Digital Camera ?

[tikkipoo]

I am wanting to buy a ditigal camera for our next trip. I am clueless when it comes to these things. I don't want anything too expensive. $200-$300 range. Also, I would like something that takes decent pictures in dim lighting. Any suggestions?

[MommaluvsDis]

Well, I have 2 digitals and love them both. The pics below were both taken with my Olympus 3.3. This is a good all around camera that has digital and optical zoom. That does make a difference. Get one with the digital zoom! Be careful that you don't get one that requires it's own printer dock unless you don't already have a printer. That can add on extra expense.

They come with software and cables to hook to your computer for downloading your photos to a file on your harddrive.

The Golden Mickey pic below was taken aboard the Magic in extremely low light using no flash. The fireworks is of Illuminations, again without flash but with the shutter open.

Now, I'm not very savy about cameras and I feel that these turned out pretty good considering I was the one taking them!

Something else to consider is what type batteries it will take. Will it come with a rechargable battery pack or will it use AAs?

Go to a Circuit City or Best Buy type store and hold the camera in your hand. How does it feel? Does it feel balanced? Don't get a lot of bells and whistles unless you're going to really get into using your camera a lot. It, again, adds to the expense.

I suggest you get no lower than a 3 mega pixel because you can blow those up and still get a pretty clear picture. Anything lower may appear grainy when blown up.

Hope I helped. Maybe someone more knowledgable will reply.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/Mommaluvsdis/Cruisepicturesfrom2004056.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y79/Mommaluvsdis/Cruisepicturesfrom2004118.jpg

[MommaluvsDis]

I also took the picture of the Magic on my post as well.

[crazyboutWDW]

Whichever digital camera you choose the optic make all the difference in the world. I have both Olympus 2100UZ (2.2mp with 10x optical zoom) and a HP 5.3mp with 3x optical zoom. The Olympus wins hands down everytime. Make sure you get one that has the highest Optical Zoom in your price range. The optical zoom is the best of the zooms. I also have printed at home and had walgreens print up to 8x10 from my Olympus 2.2 and the pictures are stunning. Much better than the quality of the HP, but the HP can get pictures even larger than 8x10, which I will never print.

good luck on your selection

[ducklite]

I have a Minolta DiMage Z-1, takes good photo's in a variety of lighting conditions. Perfect miderately priced digital. It's slightly more than what you're looking to spend, but IMHO worth it for the quality you get--and the fact that the BATTERIES are REGULAR AA, you can use RECHARGEABLES. If you buy a camera that uses special camera batteries, you can end up spending a HUGE amount in batteries, where having spent more on a better camera to begin with might have been a good option! It also takes video, the amount depends on the size of your memory card--I've done about 15 minutes worth, PLUS photo's.

Here's a few I took in low light (and fast action), NO FLASH with the DiMage--which offers a built in flash, but I don't always like the results when using one...

http://www.flamingolegs.com/bands/sd/flint/images/PICT0223.jpg

http://www.flamingolegs.com/bands/noaddress/cp/images/PICT0201.jpg

http://www.flamingolegs.com/bands/theory/allentown/images/PICT0342.jpg

Same camera in daylight, same type of action...

http://www.flamingolegs.com/bands/sd/phljuly04/images/brent21.jpg

http://www.flamingolegs.com/bands/3dg/seaside/adam_barry1.jpg

As you can see, it's great for taking photo's on dark rides and during shows with no flash. You can turn the date stamp on and off, which is important to me for the photo's I take professionally. It's also got a setting for timed photo's so you can jump in, and it's got another setting which it will just keep shooting as long as I keep the button pushed down.


I'm actually about to step it up a notch and buy a Minolta Maxxum 7-D, truly amazing camera, but overkill unless you are a professional or major hobbyist. My photo's have been used by Atlantic Records, and I'm hoping to submit some to Rolling Stone in a couple months! :)

Anne

[tikkipoo]

Great pics everyone! Thanks for all your help! I need all I can get :crazy:

:banana: :banana: :banana:

[AbbysFamily]

My Suggestions----

General:
-Ignore Digital Zoom!!! You can crop after the fact for the same effect.
-Overall get the highest optical you can, but be aware 10x often means bulkier camera than 3x
- Batteries, batteries, batteries -- AA better than pack, 4 better than 2.

