I got about $1000 to spend on a digital camera! What would you suggest I take a look at? Although, I'm not new to photography its been almost twenty-years since I saw a dark room....
Digital Camera...
- Thread starter ks-waterbug
- Start date
I'd take a serious look at the Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom. I was pointed to it by someone here and took a look at the reviews. Looks like the best of the sub-$1000 prosumer grade digicams right now. Olympus avoided the long zoom trend and went with a normal zoom, but they apparently put some QUALITY glass into the lens. It seems Canon has taken to tryin' to be the first to market with stuff instead of bein' first in quality like they used to be.
I bought a Canon S1 and a Canon Pro1 without lookin' at the reviews because I had always been happy with Canon's quality before. I hate to say it but even the $1k Pro1 is a let down because of lens quality. It's otherwise a nice piece and would be excellent with a higher quality, shorter zoom range lens. I returned both of these cameras due to the lackluster performance of the lenses.
After havin' to return two Canon's, including their supposed top shelf prosumer camera for poor quality I started lookin' at reviews of other cameras. Again, the Oly C-8080 looks to be the hands down WINNER of the top end consumer cams.
Of course you could go with the 300D Digital Rebel SLR but you'd spend more than $1k for the body and a couple of top quality lenses. FWIW, if you don't put high quality glass on the DSLR's you may as well be usin' the prosumer grade digicams anyway.
Check out www.17photo.com for some of the best prices and THE BEST customer service. Ask for Dov (pronounced like the bird... dove) or Martin if you call 'em. They'll shoot you straight and take care of you. Over the years I've bought prolly close to $10,000 in equipment and gear from them. Only had to return one lense and the return was painless.
I bought a Canon S1 and a Canon Pro1 without lookin' at the reviews because I had always been happy with Canon's quality before. I hate to say it but even the $1k Pro1 is a let down because of lens quality. It's otherwise a nice piece and would be excellent with a higher quality, shorter zoom range lens. I returned both of these cameras due to the lackluster performance of the lenses.
After havin' to return two Canon's, including their supposed top shelf prosumer camera for poor quality I started lookin' at reviews of other cameras. Again, the Oly C-8080 looks to be the hands down WINNER of the top end consumer cams.
Of course you could go with the 300D Digital Rebel SLR but you'd spend more than $1k for the body and a couple of top quality lenses. FWIW, if you don't put high quality glass on the DSLR's you may as well be usin' the prosumer grade digicams anyway.
Check out www.17photo.com for some of the best prices and THE BEST customer service. Ask for Dov (pronounced like the bird... dove) or Martin if you call 'em. They'll shoot you straight and take care of you. Over the years I've bought prolly close to $10,000 in equipment and gear from them. Only had to return one lense and the return was painless.
Thanks BT, have been really eye-balling the 8080 for the last two weeks....
If you get one let me know how you like it. I'm also eyeballin' it but I'm also eyeballin' a 10D Digital SLR since I already have nice Canon lenses to use with it. I dunno. I'm thinkin' about sellin' my good glass and just buyin' a C-8080. I don't do enough serious photography to sink the money into a 10D to be honest, but I'd love to have one...
I like the oly
You got a C-8080?I like the oly
Gpirelli
Registered
Yeah, B&H usually has slightly cheaper prices than some others but my experience with their handling of customer service issues was that they are COMPLETE D*CKS that do not care if you're happy or not. They fugged me out of several $$ that I paid for expedited shipping on a Canon EOS D30 body. I was basically told that it wasn't their problem. Now I use their site to shop and compare but I will NOT buy from them again. I've spent the +/- $10k with 17th Street Photo since bein' fugged by B&H. Screwin' me out of less than $50 in shippin' cost B&H $10k in sales. Not very smart business if you ask me.
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Gpirelli
Registered
Wow BT, that sucks...I never had problems with them. Its been a while since I researched camera sites (I used to be really into photography), or even bought anything from them (I bought my digital overseas). I don't think I'm familiar with 17th ST. I actually used to go to B&H when I lived in NYC, that's how I knew about 'em. Sorry to hear about your experience with them...maybe they've changed. I'll definitely keep that in mind next time I buy camera stuff
Yeah, I even told them that not makin' the +/- $50 problem right would cost them the rest of my business. I outlined what I planned to purchase over the next several months and just those pieces added up to around $5k. Didn't matter to them. The response from the guy I had on the phone was "Sorry it didn't work the way you planned..." I told him to stretch the $2k plus that I paid for the D30 out because they'd never see another dollar from me.Wow BT, that sucks...I never had problems with them. Its been a while since I researched camera sites (I used to be really into photography), or even bought anything from them (I bought my digital overseas). I don't think I'm familiar with 17th ST. I actually used to go to B&H when I lived in NYC, that's how I knew about 'em. Sorry to hear about your experience with them...maybe they've changed. I'll definitely keep that in mind next time I buy camera stuff
I know that my $12k including the D30 wouldn't be a drop in the proverbial bucket for them over a year's time because they're so big, but it was a HUGE pile of money in my eyes. Since they couldn't stoop down to see it from my eyes, I have no use for them. So far, 17th Street has treated me the way I would assume they would treat their largest accounts, even if I just ordered film and batteries. That's why I would pay a few bucks more to buy from them if I had to. The thing is, they're actually on average about $10 cheaper than B&H on most things I've shopped for. I wonder if THAT is on purpose?
