Comments on: Best Digital Camera Manufacturers – a Graph

By: Phil

Phil — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:38:05 +0000

Although the article is topped with “Best” the graph is topped with “Favorite” digital cameras. The graph then represents favorites not compared quality or even qualities.But it is an interesting order of cameras “possessed” by responders.

By: Nikonic

Nikonic — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 17:11:50 +0000

I love Nikon. It’s definitely my ‘preference”.

But, you have to remember, if you know how to work your camera, you can take great pix with any brand.

By: Brad

Brad — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:39:00 +0000

Hi Jeff,
You say: “I want to know if I should buy a canon EOS 40 D or a Sony A 700 ? Which one will have the sharpest pictures?” Surely it’s glass that determines that? And even then, some would say, ultimately it depends more on the skill of the photographer holding the glass. However, in terms of kit, whilst Canon has it’s supporters, and the Sony Alfa system (built by many of the people from Minolta) is coming on strong, the “standard zoom” that out performed all the others in it’s class was the Zeiss Vario-Sonnar DT 16 – 80mm f/3.5-4.5 TËš ZA (optical bench and real world tests) Apparently this is achieved through micro – contrast. Macro – contrast needs to be good to give sharpness in major outlines. Micro – contrast makes fine detail equally eye-catching. It also enables subtle colour on small areas, so increasing the plasticity – 3D impression. The availability of this and other Zeiss lenses has to be a strong magnate for the brand. To quote somebody with this camera: “… when I laid my hands on an Alfa 700 it didn’t feel that special – but it proved to be brilliantly good and delivers the kind of results that a friend of mine takes time, effort and photoshop to extract from his Canon.”

By: gbyte

gbyte — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:44:18 +0000

I own canon camera and will continue to own more from this company. Its not because it take better picture quality than any other brand. Its because Canon is one of the popular, leading and lasting company that manufacture complete high quality equipments for photography from sensors to papers and more. I don’t have to look for a third party and to know if it is compatible to my camera.

By: gbyte

gbyte — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:45:01 +0000

To Jeff,
As for me, don’t buy any of two. I advise you to buy Canon EOS 50D body only and a good lens. It is far better than 40D and A700. The price will be equal or slightly higher than the 40D. I guess it will be in the market by December or earlier. If you’re not familiar with canon lenses, here are some good lenses I know: EF-S 10-22 mm f3.5-4.5 USM, EF-S 17-55 mm f2.8 IS USM, EF 50 mm f1.2, f1.4, or f1.8 USM, EF 24-105 mm f4 L IS USM, EF 24-70 mm f2.8 L USM, EF 70-200 mm f2.8 L IS USM. I assure you it will give you sharp picture than any of the two you mention and a better features in its class.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sun, 04 May 2008 17:17:58 +0000

I want to know if I should buy a canon EOS 40 D or a Sony A 700 ? Which one will have the sharpest pictures?

By: Billy

Billy — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:26:32 +0000

i feel that my kodak camera is top notch and is the best investment i have ever made towards a camera. although kodaks are cheap they have got everything a canon camera does and are very efficient

By: Dave

Dave — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:55:40 +0000

I agree with the poll. I sell digital cameras at a professional camera retailer in my area (California), and from a “sales” perspective its pretty dead on. I wouldnt give Fuji as much credit and I’d move Sony up a notch. Canon and Nikon indeed are the big two. No other manufacturer is investig as much money as Canon, Nikon, and Sony in CCD/CMOS research. Thus what pulled Canon ahead of the game when they invested back in 2000 1.5 billion in CMOS sensory research for their DSLR linup – and look at the sales, they reflect it perfectly. I have a feeling Panasonic is going to do much better in the coming years, especially when making OIS standard in all of their camera/camcorders. Olympus/Fuji/Casio/Samsung are in a state of perpetual limbo. Neither great or bad. They get average sales from people who have a prefrence. The worst cameras hands down are the Kodaks. I get returns of their cameras daily. Slow, underpowered and lacking any consistency in product linup I feel hurts them. Every genneration of ther cameras uses a different battery or wont include half of the connections or hardware to use it. Let me throw this out there – there should be a poll on what people feel are the “worst” cameras.

By: Paul

Paul — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:16:17 +0000

I use a Panasonic FZ20 I purchased three years ago. I’ve
been really satisified with the results. I shoot a lot of pictures of theater, music and dance productions where I have to be at a distance. The F2.8 aperature at full zoom makes it all work.

The performing arts hall lobby is decorated with posters made from pictures from this camera.

I went with this camera because of the Leica lense and the large (12x) optical telephoto. I get great long range shots without having to change lenses. I was previously a SLR user. I was going to wait to go digital until DSLR prices dropped from the stratosphere until a competent camera store sales person convinced me that a Nikon with variable telephoto was a good option rather than dealing with removeable lenses. After researching the market I went with the Panasonic FZ20. When traveling a camera bag with extra lenses is a burden. There is more to clean and you can always get dust inside the camera body.

I am thinking about upgrading to the new Panasonic FZ50 because of its higher ASA for low light conditions. FZ20 maxed out at 400 while the FZ50 goes to 3200. The 10.2 megapixel system allows for even greater optical telephoto capabilities as it can take the picture on as little as 3 megapizels of the CCD sensor yielding something like 21x. I’d always prefer optical effects over digital.

By: Chef

Chef — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:17:53 +0000

I have had a few digi cams.
Started off with a fuji – everything from point & shoot to fully manual, which I was way happy with. Took great pics w/ great colours & excellent optical zoom. It got stolen, so I got a minolta dimage a1. Awesome, especially the zoom by twisting instead of electronic. smooth & fast. Great pics, but it broke twice. Great service and backup.
A friend had a canon compact which is the only digi cam I have seen point & shoot to take successful pictures in restaurants & nightclubs where I work, without blur & drama.
Having previously used an awesome Olympus 3MP about 5-6 years ago, I jumped at the new compact stylus which was 5MP, waterproof, waetherproof, and tiny. It took RUBBISH pictures, in almost all conditions except full on sunlight, and broke after 3 months. The colour was absolute bollocks, and I got lots of shots which I could not have got with an SLR – in poor weather conditions, and just through being able to carry in my pocket. Most ended up being deleted as they were trash. Never again will I buy Olympus. I have a panasonic DMC-FZ5 which is just awesome. I am SO happy with it in almost all areas, except for low light photography. It’s intuitive, flexible, and takes sharp, well coloured awesome pics. My daughter has just got a fujifilm compact, and for a compact its as good and reliable as my previous fuji SLR.
I have heard great things about sony – but “memory stick” and the extra 25% on the purchase price because it has a ’sony’ label on it have deterred me for my last 5 purchases. Remember betamax? I HATE proprietry stuff.
But almost every camera I have owned has had a different card, so I suppose that is progress for you.
JMHO, and I hope some of you fnd it useful.
Like Ro, I have no brand loyalty, and do thorough internet research and a good shop around before I decide. With the Olympus I was well duped into wasting $400.
Another gripe, generally, why the HELL do digi cam makers insist on movies being in quicktime MOV format?
I HATE that. why not avi, mpeg, divx or something that normal people use. I even hate the quicktime player and codecs. Get with the program and get democratic on formats.
More RAW would be nice, although it does slow down shooting times.