Should I Buy A New Camera?

[ReNae]

I've got a Minolta Maxxum camera that is 13 yrs. old. Faithful fella, but it is starting to have some problems. For some unknown reasons, my pics are coming out like they are in the shade. So I took a series of pics in beautiful daylight, overhead sun, some came out dark, some came out normal. Is my camera finally shot?? I have played around with the f stops and this doesn't seem to remedy the situation. Does anyone know of anything else I may be overlooking??

It definitely is not the way it is being processed, I checked the negatives and you can definitely see these pics were shot that way. I do not put my hand over any flash when needed and there is nothing blocking the lens.

Christmas is coming and I have a choice of either a 35mm camera or a really good digital. Should I bite? Or can my camera be fixed??

Warmth,
ReNae

[Kevin M]

I worked as a professional photographer for many years before becoming a full-time painter. I bought a digital camera for quick reference. I now dont own a conventional camera having found how quick and convenient digital was. Digital cameras have advanced in leaps and bounds over the past 2 years.

Arm yourself with a Cannon Powershot G1 and Adobe Photoshop and you will never buy a roll of film again.

[ReNae]

Kevin,

Thanks!! I really appreciate the reply!!

Now I have a definite vote to buy a digital!!

Warmth,
ReNae

[Kevin M]

You are welcome.

If you want examples of images from the mentioned camera or comprehensive information on just about any digital camera ever made, you will find it here:- http://www.dpreview.com/gallery/canong1_samples1/

[Gisela]

Kevin,
Those images are very nice indeed. What's the price on that camera? My Sony digital was $800.00 new and it's never taken a picture that looked that good. It was top-of-the-line at the time I bought it. (not professional--those were thousands of dollars)
My SLR is a Canon and I can't see myself buying another digital until a digital can do what an SLR does. (and still be affordable)

Gisela


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Artworks by Gisela Towner (http://www.artistnation.com/members/paris/gisela)

[Kevin M]

Gisela,

The link above to dpreview.com gives a comparison of prices for any digital camera. The Powershot G1 seems to be around $800 which is what you paid for your present camera. My own Olympus was great 2 years ago but looks a bit feeble against the present crop. Like computers they dont get cheaper, you just get more power for your money.

Regarding 35mm quality, the 3mpixel cameras are about halfway there. However this is totally dependent on how large you want to reproduce your images and for what purpose.
A scanned 35mm transparency usually ends up as an 18mb file and assume that it would print to 'ultimate' quality to 10" x 8" then the example images you were looking at (9mb files) will print to 5 1/2" x 7 1/2".

5x7 is a comfortable viewing size for printed pictures not to mention economical on expensive inkjet ink. My Olympus could only achieve this to less than half that again which errs on the side of postage stamp.

[sue ellen]

I have a pentax K1000 that i bought in 1982 , a canon EOS that is only a couple of years old and a sanyo digital camera. I do a lot of photography and i can tell you that the best picture i get is from the pentax K1000. i have adobe photoshop and i do use it to fix my digital photos but nothing compares to my faithful pentax. I also like my EOS....it is an excelent camera. i think you should have your old camera looked at and evaluated by a couple of different camera places. Also buy a digital..they are fun. http://www.wetcanvas.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

sue ellen

[ReNae]

Thanks gals/guys! (Wanting to be politically correct) Ha Ha!

I will be buying a digital, but also taking my minolta to the repair shop. I just can't seem to not want to use it.

Price is definitely a factor, I don't want to go over $1,000. Actually make that $800 then I can buy some art supplies!

Warmth,
ReNae