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DenneyR wrote:Ok, I'm very well educated on digital cameras..........there is a lot of talk about Canon, does anyone have an opinion on the Nikon Coolpix cameras?

I like the 3" screen, and the 1080 Video and a high degree of zoom.

What is the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom.

I was considering the NIkon S9300 or S8200

There's certainly nothing wrong with Nikon. They make very good cameras as well. The features you specified are present in cameras from many brands and aren't exclusive to Nikon. Optical zoom is like a telescope or binoculars for your camera. The image is being magnified before the camera takes the picture. Digital zoom is like taking a picture and then zooming in on it after it's been taken. There's only so much detail there (things in real life don't work like CSI) and the more you zoom in the more quality you lose.

Basically optical zoom is far more important. You should pretty much ignore any specs about digital zoom. There's much more that goes into it since optical zoom lenses are not all created equal either but if you're asking the difference between the two then getting into the details may not matter to you.

prestone818 wrote:

nkan02 wrote:I have a Canon Powershot G10 (which is not waterproof and on the heavy side), and a friend has Stylus Tough. I was really impressed with the quality/clarity of her photos. Thinking of getting one myself.

they might be a step above a cell phone camera, but quite a ways off of an s100, g12, lx5. i had an Olympus tough camera for a short time. worked well enough in the water etc but the picture quality was much lower than my canon sd 800 at the time.

My understanding that there are several price points on Stylus Tough. The high end ones seem to have very good image quality. We were on the same trip and I could compare the shots taken roughly at the same time with the same lighting. I thought ST clarity > G10.

nkan02 wrote:My understanding that there are several price points on Stylus Tough. The high end ones seem to have very good image quality. We were on the same trip and I could compare the shots taken roughly at the same time with the same lighting. I thought ST clarity > G10.

Thanks for mentioning this. The high-end ST (over 2x the cost of the bottom-end model) looks to be a pretty decent camera. Even accepts filters, with the right attachment.

benners wrote:.....about 2 years seems to be the shelf life of every sub $200 point and shoot camera I've owned.

I bought a Casio Exilim from WM and used it a ton in all kinds of conditions. I've had it for almost 4 years now and if it hadn't been for taking a swim in the St Vrain last August on a hike, I'd still be using it. It still works but there is some blurriness in the upper left corner of the pictures now. Definitely not the camera's fault. I was surprised that the Canon took a dump so soon. Still considering the A4000 or similar as I have an extra battery now that I can use for longer trips. If it malfunctions like the ELPH 310, I'll go with something else.

I've had my Canon S90 for about 4 years now and it's still going strong. And that includes a mountain bike crash while trying to make a video with it.

Johnson wrote:

prestone818 wrote:tough cameras are great if you plan on dropping it in water/sand/rocks etc. if you are looking for a high quality picture that is not the avenue you want to take.

That's what I was thinking but the expert at BB thought my thinking was flawed.

There's no experts at BB fyi.

klinger wrote:

Johnson wrote:

prestone818 wrote:tough cameras are great if you plan on dropping it in water/sand/rocks etc. if you are looking for a high quality picture that is not the avenue you want to take.

That's what I was thinking but the expert at BB thought my thinking was flawed.

There's no experts at BB fyi.

I was going to say "expert".....

Unless you have your heart dead set on a small POS, I'd look into a good used DSLR from Nikon or Canon. You'll have much better photos, greater flexibility for taking shots in low light (i.e. predawn shots), can can use different lenses (landscape, wildlife, etc...). Some of the smaller DSLRS are not that much heavier than the POS models.

Megapixel rating is more of a marketing tool in most cameras - sure all things equal more resolution will yield better results when blown up - but (i) all things are usually NOT equal in comparison shopping and (ii) how many of us blow up images very often to 30" and larger? a 6MP DSLR will almost always have better photos than a 12MP POS and have more flexibility to take the shot.

Think of a Used D200 from Nikon which will run you probably about the same as a current POS and you'll be getting an awesome camera that was $1600 new and is really nearly a pro camera and more camera than most people can maximize.

As an add on - I've also used several POS models from Canon, SONY, Nikon Coolpix and Olympus Stylus; after switching to DSLR years ago, I'll probably never bring a POS into the mountains again.

The D70/D200/D300 series of Nikons are pretty durable and great camera bodies and mine have been through rain, snow sleet and gotten very wet and all have been fine (I've never submerged them, but how often is that a risk in the mountains? If a real risk, put it in a sealed stuff waterproof sack Yes, an SLR is heavier, but don't you want to enjoy your trip again when you get home and see your awesome shots and not be disappointed by blown out photos from the little compact or the blurry images of sunrise/sunset or wildlife?

Of course, some compacts do take some great pictures in ideal light - but it's in less than ideal lighting conditions that the SLR shines. If you only take pics in daylight or take the time to bring a tripod for twilight and don't worry too much about wildlife, then you'll probably be fine with a POS.

Just my two cents! enjoy!

nyker wrote:As an add on - I've also used several POS models from Canon, SONY, Nikon Coolpix and Olympus Stylus; after switching to DSLR years ago, I'll probably never bring a POS into the mountains again.

POS = Point And Shoot??? Or piece of sh*t???

For me, I just hated lugging around all the bulk of a DSLR when I was trying to move fast and light through the mountains. Hence why I switched to the Canon S90, which has a lot of the features of a DSLR without the bulk. I also seriously considered the Canon G11/12, but even they were a little too bulky for my liking.

Just got my graduation gift, a Sony Nex 5n, in the mail this week. Only played with it a little so far, looking forward to getting it into the mountains. I hadn't seen one in person before ordering it, the size is pretty amazing, tiny. For me this looked like a good logical next step up from my point-and-shoot...

JB99 wrote:Just got my graduation gift, a Sony Nex 5n, in the mail this week. Only played with it a little so far, looking forward to getting it into the mountains. I hadn't seen one in person before ordering it, the size is pretty amazing, tiny. For me this looked like a good logical next step up from my point-and-shoot...

It's definitely is a big step up - I use the NEX-5 and while I'm still learning how to use it, I really really like it a lot so far!