|
|
Post by Rockindad on Apr 29, 2021 17:30:05 GMT -5
Guess I should have been more clear in my response. I was not saying the Coolpix B500 was ancient. I was responding to Rockoontz's statement about his old camera taking AA batteries which makes it easy to power. The B500 though fairly new and often still available, still uses those AA bateries which is why I bought it instead of the later models with the "power pack only" that requires recharging feature. Can't recharge a dang battery pack while in the field shooting.This is a real issue when not having access to power for days on end. On most of our trips we would be based out of a tent for 2-3 days at a time. The weight of the extra batteries can really add up, used to do video as well and those suckers were like carrying little bricks. |
|
Sabre52
Cave Dweller 
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,494
|
Post by Sabre52 on Apr 29, 2021 18:40:34 GMT -5
Yep, with my rig, Eight spare lithium AAs and the four rechargables in the camera will last almost 1200 shots and weigh next to nothing. I flat love this camera for shooting everything from bugs to birds and scenery and it's all in one small package. Photo quality is amazing too.
|
|
pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
|
Post by pizzano on Apr 29, 2021 20:44:59 GMT -5
All this talk about camera battery charging flexibility.......lol
Lots of personal opinions here not really based on actual reality........especially when the following examples come into play....:
Just how big and heavy are digital camera battery cartridges.....how much time do they take to recharge if charged when they should be at no less than 30% remaining, compared to equal capacity AA or AAA.......can they be charged efficiently without AC power adapters or wall outlet plug-ins........do cartridges provide more or less power and consumption than say a good AA or AAA rechargeable battery in total equal to the mAh value of a cartridge (mAh meaning in laymen terms, capacity or size of the gas tank)...........cost effective....?
1) If comparing equal number and total mAh value/size of AA/AAA, the size and weight is appreciable......have own(d) full frame DSLR, digital P&S, motorized full frame film and charges for each, by the time you consider the number of batteries needed and chargers required, it's a wash.
2) If both charged at the suggested no less than 30%, the time it takes to fully charge a cartridge compared to (4) AA, is about the same, given age and whether or not using a wall adapter or USB type power supply in your car or PC or spare portable battery pack made for recharging.
3) What's nice about the newer digital cartridge camera is they can be charged with external sources (USB) without having to remove the battery cartridge from the camera. I do this all the time when on the road in my vehicle, or in the field with my laptop. I also own a fairly powerful, portable recharge battery pack. Yes it may take a bit more time (as it would doing the same with AA/AAA), but there is no drop-off of charge effectiveness.
4) Power (gas in the tank) provided by a cartridge will have a greater mAh value, and upgrades are always available, at some cost. Depending how much work the battery has to perform will dictate consumption. This is no different for AA/AAA batteries....although some say they have over all longer battery "life" with AA/AAA than cartridge, my experience has been just the opposite.
5) Cost effectiveness........cartridges are more expensive up-front, especially if one up-grades to a higher mAh. But given the the life span, more gas in the tank, less number of objects to loose track of or have to maintain, If one AA/AAA goes bad during the shooting process and the others are down in charge, you shouldn't just pop in a new fully charged one to keep going, bad things can and will happen with cameras, and you still have the same or more amount of replacement effort if you change each one.
Much of what I have discussed is not only based on my personal experience, but is also the consensus of the many casual to serious photographers I have interacted with........there's many good reasons cartridge camera batteries are here to stay.....they keep getting more powerful, smaller, faster to charge, longer life and less expensive all the time.....To me, not something really worth seriously debating.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rockoonz on Apr 30, 2021 18:53:58 GMT -5
pizzano the point of AA batteries to me is I put them in when I need them. I don't use rechargeable batteries, I use regular old alkaline batteries. I don't take a lot of pics, so I don't want to have to plan for them, it's enough to keep my phone charged.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rockoonz on Apr 30, 2021 19:01:44 GMT -5
Also, I dislike tiny cameras. My hands aren't YUGE but I prefer that old style camera shape that lends itself to one handed photography without dropping or getting a finger in front of the lens. The Canon even has a conventional sight for when the suns too bright to see the display and it is the lens view.
|
|
Win
spending too much on rocks
Member since June 2017
Posts: 337 
|
Post by Win on May 1, 2021 9:28:32 GMT -5
I shoot Canon, full frame, DSLRs and have a lot of gear. If I wasn't 77 and retired I'd be making the switch to Mirrorless. A friend that shoots daily just did just that. She stayed with Canon and is loving it. I haven't priced the newer cameras, not sure what you can get into for $2000.00.
|
|
Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,494
|
Post by Sabre52 on May 1, 2021 15:40:10 GMT -5
Win, Geez, for about $1000 you can get a Nikon Coolpix P1000. Fairly large for a bridge camera but it can do everything for you but cook your dinner. Monster optical zoom, a multitude of shooting modes, good viewfinder and image stabilization etc etc. I chose the smaller B500 because of size, price, power source flexibility and and handheld, even one handed macro shooting qualities but was sorely tempted to get a larger model. Makes my old Canon rig look like a fossil.
|
|
pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
|
Post by pizzano on May 3, 2021 10:25:49 GMT -5
Hey rockindad.........
