Digital Camera

Jun 19 21:06 UTC 1998

I recently bought a Sony Mavica MVC-FD7. For the un-initiated that
is a 640 x 480 color digital camera that records directly to
IBM format 3.5 floppies.  The camera is literally amazing.
Anyone else out there have a digital camera?

response 2 of 38:

Jan 2 01:57 UTC 1999

I have a B+W Quickcam.  It does a better job than one would think.  But It
is meant mostly for low-stress video conferencing.  I've done some interesting
collages of friends with this.
    I've ordered a new colour digital camera , but it's not here yet.
IT's a Mustek camera with a max resolution of 640x490, and a builtin flash.
This one uses the little memory cards though, not floppies.  No way coul I
afford a Mavica, no matter how much they may make me drool.  The Mustek has
a 1.8 inch colour back-lit LCD screen on the back so you can preview your
shots and delete them right after you take them.  There's also a serial cable
provided so you can send the photos to a computer without any special
adapters.  This camera is also TWAIN compliant.
     Today being new years, and a Friday however, IT'll be the end of next
week at least before I get my hands on this neat gadget.  
    IT costs $180-$190.
    When it arrives, I'll post some shots on my web site for comparison. 
PErhaps any other GREXers with digital cameras could sen along some shots,
and I could put up a comparison of shots from different cameras?  IF anyone
is interested in doing this, e-mail me at  vrondi@cyberspace.org

response 4 of 38:

Jun 29 15:08 UTC 1999

There is an alternative. I recently sent a role of film to Seattle Film
Works for processing. I haven't gotten back the slides and prints yet,
but I got an e-mail telling me they were coming - and a URL where I
can see and download all of my pictures right away - and, as far as I
could tell from the message, for free. I haven't looked yet, but this
could be a great way to get processionally scanned photos as well as
regular slides and prints. What can a digital camera do that this would
not accomplish? 

response 6 of 38:

Jun 29 20:11 UTC 1999

Allow you to immediately delete bad shots, rather than have them processed.
Great if the lighting is iffy.

You can also do a very quick one or two shots, then put them online instead
of having to use up (or waste) a roll of film.

response 8 of 38:

Jun 30 06:25 UTC 1999

  Of course. I forgot that your real name was Ansel Adams Curl. ;)

response 10 of 38:

Jul 1 16:12 UTC 2000

Not yet having a photo-quality printer, where can I get digital
photographs on a floppy disk printed? (I have a vague memory of hearing
there are do-it-yourself places.) Also, is there a required format for the
image, or a required disk format (Mac, PC or both)?

response 12 of 38:

Jul 1 20:41 UTC 2000

Probably Kinko's does it.

response 14 of 38:

Jul 3 17:19 UTC 2000

Not meijer - they only have a film scanner to print 8x11 at $7 a pop. 
At that rate it is worth buying a photoquality printer!

response 16 of 38:

Jul 6 22:53 UTC 2001

Does anyone own a SAMPO digital camera?  The DCE-211 is said to have manual
focus, to 6", and use serial cable and produce 640 res, which is what we are
after for use with a DOS computer.  Anyone own an Epson PhotoPC?  The latter
will work with DOS-based download software (64K exe file) and I am curious
if the SAMPO will use the same software (also used by Olympus, Polaroid,
Nikon, Agfa, Sanyo).

response 18 of 38:

Jul 9 19:51 UTC 2001

The autofocus on a digital camera works by refocusing until the
image on the CCD is *sharp*. It knows this because of contrasts between
adjacent elements. Therefore a close-up lens just allows you to get
closer and still have the camera do its focus thing. Usually you cannot
frame in a viewfinder a close-up image, but you can, of course, frame
it in a LCD monitor. 

response 20 of 38:

Apr 2 16:15 UTC 2004

Tip: Those peel-and-stick screen protectors CompUSA sells for PDAs work
well to protect digital camera LCDs from scratches.  Just cut them down
to the size of your LCD screen and apply the same way you would to a
PDA.  It takes a little practice to get them on without annoying air
bubbles, but after wasting two or three I had the technique down.  They
last a surprisngly long time.  The camera at work has one I applied a
year ago that's just getting to the point where I'm thinking about
replacing it, and that camera is heavily (and carelessly) used.

response 22 of 38:

Apr 27 14:45 UTC 2004

Pretty sharp looking, yes.  It's interesting how control layouts on
digital cameras seem to be converging.  The back panel layout is pretty
similar to my Digital Rebel.

response 24 of 38:

Oct 14 05:01 UTC 2006

I caught my wife grepping eBay for a Nikon D50, which I
understand to be an entry-level digital SLR.  How bad are
these?  What would you recommend instead?