[LM_NET] HIT: TECH - Digital Camera PROS CONS --> LONG!

[Diane Van Gorden <dkvg3955@YAHOO.COM>]

Many thanks to everyone who responded to my query
about a digital camera.  I learned a lot and decided
for what I wanted / needed to go ahead and purchase
the Olympus camera plus extra memory, as recommended
by many of you.  VAN

The following is my original post and the responses I
received:
I think it's time for me to get a digital camera. I'm
seriously looking at an Olympus C-60 w/ 6.1
megapixels, 12x zoom (3x optical/ 4x digital) and a
32MB xD-picture card.  Does anyone have any PROS or
CONS about this camera that I should know about? 
Thanks!

Responses
•     Consumer Reports Best Buy.   Must not be terrible.
(I have not read the Consumer Reports article yet.
Olympus has been in business for along time even
though I have never one. I have had my Kodak for some
time.  The only mistake I made was not buying big
enough flash card right away.  However they might have
been quite expensive at that time.  The ones I have
seen lately have bigger screens than mine, so it is
easier to view.

•     http://www.epinions.com/  has ratings on lots of
stuff...do you know about it?

•     No, but I would read a few professional reviews,
such as....
  Steves Digicams - Olympus CAMEDIA C-60 Zoom - User
ReviewOlympus C-60 Zoom user review. ... Click to take
a QuickTime VR tour of the Olympus C-60 Zoom Click to
take a QTVR tour of the C-60 Zoom ...     
www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/c60.html - 42k -
Jul 18, 
2005 - Cached - Similar pages
  Megapixel.netOlympus C-60. Reviewed June 2004.
Ergonomics. Ergonomics Characteristics ... Inspired by
last year's C50, the Olympus C-60 continues the use of
a brushed
...www.megapixel.net/reviews/oly-c60/c60-review.html -
37k - Cached - Similar pages
  Olympus Camedia C-60 Zoom Digital Camera Review:
Intro and HighlightsDetailed review of Olympus Camedia
C-60 Zoom, with actual sample images, and a detailed
data sheet. 
www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/C60/C60A.HTM - 38k -
Cached - Similar pages
  DCRP Review: Olympus C-60 ZoomDCRP Review: Olympus
C-60 Zoom by Jeff Keller, DCRP Founder/Editor
Originally posted: May 4, 2004 Last Updated: May 4,
2004. Printer Friendly Version
...www.dcresource.com/reviews/
olympus/c60z-review/index.shtml - 74k - 
Cached - Similar pages
  Olympus C-60 Zoom - DCVIEWSOlympus C-60 Zoom / X3
digital camera, up-to-date specifications, latest news
and reviews, ... 10Jun04, Olympus C-60 Zoom review by
Imaging-resource ...www.dcviews.com/_olympus/c60.htm -
22k - Cached - Similar pages
  Olympus C-60 Digital Camera Review in Digital Camera
Reviews at ...Read reviews of Olympus C-60 Digital
Camera in Digital Camera Reviews Compare Olympus C-60
Digital Camera in Digital Cameras at Review Centre. 
www.reviewcentre.com/reviews81927.html - 30k - Cached
- Similar pages

•     If you think you want an Olympus and want a newer
model with a huge zoom and optical stabilization, you
might want to check this review plus others from
Steve, and the other I sent
earlier....http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/Olympus-Camedia-C-5500-Digital-Camera-Review

•     Don't know anything about the camera, but you will
need to get a much larger memory card (picture card)
immediately!

•     What is the iso or film speed?   400 and below are
not very good if the subject has motion or lack of
light

•     I can't give you any advice on the camera.  My
husband is a semi-professional photographer and he
just bought a Cannon EOS20.  It is a step or 2 up from
the Cannon Rebel.  He loves it - but it may be too
expensive for your needs.  I know he spend about $3000
- but that included 2 powerful lenses, a waterproof
case, 3 high capacity complact flash cards and
assorted other accessories.

