Camera discussion

[Moto Guzzi]

I hope you like the camera! I bought a SDXC UHS-1 64 GB memory card for $22.99 on Amazon--less expensive than the one recommended by B&H. I also used tax return money to buy my camera.

 

[Vash01]

I hope you like the camera! I bought a SDXC UHS-1 64 GB memory card for $22.99 on Amazon--less expensive than the one recommended by B&H. I also used tax return money to buy my camera.

My camera arrived tonight- hand delivered by Amazon.

When I opened the box and took out the camera, I was a little disappointed because it was bigger and much heavier than I had expected, and I have not even put the batteries in. The case and other things are expected to arrive on Wed. May 3rd.

My other camera is so much smaller! It has only 6x zoom. The A900 has a 35x. Still I had not expected this camera to be this heavy. I have small hands. May be that has something to Do with the discomfort I am feeling?

I am considering sending it back and buy the 8x because it looks much thinner and lighter (saw it at Best Buy the other day).

 

[Jay42]

The A900's picture quality is far superior to the A300. Part of the A900's size is because of the 35x zoom. But I've found in testing them for work, the A900 is easier to work with and the pictures look better, not to say the A300's picture quality is bad, but the image quality from an under-$200 camera is not going to be as good as an over-$300 camera.

 

[Vash01]

Thank you Nell411. I will try to learn the camera this weekend. Another thing was I didn't like the silver body of the A900, but I loved the silver body of the A300. Ultimately though looks don't matter as much as picture quality, right?

 

[Jay42]

I didn't even know either camera came in silver to be honest. We only get the black ones at my store unless it's a waterproof/shockproof camera.

 

[Vash01]

I didn't even know either camera came in silver to be honest. We only get the black ones at my store unless it's a waterproof/shockproof camera.

Just a couple days earlier Amazon was showing only black cameras for A900. Suddenly yesterday the silver ones appeared. I expected it to be pretty like the one I had seen at Best Buy. It is partly black (about 20 percent) and the rest is (sort of) silver. It looks more like an old metal that has lost its luster.

 

[Moto Guzzi]

I've seen both colors on Amazon and B&H Photo since I first read about this camera a year ago. It looks more like a metallic gray than silver. The black section is the textured metallic grip on the right side on the front and a small piece on the back where my thumb rests. When I became interested in this camera, I wanted the black version but the price dropped first on the silver so I bought it. I now like it better than the black one.

I have small hands but don't find it uncomfortable to hold this camera. It weighs less than my Nikon L820 and less than the old Canon G something I used before I bought the L820. I had a friend who was a professional photographer and always bought the latest equipment. He used the Canon G series as his pocket camera when he didn't want to lug around his large camera and lenses. When he upgraded his Canon one year, I was the recipient of the previous version. I used it for years before deciding I wanted something with more zoom and bought the L820.

 

[Vash01]

I've seen both colors on Amazon and B&H Photo since I first read about this camera a year ago. It looks more like a metallic gray than silver. The black section is the textured metallic grip on the right side on the front and a small piece on the back where my thumb rests. When I became interested in this camera, I wanted the black version but the price dropped first on the silver so I bought it. I now like it better than the black one.

I have small hands but don't find it uncomfortable to hold this camera. It weighs less than my Nikon L820 and less than the old Canon G something I used before I bought the L820. I had a friend who was a professional photographer and always bought the latest equipment. He used the Canon G series as his pocket camera when he didn't want to lug around his large camera and lenses. When he upgraded his Canon one year, I was the recipient of the previous version. I used it for years before deciding I wanted something with more zoom and bought the L820.

Your description is accurate. It seems we bought the same color. I wish they had called it metallic gray, rather than Silver. I am being nit picky of course. The black portion shows up in the picture, so not a big problem there. I really like silver fir a camera. Just a minor disappointment.

The little piece attached to the camera says I have to install the App to learn how to use it. Is that correct? It did come with a paper booklet, and I was thinking of reading that to set it up. I am not crazy about Apps.

 

[Moto Guzzi]

The app is for pairing the camera with your phone or tablet with SnapBridge. You can opt to do this later if you want or ignore it. The camera settings allow you to skip it and go directly to the set up. I didn't bother with changing any settings. When I paired it to my phone, a popup asked if I wanted to set it to the same time zone. I clicked ok--all done!

