Digital camera reccomendations?

[cameronke]

I wonder if anyone can reccomend a budget consciece, weatherproof digital camera. Dont need ultra high resolution as it is primarly for sail trim analysis.

Regards to all

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[SABREMAN]

Hi,
Don't know what the experts recommend, but ALDI are selling same from today for 100 notes. May not be water-proof but the price sounds good.

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[tillergirl]

Can't help re budget cameras but I think you might be disappointed in your intended use unless you get one that has a setting for moving images (it can blur easily without this). 4 million pix will give you good definition but is not yet generally at budget price. Getting weatherproof is also going to be difficult - usually I think you may need to get a waterproof case which are not very common and not very cheap. I've been trying to get one for my Canon Powershot S40 without success. Dealers promise to get it and then two months later deny ever having had the conversation!

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[LGH]

London camera exchange in Fareham, Hants had a waterproof case for a Cannon S40 when I was in last week.

Rgds,
Laurence

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[wiggy]

If I was in your shoes I would go for one of the bargain flash m,emory cameras there are loads around for about £35 and when you drop it over the side or stand on it you wont be too upset and the pictures are fine for this sort of work.

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[snowleopard]

sting in the digital tail...

is the batteries. make sure the one you buy either runs on AA/AAA or has rechargables. i foolishly bought a canon S10 that needs fancy batteries costing 10 notes a time and last about 30 shots. ouch.

i tried to buy a charger later but was told the camera was 'too old' and they weren't made any more (this was 6 months after i bought it). whatever you get will be obsolete by the time you get it home.

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[Davy_S]

I bought my first digital camera a few months ago a Fuji finepix 203 cost me £100 in the canaries 2.1 megapix, not waterproof but as Snowlepard says it takes the aaa batterys or rechargable ones and it has the movie thingy. you get CD with all the bits and bobs on ,a piece of cake to use and download. watch out for some of the Sonys they take an age to download. and the memory card is small.

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[Metabarca]

I have a Nikon Coolpix 4300. Easy to use but fully flexible if you want to do something fancy, rechargeable batteries (like a mobile phone). fast download, good software. Course, it's not budget, though, but I'm pretty sure it won't become obsolete in 2 weeks...

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html>http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html</A>

 

[brianhumber]

Bought a Kodak last year which is splashpoofed ie all lids/opening have rubber seals. Uses standard AA and they last a long time.
Digitals are advancing quickly but this one has been very good, reliable and gives very sharp picys on highest level. Standard formats ie converts to jpeg for inserting in word doc etc I use it at sea most trips and in my work - only drawback was the price depends on what you understand is a budget figure for a digital camera

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[tillergirl]

Thanks, I'll give them a try

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[kingfisher]

Nikon 4300

Yep got the same one a few weeks ago. Love its compactness, while still firm in the hand (esp. in a seaway)

But I'm still to afraid to take it out in more serious conditions. I don't think these things handle salt spray very well, do they?

I found that all digitals are a compromise. Either they do lifelike reds, but than the blues pale, or like the coolpix, the blues are stunningly deep, but the fleshtones are too grey.

But nothing a bit of editing can't solve.

<hr width=100% size=1>Group of people on the pontoon: skipper is the one with the toolbox.
http://sirocco31.tripod.com

 

[seashaw]

Re: Nikon 4300

Why not stick your camera in one of these
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.marinercomputers.co.uk/acatalog/Camera___Camcorder.html>http://www.marinercomputers.co.uk/acatalog/Camera___Camcorder.html</A>
Not only does it protect your camera from water and spray it floats should you drop it over the side.

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[gtmoore]

Is this the DC5000? I have one of these and am extremely pleased with it. Only 2megapixels but as you say excellent image quality and has optical zoom and reliable auto (not fixed) focus. Only drawback (apart from cost!) is it's a bit 'chunky' but this is great if you're wearing gloves!

I don't think they are available anymore but someone still may stock them. I would have thought they would have been more popular than they were. I always take mine onboard.

<hr width=100% size=1>Gavin

 

[Metabarca]

Re: Nikon 4300

Yes, you always have to tweak the pics, but the bog-standard Nikon 'improve colours and contrast' button does a good job.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html>http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html</A>

 

[NickHarley]

Olympus Mju

Unfortunately really budget digital cameras aren't weatherproof. Olympus do a weatherproof Mju 300 which is about £280 if you look around (fotosense.co.uk?) - 3mpixels (or there is a 4mp version the Mju400).

There is also a fully waterproof case (down to 40m) for about £120 if you're expecting a really wet time! Think the PIX shop chain are doing the case for half price if you buy at the same time as the camera.

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[GIBSLIND]

THERE IS A NEW SONY DSCU60 COMING OUT IN JULY.IT HAS 2MEGA PIXELS AND IS WATERPROOF TO 1.5M UNDERWATER.IT WILL RETAIL FOR £249.HAS USB OUT PUT, SHOOTS ONTO WIDELY USED MEMORY STICKS, AND USES HIGH CAPACITY NIMH STANDARD SIZED BATTERIES, COMES WITH CHARGER.

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[qsiv]

Re: Nikon 4300

I'd agree about colour balance. My camera (a Nikon D1H), has a discrenible shift if you use JPEG format (the native format is ine, but is very difficult to handle). I find every image needs a tweak (no problem in Photoshop, Bibble or other software, but it does need to be done). The quality of modern digitals is every bit as good as 35mm film, at least up to 20x16. Even inexpensive cameras give great results.

For sail trim analysis there are a number of bits of software that doe very good analysis (of twist and draft primarily) with extraordinary accuracy.

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

One thing to look for that has not been mentioned are filter threads on the lens, unfortunately ommited on budget cameras, but for photographs in the sunshine on water a polariser is a great help to cut down glare.

If you want a good camera stick to the big 3

Olympus
Nikon
Canon

Fuji aint far behind, but the top three will not dissapoint.

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk/TC_minicruise_2003_01.html>Cardigan Bay Cruise</A>

 

[brianhumber]

Yes it is, totally agree with all your comments, best buy I've made recently.


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[Guest]

Look at "www.dpreview.com" Best digital camera site I've come across....

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