So, here are the standard links I send folks when they ask about cameras. DPReview got it right recently when they divided up the cameras into market segments. First, pick what kind of camera you’re looking for. Then, read the review and see which one you like. These links are getting old by now, though. I hope DPReview will update them soon.

• Waterproof Group July 2009
• Compact Super Zoom Group May 2009
• Super Zoom Group January 2009
• Budget Group Nov 2008
• Enthusiast Compact Group Dec 2008
• Slim Group Dec 2008
• Premium Group Dec 2008

Also: C|Net: Best Travel Cameras June 2009.

Of course, I still haven’t given my own opinion. Which, simply, is: choose your feature set or price point and buy Canon (or Panasonic). Canon is the leader of high-technology in cameras (and has been since the T90 in 1986), and it shows at every price point of this category. Panasonic is the hungry up-and-comer. Nikon has fallen badly behind in the point-and-shoot cateogry (although Nikon DSLR’s offer both great values and top quality).

Personally, I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3; I chose it mostly because I love the 16:9 panoramic format and the ergonomic, user-friendly design. However, the short zoom range is a limiting factor for a lot of folks. If this is the case for you, the current “serious compact” choice is probably the Canon Powershot G10.

And I have a Panasonic DMC-TS1 for underwater photography. It’s a great snapshot camera in that it’s small, rugged, and lightweight. But the image quality is inferior to the LX3.

I used the TS1 for a few minutes in a hotel pool this weekend. Here are my first impressions:

Pros:

• It functions underwater
• It’s pretty responsive for a P&S digicam
• Movies are beautiful looking, and have sound
• Face detection is cool
• It comes in orange
• Did I mention it functions underwater?

Cons:

• Noise levels are pretty high compared to my LX3 (though probably similar to other cams)
• The lens is in such a location that my thumb and fingers keep getting in the way
• Price is really high for what is essentially a basic point-and shoot
• Does not float
• AVCHD Lite movies don’t play on my Mac, and don’t upload to Flickr; I had to convert to another format using Handbrake
• Uses a different battery than my LX3

I’ve just used it the one time, and the TS1 so far is a lot of fun, but I’m really annoyed by seeing my finger appear in my movies. I never had this problem with any other camera, and I’ve used a lot of cameras, so I have to say this is a design issue. I didn’t try the Motion JPG movie mode, but maybe I should. It’s pretty much a dealbreaker to convert all my movies with Handbrake.

Clearly, if you’re not jazzed about the prospect of taking the thing underwater, you don’t want this camera. You can get an LX3 for about the same price. But if you do want to take snapshots underwater, and you have some money to burn, this is not a bad choice. I enjoy taking photos of the kids in the water, which is mostly why I got it. And I expect I’ll use it a lot kayaking and canoeing. (I just got a kayak this month, although I haven’t had the time to try it out yet). I hope I don’t drop it in the bay, though, because it does not float.

Here’s a full review of the TS1 by Shawn Barnett and Mike Tomkins.

My sense from watching these things has been that this is rarely the case. However, I didn’t have any empirical evidence to back this up.

The Canon 5D was released in late 2005 for US$2500. I don’t have complete data on this, but I can definitely say that by Spring of 2008 the 5D was getting long in the tooth and most retailers had it for about $2000-2100.

Like many, I knew the 5D was expected to be retired and upgraded by Canon; I was initially waiting for the successor. However, a change in requirements by one of my stock agencies convinced me: I needed to upgrade my camera before my Block Island trip. The cheapest price I could find online was US$2000 (going by memory here; it may have been $2099). However, I found an ebay seller through whom I acquired a 5D for $1800 in April 2008.

A few months later (July 2008) Canon had rebates on the 5D. Price after rebate, US$1799 at Amazon ($1899 at Adorama and $1999 at B&H, according to Bob Atkins). After rebate, the price went back to $2300 at B&H.

The 5D Mark II was announced September 17, 2008.

Here it is now the end of 2008, and the 5D Mark II is in-stock and shipping from most major retailers. Amazon currently has the original 5D for US$1863. That’s still more expensive than it was in July during the rebates (although very close).

So, what’s happening here? When a camera is released, it sells for its highest list price. But over time the price does decline gradually, as the model ages and competitors offer better value for the price point. This trend does not seem to change when a new model is released. It seems to me, the gradual decline continues but does not markedly accelerate.

So, the lesson is: rebates are a good deal. The people who skipped buying the 5D during the July rebate period, figuring that the price of the 5D would drop lower in a few months, would have been better off buying during the July rebate period, rather than waiting. They would have had six months of use of the camera in that time, and no advantage for waiting.

