Need some reccomendations... [Archive] - The DIS Discussion Forums

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SnackyStacky

06-12-2006, 08:57 AM

Alright, so an opportunity has presented itself!

I have a vivitar digital camera that's a piece of, well..... :badpc:

The pictures ALWAYS came out blurry, and now - it's broken. You flip the power switch, it beeps, and freezes. It's not the batteries. I've replaced them, and when it DOES turn on, the little charge indicator shows full power.

SO, I need a new digital camera. I am NOT a professional photographer, nor a hobbyist photographer.

I'm looking to spend between $200 and $300 for a point and shoot kind of digital camera. I have a couple of SD memory cards, which I'd sort of like to continue using, but that's not a requirement. Can anyone reccomend a GOOD digital camera that takes GOOD pictures and won't break on me for no good reason? I'm not really brand loyal (except for Vivitar. They've just made "the list" - so NO VIVITAR!) If the camera is worth it, I would consider spending up to $400. Features I'm looking for: self timer, and optical zoom.

Can make any good reccomendations? Or at least tell me any particular model I should steer clear of?

TIA!

YEKCIM

06-12-2006, 09:12 AM

I don't own one, but based on your budget and what others have posted here and elsewhere, I'd have to recommend the Canon S2-IS, if you can stretch your budget just a little, to the $325 range (online price). Check out these reviews:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons2is/

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/s2is.html

I don't see how you could go wrong.

~YEKCIM
(Finepix S5200 owner)

jann1033

06-12-2006, 10:04 AM

if you are less into photography than the s2/3 the canon a 610 and a620 ( 5 or 7 mp) take very good snapshots,( the ones my daughter has taken with the 7 mp one are excellent for a 200 camera) have a little bit of creative controls( tv, av couple other things) and some fun stuff like the ability to swap colors ( b&w for most of pic and one thing say red, of change red to green etc) in camera and are in the very low $200 range. takes sd cards and aa batteries. plus it is pretty pocket sized ( like a men's shirt pocket would be a little small to hold the whole thing but a pants pocket) i'm pretty sure it has a timer and is either 4 or 6 optical zoom ( don't remember which). you can see the spec on canon usa

YEKCIM

06-12-2006, 10:10 AM

Jann makes a good point; however, the S2 and S3 (the latter may be out of your price range) offer image stabilization and a 12X zoom. The A610 and A620 are not stabilized, and their zoom ranges are only 4X. The Canon A700, OTOH, has a 6X zoom, but it is *not* stabilized and is only slightly less expensive than the S2. You might also check out the Sony H2, which is priced slightly higher than the s2.

~YEKCIM

Greg K.

06-12-2006, 10:18 AM

...you are peering over the abyss into impending parenthood, no? Congrats! :teeth:

In that case, you'll want something versatile, that can keep up with your growing family (even when you can't!). I'd vote for the Canon S2 or S3, also. You just can't beat the 12x zoom and image stabilization -- especially since you'll soon be spending a fair amount of time on your knees, scurrying around, trying to capture that elusive "moment."

Alternatively, for a smaller budget, there's the aforementioned Canon A610/620 -- almost as versatile (some would argue the pictures are superior), smaller and almost pocket-able, but with a smaller zoom, too (4x).
They're running a little over $200 now, online. You can check out these and other cameras at my favorite online retailer: www.buydig.com. Great products, great service, great prices. No tax, free shipping, too! :thumbsup2

Congratulations again, and good luck!

Mellie0119

06-12-2006, 10:28 AM

You can check out these and other cameras at my favorite online retailer: www.buydig.com. Great products, great service, great prices. No tax, free shipping, too!

