Camera Recommendations/Reviews?

[tbyrne]

Almost all SLR camera lenses can take a screw-on polarizing filter, which works just like polarized sunglasses - they filter out light rays coming from a particular direction, cut glare and let you see under the surface more easily. I don't know whether the Canon S95 takes one.

[JoeyM]

I am about to buy a GO Camera. I finally got to see one and they are very cool. My question is why don't you use it for snapshots as well as video?

i occasionally use it for still pics. especially if it's somewhere i cant use my regular camera. it is a super wide angle shot though. and the image quality isn't great.

i can give you examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMUv0mZiKGs

this entire video was made using still pics taken from a Go Pro HD. u can see how wide angle it is. also you can see the vignetting because i have an underwater flat lens on the camera. i didnt bother to change it back to the regular case. actually i guess i didnt even need the case to do this, but the camera is pretty fragile outside the case.

more examples, if you go to the 56 second mark in this video, you will see still pics taken with the gopro fitted with an underwater lens.

http://vimeo.com/26911851

[JoeyM]

Almost all SLR camera lenses can take a screw-on polarizing filter, which works just like polarized sunglasses - they filter out light rays coming from a particular direction, cut glare and let you see under the surface more easily. I don't know whether the Canon S95 takes one.

aftermarket adapter for a polarizer and the Canon S95.

http://www.lensmateonline.com/store/s90v2.php

The Canon S95 won't be as good as a DSLR with nice lenses obviously. But for $450 you cannot get into a DSLR with decent glass. I have seen the S95 take better pics than entry level DSLR's with kit lenses.

[tbyrne]

The 18-55 lens has excellent image quality, but merely adequate build quality (See www.bythom.com or www.kenrockwell.com). For the price, it is hard to beat.

While the S95 will probably match an entry-level DSLR for image quality, it will have more shutter lag, so if you want action photos (whales breaching, etc), the S95/S90 may disappoint. On the other hand, if you want scenic photos and C&R photos, the S95/S90 will be great.

Here is a used S90 (recently replaced by S95) for $350: http://www.adorama.com/US%20%20%20%20448708.html

They also have a used used D40x (be sure it's the Nikon 18-55 lens, not an aftermarket brand) for less than $450 and at least one used D5000 - add a new 18-55 lens for $120 and you're set.

Good luck - they're both great cameras.

[striper1]

See what camera Dom is using. He has some great looking pics and he doesn't seem like a Hi-tech camera guy.

[JoeyM]

See what camera Dom is using. He has some great looking pics and he doesn't seem like a Hi-tech camera guy.

here is the exif data from one of his pics:

Canon EOS REBEL T3i | 24mm F10 1/200 ISO100 | 2011:08:02 13:43:07 | N/A

that cam is $850 on Amazon with just a kit lens.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-T3i-Digi.../dp/B004J3V90Y

[tmack92]

I use a cool pix P100 that was recommended from a friend who is a professional photgrapher with a $4,000 camera, he uses the P100 for fishing, it takes 20 frames per second and really good pictures.... $259.00 at Costco

Of course theres alot more to photography than just the camera, the same friend took this with a point and shoot $170 camera after playing with some settings..