As the economic recession widens, we’ll see what happens; maybe all bets will be off. What I expect is that the 5D price will continue to gradually drop until stock runs out. What I believe is that the $1799 rebate price is the lowest we’ll ever see; it’s the absolute lowest floor price on that camera from major retailers.

However, sometimes I do miss the ungainly beast. I especially miss it when I look at actor Jeff Bridges’ new online book Making Iron Man. Bridges has been probably the most visible Widelux photographer around for years, now. He’s really gotten to be a master of this particular medium. Somehow he manages to frame his shots with such precision, it’s uncanny. And he can create a self-portrait with such ease that you barely notice that he’s holding the camera.

Even if you don’t know what a Widelux is, you might enjoy looking at the photos in Making Iron Man.

At first I was thinking of a very light Gitzo carbon fiber model. Carbon fiber materials are expensive, but I figured it was worth splurging a bit to get something light that could take abuse. The Traveler series appeared to be perfect but was out of my price range at US$600+. I then figured the GT0540 was worth a look, being one of the smallest in the Gitzo line. I bought one from B&H Photo, and found immediately that it was too small and flimsy for my purposes. The thing was well made but barely adequate for a point-and-shoot camera. I sent it back.

After doing some research, I became intrigued by the Benro tripod series. They are a Chinese-made Gitzo imitation, and they got some really good reviews online. B&H stocks a few models, and it wasn’t at all clear to me which one would be right. So I bought both the Benro C-158n6(US$240) and Benro C-258n6 (US$270), both carbon fiber models with similar specs, both on the lower end of the Benro line, and tried them both out, with the intention of returning the one I did not like.

They are both well-made tripods, quite the engineering marvels. Both are pretty much identical, except the 158n6 is slightly smaller and the legs are slightly narrower, and a bit lighter in weight. Not smaller by much in any dimension. They are both 4-section tripods with built-in compass and bubble level. The leg grips are nice and large, easy to turn, and the leg sections do not rotate, so it’s easy to, say, unscrew the bottom grip when the other sections are extended (which is impossible with tripods in which the leg sections rotate freely). One nice feature, there’s enough friction on the leg sections when collapsed that I don’t need to lock the grips when the tripod is in storage. Both tripods come with a nice carry case, and one leg is padded with a foam grip.

Of the two, the smaller version (C-158n6), which I expected to prefer, appeared significantly less stable. It didn’t give me much confidence in terms of holding a DSLR camera steady. Also, the extended height of the C-158n6 seems really too short to be of much use.

The larger version (Benro C-258n6) on the other hand, while it does not seem much bigger, seems in my opinion to cross the threshold of usefulness. While the C-158n6 seems flimsy, the C-258n6 seems quite adequate. I have had good results mounting a 5D DSLR with 70-200 f/2.8 lens on it and 1.6 extender. Similarly, the height seems quite usable. When fully extended, it is nearly as tall as my Manfrotto. True, it is not quite as sturdy as my Manfrotto, and it fails the “twisting test” in which you try to twist the tripod while it’s standing. Yet, it performs well in the field for my purposes. When collapsed, it’s significantly smaller than the Manfrotto, small enough to fit in my suitcase. I have since carried it while bicycling both on my back and on the rear rack, and it is barely noticeable. I have carried it strapped to the back of my Lowepro backpack, and it is uncomfortable in tight spaces but not much of a problem when hiking in the outdoors. And it travels well in my luggage.

So, in my opinion, the Benro C-258n6 seems like a very good choice for travel tripod. Without a head, it fits into my smaller luggage. With my old Manfrotto ball head (the 3262QR Ball Head, which is not particularly precise, but small), it fits into my larger luggage. It’s probably the smallest tripod that I would consider using. As a travel tripod for taking on airplane flights and hikes, I recommend it.

I didn’t quite realize it was actually shipping from Russia (to the Eastern US). Apparently there were some problems with Customs; the lens got returned to the facotry and had to be re-shipped. (why? doesn’t rugift have this down by now?) But it got sorted out. When I emailed the company, they were good about replying. But the shipment didn’t have a tracking number so it was a little unnerving to wait for it to arrive. But it did arrive just fine.

Honestly, I don’t think I will use it much. But the price is right. My prediction is, as full-frame DSLR’s become more popular, the price of this lens will go up, much as the Belarus-made Peleng has skyrocketed from the US$199 I paid, to $400 now.

The Zenitar on the 5D is a very nice match. It gives a full frame view with no vignetting, which is better than I can say for the Peleng on the 20D.

Zenitar on 5D:

Peleng on 20D:

I haven’t had the guts to try the Peleng on the 5D. It should give me a full-circle fisheye view on a black field. I have heard that the rear of the lens projects into the body far enough to slap the mirror. However, I have also heard that this is not the case. It’s possible that older Pelengs have the problem, while newer ones do not. Since mine is older, I am not eager to try it.