new camera suggestions (by Canon fans)

[Kotoseiya Yuichi 3]

Any particular wishes?

Please use the raw image format (no JPEG compression) on your best shots to avoid compression artifacts, if your camera allows that. Hopefully your camera's resolution is higher than 2560*1600 so that a potential wallpaper for a 30" screen won't need to be stretched.

[Manekineko 200]

I see that:

a) my definition of high-res is seriously out of date

b) I really should try and buy a new camera while in Japan

(Being thrown tomatoes at...)

[Jonosuke 28]

For risk of going off-topic completely once again, I boldly offer my recommendations without trepidation if you are buying.

Unless you already have substantial investment made to my particular brand's lenses, I'd suggest you check a Canon. Considering you can go all out of budget on this, I'd try to get one that is not as hard on your wallet first so that you can get decent lens with the body and perhaps later on equip yourself with more lenses when you can afford them.

For all that my current reco is well made Canon Kiss X2 for its ease of operation and handling as well as quality of images it can produce. Kiss is known in North America as Rebel and 450D elsewhere. Of course if you can afford 30,000 more Yen Canon's EOS40D woud be nice. Or go crazy and get their ultimate D3. I admit I have a Canon bias.

If you are a Nikon person though then the obvious choice will be D300. Pentax's K20D costs around Canon's Kiss X2 and not a bad choice either.

If you cannot afford all of the above, Olympus' E-410 or even cheaper E-510 can be had for about half of Canon Kiss X2.

Currently Kakaku.com's cheapest Canon Kiss X with "double zoom" is going slightly less than 100,000 Yen while their number one top selling Digital SLR is Canon's EOS40D and that's slightly less than 123,000 Yen with EF-S17-86 IS U Lens Kit.

Check around all big camera shops like Big Camera and Yodobashi Camera outlets as well as your local shops so you can experience what each camera body feels like in your hands but know your prices before going by checking with kakaku.com.

Edited June 29, 2008 by Jonosuke

[Manekineko 200]

For risk of going off-topic completely once again, I boldly offer my recommendations without trepidation if you are buying.

Wow, nice recommendations! But I am afraid I'm not considering buying a "real" camera yet. My current one is a Sony DSC W1 (picture), and I intend to get something similarly compact, if with a bit better optical zoom. And RAW format capability...

As for OT, if this continues we'll just split it into a new thread, that's what mod powers are for. (Being thrown tomatoes at...)

[Kotoseiya Yuichi 3]

DSC-W1

2592*1944! :-O No need to stretch upwards.

Edited June 30, 2008 by Kotoseiya Yuichi

[Gusoyama 103]

The Canon Eos cameras are simply marvelous and easy to use, and create great pictures. Great step up camera for those getting serious.

[Zuikakuyama 1]

Yes. Getting a digital single lens reflex camera is definitely the way to go.

For sumo taking purposes, my recommendation is any Canon body + a 70-200mm L lens.

[Kotoviki 16]

I'd like to know what Fay uses! Her pictures are outstanding and she must have a lens like one of my friend's that cost him almost 400,000 yen because she can take close ups from anywhere!!!

Fay, tell us what you have! I'm also looking into a Digital SLR!

[sekihiryu 51]

[i intend to get something similarly compact, if with a bit better optical zoom. And RAW format capability...

you just described the Canon G9

[Manekineko 200]

In case you really want to know: I finally did get a Canon, albeit an idiot brother (I like to move incrementally). Powershot SX100 IS. It has zoom, oh my the zoom! And menus in English, which in the end was the decider between it and another compact zoomer. No RAW format, but what do you expect from the idiot brothers?

[Fay 1,677]

These raw pics ... I have a Nikon and I made raw pics at Hatsu Basho. It took me hours to upload them cause you have to change them to jpeg first. And these raw pics were of no use for me cause I couldn't handle the picture editing program or had no time for it. I am not a professional photographer so I even couldn't see any difference between raw and jpeg ;-).

I could of course make raw and jpeg pics with the camera, so I can work on the pics later. But this takes a lot of space on the memory card and there maybe only few pics which are worth it :-P. Anyway, perhaps I will study more and make another try next time ...

Edited August 3, 2008 by Fay

[Kotoseiya Yuichi 3]

The need for (or more precisely advantage of) raw format emerges once you start photoshopping images, creating collages etc. Only in the very end of the process the image is distorted to a JPEG or whatever lossy format is used.