Have you completed your shopping list and narrowed down a camera selection.....?
For the budget you have proposed, seems the choices and past experiences could have made this a pretty wise & effortless decision with a little $$$ to spare/use on additional glass........?
|
|
|
|
Post by Rockindad on May 3, 2021 17:36:32 GMT -5
Hey rockindad......... Have you completed your shopping list and narrowed down a camera selection.....? For the budget you have proposed, seems the choices and past experiences could have made this a pretty wise & effortless decision with a little $$$ to spare/use on additional glass........? Short answer: still researching, see long answer for details. Long answer: I just spent a tidy sum on a 10" tile saw for this hobby as our 7" is just about dead. That definitely put a dent in the camera budget. As the lapidary hobby is something I do with my son I view this as being one of the kids activities, similar to sports, music lessons, martial arts, etc. Two and a half years and he is still going strong, got to take the together time while I can get it. My oldest is off to college in the fall and I am already having a hard time with that. It wasn't that long ago that we were inseparable- I coached her for years in softball, took her to all of her music lessons.......The photography is strictly for me so it lost out this time. Too many hobbies/interests, budget too small. The good news is I will be selling off a good portion of my woodworking machinery (used to be my main hobby until I turned it into a business, now only do what is needed for my own household) so that will generate some income in the next year. In my music hobby (play guitar) I really do not spend too much money on it anymore and should really sell one amp at the very least. I will be looking within a more modest budget now. I know there are some good bridge cameras but the camera that just broke was a Canon PowerShot SX530HS which I really couldn't stand. All kinds of great features as far as shooting modes but the image quality was terrible. Low light situations were the worst. I am to blame for this purchase as I did not do my due diligence as our Olympus point and shoot that we had was acting up and our daughter was in a school musical so we needed a camera right away. Anyways, just started looking at some "beginner" DSLR's and some of the specs look fairly impressive. Figuring if I get back into photography full throttle I will expand/upgrade over time. For the record I was most seriously considering the Canon R6, I already have some lenses that I could use and that was definitely a consideration. It is "only" 20MP but that is not everything. Realistically it would have been more than enough for what I had planned. Whew, sorry for the book! |
|
pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
|
Post by pizzano on May 3, 2021 18:19:26 GMT -5
Long answer response.......:
Figured as much, since you are invested in the kids....as it should be...!
Kids and their activities inspired me to up-grade my photo stuff to digital.......prior to being a parent, I took film camera field photography fairly serious, being a coach and scout for various clubs in the area, having a camera with me all the time was second nature, made for some decent local "fish wrap" features and a few $$$ to support the hobby.
Like the idea of a new "bridge" camera......as a stepping stone (pause) to something you'd rather have long run. Will give you time to acquaint yourself with the newer operation logic and sort out those like and dislike aspects, now prep'd for bigger and better.
To me, cameras are extension of our personal view of the world (whatever world that may be) and a way to express ourselves without saying a word........obviously, I was thrilled when cell phones came with cameras. Now, my phone serves as an everyday shooter. That's way I was very picky, this last cell phone go-around, about the Camera aspects..........lol
Enjoy the camera hunting.....it's not always the catch, that's more fun than the hunt.........personally, I enjoy the hunt, much like chasing that awesome shot....!