If you want more info than the Quick Start Manual gives you, go to Reference Manual for the full guide. I downloaded it but just skimmed a few things. The camera is easy to use so I didn't bother to read the whole manual--that's probably why I'm not as proficient with electronics as I could be.

 

[Vash01]

The app is for pairing the camera with your phone or tablet with SnapBridge. You can opt to do this later if you want or ignore it. The camera settings allow you to skip it and go directly to the set up. I didn't bother with changing any settings. When I paired it to my phone, a popup asked if I wanted to set it to the same time zone. I clicked ok--all done!

If you want more info than the Quick Start Manual gives you, go to Reference Manual for the full guide. I downloaded it but just skimmed a few things. The camera is easy to use so I didn't bother to read the whole manual--that's probably why I'm not as proficient with electronics as I could be.

Thanks. I will at least set up the camera today. It will be nice to download the pics to my camera and iPad. I can do it later in the week.

 

[overedge]

Having a camera that doesn't look nice can be a good thing if you're traveling and don't want to worry as much about your camera getting stolen.

One of my cameras is a model that two professional photographers recommended to me because it has a lot of features but looks like a lower-end point-and-shoot. They both used that camera and got excellent photos when they were working in regions where a photographer with a flashy camera would have been a prime target for muggers and pickpockets.

 

[Jay42]

Having a camera that doesn't look nice can be a good thing if you're traveling and don't want to worry as much about your camera getting stolen.

One of my cameras is a model that two professional photographers recommended to me because it has a lot of features but looks like a lower-end point-and-shoot. They both used that camera and got excellent photos when they were working in regions where a photographer with a flashy camera would have been a prime target for muggers and pickpockets.

Which is a major reason why people buy the micro four thirds (or compact system camera, the name varies) if they are traveling. They are smaller and lighter and don't look as expensive so if someone is traveling through a high risk area, it's less likely to be stolen.

 

[Vash01]

Moto Guzzi, did you have to charge the battery after inserting it in the camera for the first time? I forgot to bring the memory card with me, so I can't take pictures yet. I am going to the garden and there will be lots of opportunities. Unfortunately I don't have a memory card with me. I am making only slow progress.

I am feeling more comfortable with the size of the camera now.

 

[Moto Guzzi]

I did charge it because I wasn't sure whether it was already charged. I always charge new batteries. It didn't take long.

I went on a cruise several years ago with a friend who is incompetent when it comes to cameras. She never buys a case for her camera and ruined hers when she put it in a bag with a water bottle that had a loose lid. On our next cruise, she pulled out a $300 Canon and manual and asked me to read the manual and tell her how to use the camera. The manual had the tiniest font and I would have needed a microscope to read it.

She didn't have a case for it and said she didn't need one. The battery was low so I asked her for the charger and she told me she didn't bring it because she had already charged the camera--apparently not as it died soon after I started setting it up. The charger would have taken up next to nothing in her bag and we were on a 12-night cruise so she would probably have needed to recharge even a fully charged battery. Her solution was that I could use my charger to charger her battery. I had to explain to her that my camera was a Nikon and had a different battery so, no, I couldn't charge her battery. We went on a cruise a year later. She still had no case for her camera even though I had given her one for Christmas. She hadn't brought her charger and we had the same conversation about why my charger wouldn't work for her battery.

 

[Jay42]

I did charge it because I wasn't sure whether it was already charged. I always charge new batteries. It didn't take long.

I went on a cruise several years ago with a friend who is incompetent when it comes to cameras. She never buys a case for her camera and ruined hers when she put it in a bag with a water bottle that had a loose lid. On our next cruise, she pulled out a $300 Canon and manual and asked me to read the manual and tell her how to use the camera. The manual had the tiniest font and I would have needed a microscope to read it.

She didn't have a case for it and said she didn't need one. The battery was low so I asked her for the charger and she told me she didn't bring it because she had already charged the camera--apparently not as it died soon after I started setting it up. The charger would have taken up next to nothing in her bag and we were on a 12-night cruise so she would probably have needed to recharge even a fully charged battery. Her solution was that I could use my charger to charger her battery. I had to explain to her that my camera was a Nikon and had a different battery so, no, I couldn't charge her battery. We went on a cruise a year later. She still had no case for her camera even though I had given her one for Christmas. She hadn't brought her charger and we had the same conversation about why my charger wouldn't work for her battery.

