Digital Cameras for the Holidays
by Wesley Fink on November 27, 2008 12:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Digital Camera
Things to Consider
Readers have been screaming that we are ignoring photo beginners and the point-and-shoot crowd. We hope that this year those readers no longer feel ignored. It's amazing to us how fast the P&S market has dropped in price and consolidated features. That made it much easier to find and recommended the $100 choices and the superzoom point-and-shoots. If you have suggestions for future recommendations, we would welcome hearing from you.
Last year when we looked at the DSLR market we commented, "It certainly appears that the DSLR camp is going to be split by manufacturers in the near future to full-frame pro models and APS C entry to prosumer models. This will require companies to support two lens lines with some overlap, but the pros will win this one and we will still be using mainly 35mm glass for quality results on the APS C cameras. There will be cheaper 'small sensor' lenses, as there now are, but perhaps fewer of these in the future."
The split has happened and we have a pretty clear delineation these days of the full-frame and crop-sensor markets. We did not see it coming last year, but there is also change coming from the bottom of the market in the next couple of years. In case you missed it, we are firmly convinced that the Panasonic G1 is truly revolutionary and will bring dramatic change to both the point-and-shoot and DSLR markets. The large sensor point-and-shoots are coming and they will push up into the DSLR market with new models without mirror boxes, new smaller lenses, and a Live View and easy Movie Mode that will push even higher into DSLR space.
Panasonic has proved with the G1 that you can take today's point-and-shoot features like Live View that all DSLRs are now featuring, rework it so it's faster and more useful, and make that feature palatable and desirable to real DSLR photographers. That means we will see new cheaper and smaller lenses at the middle, pushing their way up into prosumer DSLR space. That could also mean a lot of new lenses in new form factors - with current lens offerings from the current DSLR players just moving up the food chain.
Then there is the subject of movies on the DSLR. One industry analyst believes all pros will be shooting mainly HD video on interchangeable lens DSLRs within 2 years. Editors will grab frames they want for "still media" from the HD movie clips the pros shoot. That's a pretty wild prediction - or is it? Perhaps the Canon 5D Mark II is just the beginning of a deluge.
One thing we can be sure of is that the lines between image and electronics are getting ready to go through a major blurring in the next few years. What is now a camera, or a DSLR, or a movie camera, or lenses, or optics, are about to change in definition faster than we can think of new ways to use the evolving technology. Photo purists who complain about things like noise reduction on a Sony sensor or image processing chips in Panasonic cameras that correct for lens distortion are likely to find some of these changes very frustrating. This level of upheaval is always a time of frustration as things we know change very rapidly.
By this point, we hope we have shed some new light on your holiday shopping for a digital camera. Our recommendations may not be popular with some, but we have personally spent time with every camera discussed in this guide and we call them like we see them. Have fun shopping for the best buy in a digital camera this holiday season - whether your treasure is a $100 point-and-shoot or a $3000 full-frame DSLR.
There are many great buys out there and you will likely see lots of super prices as manufacturers fight for market share in this worldwide economic slowdown. Performance is good enough on most of these entry cameras that you would not be wrong to shop for the best price you can find in a category. Just make sure you ask the right questions to get exactly what you want. Whatever you choose, be sure to take lots of digital pictures of your family and friends opening their Holiday presents.
Happy Holidays from AnandTech!
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
41 Comments
View All Comments
Wesley Fink - Friday, November 28, 2008 - link
We;ve added mention of the Pentax K20D as a great value at $750 to $800 in the Prosumer category. It is not, however, without its probelms, as is true of any camera, and the price has dropped from $1295 to $750 in pretty short order. Its an outstnding value if it fits your needs and the way you shoot.ubiloo - Friday, November 28, 2008 - link
Sorry, I meant 'for at least €100 less'computerfarmer - Thursday, November 27, 2008 - link
If I were to choose.......from this article.Point and shoot:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-L8 for quality, Canon Powershot A590 IS best for the money.
Super Zoom:
Panasonic Lumix LMC-TZ5
Entry Interchangeable Lens:
Canon XSi or XS and Panasonic G1
At this level, all make decent products....hard to choose.
Prosumer:
Nikon D90 or Canon 50D ....hard to choose.
Full-Frame:
Nikon D700 or Canon 5D Mark II
I am about to enter the "Entry Interchangeable Lens" category, perhaps in March or April. I have gone from point and shoot to superzoom. Panisonic FZ8 is camera I have now. It is so much better than the point and shoot. But the cost to go up to the next level is quite substantial. With a kit lens, I will not get the zoom I am accustomed too. The macro part I am unsure of. Then there is the flash. The number one reason for upgrading is the quality of photograph. The question I have is, if I wanted to print 13x19 inch photos, what camera and lens would do the best job for, Portraits, Birds, Indoors....
Example: If I purchased a Canon Rebel XSi; what else would I need to get the most out of this camera(general use). I am thinking the camera with the kit lens, plus a 200mm zoom lens, a macro lens, a flash(wireless would be nice), a good tripod. how much would this cost me?