|
|
Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,512
|
Post by Brian on May 3, 2021 19:50:33 GMT -5
For the record I was most seriously considering the Canon R6, I already have some lenses that I could use and that was definitely a consideration. It is "only" 20MP but that is not everything. Realistically it would have been more than enough for what I had planned. Whew, sorry for the book! I can totally relate to that situation! Sharing this hobby with the kids makes it all the more worthwhile. The R6 really is one great looking camera... Once they start discounting them, I may not be able to resist. (And then I will have to get the kids hooked on photography!) |
|
|
|
Post by Rockindad on May 4, 2021 14:56:14 GMT -5
Long answer response.......: Figured as much, since you are invested in the kids....as it should be...! Kids and their activities inspired me to up-grade my photo stuff to digital.......prior to being a parent, I took film camera field photography fairly serious, being a coach and scout for various clubs in the area, having a camera with me all the time was second nature, made for some decent local "fish wrap" features and a few $$$ to support the hobby. Like the idea of a new "bridge" camera......as a stepping stone (pause) to something you'd rather have long run. Will give you time to acquaint yourself with the newer operation logic and sort out those like and dislike aspects, now prep'd for bigger and better. Exactly the conclusion I came to. I really don't need a higher end camera to "get up to speed" with digital photography beyond just using the auto settings. I expect to have a shorter learning curve due to past experience but it will be good to learn on something that I do not feel I have to keep for many years due to a large investment.To me, cameras are extension of our personal view of the world (whatever world that may be) and a way to express ourselves without saying a word........obviously, I was thrilled when cell phones came with cameras. Now, my phone serves as an everyday shooter. That's way I was very picky, this last cell phone go-around, about the Camera aspects..........lol Enjoy the camera hunting.....it's not always the catch, that's more fun than the hunt.........personally, I enjoy the hunt, much like chasing that awesome shot....! Definitely enjoy doing all of the research, comparing specs, etc. |
|
|
|
Post by Rockindad on May 4, 2021 14:59:22 GMT -5
For the record I was most seriously considering the Canon R6, I already have some lenses that I could use and that was definitely a consideration. It is "only" 20MP but that is not everything. Realistically it would have been more than enough for what I had planned. Whew, sorry for the book! I can totally relate to that situation! Sharing this hobby with the kids makes it all the more worthwhile. The R6 really is one great looking camera... Once they start discounting them, I may not be able to resist. (And then I will have to get the kids hooked on photography!) It probably won't be too long really. Remember when flatscreen TV's cost an arm and a leg? |
|
Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,512
|
Post by Brian on May 4, 2021 15:20:55 GMT -5
I can totally relate to that situation! Sharing this hobby with the kids makes it all the more worthwhile. The R6 really is one great looking camera... Once they start discounting them, I may not be able to resist. (And then I will have to get the kids hooked on photography!) It probably won't be too long really. Remember when flatscreen TV's cost an arm and a leg? Ain’t that the truth. That touches on one of the best lessons I learned when researching my first digital camera which was to invest the money in good lenses rather than worrying about the body because the body will be worth half in a year or two and eventually need upgrading, but the lenses will last a lifetime. I still have most of my good lenses. |
|
|
|
Post by Rockindad on Jun 14, 2021 18:18:50 GMT -5
After reading more reviews and specs than should be allowed, watching video reviews/comparisons, checking the bank account, etc. I decided on a Sony a7III. It is a little overwhelming at the moment as the only Sony cameras I have used in the past were a couple of digital point and shoots we had years ago. Actually I had one for work and liked it enough to buy one for our personal use. There is a world of difference between those and this one. Really have to put some time in just to learn the menu.
It is an older model (been out for about three years) that has been updated a number of times but it let me get into a mirrorless full frame, cost still being a consideration. Just using the 28-70mm kit lens for now but researching other glass as well, there are plenty of options. It will be interesting to see what the next few years hold as manufacturers continue to abandon DSLR's and focus more on these. There were other Sony, Nikon and Canon options I certainly would have been happy with but prices are still relatively high for these. I did seriously consider going the DSLR route due to some of the great prices I found but ultimately decided to get into the technology that will be supported for a while, until something else comes along. In any event it will keep me busy for a good long time.
Thanks to all that contributed to this thread, it really did help.
|
|
pizzano
Cave Dweller
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,390
|
Post by pizzano on Jun 14, 2021 19:40:38 GMT -5
Nice....small, light, great mega pixel count, intuitive user menu attributes.......seems you'll need a few extra batteries and a mount connector to use compatible, Canon, Nikon, ect. type lenses, since Sony OEM (even used) may end up costing more than what you paid for "pre-owned body only" models.......should last you for quite some time...........Happy digital capturing.......!
|
|
Brian
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2020
Posts: 1,512
|
Post by Brian on Jun 14, 2021 21:33:35 GMT -5
The Sony is an excellent choice and I’m glad to hear you went with full frame mirrorless. That should serve you well for many years to come.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rockindad on Jun 15, 2021 10:00:36 GMT -5
Nice....small, light, great mega pixel count, intuitive user menu attributes.......seems you'll need a few extra batteries and a mount connector to use compatible, Canon, Nikon, ect. type lenses, since Sony OEM (even used) may end up costing more than what you paid for "pre-owned body only" models.......should last you for quite some time...........Happy digital capturing.......! A lot of the Sony glass is expensive, frankly it was the biggest reason for not pulling the trigger earlier. Hoping that as this format grows prices will come down, also there seems to be some decent lenses built by others with the FE mount this camera uses. If not then an adapter will come into play. |
|
|
|
Post by Rockindad on Jun 15, 2021 10:13:38 GMT -5
The Sony is an excellent choice and I’m glad to hear you went with full frame mirrorless. That should serve you well for many years to come. It might take me years to learn the menu  . Seriously though, it will take some time to “memorize” it and set up some of the custom function buttons. It was a fun “hunt” and all of the research did bring me up to speed better on what is out there now. Trying to set aside some time this weekend for shooting. |
|
Nov 14, 2024 18:17:57 GMT -5
*
Nov 14, 2024 18:17:57 GMT -5
*
Nov 15, 2024 17:44:51 GMT -5
