Thinking about a new digital camera
It’s been a while since I’ve purchased a new digital camera, and after seeing the results my wife got with her relatively new (she’s had it since December of 2008) Canon PowerShot SX10 IS, I started thinking about getting a new camera.
Both of us have kind of gone full circle. For many years, we were dedicated SLR users. I can remember buying my first “real” camera, a Pentax MX, in 1978 and using it for many years. Compared to today’s SLRs, it was very crude. Barb had a Pentax ME Super, and it had problems with vignetting with larger lenses that really ruined a lot of amazing shots.
I always had a hankering for something smaller than the full-fledged 35 mm SLR, so I decided at one point to try Pentax’s 110-based SLR. It was tiny and very cute, but you couldn’t enlarge the miniscule negatives worth a damn. I sold it to a co-worker, and went back to using my MX.
In the 90s we experimented a bit with the APS format, which allowed wide-format pictures and immediate film loading. Both of us had APS cameras, although I’ll be damned if I can remember what they were! I finally started moving to digital photography in the early 2000s when I purchased a Canon PowerShot point ‘n shoot that had 3.1 MPs of resolution. That camera (I don’t recall the model number) was pretty impressive as I actually dropped it about 10 feet onto concrete at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and it survived. That’s why I’ve loved Canon products for the last 8 years. The company also replaced that camera after I brought it on a trip to the Caribbean and it refused to take pictures. It turned out that the image sensor in that particular camera was very sensitive to humidity and heat, so they replaced the camera years after it was out of warranty with a brand new model.
A couple of years ago I purchased the Canon PowerShot S3 IS, and I still have it. It’s not the latest and greatest camera, and it’s not an SLR, but it does a pretty amazing job of taking photos. Barb decided that she wanted a new camera late last year since we knew we were going to Africa, so I touted the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS — that camera has a wonderful zoom lens, many new features, and a 10 MP sensor. She got it for Christmas. and the camera has proven to be a real winner.
Hence my desire to get a new camera. One thing that I kind of miss about not having an SLR is the interchangeable lenses. Yeah, they’re a pain in the ass to cart around, and they usually add a ton of weight to your photo kit, but the flexibility and quality of photos is tremendous. I just don’t want to lug all that weight and complexity around.
The answer? I started thinking about the new Micro Four Thirds format cameras, which at this time include the Panasonic Lumix G1 and GH1, and the Olympus E-P1. The Olympus is a 21st-century replacement for the old Olympus PEN half-frame 35 mm cameras, and it is tiny as a result. However, after spending about a half-day looking at various reviews, I decided that the best idea for me would be to wait until the Panasonic Lumix GH1 becomes widely available and buy it.
It looks like a great camera! 12.1 MPs of resolution, a standard 14 – 140 mm lens (like a 28 – 280 zoom on a 35 mm camera), and the coolest feature — it also records 1080p HD video. Unfortunately, they’ve just hit the market so they’re expensive as hell (companies are importing them and doubling the price), but by the time I’m ready to buy a new camera, the price should be below the $1,499 SRP.
If I can sell both my Canon S3 IS and my Canon Vixia HF100 HD camcorder ahead of time, I should be able to finance about half the price of the camera and only have one device to carry with me on trips. That reduces the total weight I’ll be carrying by a couple of pounds.
I’m hoping this will be my Christmas present for 2009!