Nope, it's about 2 yrs old now and I dont even see it at CC anymore C-3020 Works well for what I do but I need a smaller one to slip inside the jacket pocket a lil easier .You got a C-8080?I like the oly
Bug, cheapest price so far for an 8080 is $559 but I dont know how reliable the store??? anyway if ya place it on your credit dard u allways have some leverage ...
here's the link : royal camera
here's the link : royal camera
Based on the reviews and the sample pics I've seen, if I run the C-8080 at plus 1 saturation and minus one or two on contrast it should be just as pleasing to me as any Canon I've had short of the 1D Digital SLR I had for a while. That mofo was just plain AWESOME. I sold it to pay for HALF of my busa when I bought it though. WAY too much camera for what I do these days, but I miss the HELL outta that thing!
Most shops that sell that much cheaper than everyone else usually holds shid like the battery charger and software out of the kit and sells it separately for big $. They don't tell you this until you get the kit and all yer shid ain't in it though. I avoid low ball pricing like that like the PLAGUE. I may miss out on some deals here and there, but I also miss out on gettin' reamed a new 'un by a crooked shop.
Gpirelli
Registered
Wow, B&H sure did a stupid move...$50 is a small price to pay for thousands of $$$ worth of continued business, not to mention possible word of mouth advertising. Its too bad some businesses get so big they stop giving personal attention to even small matters. OH well, Fug 'em! I'll check out 17th st next time aroundI know that my $12k including the D30 wouldn't be a drop in the proverbial bucket for them over a year's time because they're so big, but it was a HUGE pile of money in my eyes. Since they couldn't stoop down to see it from my eyes, I have no use for them. So far, 17th Street has treated me the way I would assume they would treat their largest accounts, even if I just ordered film and batteries. That's why I would pay a few bucks more to buy from them if I had to. The thing is, they're actually on average about $10 cheaper than B&H on most things I've shopped for. I wonder if THAT is on purpose?
wizard
Never Forgotten
I have the Fuji Finepix S-7000 (a little less than 800, I think..) and I am happy with it. Good optics, a little bulky for digital but 6MP without interpolation - crispy clean pics!
Digital is NOT real photography - just an approximation.. Not yet, at least. Don't be fooled by "pixel" jargon, just go for a decent prosumer and that's it. It 'll be hitting the dustbin next year, and you can count on it!..
B&H lost my custom 10 years ago when I ordered face to face in NY a lot of lenses, filters and Sigma bodies.. They took forever to bring the stuff, then they said they would charge an obsene amount of money to send it to NJ (to avoid NY tax). I went down there, gave them hell and took my money back.. ..haven't seen any of me or my money ever since.. Is it my loss or theirs?..
Digital is NOT real photography - just an approximation.. Not yet, at least. Don't be fooled by "pixel" jargon, just go for a decent prosumer and that's it. It 'll be hitting the dustbin next year, and you can count on it!..
B&H lost my custom 10 years ago when I ordered face to face in NY a lot of lenses, filters and Sigma bodies.. They took forever to bring the stuff, then they said they would charge an obsene amount of money to send it to NJ (to avoid NY tax). I went down there, gave them hell and took my money back.. ..haven't seen any of me or my money ever since.. Is it my loss or theirs?..
I disagree... Digital is there, bro. Has been for the past few years. Since the Canon 1D and D60 came out... I've owned and used both and even in BIG prints they would do as well as, and often better than 35mm film. The newer versions (1D Mark II and 1Ds) should be even better, rivaling medium format film according to the reviews and comparisons I've seen. Until you've used a Digital SLR and quality glass, you haven't been where digital can take you. Prosumer is NOT there, but digital at it's higher levels most certainly is.
I've seen MANY posts by others who have been jerked around by B&H over silly shid like that. I don't put up with attitude from someone I'm sendin' my hard earned money to. Just can't see payin' someone to fug me. Sounds like you're the same way.
