Need A GOOD Camera

[The Bob]

My DC210 Plus died on me last month (flash stopped working) so I ordered a DX3215 from Amazon.com. Camera seemed like a good replacement....boy was I disappointed. This camera does not have the heft of the 210, it looks and feels cheap and it has some little things that really annoy me, like the viewfinder. It also cuts off by itself and the only way to turn it on is to R&R the batteries! Luckily, amazon will refund my money.

Can anyone recommend a good replacement....I think I want to stay way from Kodak....They would not help me with the DX3215. Said I could send it in so they could "evaluate it".

 

[EDWARD BERRY]

USED Mavica a long time, was good for several reasons.

Replaced it (it did not bounce on ceramic floor) with Sony CDRW200.

Use e-bay cdrw disks-holds about 900 shots at low res. down load to hard drive so then I have backup(like Mavica on floppys)

Bat. lasts for 120 minutes on each charge.

Really good on interior shots(Relos)

Also good on family shots when set at high res.

Price varries greatly-check WWW.
respectfully ed in arkansas.

 

[Sooner Mike]

I have been using a Sony CyberShot DSC-P30, for some time now. I purchased a floppy disk adapter and a 32MB Memory Stick. At $199.00, it was the least expensive camera with a 6X Digital Zoom (Great for those rural comps from the road!!) The 32 MB Memory stick will hold about 50 High resolution pics, not sure on the low res, never taken that many. I really like the camera, I have not needed a feature that is not there.

 

[David S. Roberson]

Sony Mavica for four years now. Just put the floppy in the computer & go!

 

[TC]

David S Robinson

DITTO

 

[Dee Ann Casey]

I use an Olympus D-370 and it awesome. It has lots of features and does everything I need it to do. I got it at Office Max on special for $119.99, regularly $199.99. I bought a 64 MB memory card and that is more than enough to store lots of photo's.

 

[xmrdfghap]

Used a Toshiba for several years......finally dropped it and busted a button and the cost to fix was more than the depreciated value. Currently am experimenting using a Panasonic Palmcorder digital movie camera. I do a walk through taping the property, can download the video to a mpeg file on the hard drive and freeze frame any still I want from it (and save it as a separate jpg). Pixel count is not anywhere near the photographic studio quality of a 4+ mega pixel camera, but it is nice to have a video of a subject complete with audio commentary and it is as good (if not better) than I was getting from my Toshiba (I used it in the 640 format). I imagine it will be handy for that inevitable day when I have to go to court. So far, I can burn the appraisal file and work file onto a CD (including the video) If I have a project that requires more space, I can always make it a multi volume CD file. It also has a memory card (I bought a 64meg) for snapshots although you can use the video to take the snapshots if you want.

Oh yeah, the zoom on it is 700x digital and about 10x optical.

So far, so good.......cost was about $450.00....certainly competitive with most decent cameras available today.........and I can take movies of my grandkids and e-mail them to my parents.

 

[Tim The Enchanter]

That sounds like a pretty cool item, Goodpasture.

Hard to imagine one appraisal and work file that would be too big to fit all it's parts onto 1 CD though. You would have to charge a fortune on something like that I guess, huh?

 

[KD247]

Greg,

I'm very interested in hearing about your use of a video camera. I had considered this idea some time ago but never acted on it.

A few questions:

Have you had any negative reactions from borrowers when you showed up with a video camera?

Can you quickly get to the part of the tape you're looking for, or do you find yourself fast-forwarding and rewinding while you look for a specific detail?

Do you think it would be easier to use the "still-camera" feature than to freeze-frame the video?


A friend of mine leaves his camera running the whole time he does inspections for commercial appraisals, to the point that he rarely needs to write anything down. He even brought up the idea of measuring the property while speaking into the camera (Left 10', Right 4.5', Left 23', etc.) and reconstructing the sketch back in his office. I kind of like the idea of a paperless inspection!

 

[xmrdfghap]

<span style='color:brown'>The video tape itself can be freezeframed on the computer and presented like a slide show. The resolution isn't that good, but if I were going to provide testimony, it would certainly be better to show the cracked foundation and other problems with a mediocre picture, than trying to remember everything. Also, you can place the picture in context.

I use the snapshot to memory card (rather than snapshot to tape) for the basic pictures I know I will include in the report. The balance is for my benefit. I like the idea of being able to go back several years and "walk through" the subject again should a problem arise in the future.

I run the camera throughout the inspection. When I arrive on the property, I do my exterior measurements and begin video taping the exterior.....I then carry it into the home and begin doing the same. I have had people say they didn't like it, I simply explain that it is my job to examine the house and relate its condition. Videotaping provides the loan company evidence that I did inspect and that it helps me solve problems when they have questions......it will help me help you get the loan you need. "Besides, it is my job, and I need to do it. By the way, isn't tech grand? I can do what I need to do without having to write extensive notes and rely on an unreliable memory." So far no real problem.</span>