Friday, April 4, 2008

Why Buy A Nikon D300 DX Digital SLR Camera

By Chris Campbell

Is it possible to find heaven in a camera? More precisely, the Nikon D300 DX Digital SLR Camera. Maybe. Maybe not. As with all great things, there are some blemishes. As good a camera as the D300 is, it's not for everyone, and knowing who it's good for is important. At least important to those contemplating buying the D300. Let's consider some things to watch out for.

As hard as it is to find fault with the Nikon D300, the first thing most people look at when buying anything, is the price. Apologies to Warren Buffett, and Bill Gates (this article is not for you). There are a number of solid contenders in this category, including the Canon EOS 40D, the Pentax K20D, the Olympus E-3, and the Sony Alpha DSLR-A700. At the time of writing, those cameras all sell at a lower price point then the Nikon D300. Anywhere from $200 to $500 less according to Amazon. Which is significant, when you consider what an extra $500 in your lens budget could do for your artwork.

If your this close to full frame, why not just go for it? Is full frame worth it? No, the D300 is not a full frame camera, but there are some full frame cameras for only a few hundred dollars more. Right now, online pricing shows the Canon EOS 5D (full frame) for about $2100, while the D300 is $1800. It would appear, that Nikon has positioned itself between a rock and an hard place with their pricing. For a few hundred dollars less I can buy a comparable camera from a number of vendors, or for a few hundred dollars more, I could buy a genuine full frame camera. Some would argue that going for the full frame technology is a no brainer.

While discussing price, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the predecessor to the D300, the Nikon D200. A fine camera for sure, and priced currently below the $1000 mark. The D300 does have a few upgrades you will miss out on of course, such as live view, HDMI output, better grip, free NX Capture software, and a few extra megapixels. There had to be something to upgrade for after all. Although I've heard from a number of D200 owners that couldn't be bothered, and are sticking with their D200.

As hard as it is to find fault with the Nikon D300 DX Digital SLR (believe me I looked), I'd still have my doubts about buying one. It's kind of too bad, as Canon and others could do with some serious price competition in this category. I'd have a hard time justifying the D300, when I could save up to $500 for an equivalent Canon, or really spoil myself with a full frame temptress at an extremely competitive price.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Campbell

Nikon D80 - Digital Camera Review

By John Philips

Thanks to the recent advancements in the digital technology that has totally changed the photography scenario, digital cameras are now more affordable. Most people search around on the internet and are able to find digital cameras at very affordable prices. The key point to find the best digital camera is to find one that will best fits you and your lifestyle.

Nikon have the right camera for you no matter what your needs and an tremendous model is the Nikon D80. The Nikon D80 is a Digital SLR which has a maximum resolution of 3872 x 2592 and a lower resolution of 1936 x 1296

Nikon manufacture a choice of cameras that deliver like the and the Nikon D80 which is a Digital SLR camera and with 10 Megapixels it produces superb picture quality. It is priced to attract anyone who is looking for a digital camera, but does not want to break the bank.

The difficulty associated with picture taking is eliminated with the technology behind the latest digital cameras, which offer an exceptional digital photo experience. To make picture taking easier the Nikon D80 has a good range of features including a 99x zoom, n/a aperture range, a shutter speed of 30 to 1/4000 sec. bulb, 2.5 inches LCD screen and with a Pentaprism viewfinder.

A mode dial offers a number of shooting modes enabling excellent photographs in a wide range of shooting situations. This offers brilliant image quality and easy operation, resulting in quality images. The styles that are accessible are Portrait, Landscape, Macro Close up, Sports, Night Landscape, Night Portrait.

Digital Photography has come a long way in recent years and if the Nikon D80 is not the camera for you then take look at other Nikon cameras. Aimed at professional photographers and serious amateurs they have range to suit all. Nevertheless, the Nikon D80 carries the name of quality in Digital SLR cameras.

Nikon are one of the best-known names in photography and offer a range of very simple to use digital cameras designed for the relaxed and earnest amateur photographer alike. Digital camera prices can vary significantly, although costs are decreasing, and it definitely fulfils sound economical sense to compare different suppliers to find the best value.

There will always be a camera with a design to meet your own personal needs, even though everyone has diverse requirements from a digital camera,. A digital camera to suit you is out there somewhere. You just have to look around in the right places to find it.

If you would like to know more about the Nikon D80 Digital Cameras, or other top of the range Digital Cameras, visit http://www.bestdigitalcamerasite.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Philips

Never Buy A Nikon Coolpix L11 Digital Camera

By Chris Campbell

Is it possible to get amazing pictures from a cheap digital camera? Buying a Nikon Coolpix L11 Digital Camera is certainly not going to break the bank. It's currently selling for about $90 at a number of online retailers. But, can you get great pictures out if it, or will it bring you nothing but heart ache and lousy pictures. Let's take a look at some of the less appealing features of the Coolpix L11 by Nikon, and find out.

One of my biggest complaints with digital cameras and digital camera manufacturers, is the exclusion of an optical viewfinder. Sure, we all love the cool factor of having a nice big LCD screen to view pictures with. But, not if a larger LCD means sacrificing a viewfinder. Especially on a camera the eats batteries like the Coolpix L11. Having a viewfinder, means you can still take pictures, even with dying batteries. It's a bit of a vicious circle... bigger LCD = no space for viewfinder = batteries die sooner... and no user option to switch to viewfinder mode.

The other problem with a big LCD screen on a low priced camera, is the quality of the screen. The LCD on the L11, is somewhat grainy, but usable when used indoors. At least it's quite readable. Going outdoors however is a different story. There is technology to make LCDs readable in bright sunlight, and it works great. I have it on my marine grade GPS chart plotter, but that's an $800 toy. Trying to view the LCD on the Coolpix L11 on a sunny day, is next to impossible. An optical viewfinder, would of course resolve this problem (see earlier complaint).

The power saving feature, while a good idea for the L11, was not implemented very well by Nikon. The camera tends to take about a minute to shut off, when it decides it's no longer being used. During that time, you can't stop the shutdown, and even powering it back on, is not the most intuitive process.

A typical complaint with pretty much every camera in this price range, and even $100 more, is the big lag time between taking pictures. Primarily caused by the flash recharging, and the camera taking a long time to save the last photo to the memory card. You can get faster memory cards, and stronger batteries, but they won't make much of a difference. Some of the faster memory cards cost almost as much as the Nikon Coolpix L11. Your better off just getting a better camera.

As if I haven't given you enough reasons to stay away from buying a Nikon Coolpix L11, here's a few more to ponder:

- main settings dial is too small and susceptible to operator error

- night pictures or low light pictures turn out very grainy

- the flash is not effective beyond a range of six feet

- USB connector cable is non standard (micro USB)

- older model Coolpix 2100 actually performs better

- color accuracy suffers on indoor pictures

Have I said yet, that you get what you pay for. It's a truism with the L11, but that may be OK for you. I've heard from one customer, who only used disposable cameras, but didn't have enough room to pack 10 of them for an extended vacation. Their solution, was to buy a Nikon Coolpix L11. For the price, it does make a pretty nice disposable camera. Just so long, as you know what your getting, that's all that really matters. It wouldn't be my first choice in digital cameras, but for your purposes it may be just fine.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Campbell