Which camera should I buy?

[anmansir]

I currently have a Nikon 995 that is an excellent camera. I love the swivel design and the ability to see your shot before you actually take the picture. Am I correct in thinking you aren't able to do that with SLR'S?

I would like to purchase a new toy and was looking at a few different cameras; a Nikon D70, Olmpus E330 and a Canon rebel Xt. Do any of those compare to the nikon 995?

[mattdm]

My previous camera was a Coolpix 950, and I really loved it. You're right that most dSLRs, because of the SLR design, can't have live preview. However, two cameras (right now -- I'm sure more will follow) are specially made to get around this limitation -- the Olympus E330 you mention, and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L1 (which is very similar internally).

You say "Do any of those compare to the nikon 995?" In short, not really -- they're very different sorts of cameras.

You may want to take a look at the Nikon Coolpix S10, a digicam which follows the swivel-body design of the original Coolpix 9## line -- but unfortunately, it's gotten pretty poor reviews for image quality.

So, let's assume you can't have a swivel-body camera. Instead, let's talk about what you're looking to do. Many new digicams have "tilt and flip" LCD panels which are almost as good as that design. But everything you've listed is a dSLR, which is really a quite different thing....

[Tom_N]

I love the swivel design and the ability to see your shot before you actually take the picture. Am I correct in thinking you aren't able to do that with SLR'S?


Most SLRs have optical viewfinders, and no other viewfinder arrangement. You won't get a swivel design (though there are gadgets you can buy that attach to viewfinders, to redirect the view). You won't get a display that's been adjusted to reflect the exposure the camera plans to use.

You WILL get a view taken through the lens that reflects the scene that the digital sensor (or film negative) will record if you press the shutter release.



I would like to purchase a new toy and was looking at a few different cameras; a Nikon D70, Olmpus E330 and a Canon rebel Xt. Do any of those compare to the nikon 995?


You're joking, right? I had a Coolpix 775 that I replaced with a Canon S2 IS. The S2 IS blows the 775 out of the water in just about every possible way except for size and weight. And as happy as I have been with the S2 IS, I don't consider it a match for a good film or digital SLR.

Compared to the Coolpix 995, any modern DSLR should offer

1. The option of using a much wider assortment of lenses (from extreme wide angle to extreme telephoto)

2. An ISO 800 mode that you can actually use. Maybe even an ISO 1600 mode that you can actually use. (The Coolpix 995 has an ISO 800 mode, but the DP Review suggested reserving it for emergency use only.)

3. The option of using more powerful, external, tilt/bounce flashes (typical picture taking) or ring flashes (for macro work).

4. Faster operation.

Of the three cameras you mention, the Olympus E330 has a feature that may appeal to you. It has an optical viewfinder and a live LCD view. The LCD runs either off the main sensor or a secondary sensor located in the viewfinder chamber. I'd suggest reading the review at dpreview.com for more information on this camera's unusual viewfinder arrangement.