Camera for under $400? (plus SD cards)

[RichardM]

Looks like Jeff covered you on the hikes and his advice on becoming familiar with whatever camera you choose is spot on as well.  Canon's S5 (8MP w/12X optical zoom) is in the price range you listed.  Lots of nice pro-type features but good quality pics just w/point & shoot auto mode.  Camera runs around $325 @ Amazon.  Add $50-70 for a 4Gb card and you're set.  Carry plenty of AAs on this trip and upgrade to a charger and NiMHs when you can.

I've heard mixed reviews on the S5, but my sister loves her S1.  Personally, I went for the $200 Canon PowerShot A720IS.  Haven't had a chance to test it out in BiBe, but otherwise it seems like a good deal.  For SD and SDHC cards, check out Meritline.com (4GB SDHC Class 6 for $19, shipped) and SuperMediaStore.com if Meritline is out of stock.

[huachuca]

Thanks for the links Richard - looks like the price has dropped significantly on the cards since I last checked.  Also, I received a Circuit City e-mail this AM with the S5 priced @ $339 so they're probably less than $300 on the net now.  My recommendation of this model was based on my familiarity it but I'm a long way from having the expertise that tjavery and many of the other posters on here exhibit so that endorsement may not be all that significant.  The last time we were at Big Bend I was shooting with a DSC40 Sony so I guess we'll see if the Canon makes me any better when we get back in March.

[RichardM]

Check out http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_s5is.asp and http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons5is/
I had found another review the other day but seem to have lost it...

[xseption]

When all is said and done, the camera is just a tool. It's you that make the pictures great. PLUS, you are going to a GREAT location. Therefore I am looking forward to some great photos.

=:)

[randell]

4GB SDHC Class 6 for $19, shipped

um, what does class 6 mean?

[RichardM]

4GB SDHC Class 6 for $19, shipped

um, what does class 6 mean?

Class = minimum sustained write speed.
SDHC Class 2: 2MB/sec
SDHC Class 4: 4MB/sec
SDHC Class 6: 6MB/sec

I had no idea what it meant before I ordered mine, so I had to look it up.

[xseption]

Class = minimum sustained write speed.
SDHC Class 2: 2MB/sec
SDHC Class 4: 4MB/sec
SDHC Class 6: 6MB/sec

Isn't 6MB/sec pretty darn slow? I use flash cards which run 20MB/sec and they are barely enough for sports events.

They would possibly be good enough for BiBe unless you want to photograph the javelina running at you ....

~ edd

[RichardM]

Class = minimum sustained write speed.
SDHC Class 2: 2MB/sec
SDHC Class 4: 4MB/sec
SDHC Class 6: 6MB/sec

Isn't 6MB/sec pretty darn slow? I use flash cards which run 20MB/sec and they are barely enough for sports events.

They would possibly be good enough for BiBe unless you want to photograph the javelina running at you ....

Is that 20MB/sec or 20Mb/sec?  I've been trying to Google up comparisons of write speed for SD versus SDHC, but haven't had too much luck.  All I know is the Class 6 was the fastest available for a 4GB SD card I could find (without venturing into the "high-speed" and "ultra high speed" arena of SD cards, which seemed to cost more than I was looking to spend).

SD cards come in different transfer speed ratings, SD cards not marked "High Speed" or "Ultra High Speed" are probably only ~2Mb/s capable. The latest cards are capable of transferring data at up to 20Mb/s such as the ATP 150x or Pretec 133x cards.
...
SDHC cards adhere to the SD Speed Class Rating specification which defines a minimum sustained transfer speed and use the FAT32 file system. The SD Speed Class Ratings specify a minimum sustained write speed for SDHC cards (Class 2: 2 MB/s; Class 4: 4 MB/s; Class 6: 6 MB/s) - that's MegaBytes not MegaBits.

[xseption]

  Is that 20MB/sec or 20Mb/sec?  I've been trying to Google up comparisons of write speed for SD versus SDHC, but haven't had too much luck.  All I know is the Class 6 was the fastest available for a 4GB SD card I could find (without venturing into the "high-speed" and "ultra high speed" arena of SD cards, which seemed to cost more than I was looking to spend).

Printed on my Sony compact flash card is 20MB/s and I got it for $20 at Fry's ...

[jeffblaylock]

Class = minimum sustained write speed.
SDHC Class 2: 2MB/sec
SDHC Class 4: 4MB/sec
SDHC Class 6: 6MB/sec

Isn't 6MB/sec pretty darn slow? I use flash cards which run 20MB/sec and they are barely enough for sports events.

They would possibly be good enough for BiBe unless you want to photograph the javelina running at you ....

~ edd

It takes me longer to recompose a shot and fire than it does for my Canon Digital Rebel to record a RAW image (roughly 8.5MB) on a card. I don't tend to shoot in bursts -- like a sports photographer would -- so I haven't noticed any problems with my cards being "slow."

I agree with RichardM that the price to get the faster cards is not worth it for a photographer likes me who tends to shoot things that have stood in place for dozens/hundreds/thousands/millions of years.

[xseption]

It takes me longer to recompose a shot and fire than it does for my Canon Digital Rebel to record a RAW image (roughly 8.5MB) on a card. I don't tend to shoot in bursts -- like a sports photographer would -- so I haven't noticed any problems with my cards being "slow."

I agree with RichardM that the price to get the faster cards is not worth it for a photographer likes me who tends to shoot things that have stood in place for dozens/hundreds/thousands/millions of years.

Though you might want one to catch Chisos running around, perhaps?

I usually have it both ways. When I am out at BiBe, I want to make sure I have enough cards regardless of the speed. I am looking at an 8GB for $40 at 9MB/sec.

~ edd

[jeffblaylock]

Though you might want one to catch Chisos running around, perhaps?

I usually have it both ways. When I am out at BiBe, I want to make sure I have enough cards regardless of the speed. I am looking at an 8GB for $40 at 9MB/sec.

~ edd

She's too fast for either the autofocus or my manual focus, so the card speed is irrelevant. 

I just picked up a couple of 4GB cards for my Canon for the cost of shipping thanks to an Adorama promotion (one-day only, sorry). That gives me 17GB for my upcoming Yosemite trip, or capacity for around 2,000 photos.

[RichardM]

  Is that 20MB/sec or 20Mb/sec?  I've been trying to Google up comparisons of write speed for SD versus SDHC, but haven't had too much luck.  All I know is the Class 6 was the fastest available for a 4GB SD card I could find (without venturing into the "high-speed" and "ultra high speed" arena of SD cards, which seemed to cost more than I was looking to spend).

Printed on my Sony compact flash card is 20MB/s and I got it for $20 at Fry's ...

Hey, whatever works for you...

My camera doesn't use a CF card, so the comparison is irrelevant.  Besides, my cell phone uses microSD so as long as I have my cell with me and the converter card, I've got a backup.  One irritation is that my camera won't let me use the USB to access the card without going through Canon's software.  Granted, the software is fairly convenient, but I also store stuff other than pictures on my cards.  The cheapo card reader works fine with the SDHC card, but with the converter for the microSD, the write-protect switch gets pushed to "lock" whenever I insert the card into the reader.  Fine for reading, but makes it hard to use as a flash drive. 

Here's some good CF/SD info:
http://bobatkins.com/photography/digital/compact_flash_memory_cards.html