Nikon vs Olympus Digital Cameras..

[rob chaw]

Need a little info from some of you CAMERA GURU's..

If you had a choice between an Olympus SP-800 Digital Camera vs. a Nikon Coolpix P-100 Digital Camera. Which would you get? I take a lot of outdoor sports action shots, indoor and night shots too..

rob



http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Nikon+-+Coolpix+P100+10.3-Megapixel+Digital+Camera+-+Black/9758747.p?skuId=9758747&IcsCsid=2-39-650-25-5-32064-44539-25-650-440-25-650-1726-0-5&id=1218168159123

 

[Thomas Rogers]

I suggest Amazon.com and epinions.com for a comprehensive set of product reviews when comparing such products...



Other than that, I don't have any specific advice on these two cameras.



TJR

 

[Gavin Allan]

Nikons are generally rated pretty low for their digital cameras. There is a lot of info out there, and camera models change frequently, so I would do some research.



I'm on my 4th digital camera and despite researching and trying to purchase wisely, I still have not found a digital camera that satisfies me. The battery life is horrible, and the shutter delay drives me nuts trying to get a decent pic of any sort of real life with action.

 

[rob chaw]

TJR thanks for that input... i'll check that..



Gavin- i hear ya, I'm on my 4th one too. and i have only liked the pics from the oldest camera(about 9 years ago) with the lowest Megapixel...

 

[Robert Thomas]

I have a Olympus Stylus Tough Waterproof/Shockproof that I use for kayak fishing and everyday pictures. It is my second. Pictures are great, quick and easy to use. The delay just takes a little getting used to, but the pictures of my feet have been good quality.

 

[Jacob Dryer]

Of those two I would go for the Olympus, more zoom, and higher ISO range (easier night shots).



Gavin you need an SLR to get rid of shutter delay.. we have an old original digital rebel and it's awesome, but we are replacing it with a new t2i when they are available. We have been able to take 500+ pictures on a single battery charge.

 

[Richard L]

JDBoxes,

I think the Delay that Gavin and Redfish are talking about is the delay writing the image to memory. I think all digital cameras have some delay to get the image recorded to memory. Of course, the higher the resolution, the longer the delay.



I have an older Olympus SLR digital camera (2.1 MPs) and it still has that delay, so it's not really the SLR that has any effect on the delay, it's the resolution and memory speed.



Perhaps Gavin is saying shutter delay due to the slight pause from pressing the shutter button until the camera actually takes the photo? That is also a product of the electronics and the Auto-focus lens. Some camera's may be slower or faster, but all digital cameras with auto-focus lenses have some amount of delay as well....Again, not any different with an SLR.



...Rich

 

[rob chaw]

TJR, Gavin, Redfish, JDBoxes and Richard - thanks for all your input, any info on this GOOD or BAD is useful... THANK'S..

 

[Gavin Allan]

The delay I am talking about is the delay from pressing the button until the camera actually takes the photo. This is the one that causes me the most grief.



Yeah, there is the delay to write the photo to memory that is sometimes annoying when trying to get another shot.



The delay to recharge the flash for the next shot is also very annoying, expecially when the batteries are getting weak.

 

[rob chaw]

I do know that batteries, memory card and the setting of the camera will affect the delay in them...



Gavin - sounds like it's the Delay for it to FOCUS then take the pic for ya.

On most cameras if you push the button down just lightly it'll do an adjustment and focus then push it all the way TAKE THE SHOT, then the dalay is gone. (if we're talking of the same delay)...



rob

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

Both Olympus & Nikan have excellent optics. Keep in mind that lenses do not interchange between camera makers; never have and probably never will. Ask yourself what am I going to use the camera for? I do suggest that you check out a good digital photography magazine though. We have a Nikon Coolpix and a Olympus E-500 digital SLR. I also have an Olympus OM-1 that I got in the early 70's, and shot mostly slides with it.



I personally would not go to Best Buy simply because they are not a camera store. We went to Ritz Camera to get ours.

 

[Richard L]

I agree with Rodger in part.

Yes, a camera specialty store like Ritz will have a wider selection of cameras and generally much more knowledgable sales people to answer your quiestions about the advantages of one camera over another.



However, once you find the camera that you want to buy, you are smart to go to buy the camera at the store with the best price, be it, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, or Ritz Camera, or even online from Amazon, etc. There are many websites that will do price comparisons for many items and will let you zero in on the best price and best dealer/store reputation. If you buy on line, you often don't have to pay sales tax, so that is often enough to off-set any shipping charges.



I also wish to add that Ritz Camera has a good reputation and you can probably purchase the camera of your choice from them at a very good price, if not the lowest price.



...Rich

 

[James Kerr]

I have had Nikon, Pentax, Konica Minolta and Canon digital cameras. I will stay with Canons from now on.

 

[rob chaw]

THANKS for the INPUT ALL.. I got the Olympus 800... IT IS AWESOME!!! :banana::banana::banana:

I should be going to 2 baseball games in the next week in a half, i'll post some pics after..



rob

 

[Scott Doughtie]

It all boils down to what you are using your camera for and actually taking the time to learn how to use the camera. The Olympus should do you well. Just use the sports/action mode when at a game.





I was a huge Canon fan in the early digital days with the Powershot A320 and Powershot G5 for still shots. However, when I needed a good camera for racing shots, I moved to Nikon with a D70 SLR. I now have a D200 SLR with a 400mm lens. It is heavy, but the shots are phenomenal.



I also have a Nikon Coolpix L12 that I keep in my laptop bag for work or when I don't want to tote the beast around. It is small enough to carry in your pocket and not pull your pants down. It's battery life is bad if I am taking a lot of flash shots.