Infiltration

tick location: Abingdon, VA Gender: Male \| \| \|	Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it <Reply # 20 on 5/9/2006 2:30 AM >

	I use a Canon Powershot A75, cost me $200 new. Manual setting gives up to a 15-second exposure, which works well for most underground-type situations. Only rarely have I wished I had anything nicer.

phor_d location: McGregor, TX and NE Gender: Male \| \| \|	Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it <Reply # 21 on 5/9/2006 4:39 AM >

	Canon S1 IS here. 10x optical zoom, 3.2 Mpixel, compact flash. Was like $300-ish new, much less on ebay now. The newer version is the S2. It's got a good amount of manual stuff. Does ok at night with a tripod, but is a bit noisy. Noise reduction stuff in photoshop makes it much better, especially with bracketing and blending combined with that. I don't do much night photography though, otherwise I might learn how to do it better. It has all the features/nifty stuff I need, without the big size and cost of a real nice camera. And it has lived through some mild water related action and being treated roughly.

TurboZutek

King Dick
location:
Scotland
Gender: Male

Giant octo-penised rapephant

Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it
<Reply # 22 on 5/9/2006 6:53 AM >

Posted by tick
I use a Canon Powershot A75, cost me $200 new. Manual setting gives up to a 15-second exposure, which works well for most underground-type situations. Only rarely have I wished I had anything nicer.

My first real digi. camera.

I have an A85 now and a Rebel.

Chris...

We all had ostriches. My dad had an ostrich farm! I remember one day someone came in and said the high altitude bombing of Kosovo had been a limited success, so we all went out and celebrated… by killing an ostrich and boiling it in kiwi fruit.

Nightskye

location:
Southern Maine
Gender: Male

Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it
<Reply # 23 on 5/9/2006 2:29 PM >

Posted by Deuterium

Anyone can find a review from a commercial review site given a model #. The purpose of this thread is to share personal experience with the camera in the course of UEing.

Fair enough.

Canon A620

sensor: 7MP
Lens: 6x optical
memory: SD card
battery: 4 x AA, regular or rechargeable

Likes: advanced full manual controls, several preset shooting modes, a couple very useful semi-adjustable shooting modes (aperture priority mode and shutter priority mode), auto mode is very forgiving. There is also a custom mode to save your own settings to a preset.

Dislikes: not quite small enough to pocket, USB door is very flimsy, multipoint autofocus can be too picky at times, you can only store one custom mode at a time using the Custom preset.

Overall a great camera though. When I mentioned the autofocus being very forgiving, I was thinking especially in terms of hurried shots. I usually don't have time to stand around fumbling with camera settings for every shot. Quick point and shoots still turn out good results with this camera.

Usually just changing shooting angles eliminates any multipoint focus issues, or switching to spot focus.

If you want something more pocketable, I'd check out the SD550 or SD630.

Hi/Po location: Earth Gender: Male \|	Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it <Reply # 24 on 5/10/2006 4:54 PM >

	Casio Exilim EX-S500 about $215 US Likes: It's very small and compact. Has many useful controls including ISO, white balance, colour filters, Exposure comp., focus, metering, flash. ISO supposably goes down to 50. Intuitive menu system. Uses SD memory. Dislikes: 32 preset scene modes but no manual control over shutter/aperture, small size means more shake (anti-shake just bumps up the ISO speed), max 4 second exposure. There is no USB out, you have to dock it and changing memory cards shuts off the camera. This is another temporary camera for me. Previously I used a Kodak 2 megapixel which I bought when 2 mp was the standard. Although the only control it offered was 4 scene modes, the lens was excellent. I had some impressive macros.

FoxTwoFoxTwo

location:
Clarksville, Tennessee
Gender: Male

I'm an explorer who photographs...

Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it
<Reply # 25 on 5/11/2006 12:43 AM >

Posted by Glass

Do you even know what that mount does? Doesn't sound like it.
Also, your disease reference is exceedingly rude. I know many handicapped photographers (mentally and physically) that put out better shitty shots than the best of your best.
You post pisses me off.

