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Appraiser Cameras

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I also use the Kodak V570 and absolutely love it for the wide angle - unsurpassed for small backyards and even street shots in cramped quarters. In our rural area however, there are some very long driveways with No Trespassing signs - when shooting comps I have sometimes wished for a longer zoom. Has anyone considered the Panasonic TZ series - 28mm equivalent wide angle and a 10x optical zoom, with image stabilization and still small enough to fit in a pocket. The most recent TZ-5 can be had online for just over $200. Sounds intriguing to me, if and when the trusty Kodak dies.
 
John,

The TZ looks good on paper, that is for sure. Note that TZ stands for "Travel Zoom" and it is a "consumer grade" device. You might think that "travel" means it is built to be more rugged, but it is not really...

I understand the need (have rural appraisal experience) but I'd not jump the gun just yet. IF the v570 dies, THEN start looking... :-) There are better cameras coming soon - including new TZ's. I believe you may find that the best combo camera (mostly super-wide angle with occasional need for super-zoom) will end up being in the $300 - $500 range, depending on the exact model, source, etc.

While I am on, let me again caution folks about using the newer 4GB (or larger) SD cards. They are great performers, and will calculate out to a higher GB/$ ration, but please note that these cards may not work in your existing cameras or card readers. Your device must say that it handles SDHC cards. MOST existing devices only handle up to 2 GB cards. Generally, 2 GB is plenty for real work and even the best 2 GB cards are in the $20 range now, but it can be tempting to get that honkin' 4 GB or larger card when ordering... Just know what you are getting...

Hope this helps!
 
AOD,

I actually like the Olympus better. I believe I have also said the W60 was "just OK", especially using the "out of the box" settings... Anyway, I had to change some settings to get it tweaked. I have since turned it over to an employee for his personal use. Let me get it from him and review the settings and also see what he has found, then I'll send these settings to you, OK?

On the ruggedness, I found it to survive a few (on purpose) drops that some of my other cameras would probably not have survived - especially when "On" with the lens extended! I have also seen it tumble along the ground from more real accidental drops than I care to admit to, LOL.

I tested mine with a hose/sprinkler head, but did not have the stones to drop it in the pool... ;-)

Anyway, SOME of the ruggedness is the design element of no protruding lens assembly, but another factor is the weight - less mass means less impact damage. Sometimes, we feel that something really light feels cheap and this not very sturdy.

Hope this helps! I'll get back to you on some settings. In the meantime, please share your experiences more so that others will benefit.

Thanks,

-Randall Garrett-
..Apex Software..

/end/
 
John P. Anderson said:
I also use the Kodak V570 and absolutely love it for the wide angle - unsurpassed for small backyards and even street shots in cramped quarters. In our rural area however, there are some very long driveways with No Trespassing signs - when shooting comps I have sometimes wished for a longer zoom. Has anyone considered the Panasonic TZ series - 28mm equivalent wide angle and a 10x optical zoom, with image stabilization and still small enough to fit in a pocket. The most recent TZ-5 can be had online for just over $200. Sounds intriguing to me, if and when the trusty Kodak dies.
Click to expand...

I have a TZ-5 and I love it. Takes great shots. Like you said, the wide angle is great for shooting bathrooms and back yards on 0.07 acre lots.

However, the one feature I've truly found indispensable is the on off switch. Most cameras has a button that you press to turn on, and press again to turn off. Usually the button is recessed a little and has a fairly stiff spring to prevent accidental activation. But this means that the turning off or on is less positive. You can press at the button but you're not sure if you really accomplished the task unless you look. The Tz on the other hand has a switch...left is off, right is on. And its a decent size one at that. Basically it means that you're never spending time watching the think boot up or shut down. It SEEMS like a small thing I know, but its really huge in practice.

Aside from that the camera has a sufficiently fast flash reset that you can shoot a house about as fast as you can walk through it.

It has a voice recording feature so that it opens a 5 sec microphone when you press the shutter which is handy for keeping track of which comp is which.

It has a reasonably smart auto exposure feature so it rarely takes a bad picture.

I'm very pleased with it.
 
Great points, Metamorphic! That sort of input is exactly the type of things that is very helpful to others. Most cameras make decent enough shots for pure appraisal work, so a lot of times, it is the "little things" that make the difference in helping people decide what is the best solution for them.

Please note folks, that I did not mean to imply bad things about the TZ series cameras. They do a fine job IMHO. I have my eye on one upcoming model, in particular that, depending on some emerging technology, may spell a distinct efficiency/advantage for appraisers which may be important to some. That said, it is not "out" yet - the camera or the rest of the technology, per se, so I'm just not commenting much on it yet. It is not a "secret" - I just don't like commenting on stuff too much until everything is in place and working just right. Hope this came out right... :-)

Again, thanks for the input Metamorphic! Keep stuff like this coming!

-Randall Garrett-
..Apex Software..

/end/
 
Heres an example of what the 5.1mp kodak P850 can do on auto settings.
I have the flash set to fill and continual autofocus turned off.
Its just point and shoot, no special effort.

http://70.89.145.60/rice/picture14.jpg
http://70.89.145.60/rice/picture6.jpg

I took these yesterday 9:30 am.

The photo of the front of the home had the sun shining in my face.
The view photo was from the front of the home so I was backlit by the sun.

I made no adjustments to the camera to take these photos.
 
Thanks for the input guys - there are a bazillion relatively inexpensive digital cameras out there, all with pros and cons, and all will get the job done. I have to confess to being a bit of a gadget freak, and if some new widget will do the job a little faster or a little better, I am always interested. For now I will stick to the Kodak, but I am always looking to see what is out there.
 
New Kodak SuperZoom coming.

Noted the announcement of the Kodak Z980 as CES. Essentials are a 26mm (equiv) lens with 24X (calculated to be 624mm) zoom, 12 MP, Image Stabilization, 3" indoor/outdoor LCD display, SD/SDHC capable. Pricing is projected to be $399 MSRP this spring.

Link to more inf and a press picture: http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/20920/kodak-z980/

Seems like the evolution to the P850 discussed in this thread earlier.

-Randall Garrett-
..Apex Software..
 
Randall and others,

Thanks for the great info. I have the Fuji F480 and the pic quality is awful. I'm trying to figure out if it is my software or a lemon camera. The other option (VERY important to me) which I didn't think about when ordering this camera, is the lack of view finder. On a sunny day, I can hardly see LCD screen.

Do the Panasonic, Kodak, and Cannon models mentioned here have a viewfinder?

Thanks,

Cory Gore
 
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