Specific:
- One of the best cameras for the price at this time (under $300): Canon A85 (or A95 for a bit more)
- The a85 is 4Mpixel, the a95 is 5MP
- This camera takes compact flash (get 1 GIG card under $70 online, stores almost 900 pictures!!!!), which is the cheapest overal memory card format.
- Camera uses 4 AA for power - makes for better flash recharge rates than 2AA
- Good overall size, given the great features still stunninly small
- Great canon picture logic.
- Good picture for auto or manual control.

Misc notes on the canon aXX series:
- 6 people I work with have bought this series and ALL love it (even the novices)
- Unfortunately Canon is replacing this with look alike cameras (the a510 has 2 batteries and SD card)
- Now may be a great time to get the a85 as they should be clearing them out with the new a510 replacing it.

Good luck.. Know that MOST of the 200-300 cameras on the market under the main names (canon, olypmus, nikon, etc) all all pretty decent for the novice. Get one that feels good.

[manticore]

Dell Home is running a sale on digtal cameras right now and many 4 MP and even 5 MP cameras are listed for less than $300.00 Also check www.techbargains.com on Friday, they often have for coupons you can stack on top of the 15% off DELL is already doing. For example the Canon SD300 which is normally $349.99 at Best Buy was available from Dell a week or so ago for around $262 after coupon. $350 - $52.50 - $35 (off $300) coupon = $262.50 Which is better than most of the shady dealers you might find.

Another example is the A95 which is a 5.0 MP for $279.65 with free shipping and no tax in my state (MA). That price is without a coupon.

If you aren't in a hurry, the last two years in the month of May, Microcenter has done 25% off most cameras and camcorders. But get in early they sell out fast also they do charge shipping. I bought my current camera (Canon Powershot Pro 1) there last year with that deal. I got my previous camera (Nikon Coolpix 5400) with a Dell deal similar to above.

BTW I have no affilliation with DELL or any other sites listed, but I do find the combination of using these sites gets me some great deals on electronics and computers for myself and my friends.

Good luck!!

[manticore]

Just an update: Todays coupons are $35 off $350 and $25 off $250.
The $60 off $500 is used up.
Some examples from Techbargains.com:

Kodak LS753 5Mpixel 3x optical zoom $349.00 - auto 15% off - $35 coupon = $261.65 shipped free. Pass $350

Kodak DX7630 6.1Mpixel 3x optical zoom Schneider-Kreuznach Lens. $349.00 -auto 15% off - $35 coupon = $261.65 shipped free. Pass $350

Compact Powershot SD200 3.2Mpixel 3x optical zoom $299.00 - auto 15% off - $35 coupon = $219.15 shipped free. Pass $350

Canon SD20 Compact 5Mpixel $349.00 - auto 15% off - $35 coupon = $261.65 shipped free. Pass $350

Canon Powershot A95 5Mpixel $329.00 - auto 15% off - $35 coupon = $244.65 shipped free. Pass $350

Canon Powershot S1 IS 3.2Mpixel 10x optical zoom - Optical Stabilizer $399.00 - auto 15% off - $35 coupon = $304.15 shipped free.

Canon Powershot S500 5Mpixel $399.00 - auto 15% off - $35 coupon = $304.15 shipped free.

Canon Powershot SD300 4Mpixel 3x optical zoom $349.00 - auto 15% off - $35 coupon = $261.65 shipped free.

As you see no need to settle for a low megapixel camera there are plenty of 4-6 MP cameras in your price range.

