Barge, East River
The East River, this morning. (Still a little too lazy to shoot film yet).
* * *
Stephen — nope, doesn’t matter. It’s the little red engine that could. On a tech note — just wondering — does anyone make a digicam p/s with a BIG sensor, i.e. DSLR size? The NOISE issue - even after this is run through cleaning programs - is annoying to me.
My digicam wishlist:
1) Swivel LCD
2) BIG DSLR sized sensor
3) RAW mode that’s fast enough to use
4) LOW NOISE at ASA 400
5) It doesn’t need a zoom lens, fixed lens is fine. If it has to have a zoom, then some click system for various focal lengths.
6) Viewfinder not needed if it’s the typical P/S viewfinder.
Those are the main things… but the first three are most desired.
Comments
Comment from Stephen Bray
Time: January 12, 2008, 12:25 pm
I like this shot . . . it has the quality of an illustration for a children’s book. The brave little tug-boat heroically pulling the big black tanker up the channel.
Does it matter that it was taken with a digicam? I think not.
Stephen
Comment from Bob
Time: January 12, 2008, 2:11 pm
Yes. Canon has a full frame sensor in the EOS 5D for around $2000+, no lens. You would put a prime on it. Most of the Canon and Nikon dslr’s (non-full frame sensor) perform really well at 400 and even higher. Even the little Nikon D40X @ $639 give good 400-800 images.
I’ve got the Canon A630 P&S (full manual controls) and even have to bring a tripod during the day. Light runs out fast when you can only shoot at ISO80, 200 if I push it but then I have to add some grain when I do the b&w conversion to cover up the noise. Grain is way better than noise.
Forget the tilt&swivel LCD. It’s great but really rare in the dslr world.
RAW will get faster as better processors make it into digicams.
Bob
Comment from dave
Time: January 12, 2008, 3:24 pm
Bob, I was looking for a large sensor in a non-DSLR. I’ve used and owned the Canon DSLRs and agree about the lack of noise — but I wondered whether anyone had put a DSLR type of sensor into a P/S.
I have the Canon A640 and fully agree about the noise. It’s just okay at 200 ASA. Anyway, that’s what got me wondering whether anyone had used the larger sensor in a small p/s.
Comment from Stephen Bray
Time: January 12, 2008, 5:17 pm
The only manufacturer I know of that proposes to do this is Sigma, although I think their DP-1 launch may have been delayed.
This is a small camera with an APS size sensor, however it is based on Foveon Technology, which theoretically is good. Some say a Foveon Sensor produces soft images and others claim is excellent for B/W conversion.
The weakest part of the DP-1 is the lens, which with a maximum aperture of F 4 may be somewhat slow for many people’s taste.
http://www.photokina-show.com/0469/sigma/preview/sigmadp1/
Stephen
Comment from dave beckerman
Time: January 12, 2008, 7:42 pm
Stephen - yep. That’s the idea. I’m surprised no one else has done this - though it might hurt dslr sales. Whatever. F4 for a prime lens is slow; but a P/S with an APS sensor - I’ll keep an eye on this one.
Comment from Craig Nisnewitz
Time: January 12, 2008, 9:47 pm
I bought the Canon A 630, 8 MP last year as a camera to leave in my briefcase and carry around. It gives pretty good results. I have not found noise to be a problem. Most of the time I am shooting at ISO 200 to 400. Even at night its OK. The problem is more getting used to how to use it. I am used to the menus and commands in my Nikon D 70 (have it 3 years) and slightly simpler D 50 (have it 1 year). I will keep it as a spare for the wife and my son to use.
The transition between D 70 and D 50 is almost seemless.
I am contemplating getting the Nikon P 5000 for this reason. 10 MP, has 3.5 zoom (36 to 126), uses SD cards which I have plenty of for the D 50. While it doesn’t shoot raw, jpeg at 10 mp saved as a tiff is OK.
The Sigma DP 1 is nice but you must ad a viewfinder. I can’t get used to using the LCD. Even with image syabilization it is not as steady as using a viewfinder.
Seems there is always another camera to buy out there.
So how is the new 7800 printer?
Comment from dave
Time: January 12, 2008, 11:47 pm
Craig - I did very careful testing with the A640 on a tripod - and there is enough noise to be annoying at asa 200, but it can be smoothed out with Noise Ninja. However, the resolution of the lens is simply not anywhere near the quality of a DSLR or good film lens. I see the A640 as good for impressionistic stuff — but that’s about it. I’ve been using that line of Canon stuff - not to mention my year or so with the Canon DSLR’s so the menuing system is very straightforward for me. It’s just what you’re used to I guess.
DB
OH - The 7800 is perfect. I’ve done one large print with it so far — 23 x 30 — (from 4 x 5 neg.) for a client — and everyone is very happy. The transition from the 4800 is a no brainer.
Comment from Bruce Robbins
Time: January 13, 2008, 1:29 am
The East River looks very atmospheric but you’ve got to feel for that little tug having to pull a big barge like that uphill. 
Comment from Craig Nisnewitz
Time: January 13, 2008, 5:59 am
I agree, you get used to the way the camera works and don’t want ro learn a new system. Thats why I may go with the Nikon.As long as I can good prints up to about 11 X 14 I am happy. I have gotten it from the Canon, with sharpening and conversion to film types in Alien Skin Exposure. I still may go with the Nikon.
Hopefully Voigtlander will develop a digital M type camera that has a reasonable cost. I’ve used the M 8 and it is great but close to $4,500 for a demo/used, with $5,500 for a new one can’t be justified.
Comment from matt
Time: January 14, 2008, 8:13 pm
Guys, you’re putting me to sleep. Point & shoot cameras?
Dave, how could you? Solution…11×14 Deardoff and a
2000 mm Schneider F 1.2
More scintillating conversation is available with Buddy!
Comment from dave beckerman
Time: January 14, 2008, 8:51 pm
Matt — feel free to read this post and comments when you are having difficulty sleeping. No prescription is needed; however, like all sleep medicines, you may find a few days have suddenly gone missing if you read this post too often.
Comment from Charles Maclauchlan
Time: January 15, 2008, 9:00 am
what you’re asking for does not exist unfortunately. Sigma has been speaking of a DP-1 for a while but nothing yet. Digicams have a whole bunch going for them but are noisy in low light. I had thought perhaps Sony was moving in that direction but they bought an SLR company and changed direction. The sad thing is that a digicam with a quality, large sensor, perhaps 6mp would probably cost close to $1,000 and wouldn’t sell to digicam users at all. The market isn’t there yet…like a quality B&W printer.
Comment from John
Time: January 21, 2008, 12:37 pm
As Charles said, Sony did have one in the DSC-R1 a couple of years ago. A friend in the local camera club has one, and the results are pretty nice. That was the only one they produced though.
The Sigma seems terminally delayed, it’s what, 18 months late at this stage? It’ll (eventually?) come with a fixed lens of 28mm.
Now, how about a large sensor non-zoom, digicam, with Bayer and anti-aliasing filters removed as a niche product 
Comment from Barrett
Time: January 11, 2008, 10:20 pm
Yeah, compact digicams will do that to you sometimes. I was at a friend’s beach house for a New year’s Eve overnighter, and I only took the tiny Casio because I thought the weather would be so bad the following day that all I’d get a chance to do were indoor happy-snaps of all us revelers. Surprise: the following morning started out icky, but shortly trned quite pleasant, with hints of sun peeking through those moody skies on the Sound. Wish I’d had one of the other cameras as well, but they Casio did okay.
- Barrett