Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/01/29
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Martin, I have been in the same dilemma for more than a year now, still cudgeling my brains what is the best option. I am glad to learn that I am not alone. This is what I am going to do. I will get one decent scanner and a decent digital camera. Reason is 1)I eventually need a decent scanner anyway as I have a slew of negatives and positives all over my home that I would think of archiving electronically. 2)I also eventually need a decent digital camera as it takes a little too long to post pictures on line using film shots. It also costs a little too much too, I guess. Here is what I am thinking of getting. Scanner: Epson 2450 Flatbed scanner technology has been bettered a lot and this scanner is reviewed and rated top-notch even to satisfy some professionals. I can also scan some documents if needed, which is an advantage to film scanner. Digital Camera: At least 4 Mega-pixel p&s with 4x or longer. Memory media is important here as I am also worried a little about being made obsolete too soon. My choice was narrowed down to at least CompactFlash or MicroDrive (CompactFlash II) which is even better. This CompactFlash excluded everything other than the Canon, Nikon and Minolta. My choice is either Minolta S404 or Canon S40 (or G2, G3 etc.) The Canon generally costs about $200 more than the comparable Minolta for no specific reason. This boils down to the Minolta S404. One other thing that I like about the S404 is it uses you-can-find-anywhere AA batteries. Of course, NiMH rechargeable batteries are recommended. I totally excluded the Prosumer grade digital cameras. They are way too overpriced and strictly for professionals and destined to be obsolete soon after any p&s digital cameras. Anyway, I would not print any images shot by a digital camera. Let me know your decision. Regards, David Lee Original Message: - ----------------- From: Martin Howard mvhoward@mac.com Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 13:14:13 -0800 To: leica-users@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us Subject: [Leica] Moderately OT: Scanner or Digital Camera? The Internet is a great way to keep in touch with people. Posting photographs on the Internet doubly so. However, at the moment, I find myself with lots of friends, but no way of getting photographs onto the Internet. If money were no issue, then it wouldn't be a problem, but one of the things that makes life so fun and challenging is that money is always an issue... ;) Right now, I have no digital camera, nor any scanner. I'm trying to decide what I should do about this, and I'd like to hear how you have addressed the same issues. At the moment, my options appear to be these: A) Get a "cheap" digital camera. Since I'll pretty much only be using it for web stuff, I could get away with buying something like a point-and-shoot. The high-end ones, like the PowerShot G3, seems like an interesting alternative that has the advantage that you could do more serious things with it too. Major disadvantage is that it's going to be obsolete pretty damn quickly (18 months? 24 months?) B) Get a "prosumer" digital camea. This means something like a Nikon D-100 or Canon D-60. Interchangable lens SLR that would also work with 35mm film bodies. Advantages include better quality, more versitile equipment, and will become obsolete less quickly (since I can use lenses on several bodies). Lots of fun with new toys. Major disadvantage is, of course, cost. Figure on $2,000 for the body, plus lenses. C) Get a film scanner. I pretty much am never going to make digital prints -- I use my Leica's and Bessa's for that. I prefer shooting with them (small, useful, lots of lenses, accessories, etc). So, I was thinking that maybe I should just shoot film and get a reasonably decent scanner instead. All the advantages of doing my own development, along with not having to buy a new camera outfit. But what about cost? I'd not want to spend much more than about $800 on a scanner (since it'd have the same lifetime disadvantages as a point-and-shoot digital). Can you get decent quality for that? Any thoughts? What did *you* do? A, B, or C? (And for our Swedish audience, the answer: "På A svarar vi nej, på B svarar vi D-100, och på C vet vi inte" is not considered an acceptable answer... ;) M. - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html - -------------------------------------------------------------------- mail2web - Check your email from the web at http://mail2web.com/ . - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html