[tikkipoo]

Hey...thanks for all your help! I just ordered a Canon A95 from Dell. It actually worked very well...I just bought a computer from Dell, so they gave me a $35 coupon for accessories and with the discount there and free shipping, I got if for $244. Hope that was a decent deal! Wish me luck with it! THANKS AGAIN! :cool1:

[manticore]

Hey...thanks for all your help! I just ordered a Canon A95 from Dell. It actually worked very well...I just bought a computer from Dell, so they gave me a $35 coupon for accessories and with the discount there and free shipping, I got if for $244. Hope that was a decent deal! Wish me luck with it! THANKS AGAIN! :cool1:

You're Welcome! That is a very good price for that camera, most places like Staples or Circuit City sell it for $329.99. Most of the reputable online retailers sell it for around $290 plus shipping.

When my DM-I-L bought a camera last year I picked out the the camera that the A95 replaced(4MP), so in my opinion you made a good choice. She absolutely loves the camera and it takes wonder pictures, I am sure you will really enjoy the camera. The swivel display is real handy getting pictures in crowds.

If you are interested, there is a very good review of the camera with detailed photos at this site http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/a95.html .
Good Luck and Enjoy!!!!! :wave2:

[manticore]

Hey...thanks for all your help! I just ordered a Canon A95 from Dell. It actually worked very well...I just bought a computer from Dell, so they gave me a $35 coupon for accessories and with the discount there and free shipping, I got if for $244. Hope that was a decent deal! Wish me luck with it! THANKS AGAIN! :cool1:

BTW how long ago did you buy the Computer? If it was yesterday there was a discount coupon for $300 off a computer $999 or more, good on most Dimension desktops.

Example of deal on a Dimnesion 8400:
New P4 630 3.0GHz 2MB Cache, 512MB DDR2-400/40GB Serial ATA, 48x CD, 128MB ATI X300SE Video card, 5.1 Audio, 17in Dell LCD, Gigabit Ethernet, 6 month ISP, 1yr warranty, Word Perfect, XP Home $999 - $300 off $999 coupon = $699, Free Shipping. Customize it on 8400, Customize it on leftmost config, Select Free upgrade to 17in e173FP LCD.

Dimension 4700 P4 3Ghz 512MB/160GB DVD Writer Desktop $708
Slightly slower Dimension 4700 Desktop P4 530 3Ghz 512MB DDR2-400/160GB Serial ATA, 16 Dual Layer DVD Writer, 17in E173FP LCD, $1008 - $300 off = $708 shipped free.

Also sometimes it is better to buy the monitor seperately. Spend the $999 on the computer, only and add the monitor on a seperate order. For example the Dell 19in 1905FP Digital LCD Flat Panel 800:1 contrast ratio, 20ms response, DVI $529.00 - 30% off Code: QGG6H3LKWRNTL2 (Exp 3/31 5:59am CT) - $60 off Coupon code: CTK?G6$011KT2P (Exp 3/28 5:59am CT) = $310 shipped free.

Or a bigger 20in 2005FPW Widescreen Digital LCD Flat Panel 1680x1050, 600:1 contrast ratio , 12ms response, DVI, Svideo, Composite Video $749.00 - 25% off Code: ZLXBLQZZPZLXM$ - $60 off Coupon code: CTK?G6$011KT2P (Exp 3/28 5:59am CT) = $501 shipped free

Again these are from techbargains.com. If your purchase was very recent ( week) and your computer has not shipped yet you can call them and get a price adjustment. It may help it may not. Good Luck.
:wave2:

[SaraMc]

I have a Kodak Easy Share CX7300. Its was 179.00 Cnd. So probably less in USD. Its great. It has lots of options and takes really good photo's. It can run on rechargable batteries ( which you then will need there dock for) or without the dock like we do on lithuim batteries. Also it comes with a USB port so that Docking station that's available for it isnt 100% needed.



All in all I find it a great find for the little $$ we put into it.

[jmminarik]

No advice on a camera per se, but whatever camera you get, read the manual and learn what everything does, then spend some time googling 'how to take photographs'. And don't line everyone up for 'I was there' snapshots all of the time. Ducklite's concert photos are very nice in part because the people in them are doing something that's not posing for the camera.