DOH! :rolleyes: Now I find this site! :lmao: I just paid $90 more for my Canon 28-135 IS lens. :guilty: Oh well, win some, lose some. :rolleyes:

Thanks for the online retailer reccomendation- I've got it book marked now. :thumbsup2

jann1033

06-12-2006, 03:12 PM

i feel i have to defend my positon ;) :rotfl2:

daughter is similar to you, wants pictures of the baby and her horses( well don't know if you want to take pet pictures but i digress)

i gave her the option( anniversary gift) of the a610 0r 20 Or the s2..she chose the a620 as she isn't really interested in doing a lot of "fancy stuff", just wants to basically "take a picture"...the 7mp( thinkit is the 620, keep forgetting) has a kids and pets setting auto mode which she liked since that is what she is using it for ( works great). plus it's lots smaller, fitting better into a full diaper bag,what ever

i kind of pushed her in the s2 direction, thinking her pictures would be so much better but disobedient daughter that she is( takes after me, her equally willful mother :teeth: )she resisted...now i find the a620 pictures are really good, as good or better than the s2/3 i have seen here and has more non photographer auto modes. who'd have thought it :lmao:

Kelly Grannell

06-12-2006, 03:52 PM

S2 and A620 are both using the same chip and processor, so picture quality will be identical. The difference are in zooming power and image stabilization.

If you're going to have kids, you'll take a lot of indoor pictures and babies are extremely sensitive to flash (try not using flash as much as you can). That said, you will need the high ISO capability. the S3 have ISO 800, S2 maxed out at ISO 400. Also the S3 ISO 800 is as 'clean' (or 'dirty', depends how you want to put it) as s2 ISO 400.

SnackyStacky

06-12-2006, 04:20 PM

Thank you all for the advice. Sounds like it's down to a Canon either s2/3 or A610/20.

I'm really trying to decide if I need a 12x optical zoom.

The thing that's swaying me most is the image stabilization feature. I have a shaky hand to begin with, and I'm not to up on photography - but would I be correct in assuming that image stabilization helps to reduce some of that "shaky" look you get with some digital cameras? Because it happened with the vivitar and I'd REALLY like to prevent that again. It might be worth the extra money.

Kelly Grannell

06-12-2006, 04:36 PM

The IS will reduce the effect from your shaky hands quite dramatically. I have wrist problem so it's impossible for me to take a shot at speed slower than 1/20 sec at 17mm. Optical image stabilizer will be a great asset to you.

jann1033

06-12-2006, 05:27 PM

S2 and A620 are both using the same chip and processor, so picture quality will be identical. .
well then that explains it..here i thought maybe she was a latent photo genius :rotfl:

Jeanne B

06-12-2006, 10:39 PM

I have the A610 which is a great camera but I've also been trying to make up my mind about which camera to buy as a second camera (I need more zoom!!). I've been considering the S2 or S3 for weeks now and I've looked at the S2 in WalMart a few times but today I finally got to handle the S3 for the first time in CC...I brought one of my SD cards along to take a few sample shots and I must say, the IS is terrific. And I know one shouldn't make a decision solely on the color but the gunmetal black of the S3 is SO much more impressive than the S2!! I've also found myself considering the Nikon D50 in the last day or two (thanks to recent DSLR posts by Jann1033!! :teeth: ) but that's for another thread seeing as the OP is trying to stay under $400.

For better zoom I would highly recommend the S2 or S3 otherwise the A6x0 series are great cameras which produce nice sharp images...and they all take SD cards so there would be no additional expense for you there. Good luck!!

jann1033

06-13-2006, 09:12 AM

yeah just don't do what i did...i started looking at a cheap $149 Target special ( don't even remember the brand) thinking i'd " go digital" and ended up with the rebel xt..how'd that happen ?:confused3 :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

( happy with the decision since it is what i really wanted in the first place but just shows how easy it is to spend money :teeth:husband says it's my anniversary gift...since our wdw trip is also anniversary gift i'm milking this anniversary for all it's worth... maybe i should ask for a nicer car or a new house while i'm at it ;) )

SnackyStacky

06-13-2006, 09:27 AM

left210

06-13-2006, 10:28 AM

You might check out the Panasonics as I think most have IS. I have the FZ5 and am pleased with the IS and zoom. It has more manual controls than I need but I am trying to learn how to usee them. They also have some more pocketable cameras with IS. Good luck.

Kelly Grannell

06-13-2006, 01:23 PM

panasonic ISO 400 and 800 are not useable. At ISO 1600 it's being captured at MUCH lower resolution (something around 1.3 MP). See my other threads showing how bad Panasonic ISO 400 and 800 performance.

