[Recovered Thread: 91715]

[MJS1965]

I'm sure this has been asked over and over, and I apologize in advance for asking
(I thread searched, but the data was mixed)...

But I'm stumped.

I'm traveling to Europe for a few months and would like to return w/ enough original photography to decorate a small bungalow. Most shots will be landscape/architecture, but there will be action shots as well (bullfights in Spain, racing in Germany).

My parameters are:

$800 or less
Fixed lens
7x + Zoom
8+ Megapixel (8x11 and larger prints)
Image Stabilization

I was real hyped about the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 but it's kinda big to travel with, and I'd really rather have Image Stabilization on a camera with this zoom capacity.

So I guess I have only 3 choices

DiMAGE A200
FZ30
Coolpix 8800?

Any thoughts... or is there something better on the horizon between now and the end of August?

Please help

[E.T]

Stabilization is definitely good feature for landscape/architecture photography, that extra three stops longer exposure time can help much when sun is near horizon.

A200 has best wide angle for taking those landscape and architecture shots. Also it's lightest/smallest of candidates if you're backbagging.
Later have longer tele but I think in most situation 200mm would ge quite enough and considering architecture rich environment good wide angle is very important especially if you intend to visit in cathedrals and such places.
Also big CF cards are inexpensive so you'll get big capacity card to that price. Of course it's approriate to use also precautions for keeping photos in safe but that can be discussed later.


Also second battery is definitely must, I guess you will be on move for most of days and battery charging would happen while you're sleeping.


MJS1965 wrote:

I was real hyped about the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1 but it's kinda big to travel with, and I'd really rather have Image Stabilization on a camera with this zoom capacity.

Better high ISO capability of it makes it actualyl better for lower light action shots.
But its tele is very short and in these cases I would keep it guaranteed there's plentily light for getting high shutter speeds at low sensitivity.


Winter/spring's release round was already and next time new models would come out is on fall so options are those which are now available.
Also it's always better to have camera before travelling so you can practise using it.

[jad123]

question withdrawn

my apologies to you , the only reason i asked et the question, was i thought it may help you as well as myself regarding the zoom capabilities

please accept my apology

jad

[MJS1965]

Thanks ET

The K-M worries me however as it is discontinued and K-M is out of the camera business for good... Sony bought them out in March 06 (just found out)

jad - I'm sorry to ask but could you post your question in another thread?

I'm sure you'd get more answers that way, and the question wouldn't risk hijacking my topic.

Thanks!
MJS

[E.T]

jad123 wrote:

if you bought the km a200, am i right, that you said you can put a longer tele photo lens on the camera, or have i mis - understood what you meant

Minolta made dedicated ACT-100 teleconverter which would give 300mm tele without quality decrease or light loss.
But that converter is quite heavy and Olympus TCON-17 (1.7x = 340mm) could do the job while being lighter and causing only very slight vignetting, might be also cheaper than ACT-100.

Then raynox has 2.2x converter which would give 440mm but vignetting is heavy and sharpness decreases outside center of the frame.

Check samples in here:
http://www.pbase.com/jduphoto/tcons

Also all tele converters generally limit zooming and practically work only at longest tele of cameras.