This article gave a good overall view.....Thank You
strikeback03 - Monday, December 1, 2008 - link
Unless the birds are very tame, 200mm isn't very long. A friend of mine has the XTi with 18-55IS/55-250IS combo though and is very happy with them for general use. The 55-250IS is not that expensive, B&H has a kit with XSi/18-55IS/55-250IS for $708. The 100/2.8 Macro is a good macro lens and also very usable for tighter portraits, runs around $450. No Canon bodies offer wireless flash control in-body, so the flash itself ranges from $200-400 depending on power and features, and if you want wireless you either need remote triggers and external metering, or a ST-E2 wireless transmitter. Tripods are highly dependent on what you want and need, but guessing at least $100 is pretty safe.Note that for some items (lenses, flash) you can sometimes find third-party alternatives which work as well for your needs for less money.
haplo602 - Friday, November 28, 2008 - link
have a look on ebay ...I don't know the canon line of lenses, but something similar to the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR will make a good all-around starter lens.
Maxington - Thursday, November 27, 2008 - link
The G1 is revolutionary alright, its a camera that does away with the mirror box and optical viewfinder, without actually being any smaller than standard DSLRs!Why is this article have such a huge positive bias towards it? It should be applauded for actually trying, but totally dismissed until, like the rest of the 4/3rds range, it actually delivers on making a camera small. How you can recommend it whatsoever is beyond me.
Hell, Pentax have a far smaller setup, with the K2000/Km body, and their pancake lens range. And a better performing sensor with a bigger lens range to boot.
Speaking of Pentax, why were no Pentax cameras recommended? They are far better value for money than Nikon/Canon, though Sony camera bodies are probably the best value, pity their lenses are ridiculously priced.
Wesley Fink - Friday, November 28, 2008 - link
The G1 is a great deal smaller overall than any DSLR we have tested, but it also has many other features going for it, like the superb 3 inch tilt-and swivel hi-res LCD and the first EVF we could actually live with. It also breaks new ground in Live View AF.We agree the Pentax K20D is a great value at $750 to $800, and mention of the K20D has been added. It should also be mentioned that the price of the K20D has declined from $1295 to $750 in pretty short time. The pro-type sealing and 14.6 megapixel sensor are top of the class, but the high ISO noise, inconsistent color at high ISO, slow AF, and slow continuous frame-rates detract from the top-notch features.
gaston1 - Friday, November 28, 2008 - link
Thank you for adding K20D to the list. I agree about the AF being slower than the competition. High ISO noise, not really, I'd say it's in line with other APS-C cameras in its range, although Pentax has taken a different approach, producing grainier pictures at high ISO but preserving much more detail than the others (and can be cleaned very easily through software if one chooses to). ISO 1600 is very useable, 3200 is sort of equivalent to the K10D's 1600, not that clean but useful when needed, and the 6400 is not that useable, in my opinion. We must also not forget that most reviews (comparing jpegs) will have Pentax tested on its default setting with noise reduction off while it kicks in by default on other cameras once you start using higher ISO settings. Canon's ISO 12800 hardly contains any detail at all, and in my opinion is just there for marketing purposes.As far as value goes, Pentax shines when you start considering lenses. I strongly considered going for the Nikon D700 or even waiting for the Canon 5D mkII, both great cameras for low light (or landscape) photography. But after researching the lenses that I would need, the system price was quickly stretching far beyond my amateur's budget (although still a bargain if you're a pro and need the features). I even briefly considered Sony's A900 but had a similar issue with the cost of lenses.
strikeback03 - Monday, December 1, 2008 - link
I don't really see the advantage in Pentax lens prices that you mention. Seems like they have dropped some, as a year ago I initially recommended a K10D with 16-50 2.8 to a friend, expecting the 16-50 to be around $500. I was shocked to see it was around $900 at the time. At least now it is more reasonable. Checking other similar lenses they seem to be mostly in line with Canon/Nikon, with some deals (50/1.4 for $200) and some more expensive (the 77/1.8 vs 85/1.8 from others).Maxington - Friday, November 28, 2008 - link
Echoing what gaston1 said, thanks for adding the K20D to the list.Also echoing the high iso comment, Pentax has higher noise due to it retaining detail and not smearing it away like Nikon/Canon do. I'd rather keep the detail and post-process it later, with much better tools, than let the camera do it.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxk20d/page18....">http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pentaxk20d/page18....
Look at the mush the others turn into.
I'm still not convinced the minor size drop the Panasonic G1 has makes it worthwhile. (It's about half a cm shorter than the Pentax Km, and about 2cm thinner) It's not small enough to drop into "pocket" range, especially with the lack of pancake lenses, thus any size benefit it has is pretty much pointless. It's still a DSLR to carry. When they get it down to being like a rangefinder, then it'll be worth looking at.
I do like the back lcd and the slick contrast af though.