Kelly Grannell

06-13-2006, 01:30 PM

here you go:

Canon high ISO vs Canon high ISO cleaned with a freeware vs Panasonic high ISO

(all ISO 800)

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c72/kgranell/67a2098a.jpghttp://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c72/kgranell/ab443ecd.jpghttp://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c72/kgranell/748358dd.jpg

SnackyStacky

06-17-2006, 07:55 AM

Kelly - you seem to be quite the photographer, so I'm going to bow to that knowledge and ask for some more opinions from you!

We went to Target last night and my wife flipped out at the Canon S2 $399 price tag.

I'm still stuck on this one for one primary reason, and that is that nifty image stabilization feature. But I'm thinking it may just be my inexperience and ignorance as a photographer that I'm stuck on it. Because I've searched and searched for other cameras with that feature. To see if it was just that rare, or if you had to pay a lot for it, I looked at an $800 model, and that didn't even have the feature. SO....

The reason I wanted it is because my camera FREQUENTLY took pictures like these:
http://www.theverythoughtofyou.net/photos/animals/loo/looatthecomputer.jpg
http://www.theverythoughtofyou.net/photos/dan/dw904.jpg

They're very blurry. And this was a standard kind of picture. I could take 5 or 6 shots of the same subject, and all but one of them would end up blurry. Is this something that would be solved with the image stablization - OR - was it a bad camera? Or am I just that inept of a photographer? I REALLY want to avoid these kind of pictures.

I found that if I used the actual viewfinder instead of the LCD to set up the shot, I was able to use the little cross point to focus on one particular item, and that would sometimes help me, and I'd have cleaner shots, but not always.

AND - when I used that cross point, I would have to have it focus on one thing. For example (I think I may have these on my memory card to show you, but I haven't looked yet...) I wanted to take a picture of my dog in a kiddie pool. If I put the ENTIRE dog in the middle of the shot, it came out blurry. However, if I focused on JUST her head and put her head in the middle, it came out clearer, but the problem was, the entire shot looked poorly centered.

HELP! Am I a bad photographer, or do I need the help of image stabilization?

jann1033

06-17-2006, 08:05 AM

Kelly can give you the pro advice but for worthless amateur advice ;) i am wondering, are you keeping your arms close to your body or sticking them out like bird wings ready to take off? i notice my kids do that ( wings extended) and so they get some blurry shots...as queen of the shakes i have to be very careful and brace myself ( arms in feet planted ) before i take a shot

and the bottom shot the character looks a little better focused than the person to me..know nothing about your camera but maybe your camera has a problem focusing
as far as the eyepiece viewfinder, my daughter's easy share is way off...i had her centered in a picture and when i took it she was on the edge of the frame...don't think they are always real accurate

SnackyStacky

06-17-2006, 08:25 AM

Hi Jann! Wasn't expecting anyone else on this early! ;)

My arms are close to my body - because I'm using the viewfinder instead of the LCD.

We saw a Kodak Z650 on clearance at Target that my wife seemed interested in. I know I would need new memory media, but, like I said - if I have to buy new media, I have to buy new media. No biggie.

Any advice/reccomendations/warnings about that one?

SnackyStacky

06-17-2006, 08:35 AM

Also - my wife is a bargain hunter. I'm not saying she wants to be cheap, but she said if we saw a $500 camera on clearance for $300, she would get it just because she likes the bargain.

In addition to what are QUALITY cameras, what should we stay away from? After that post about Panasonics - I wouldn't touch one with a 10 foot pole!!!! :)

You guys have been so very helpful, and I appreciate it!!!!

jann1033

06-17-2006, 10:55 AM

Also - my wife is a bargain hunter. I'm not saying she wants to be cheap, but she said if we saw a $500 camera on clearance for $300, she would get it just because she likes the bargain.