This wounds me on an emotional level. We actually make a point of explaining to people why a case is a good idea when they buy a camera. We like our customers to be prepared. I will admit there is the add-on component for sales as well. But our primary goal is to make sure that people have everything they need to make sure the camera lasts as long as it can, which includes buying a case. Or at least knowing that it is something they may want to consider.

 

[Vash01]

I did charge it because I wasn't sure whether it was already charged. I always charge new batteries. It didn't take long.

I went on a cruise several years ago with a friend who is incompetent when it comes to cameras. She never buys a case for her camera and ruined hers when she put it in a bag with a water bottle that had a loose lid. On our next cruise, she pulled out a $300 Canon and manual and asked me to read the manual and tell her how to use the camera. The manual had the tiniest font and I would have needed a microscope to read it.

She didn't have a case for it and said she didn't need one. The battery was low so I asked her for the charger and she told me she didn't bring it because she had already charged the camera--apparently not as it died soon after I started setting it up. The charger would have taken up next to nothing in her bag and we were on a 12-night cruise so she would probably have needed to recharge even a fully charged battery. Her solution was that I could use my charger to charger her battery. I had to explain to her that my camera was a Nikon and had a different battery so, no, I couldn't charge her battery. We went on a cruise a year later. She still had no case for her camera even though I had given her one for Christmas. She hadn't brought her charger and we had the same conversation about why my charger wouldn't work for her battery.

What a horror story! I am glad you are still friends.

Now I remember that I have always had to recharge a battery after buying a camera. So that's my number one priority tonight.

This wounds me on an emotional level. We actually make a point of explaining to people why a case is a good idea when they buy a camera. We like our customers to be prepared. I will admit there is the add-on component for sales as well. But our primary goal is to make sure that people have everything they need to make sure the camera lasts as long as it can, which includes buying a case. Or at least knowing that it is something they may want to consider.

I always buy a case when I buy a camera. In 2013 I was in St. Petersburg and my Olympus camera died. It wasn't a battery issue. I had to find a camera shop and buy a workable camera immediately. That's when I bought my Nikon Coolpix 2700, and at the same time I bought a pretty, white, hard shell case for it, along with a memory card because I was unable to take it out of the Olympus.

Now I always travel with two cameras and multiple memory cards. My cell phone can't do justice to some of the things I want to photograph. It is great for close ups of flowers, for example.

My 'extras' shipment arrived yesterday. The case is hard and black, not my preferred kind, but I am going to use it for my travel. The hard surface will protect it better than the pretty soft ones I had seen at Frys electronics.

 

[Jay42]

I'm always a little annoyed at the general unattractiveness of hard cases. They are so much better but so ugly so people don't want to buy them.

 

[Vash01]

I'm always a little annoyed at the general unattractiveness of hard cases. They are so much better but so ugly so people don't want to buy them.

The one I bought in Russia is beautiful. I may even be able to keep it after the camera stops working.

 

[Moto Guzzi]

This wounds me on an emotional level. We actually make a point of explaining to people why a case is a good idea when they buy a camera. We like our customers to be prepared. I will admit there is the add-on component for sales as well. But our primary goal is to make sure that people have everything they need to make sure the camera lasts as long as it can, which includes buying a case. Or at least knowing that it is something they may want to consider.

I never understood the logic behind buying a good camera and not buying a case to protect it. The case I bought my friend cost $9.99--not a price that would break anyone's budget. It was just the right size for her camera and an extra battery and memory card but she never used it.

 

[Vash01]

The app is for pairing the camera with your phone or tablet with SnapBridge. You can opt to do this later if you want or ignore it. The camera settings allow you to skip it and go directly to the set up. I didn't bother with changing any settings. When I paired it to my phone, a popup asked if I wanted to set it to the same time zone. I clicked ok--all done!

If you want more info than the Quick Start Manual gives you, go to Reference Manual for the full guide. I downloaded it but just skimmed a few things. The camera is easy to use so I didn't bother to read the whole manual--that's probably why I'm not as proficient with electronics as I could be.

I didn't have the time to do this after the camera arrived, so I just used the camera during my trip. The internet at the hotels was often uncooperative, so I couldn't have downloaded the pics to post anyway.

Did you have a nice trip to Alaska? I am sure you got some great pictures.

 

[Moto Guzzi]

I didn't have the time to do this after the camera arrived, so I just used the camera during my trip. The internet at the hotels was often uncooperative, so I couldn't have downloaded the pics to post anyway.

Did you have a nice trip to Alaska? I am sure you got some great pictures.

