achristmasgiftthatkeepsgiving
So... it's been several months since I've gotten my digital camera, a Minolta A800. It's about time I post some impressions...
First, I must say, this is the one and only digital camera I've ever owned. Therefore... take everything I say with a grain of salt. I am quite inexperienced when it comes to digital cameras.
In terms of cameras in general, however, I have used a large variety, and I've come to love Minolta SLRs. They are quite wonderful. Sitting at my desk now is my XE-7. Sitting at home are over 30 (closer to 40, really) rolls of film that I have yet to develop.
I hope they're still good. =)
So... impressions.
In comparison to a manual camera... I quite enjoy it. It's given me a huge amount of creative freedom. Never before could I publish photos online at a 3264x2448 resolution without a very lengthy process. It's far better than other digital cameras I've used (other peoples), which is certainly a good thing, and it's cheaper than a digital SLR.
In high to medium light (ISO 100-400 ranges) the camera performs brilliantly. It's practically the same damned thing as an SLR, except for a few key things. Things that happen to actually bug me at times.
A) At the manual setting (though I normally function on Aperture priority or Shutter priority, depending on my need), things are very sluggish. First I have to adjust one, then the other. It's rather disappointing.
B) I dislike auto-focus, but I have no choice. Manual focus licks monkey nuts on an EVF. I don't know about you guys, but auto-focus is probably the stupidest and slowest thing ever. I like being able to focus in under a second, thanks.
That's about it, really. ISO 800, to a larger extent than film, is really hit or miss. Grainy, and quite... shitty, most of the time. I would much rather use film. It's a much better medium for these low light shots, really. I don't even consider the built-in flash as a valid option when I'm shooting... and since I don't have a flash on me here on campus... can't really comment on that.
The built-in lens is great... while I often find myself wishing I had exchangable lenses, it's the price I pay for not buying a digital SLR. Heh, if I could afford one though...
Anyway, back to work. I'll maybe extend this post in the morning if I get the time.