:rotfl: i can totally relate with her...of course there is a $100 rebate with the rebel xt right now....(insert smilie with $$ for eyes here ):rotfl:imo sometimes "cheap"="good deal"!

the only digital i had used at all before I got my xt was my daughter's kodak easy share..the pics are ok, its 4 mp slow as molasses between shots but the b&w of grandbaby in my sig.is from that...but when i compare them to other daughter's a620 ( it's 7 mp so not really totally apples to apples) there really isn't any comparison in quality or color, the canon is way way way superior and since easy share is a few yrs old, they were very close in price... i did just think..daughter with canon takes meds that make her shake a little sometimes and her pics are really clear. it's gotta be your camera. but from my limited experience i would go canon . i looked at hps since my printer is hp but again couldn't compare ( plus one just got recalled or something for catching on fire :rolleyes: )

Kelly Grannell

06-17-2006, 11:17 AM

Greg K.

06-17-2006, 11:52 AM

You can do much better than that. Try here:

http://www.buydig.com/shop/home.aspx

They have the S2 listed at $323 -- no tax, free shipping! I've dealt with them before, and they are very good. Reliable, honest and fast.

Even Amazon, I think, has its considerably less than Target. (Though with them you will have to pay tax, but can still get free shipping...) Shop around. Who knows? There may be some big July 4th sales looming...!

SnackyStacky

06-17-2006, 11:59 AM

SnackyStacky,

did you half-press the shutter to focuslock before you full-press to take the picture? If you pressed the button immediately (and not stop for a moment at half-press until there's a beep sound indicating that the subject is in-focus), then the camera won't have the chance to actually focus and the pictures will turn out blurry.

Sorry about the late reply.

No - I didn't know about focus lock.

Greg - my wife won't buy online simply because she wants to be able to take something back to a store if something goes wrong.

So it sounds like Canon is still the way to go.

Kelly Grannell

06-17-2006, 12:20 PM

No - I didn't know about focus lock.

Try that first, that camera may not have a problem after all.

So it sounds like Canon is still the way to go.

Is there any other way to go other than Canon? :teeth:

SnackyStacky

06-17-2006, 05:33 PM

Try that first, that camera may not have a problem after all.

It does still have a problem. The problem is now that I flip the switch and the lens pops out, but then it just stops working. No LCD display, no power, no nothing. I've changed the batteries....nothing.

Is there any other way to go other than Canon? :teeth:

Apparently not!!! :teeth:

safetymom

06-17-2006, 06:03 PM

Dan, try a Nikon! :) I love mine.

Kelly Grannell

06-17-2006, 07:45 PM

It does still have a problem. The problem is now that I flip the switch and the lens pops out, but then it just stops working. No LCD display, no power, no nothing. I've changed the batteries....nothing.

Okay, time to chuck that camera to the bin. :teeth:

SafetyMom,
I don't know much about Nikon. Do they offer S2-like point and shoot? (12x optical zoom with optical image stabilizer with flip-screen LCD?) I haven't been following P&S cameras lately unless asked to.

Quinn222

06-17-2006, 08:24 PM

I have a Canon A620 and love it.

SnackyStacky

06-17-2006, 08:37 PM

Bit the bullet and I am the proud owner of a Canon Powershot S2. I did something STUPID to my back, so I'm down for tonight, but I'll be having some fun playing with it tomorrow! :)

Kelly Grannell

06-17-2006, 09:05 PM

Congrats! Welcome to the Dark Side... uhm, errrr, uhh, Canon side... yeah, that's it. Canon side. :P

SnackyStacky

06-17-2006, 09:49 PM

safetymom, my mother-in-law actually has a Nikon. I would have considered one had I gotten to your post sooner! I didn't see it before I went to the store. :)

SnackyStacky

06-18-2006, 08:45 PM

Wow.

Just...

Wow.

http://www.theverythoughtofyou.net/photos/06180601.jpg
http://www.theverythoughtofyou.net/photos/06180602.jpg
http://www.theverythoughtofyou.net/photos/paul/06180603.jpg

THANK you for the great advice. I have NEVER been this happy with photographs. Not digital, not 35mm, not Advantix... I can't get over how clear and CRISP those images turn out.

Greg K.

06-18-2006, 11:12 PM