Camera advice?

Discuss cameras, settings, composition, or anything related to photography - cactus or other subjects.
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lancer99
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Camera advice?

Post by lancer99 »

I'm looking for something to replace my Canon SD970 IS, which went for a swim and is no longer functional.

I'm thinking about the new Canon SD1400 IS, which seems like a slightly-upgraded version of the SD790. Of course, with a different battery :(

Any advice?

My only criteria are price (below $250) and good macro mode.

Thx,
-R
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CoronaCactus
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Post by CoronaCactus »

I've been using the SD1200 IS for a few years now. I like it. Good macro mode. Good amount of adjustable settings. Battery lasts a long time. I'd imagine the SD1400 IS is even better, so it gets my vote. Just not the pink one, mmmkay ;)
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lancer99
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Post by lancer99 »

Thx Darryl.

Until the camera companies come out with the pimped-out models with rows of flashing LEDs, I'll stick to basic silver :)

-R
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lancer99
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Post by lancer99 »

Ordered! In black, not silver.

Expect a lot of posts, starting in about a week :)

-R
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CoronaCactus
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Post by CoronaCactus »

Sweet!
Hope some will be of Opuntia ;)
daiv
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Post by daiv »

That camera seems like good quality. I was impressed with the weight and feel of it. Metal body instead of plastic. Seems durable. I think you made a good decision.
All Cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are Cacti
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lancer99
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Post by lancer99 »

Probably no opuntia flower pics, unless my Tephrocactus molinensis cooperates. Maybe some growth pics, like a 2" Maihueniopsis nigrispina with ten new pads!

The real reason I was compelled is that there is so much fantastic action going on in the g/h. Madagascan Euphorbias like E. mahabobokensis/E. hedyotoides/E. bongolavensis are flowering (for me) for the first time.

And that's just the start :)

-R
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lancer99
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Post by lancer99 »

thx daiv. I was very happy with the Canon 970, my one complaint being that it was pretty terrible at taking pictures in low light. The 1400 is the same, but I know what to expect! :)

-R
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Harriet
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Post by Harriet »

I love new toys! And, I'm looking forward to seeing the "fruits" of your purchase! Bring on the Euphorbia pictures!
It’s not the fall that kills you; it’s the sudden stop at the end.
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lancer99
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Post by lancer99 »

Ordered at 9 p.m. on June 10, with FREE Supersaver Shipping (you can guess the site).

From the USPS website:
* Electronic Shipping Info Received, June 12, 2010
* Your item arrived at 11:40 AM on June 12, 2010 in FALLS CHURCH, VA

I wonder why anyone pays from shipping from that site!

-R
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lancer99
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Post by lancer99 »

Very preliminary observations on the Canon SD1400IS, after just using it for a few minutes:

1) The Canon 790 was much "boxier," i.e. it had square edges and was basically a rectangular solid. The 1400, while almost exactly the same size, has rounded edges everywhere. That makes it much harder to get a solid grip, and although I'll probably get used to it, IMHO this was a big mistake on Canon's part.

2) The little "doors" that hide the USB and battery/flash card are of much flimsier build than on the 790.

3) It has exactly the same problem with macro autofocus that the 790 had, namely, sometimes it gets confused and refuses to focus in macro mode, until you shut it off and start over, and then it's fine.

4) One thing I DO like: despite my comment above, it now switches automatically into macro mode. Just get close enough to something, and you don't have to fuss with any buttons...you're in macro mode.

Of course I haven't tried any of the more advanced features like HD video, which may make the 1400 a winner as compared to the 790, but they are irrelevant to me.

-R
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lancer99
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Post by lancer99 »

After playing around with it for a few more hours, two more observations:

1) I really wish they had done a better job with the door that covers the USB port. The only way to plug a USB cable in is by pulling on the door really hard, to the point where it seems like it's going to snap off.

2) Macro mode, whether invoked from Auto mode or selected manually, works perfectly...as long as what you're trying to take a picture of takes up most of the frame. Try to take a macro picture of something small...fuhgeddaboutit. The autofocus (and there is no manual focus) simply doesn't work with anything small, and in this respect, it's much, much worse than the 790.

Eventually I found the "Autofocus Small" menu option, which helpfully (or I should say, optimistically) provides a small white rectangle, which one would assume is the area it's autofocusing on, and was able to get a few good pics of these cyathia, about 1/4" wide:

Image

Image

But it's extremely hit and miss, more miss than hit. Often it ignores the rectangle and focuses on things outside of it. Rebooting the camera doesn't help...then you just have to rearrange things and hope.

All in all, in terms of taking macro pictures of small items, this is a much worse camera than the 790. I'm going to try to get used to its quirks in the next few days, but will probably send it back.

-R
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Post by CoronaCactus »

The SD1200 has similar quirks, but I've found a few workarounds.

1. For small stuff, place a piece of paper or your hand behind the subject, then remove it once it's focused and snap the pic. or use a solid color background. If you move the camera in/out you'll see the subject come into focus, refocus the cam and it will usually pick it up this time.

2. You have to pay close attention to the view screen to see what's in focus, but if you move the camera ever so slightly in/out - up/down you'll eventually get it. Or point it away focus on anything that's further away and then try again.

It may take me 10 times to focus on what I want by moving around slightly, but once it does it's crystal clear. It just takes practice. I'm very happy with the quality of the SD1200 pics, so I don't mind a bit of fuss.

Never, never use the auto setting, pure garbage in most cases. Lighting is also crucial.

Hope that helps.
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lancer99
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Post by lancer99 »

Thanks Darryl, I appreciate those tip 'n' tricks.

They worked fine on the 790 as well, but don't on the 1400. The big problem with this cam, at least in macro mode, is that once you've pressed halfway down on the "take a picture" button and it has focused, it doesn't hold that focus. So if you move the cam even slightly, it attempts to autofocus again, and almost always, loses its mind and goes completely blurry. Then you have to reboot the camera and start over.

I had to take at least 30-40 pics to get one good one of the ones I posted, and I think that's unacceptable.

-R
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Harriet
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Post by Harriet »

It can be very frustrating to get used to a new camera, or lens. I have a DSLR and several lenses, and have found that sometimes the camera just does not want to focus. Sometimes it depends on the light levels, and sometimes it seems to be the contrast between foreground and background. And often it is just me doing something stupid.

As much as I hate to suggest it (I don't often follow this advice myself), you may want to "study" the user's manual and play with the different settings for shutter speed, aperture, etc. You may even want to check out the ISO settings as some work better for lower light conditions.

My experience has been that the camera wants more light for macro shots, and it is harder to focus. You also have to have a very steady hand to get a good shot because the shutter speed is slow enough to make blurring more likely.

My 2 cents, hope it helps.
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