/elaborate. I just wanted to keep my OP as short as possible. Thanks in advance for the help! -- ATM, aka Jerry |
#2
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All Things Mopar wrote:
The 5700's 5 mega pixels is more than enough, but I'm looking at the 8800 because it has a brand new flash system (apparently)called eTTL. And, this time, I'm not gonna be penny wise and dollar fooling - I'm gonna buy Nikon's SB-600. I am curious as to why you choose a telephoto zoom rather than a wide zoom. I would have thought that the confines of an auto show would restrict your options somewhat. I would look at the Nikon 8400 with external flash for that job. -- Regards - Terry Hollis, Auckland, New Zealand replace "nospam" with "terry.hollis" to reply |
#3
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Terry Hollis commented courteously ...
I am curious as to why you choose a telephoto zoom rather than a wide zoom. I'm not sure I understand the term "telephoto zoom" vs. "wide zoom". One interpretation is "why did you pick a 300mm telephoto with a 35mm wide angle, instead of a 200mm telephoto with a 24mm wide angle?" If that's your question, the answer is, I can't find what I consider to be a competant camera that meets that criteria. There's a lower priced Nikon (I forget the model number) that goes to 24mm equivelant, but in looking at it and talking to the sales person, there were other factors I didn't like. 35mm equivalent is enough for those crowded shots at a car show or in a museum maybe 95+% of the time for me. I think in the last two years, I've had maybe a couple dozen situations out of 4,000 pictures taken where I couldn't stand back any further and 35mm cut off the car. I would have thought that the confines of an auto show would restrict your options somewhat. It does, and I'd like wider, I just can't find everything I want in one package without going to a DSLR, which I do *not* want. See above comment on car show confines. I would look at the Nikon 8400 with external flash for that job It could be the 8400 that I looked at with the 24mm lens. I'll take a look at Nikon's web site and learn more about it. In the meantime, you have an opinion as to whether the 8800's new iTTL flash metering is a superior system? Please keep in mind that I'm 99 44/100% sure that Nikon had a design defect for flash on the 5700. I base that on 1) talking the Nikon tech support by phone and via E-mail with example problem pictures, 2) sending the camera in for repair - which came back with just the note "clean and reassemble", that's service talk for "no problem found" (or no problem admitted!), and 3) I've talked to 3 other 5700 users in various Internet places that suggested that they, too, suffered from flash inconsistencies and unexplained severe underexposure. That being said, whatever it is I wind up with, I'll take good advantage of the stores 10-day return policy to spend a few hours at the Henry Ford Museum and the Walter P. Chrysler Museum, both close to me. And, this time I would buy Nikons new SB-600 iTTL external flash. Thus, there's no excuse for the camera and flash to not like each other. I'll know within about an hour at each museum if my problem is solved or not. Anyway, do you have any personal experience with the 8800 or competitive EVF/ZLR camera under museum and car show conditions? If you have, I'm all ears! Thanks for taking the time to reply. -- ATM, aka Jerry |
#4
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All Things Mopar wrote:
Hi, I'm in love with my Nikon Coolpix 5700 when shooting my favorite subject - car pictures - in daylight. I am completely dissasified with its flash performance not only with the puny Speedlight but also with the excellent Sunpak 433D Nikon-compatible external. I don't know if this will help you at all, but here's my personal experience with the 5700. I've had it for about a year now and I find it quite acceptable for what it is. I'm hoping to upgrade to a full dSLR one of these days, but in the meantime I've taken some great pictures with what I've got. I quickly grew dissatisfied with the built-in flash, same as many other outspoken 5700 owners. I found an inexpensive SB-24 on eBay, which isn't technically fully compatible but I found works fine. I've used the tilt/swivel head to great effect, and while I don't know the guide number I do know that the range and coverage is WAY better than the internal unit. However, I did have to experiment some to learn how best to use this flash unit "manually", and how to adjust the camera's settings to compensate for the so-called "incompatibilies." A bit of a hassle, but not really all THAT hard! Once I spent some time playing with settings and filling up the CF card (thank heaven for the Erase feature) I was able to get consistently good pictures. In fact, I took nearly 300 pictures at a friend's wedding - both outdoors after the ceremony, using fill flash, and indoors at the reception, mostly bouncing the light off of walls and ceiling but a few were made with direct light. Again, range and coverage was even and consistent and I wasn't having to constantly fiddle with manual settings once I took a couple test frames to figure out what worked best in each setting. Everybody who has seen them (including the very picky bride) has complimented me on them. I won't pretend they're pro-quality, but they look a lot closer to that than I would have expected considering the modest equipment and personal skill level involved. :-) Next I'm going to experiment with tilting the head up and rubber-banding a 4"x6" index card to it, sort of a poor man's "pocket bouncer". I'm hoping it will let me attain a happy medium between bounced-light and direct. As I said, I don't know if this will help you any - but I wanted to at least put in a word for experimenting with one's current setup. Nothing to lose, right? Whatever you decide, good luck and happy picture-taking.... Greg Evans |
#5
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Greg Evans commented courteously ...
