The camera has always been somewhat temperamental, but now I turn the camera on and the LCD is black, except for the menu and display text. In other words, there is no image. I've tried to remove the battery, reset the camera, etc. Any suggestions? I got this camera just over a year ago, and I'm usually satisfied with the longevity of Sony products! Please help.
Berny- I was afraid of that answer. I can't believe it's already dying on me. Anyway, I've been perusing through the other threads, and you seem to be a strong proponent of the Casio Exilim series... particularly the 750. Is this the best P&S for that price range? I would love a DSLR but I don't have that kind of budget right now. Plus, I'm a photography neophyte. Are there any other cameras you would be able to recommend to me, along with the Casio Exilim 750? I like to take pictures of animals and other subjects that don't like to sit still for very long, so I'd prefer something that has a short response time. I'm not a "lazy photographer," just a devoted novice who would like something more or less user-friendly, but with more advanced capabilities should I ever get to that point.
You have just stated the reason why I like the Casio. I have a few Nikon DSLRS and the limitations of the point and shoots are very apparent everytime I switch cameras. Being a Nikon user for many years, my first inclination was to get the Nikon Coolpix series and try my hand at this new fangled digital technology. The coolpix took very good pictures with little to noise and chromatic aberration. That was expected, however, the shutter lag was very disappointng. The scene was over before the it was recorded.
So far, the Casio Exilim series, have had the features I want in a little point and shoot that I can carry around, when I am not lugging around a D2X or a D70. Although the Canon SD series have better lenses with very little CA, I find the Casio a little more user friendly and responsive.
Thanks Berny. About the Canons vs. Casios, you mentioned that Casios are made with Canon lenses... does this make for comparable photo quality? What would make the Canon a better investment? Is it the name? Like Lexus is made with Toyota parts, but the Lexus name connotes luxury. Is this even a fair metaphor?
Thanks Berny. About the Canons vs. Casios, you mentioned that Casios are made with Canon lenses... does this make for comparable photo quality? What would make the Canon a better investment? Is it the name? Like Lexus is made with Toyota parts, but the Lexus name connotes luxury. Is this even a fair metaphor?
We are talking cameras not cars. Casio is Casio and Canon is Canon and the metaphor does not fit. And it is not the name. Do not make it more complicated than it is.
I base my recommendation from experience.
The photo quality is comparable.
Cameras are not investments specially on these digital point and shoots. If they are investments, you will make money out of them when it is time to resell. Unfortunately, with today's technology, everything is upgraded every few months.
A better camera is one that you can use with ease and that which will give you a fair amount of use in proportion to the amount of money you spent. A better reputation and experience with making cameras are things to consider as well.
I can go on and on about this, but I have given you my recommendation and a lesson on choosing the things I chose is irrelevant.
Well Berny, your insight is quite valuable, albeit somewhat condescending. Contrary to what you presume, my cameras actually are investments to me, as the pictures I will create with them will be worth more than any money I could make off of the equipment. Not to mention they will last close to a lifetime, I hope. I was asking you to clarify your position about the Canon lenses in the Casio cameras. I want to know if I should just go ahead and get a Canon, if the disparity in quality is going to be so much that I will want to "upgrade" eventually anyway.
Please do not go on and on if you feel you are wasting your time with such inexperienced inquirers like myself. Regardless, I genuinely appreciate you advice and will take it into serious consideration when selecting my new camera this week. Thank you for your expertise. Do you post your photos anywhere on the web for public viewing?
I apologize if my writing appears condescending, that is not my intent. I try to get directly to the point without having to resort to lengthy explanations as I have written on this matter quite a few number of times.
There are those that are just too lazy to do their own research and want answers handed to them in a nice neat package. And if you have perused of these forums as a diligent researcher specially if you feel that you are investing, you will find that I answer a lot of questions regarding camera choices and most of them are quite repetetive. And again, I am not accusing you of being lazy nor am I trying to condescend to you in any way. I like answering questions from budding photographers, but sometimes the questions get a little off track. My point is, decide on a camera based on your own choice. I can only point out which ones I have had a great deal of success in using and those that did not work well for me.
If we have to talk about semantics I will point out to you that you are indeed investing in photographs and memories and not a camera. You stated that yourself. The camera is irrelevant, the photos are. You have to separate them, or you will have a hard time making a decision. Get a camera that you can use with ease - one that you will use and keep with you at all times...a complicated camera that takes wonderful high definition pictures with almost 3D like qualities will not be used if it takes even close to 5 seconds just to set-up, heavy and bulky. Photographic moments are fleeting and you have to be able to capture that in the blink of an eye.
My position on Canon lenses on Casio cameras; Canon has an excellent reputation for making lenses, but I do not believe that they will use their own formula to make lenses for the competetion. Bad business, don't you think. Sony uses Carl Zeiss lenses, and others use lenses by Leica but it does not mean that it will be the same. It will have variances and these will depend on the camera they are putting it on or upon the specifications of the camera maker. Bottom line, you will be happy with the pictures coming out of either camera. I bought the Casio because it was simple to operate, my wife can use intuitively, it responds fast, it has a more varied white balance and I just liked the way it looked. You can take great pictures with any camera, I only worry about distortions from the lens.
Here is my suggestion: go to a camera shop or any store that sell these cameras. Play with them, see how it feels. Check out the menu system and see how easy it is for you to use. See how intuitive it is. Check how fast it can respond to the situation. Do not, in any way be pulled into a conversation about megapixels. Narrow down your choices and ask the rep only about the shutter lag and response time. If he/she has trouble answering these simple questions, stop talking and play with the cameras some more, they no longer have anything of value to say to you, only that they now want your money.
I do not post photos for public viewing, I feel a little exposed (no pun intended)and my photos are given out to select friends. Who in turn keep bugging me about making a website for my photographs. I am quite uncomfortable with that. However, I do post some here from time to time.
Thank you for your response and suggestions, especially for the tips on what to ask of reps. I would have otherwise gotten sucked into the megapixels discussion. I am going to the Philippines and I hope to be able to take some really important (to me) photos of once-in-a-lifetime events, and most of these photos will indeed be candids of moving subjects. Thanks again for your patience. It's too bad about my Sony; it had some nice features, though I did notice the color aberration in the photos. I had to spend so much time fixing them in photo editing programs before I was satisfied. Plus the hardware itself is seemingly unreliable, according to many other users in this forum.
Anyway, I will look into the Casio. Thanks again, Berny.
I was afraid of that answer. I can't believe it's already dying on me. Anyway, I've been perusing through the other threads, and you seem to be a strong proponent of the Casio Exilim series... particularly the 750. Is this the best P&S for that price range? I would love a DSLR but I don't have that kind of budget right now. Plus, I'm a photography neophyte. Are there any other cameras you would be able to recommend to me, along with the Casio Exilim 750? I like to take pictures of animals and other subjects that don't like to sit still for very long, so I'd prefer something that has a short response time. I'm not a "lazy photographer," just a devoted novice who would like something more or less user-friendly, but with more advanced capabilities should I ever get to that point. 