Glass

Okay, okay, I admit, looking back on that, it was a bit out of line. What I mean to say is:

My night shots need a gyroscopic stabilizers to not come out looking like the result of an earthquake + godzilla stomp + Chuck norris kick to the face + Mr. T Pity * Vin Diesel punch.

Better? Also, come on, I may be an explorer first but my pics arent that bad are they? *feeling insecure*

Bringing exploration to Clarksville.

Journal: http://www.uer.ca/...id=4&catid=2000173 | RUAUER!?!?!?111ONE??QUESTIONMARK | FoxTwoFoxTwo - "I just ordered a large. I have a relatively huge head so yeah..."

Glass

location:
Chicago

as one does

Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it
<Reply # 26 on 5/11/2006 7:29 AM >

Posted by FoxTwoFoxTwo

Okay, okay, I admit, looking back on that, it was a bit out of line. What I mean to say is:

My night shots need a gyroscopic stabilizers to not come out looking like the result of an earthquake + godzilla stomp + Chuck norris kick to the face + Mr. T Pity * Vin Diesel punch.

Better? Also, come on, I may be an explorer first but my pics arent that bad are they? *feeling insecure*

1) Get a tripod.
2) Forget your mount stabilizers; you don't need anything fancier than a camera on a sturdy tripod. Gyroscopic stabilizers aren't going to be available for your little camera... invest in more knowledge about photography instead of smart glass.
3) Post more photos... I can't recall EVER seeing your artistic work.

I'll be watching for a post from you in the critique forum soon...

-Glass

PS.
I went nice because you said "Chuck Norris"!

Deuterium

location:
PNW
Gender: Male

Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it
<Reply # 27 on 5/11/2006 8:33 PM >

Posted by Glass

1) Get a tripod.
2) Forget your mount stabilizers; you don't need anything fancier than a camera on a sturdy tripod. Gyroscopic stabilizers aren't going to be available for your little camera... invest in more knowledge about photography instead of smart glass.
3) Post more photos... I can't recall EVER seeing your artistic work.

I'll be watching for a post from you in the critique forum soon...

-Glass

PS.
I went nice because you said "Chuck Norris"!

Not all UE'ers do artsy photos

Glass

location:
Chicago

as one does

Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it
<Reply # 28 on 5/11/2006 9:28 PM >

Posted by Deuterium

Not all UE'ers do artsy photos

When someone calls themself a photographer they don't mean they take shitty pictures of their happy drunk friends puking in an abandonment.
Photographers are artists... all the other guys are known as "the other guys"... normal people.

Glass

Twystr location: 39.2N, 104.17W Elev. 6535ft Gender: Male Gimme Biggah Drayyyyynes! \|	Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it <Reply # 29 on 5/12/2006 1:03 AM >

	I have a Pentax K-1000 myself... Havent had a problem with it yet, I also have a Sunpak slave flash - and a Pentax SLR lens... All of this is vintage 1980s stuff... The Asahi Pentax stuff is built like a tank and I loves it... Oh and I usually feed it Fuji ASA 400 film...I am addicted to that "Grain" look that 400 has... [last edit 5/12/2006 1:03 AM by Twystr - edited 1 times] "The man who trades freedom for security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either." -Ben Franklin

Leravenn location: Milledgeville, GA Gender: Female P(ie) Team \| \|	Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it <Reply # 30 on 5/13/2006 2:25 AM >