I don't know if this will help you at all, but here's my personal experience with the 5700. Yep. Sure has helped as I read the rest of your post! I've had it for about a year now and I find it quite acceptable for what it is. I'm hoping to upgrade to a full dSLR one of these days, Not me, but that's personal choice... but in the meantime I've taken some great pictures with what I've got. I quickly grew dissatisfied with the built-in flash, same as many other outspoken 5700 owners. Me, too. I first bought a Vivitar 728 Nikon compatible but it quickly died a quick death so I bought the Sunpak 433D, which is outstanding. I found an inexpensive SB-24 on eBay, which isn't technically fully compatible but I found works fine. [snip] However, I did have to experiment some to learn how best to use this flash unit "manually", and how to adjust the camera's settings to compensate for the so-called "incompatibilies." A bit of a hassle, but not really all THAT hard! [snip] Well, my Sunpak was "compatible" and didn't work, but then, neither did the built-in Speedlight even when I was within its 10' range. As I commented on briefly in my OP, 2/3 of the time I can get by, the other 1/3 is a *real* struggle to fix in PSP 9; sometimes I can succeed, other times the color gets too distorted from the extreme underexposure (at least 5-6 stops) and often the digital noise turns my picture into a sand painting. Once I spent some time playing with settings and filling up the CF card (thank heaven for the Erase feature) I was able to get consistently good pictures. [snip] Yeah, Greg, I've been able to minimally do that - full manual aperture = GN / distance, but it is tedious and time consuming. Maybe I've got money burning a hole in my pocket and I should just suck it up and continue with the 5700, but hey, I don't smoke, I don't drink, don't buy expensive things. But, I *do* love car photography. I think I can get out of the 5700 on eBay and re-buy everything I need in an 8800 or equivalent competitive product for maybe $500-600. Chump change compared to my sanity going down hill everytime I shoot and my stomach turning over from frustration. [snip the rest] I've done just about all the things you've done. Your situation and mine aren't exactly the same but it does add a 4th data point to my palry survey that there's something wrong with the auto exposure system on the 5700 in certain kinds of flash situations. Thanks for confirming that I haven't been imagining this ****! -- ATM, aka Jerry |
#6
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All Things Mopar wrote:
[snip] a 4th data point to my palry survey that there's something wrong with the auto exposure system on the 5700 in certain kinds of flash situations. Thanks for confirming that I haven't been imagining this ****! I quickly learned not to rely totally on auto-much of anything and how to get the results I wanted by fiddling with the controls (hey, that's why I got the fancy bells-and-whistles model anyway, right?). But if you've got the money to upgrade, sure, why not! Do some reasearch, though; I could be wrong, but it seems like I read somewhere online that the flash business you describe is one of the few things NOT much improved in the 8800 (over the 5700). |
#7
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Greg Evans commented courteously ...
I quickly learned not to rely totally on auto-much of anything and how to get the results I wanted by fiddling with the controls (hey, that's why I got the fancy bells-and-whistles model anyway, right?). But if you've got the money to upgrade, sure, why not! Do some reasearch, though; I could be wrong, but it seems like I read somewhere online that the flash business you describe is one of the few things NOT much improved in the 8800 (over the 5700). Thanks for your comments. The post I made here is just a small part of my overall research effort on another camera, whether it winds up being the 8800 or something else. I used to be a Nikon FTN owner, and loved it. It had essentially what we'd call "manual" today. But, unlike quite a number of digitals I've looked at, I haven't found anything where I could focus with a ring on the lens, twirl the shutter speed dial with my right finger and thumb, and change the aperture with another lens ring, all while keeping my eye on the subject and watching the viewfinder indicator to make sure I stayed in focus and had a good exposure reading. I've tried manual on my 5700. It works but it isn't fool proof, either. And, I guess I've changed. I used to like 2-door cars, now I like 4-doors and SUVs. So, my days of full-manual are over. I'm willing to spend a few extra bucks to assure that I get at least reasonable and consistent daylight and flash exposure. I don't expect perfection from *any* camera, same as you've observed. I'm not totally sure yet, as I'm still researching, but perhaps you may be referring to the 8700, which uses essentially the same body and electronics as the 5700, albeit it is now an 8 MP camera so some sensor and firmware changes obviously had to be made. It isn't on my radar screen because I don't want to mess with an upgrade to something I personally think has a problem. Plus, based on my very limited knowledge of digital camera technology, it would not at all surprise me if the 8700 was noisy, compared to the 5700 (but that's pure speculation!). The 8700 lists for $799, I think. The 8800 lists for $999 with a $100 rebate. It was a brand new design that was announced in September last year, and has an all-new proprietary flash technology that I believe I've read is called iTTL. This is the reason that my current Sunpak 433D won't work. Part of iTTL is the ability to do wireless flash triggering, which people have been clamoring for. In the final analysis, I'll eventually make up my mind what I think I want, and I'll take advantage of my local camera store 10-day return policy to verify everything. Thanks again for your help. I need all the help and suggestions I can get! -- ATM, aka Jerry |