I had a great trip and got some very nice pictures. Oddly, the SnapBridge wouldn't work while I was away. I didn't think it would on the ship because my internet connection was limited to one device, but I thought it would work while I was at the hotel. I took photos with my iPhone for posting on Facebook and took many more with my camera. My friend and I took the train excursion in Skagway and I took so many photos, the battery in the camera died and my iPhone nearly died. Fortunately, I had two extra batteries for the camera and a portable charger for the phone

Overall, I am very pleased with the camera but wish I had taken more time to experiment with the different settings before my trip.

Tomorrow I'm going to a quilt show and plan to use the camera to photograph the quilts. I need to download photos from my iPhone because I am nearly out of storage on it.

I enjoyed reading about your trip. Did you get great pictures, too?

 

[Vash01]

I had a great trip and got some very nice pictures. Oddly, the SnapBridge wouldn't work while I was away. I didn't think it would on the ship because my internet connection was limited to one device, but I thought it would work while I was at the hotel. I took photos with my iPhone for posting on Facebook and took many more with my camera. My friend and I took the train excursion in Skagway and I took so many photos, the battery in the camera died and my iPhone nearly died. Fortunately, I had two extra batteries for the camera and a portable charger for the phone

Overall, I am very pleased with the camera but wish I had taken more time to experiment with the different settings before my trip.

Tomorrow I'm going to a quilt show and plan to use the camera to photograph the quilts. I need to download photos from my iPhone because I am nearly out of storage on it.

I enjoyed reading about your trip. Did you get great pictures, too?

Thanks. I took more than 2000 pics with my 3 cameras combined but majority of them were taken with the A900. The daytime pics came out good (got really good pics of the Matterhorn), but the night ones didn't. I had not figured out the exposure adjustment for those, so I used my i7 phone for the night lights. They came out pretty good. Now I must learn the adjustments for my A900 before my next trip, particularly if I go to see the northern lights.

Alaska is so beautiful that very few places can compete with its natural beauty. Glad to hear you got some great photos.

 

[Vash01]

On second thought, I will need my DSLR to capture the northern lights. I need a refresher in using the DSLR. The Arizona Highways offers many photography workshops locally. It's time to attend one again.

 

[Vash01]

On my most recent trip to Hawaii (Labor Day week) I took with me the Nikon Coolpix L840 because -1) DSLR was too heavy, 2) Couldn't find the battery charger for the A900. I also took with me the Coolpix 2700 as a backup but didn't have to use it. I was pleasantly surprised by how good the pictures taken with the L840 came out. I did take some with the i7 phone and they came out pretty good but the L840 was the real surprise because the quality of the pictures was the best. I had to replace the batteries (AA) once, but that was the only inconvenience.

 

[Vash01]

I need some advice from the camera experts on this board.

I sm preparing for my upcoming Alaska trip. I will carry with me at least two Nikon camera plys my cell phone (and a tripod). Lately i have not do e any photography outside if my cell phone, so my cameras are rather neglected.

My DSLR battery died. It is being recharged now.

I cannot find the charger for the Coolpix A900 battery which is in the camera at the moment. Assuming that i won't find it before leaving (March 16), i am thinking of ordering a charger.

It seems i cannot use the same charger for both cameras.

I have a bunch of wires but i can't figure out which one goes with which camera. Not sure if i even need a wire unless i am going to use a computer to charge the battery.

I will also carry one Coolpix L camera (I may carry only the small one, unless i cannot find it) because it is easy to replace the AA batteries.

So the questions are:

Should i carry two batteries for each camera, or would one battery and one charger would be enough?

I have memory cards (one 64GB and two 32GB)but i am thinking of ordering one more because i may have to take hundreds of pictures.

Am I forgetting anything?

 

[Vash01]

Good news. I found the battery and charger for the coolpix A900. Now searching for the smaller Coolpix because it is so convenient to carry in my purse!

I also found two ultraviolet filters, but not sure what to use them for and how. May be it doesn't matter for Aurora photography?

 

[Jay42]

Are they just the clear filters? Those are generally to protect the lense from physical damage since that’s not covered by warranty.

 

[Vash01]

Are they just the clear filters? Those are generally to protect the lense from physical damage since that’s not covered by warranty.

That must be it. They came along with other small parts I had ordered.

 

[Jay42]

That must be it. They came along with other small parts I had ordered.

Yeah they will frequently through in an assortment of filters in packages like that.