	Kodak Z740-- approximately $230 from eBay sensor: 5 megapixels lens: 10X zoom memory: SD card battery: CRV3's, rechargeable Ni-MH's, or AA's likes: The zoom is great, especially for taking close-ups of places I can't quite access, whether due to unstable floors, fences, or laziness-- though some manner of tripod is essential whenever I do use the zoom, unless lighting permits a very quick exposure. A few of the scene modes are quite useful, like Macro and Text for whenever I take close-ups and pics of documents; the manual controls help me override the camera's impulse to take perfectly balanced pictures-- for example, if I want to take a slightly underexposed picture to capture the dismal 'mood' of a place; and I like having control over white balance, though I can adjust that sort of thing in Photoshop or Picasa later anyway. I get decent battery life, and can pack about 120 pictures on a 128mb card (with finest/sharpest resolution). It also comes with a neck strap that keeps my camera at the ready, though I guess I look like a dorky tourist, and it has a lens cap which keeps me from scratching up the lens while walking around. And since I have a pop-up flash that I manually open and close, I don't have to worry about the flash firing because I forgot to change an option in some obscure menu. dislikes: It's not a Canon multi-bux uber-savvy Rebel XT. It saves everything as jpegs, so I can't do as much nifty processing as I could with something that does RAW. It doesn't have as many manual controls as an SLR or DSLR, and sometimes I have to trick it into focusing on my subject-- if it will focus on it at all. And 5mp has its limits; however, Kodak came out with a 6mp successor to the Z740 that is identical in every other respect, and it's about $350 at Wal-Mart. Oh well. It's also not as conveniently small as some cameras. I carry it around in a mini backpack since the hip holsters that would accomodate it usually look bulky and retarded-- like I'm on safari or something. And the lens cap pops off easily in the backpack, which is unfortunate. Also, its body style doesn't lend me as much legitimacy as a 'professional' camera would-- though it does give me more credibility than someone with a teeny-tiny camera, and most of the people who have seen me don't seem to differentiate between a $1000 Canon and a $200 Kodak. It's like they think anyone photographing an abandoned building necessarily works for a newspaper/magazine/random company. Hmm... what else... I can't set an exposure for longer than 8 seconds, so some night shots just aren't going to come out without flash-- which means they're just not coming out. And that's about it. For $230, I don't know how much better I could do. I wuv my Z740. ~P.oop I.s E.verywhere~ Pie Creed #8

TurboZutek King Dick location: Scotland Gender: Male Giant octo-penised rapephant \| \| \|	Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it <Reply # 31 on 5/13/2006 11:16 AM >

	PlasticDel used to own and use a Kodak - it's complete inability to focus on ANYTHING in conditions that were not well lit direct sunlight meant that he 'dropped it' and 'insurance claimed' it pretty early on. Cheap Camera + Shite Focus System = Kodak Chris... We all had ostriches. My dad had an ostrich farm! I remember one day someone came in and said the high altitude bombing of Kosovo had been a limited success, so we all went out and celebrated… by killing an ostrich and boiling it in kiwi fruit.

Ian This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information. location: The County of Kings Gender: Male "Great architecture has only two natural enemies: water, and stupid men." \|	Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it <Reply # 32 on 5/13/2006 2:37 PM >

	When exploring, I typically shoot with a Minolta XD11, and the following three lenses: - 50mm Rokkor-X Prime f/1.4 - 28mm Rokkor - 35-70mm Rokkor Zoom Macro occasionally I bring - 100mm Tele-Rokkor 1:1 macro - 95-205mm Rokkor Zoom Macro Total cost of all this gear is about $150, as it is half of the gear which came in a Minolta package off ebay (another XD11 body, and several more lenses, and an auto-winder) for $300. The 35-70 was separate, but only about $35.

function location: Toronto Gender: Male \| \|	Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it <Reply # 33 on 6/6/2006 5:28 PM >

	Sub-$300? Easy ... my $189 Pentax 35mm POS. I'll never cry if I drop or lose it, and it has been good enough to capture some great moments. One of the faster 35mm Olympus compacts would be even better quality-wise and still low cost. "Cheap" is easy, unless you must have / cannot live without the digital stuff.

Reb00t location: Chicagoland Gender: Male Iron Chef Microwave \| \|	Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it <Reply # 34 on 6/8/2006 1:47 AM >

	My Canon Powershot A520 has stood up pretty well. The exterior is slightly damaged from numerous drops on both concrete and carpet, and everything still works like it's new. It's also fairly compact and will take a good number of shots on one set of rechargeable AA's. It'll go into backup duty when I get a newer DSLR. Type: Canon A520 http://www.dprevie...non/canon_a520.asp ^review sensor: 3.9 MP Lens: 4x optical, image stabilizer memory: SD/MMC card battery: 2 x AA, regular or rechargeable Like: Friggin durable, has survived many drops. Movie feature is actually half decent. Dislike: Not enough manual features. Poor shots for action/fast. [last edit 6/8/2006 1:53 AM by Reb00t - edited 1 times]

DevilC

location:
Washington, District of Corruption
Gender: Male

I serve as a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their views.

Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it
<Reply # 35 on 7/29/2006 7:20 PM >

Posted by Leviathan
When exploring, I typically shoot with a Minolta XD11, and the following three lenses:
- 50mm Rokkor-X Prime f/1.4
- 28mm Rokkor
- 35-70mm Rokkor Zoom Macro
occasionally I bring
- 100mm Tele-Rokkor 1:1 macro
- 95-205mm Rokkor Zoom Macro
Total cost of all this gear is about $150, as it is half of the gear which came in a Minolta package off ebay (another XD11 body, and several more lenses, and an auto-winder) for $300.
The 35-70 was separate, but only about $35.

* You are indeed very good at using what you have, vice spending your way out. BUT uhhhhh, whaddya spend on film and processing?
* Used quality digital camera, cheap? I suggest a Canon G5 or S50/S60. The G5 has a feature set close to many digital SLRs. At 5mpx it's a pretty competant camera so long as you stay under ISO100 and have a decent tripod.

Science flies you to the Moon. Religion flies you into tall buildings.

djarcanum

location:
WNY
Gender: Male

Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it
<Reply # 36 on 7/29/2006 11:49 PM >

Posted by nightbird
My previous camera was a $100 Kodak EasyShare.... big pile of crap. I basically gave up trying to take any good pictures at night.

Yeah I also have an easyshare ..cx7300 and the night photos are bad. Doesn't catch distant objects at all, only what's in front of it. It's alright for day, but for night...yeah screw it. I'll have a 35mm SLR soon though (need it for school).

Arcane Studios
Audio/Video/Photography

iq72EfX location: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin Gender: Male UE in a question mark suit since '05 \|	Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it <Reply # 37 on 7/31/2006 8:51 PM >

	HP Photosmart 720, 3.3MP, 300ish when I bought it. I can't fit it in my pocket, because it is basically the size and shape of a brick. It can't focus for crap in even kind-of-dark places, and it's exposure is plus or minus 2.0 seconds max. Sometimes it won't even turn on and you need to press the power button over and over until you finally hear it's lens come out. The lens is very slow to come out, so it usually takes me 2 minutes to turn it on. Oh, and occasionally, it just decides to turn photos purple. Like this set: (there was NO photoshopping on these photos) On a good note, it's pretty much disposable.

charon108 location: Springfield MO Gender: Male \|	Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it <Reply # 38 on 8/1/2006 5:53 AM >

	I have an Olympus FE-140. Its 6 megapixels and is a pretty good camera. It is really small so its fits into your pocket and sometimes forget its there... it has an exposure compensation feature which is semi-helpful in low light environments but, of course it shoots better during the day. Has a 2.5 in screen and image stabilization which helps out A LOT since I don't have a tripod. XP card, 2 AA batteries. Retails for around $200, but the idiot sales guy at Sears put the wrong info card in front of it so i ended up getting it for $129. His mistake gave me $70 off! This is your life... and its ending one minute at a time.

Chronos

location:
Phoenix, Arizona
Gender: Male

Re: UEers with a <$300 primary exploration camera, post about it
<Reply # 39 on 8/2/2006 5:53 PM >

I have a Canon Powershot SD550 and I love it. It has:

7.2 MP
6x zoom, 12x digital zoom
Rechargeable battery with a surprisingly long life
Very little "Digital Lag"
A very small form factor (not sure of the dimensions)
A ton of features for more advanced users
And an amazing macro setting for what it is

Overall this is a great point and shoot camera, I bought it a few months ago and I have not been disappointed yet by it. I dunno if macro is your guys' thing, but I'm on my laptop and I don't have most of my digital pics, so here's a sample:

click to view

[last edit 8/2/2006 10:05 PM by Chronos - edited 1 times]

"Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more." -Mark Twain

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