#8
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All Things Mopar wrote:
Terry Hollis commented courteously ... I am curious as to why you choose a telephoto zoom rather than a wide zoom. I'm not sure I understand the term "telephoto zoom" vs. "wide zoom". One interpretation is "why did you pick a 300mm telephoto with a 35mm wide angle, instead of a 200mm telephoto with a 24mm wide angle?" If that's your question, the answer is, I can't find what I consider to be a competant camera that meets that criteria. There's a lower priced Nikon (I forget the model number) that goes to 24mm equivelant, but in looking at it and talking to the sales person, there were other factors I didn't like. Yes, you have correctly interpreted my question. The point is that the Nikon CP 8800 and the Nikon CP 8400 are the same camera but fitted with a different lens... http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikoncp8800/ The following is a quote from the above site... ------------------------ start quote ----------------------------- Two cameras, the same heart After a brief look at the specs and a hands-on it was clear that the Coolpix 8400 and 8800 shared the same heart; CCD, processor, menus, image processing) battery, LCD monitor, EVF, a similar control layout as well as other features. As a buyer therefore you can choose simply between a smaller 3.5x wide-angle zoom or for $100 more a large 10x telephoto-zoom with VR. The differences between the two cameras are detailed below. ----------------------- end quote -------------------------------- 35mm equivalent is enough for those crowded shots at a car show or in a museum maybe 95+% of the time for me. I think in the last two years, I've had maybe a couple dozen situations out of 4,000 pictures taken where I couldn't stand back any further and 35mm cut off the car. I would have thought that the confines of an auto show would restrict your options somewhat. It does, and I'd like wider, I just can't find everything I want in one package without going to a DSLR, which I do *not* want. See above comment on car show confines. I would look at the Nikon 8400 with external flash for that job It could be the 8400 that I looked at with the 24mm lens. I'll take a look at Nikon's web site and learn more about it. You might also consider taking your photos with available light rather than flash, I have been successful with exposures of 1.0 seconds by holding the camera against a wall or supporting it on a nearby object. This option is available on any camera, such as the CP 8x00, that uses a reticulating LCD screen as the viewfinder. The results are better than using the built in flash. -- Regards - Terry Hollis, Auckland, New Zealand replace "nospam" with "terry.hollis" to reply |
#9
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All Things Mopar wrote in
: Hi, I'm in love with my Nikon Coolpix 5700 when shooting my favorite subject - car pictures - in daylight. I am completely dissasified with its flash performance not only with the puny Speedlight but also with the excellent Sunpak 433D Nikon-compatible external. I don't need to belabor that here, suffice to say the 5700 is going on eBay and I'm in the market for a new camera. To start, I really do not want a DSLR, of any make or model. There's lots of reasons for this but size, weight, and the lack of an Electronic View Finder are all show stoppers for me. The 5700's 5 mega pixels is more than enough, but I'm looking at the 8800 because it has a brand new flash system (apparently)called eTTL. And, this time, I'm not gonna be penny wise and dollar fooling - I'm gonna buy Nikon's SB-600. My requirements are the same as most peoples: clear, sharp, noise-free, detailed, well exposed, great color, great camera features. Who doesn't want that stuff? 8 MP is just frosting on the cake. I'm confident that the 8800 will work superbly for me in daylight. I don't know about flash. My local camera store will let me put the camera and flash on my Visa and give me 10 days to test drive it, so long as I don't open the CD, which is OK since I have a USB reader. I am not at all wed to Nikon. I've already started my research on the web, but still have a ways to go. What I'm asking of all the good people here is some opinions and advice from people that actually own a Nikon 8800. My main flash problems are in the dank light of car museums where there're no walls or ceilings for the flash to reflect off. I am completely open-minded on make and model. I'd say my budget is $1,000, which is where the 8800 is, less a $100 rebate. I understand that there's a major photo show in a couple of weeks, so the 8800 and its competitors may come down in price by the end of the month. Dude, I also own the 5700, and for me the choice is between the 8800 and the D70. I don't want to start a ZLR vs SLR war here, but I'm waiting until after I hear all of the PMA new releases before I decide which model to buy. I too am in love with my 5700, but I can learn to love another if it steals my heart! :-) .. -- Bill |
#10
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Woodchuck Bill wrote:
[] Dude, I also own the 5700, and for me the choice is between the 8800 and the D70. I don't want to start a ZLR vs SLR war here, but I'm waiting until after I hear all of the PMA new releases before I decide which model to buy. I too am in love with my 5700, but I can learn to love another if it steals my heart! :-) Bill, I would welcome reasoned arguments as to where a DSLR might be of benefit over a ZLR and vice versa. No need for a war, to me, they are sufficiently different animals as to both find a space in our hearts! I can see myself carrying round both the Nikon 5700 and the Nikon 8400! Cheers, David |
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