Mostly I thought I would contact you simply to
recommend a photo software package that we are using
to manage our pictures.  It is free from Google and is
called Picasa.  It is a wonderful tool - very easy to
use as it imports pictures and creates folders for the
pictures in one operation.  Editing and printing is
also a breeze - and we seem to get better editing
results than we have from other packages we have used.
The edits all take place in picasa and are saved in
picasa.  When you go to the folder to open the picture
- the original picture is still there - so there is no
need to save originals and edited photos.  The edits
can always be undone.  Anyway - you might want to give
it a try.

Also - we just purchased a new all-in-one
printer/scanner/fax/copier that is designed for
digital pix and we LOVE it.  It is the HP 2700.  It
has a slot for the compact flash card and so pictures
can be loaded up to the computer right from the
printer or even printed right from the printer
directly.  Here is the best feature.  I put it the
memory card, upload the pictures and press a button on
the printer that says "proof sheet".  Out comes proof
sheets with good sized thumbnails.  Then I can take a
pen and fill in a bubble under each of the pictures
that I want to print + a bubble on the size photos I
want from wallet size up to 8x10.  I then put the
proof sheet on the scanning bed, press the photo
button & it prints just the pictures I marked on the
proof sheet.  It is terrific!  We paid $359 for it. 
Well worth it.  Inkjet printers will never be as good
as professionally done pix - but the really good ones
can be sent easily to shuttefly or Kodak (Picasa makes
this even easier than the usual way) and we can order
quality prints.

Hope this will all be of use to you once you buy your
digital camera.  Watch out.  If you have never had a
digital camera before  - you may find it habit
forming!!

•     With 6.1 megapixel camera you are gonna need a MUCH
larger memory card or you will be frustrated with the
amount of pics you can take.. get the biggest you can
afford.  I have gig on mine.

•     I don't know that particular Olympus, but Olympus
makes good digital cameras.  I had a C-70 with 10x
optical zoom.  However, the highest rated are Canons
cameras, which I bought when the SLR model finally
went on sale. One piece of advice from an old
photographer, ignore the digital zoom in considering a
camera.  It is worthless.  I have had it on some, but
it just distorts the image in larger prints.  It is
really just smoke and mirrors. The only part of zoom
that is important and that should be used is the
optical zoom.

•     Get a bigger card...the biggest you can afford.  6.1
megapixel files will be very large, and a 32 MB card
will only hold 30 or so, easily exceeded on a vacation
trip or a family get together, or Christmas with the
kids. Does this cam use regular batteries (AA or AAA
or?) or does it use its own rechargeable?  If
rechargeable, you might consider a second battery,
depending on battery life.

•     You will definitely want more MB XD picture cards. 
The higher the resolution you take a picture in, the
fewer pictures you will fit on a card.   I have been
taking digital pictures for over 7 years now and you
should have several spare XD Cards so that you can
swap out cards and have some flexibility.
        Most people I know use 128 and 256 MB cards
regularly.  (I personally now have multiple cards and
MB size digital cards).  My World Languages Dept. took
our digital camera on their recent trips to QUEBEC and
GERMANY and they used three digital cards which were
64 MB XD cards.  And the Germany trip they were able
to have someone from the local school they were
working with download their pictures and then they
posted them to the internet.  So, they actually could
have used more cards.   
NOTE:  I use a FANNY PACK as a camera case.  I put two
spare memory XD Chips, which come in little cases. 
Then I have a camera firewire in one of the pouches. 
I keep a spare lithium battery for the camera in a
second pouch, I purchased a spare battery for the
camera so we would always have the backup ready. (I
have always kept spare rechargeable AA Batteries in my
home camera fanny pack) which uses those.   Depending
on the fanny pack, I can also include the battery
charger in the 2nd largest pouch.  (The teachers who
have borrowed the fanny pack camera have been very
happy with the configuration.)

        



"VAN"
________

Diane Van Gorden, Librarian
Baker Middle School / High School
Baker, MT

vangordend @ baker . k12 . mt . us


                
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