Good luck,
Joe

[manticore]

I have a Minolta DiMage Z-1, takes good photo's in a variety of lighting conditions. Perfect miderately priced digital. It's slightly more than what you're looking to spend, but IMHO worth it for the quality you get--and the fact that the BATTERIES are REGULAR AA, you can use RECHARGEABLES. If you buy a camera that uses special camera batteries, you can end up spending a HUGE amount in batteries, where having spent more on a better camera to begin with might have been a good option! It also takes video, the amount depends on the size of your memory card--I've done about 15 minutes worth, PLUS photo's.

I'm actually about to step it up a notch and buy a Minolta Maxxum 7-D, truly amazing camera, but overkill unless you are a professional or major hobbyist. My photo's have been used by Atlantic Records, and I'm hoping to submit some to Rolling Stone in a couple months! :)

Anne

Great shots of Shinedown, I finally got a chance to see them last month at a benefit show for the Station Family Fund in Providence, RI. (Victims of the Station Nightclub Fire) They played with Tesla. We were right up front, and I forgot my camera. :sad2: They really put on a great show for a really needy cause!! :goodvibes

[top-timm]

could anyone help with printing of digital pictures while im there as i would like to print them out and put them on to disk. is there any where on international drive that does them while you wait and how dear is it.
im staying at ramada inn lakeside so somewhere local to that would be nice.

this is my first visit with 2 children so will have lots to print and keep to show when get home

[tikkipoo]

I think that places like CVS or Walmart can print your digital photos from your camera. I think some even have the capability to make a disk. I'm not sure where these places are near WDW.

[DAWGPOUNDAJ]

Okay there are a few things that will dictate which camera you want.

1) How many mega pixels do you want it to be? Basically the more mega pixels you have, the better clarity of your shots.

2) Size of camera. Some digitial cameras are positively puny to the point where they can fit into your pocket, but its hard to actually activate different features unless you have nails to poke the buttons with. Others are more reasonably sized.

3) Cost which you have already mentioned. I would suggest you run to Circuit City and get one as quickly as possible. As of last week they were having a sale on digital cameras.

4) Features. Do you want to be able to video tape on your digital camera as well? Or is that not very important to you.

I used to work at a camera store (along with 3 housekeeping jobs amongst others in college! lol) so for me I'm a bit picky about cameras. Plus my father does wedding photography so I'm used to new camera hunting with my father. That being said my husband just got me a camera from Circuit City last week for my birthday, and I'm very impressed with it. It's a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P93A, has 5.1 Mega pixels, 3 zooms, and it shoots movies as well. The pictures are phenomenal and when you activate the close picture feature you can get as close as 4 inches to the object you are photographing, and the pictures come out extremely clear. There are different flash features, the camera is small, but not so small that you need a magnifying glass to read the labels, and you can take pictures when it is practically pitch black. If someone would tell me how to post pictures on here I can post a few non-Disney examples from this past weekend.

Theres even a slow flash feature that brings dark backgrounds into stark focus along with the person your photographing. An example of this is say that a person in a house is standing about 5 feet in front of a doorway to a hall. The halls lights are out but with this feature the details of the hall come. I imagine that this would very well when photographing in indoor Disney areas.

It's great for fast action shots as well. We have two ferrets that run around like mad and they always come out clearly in pictures. I haven't had a chance to try photographing traffic on a street yet though, I'll let you know how that experiment turns out. (I always do that with new cameras to get an idea of how well their fast action shots come out.)

It also has a nice feature where it captures about 16 frames within a second or two, thus allowing you to see how something moves across your camera screen. This is good if your checking the form of a runner or just want kicks out of watching how your pets run. You can also do time lapse easily on this camera so we have quite a few of our ferrets streaking across the floor with short time lapse settings on this one.

The only downside to the camera is the video feature. The videos come out beautifully mind you, so long as you are outside or in a brightly lit room. If you film inside in a normally lit room though the camera does not have an extra light source (like you cannot turn the flash on and keep it on) to add mroe lighting so then videos in darker indoor areas become a bit too dark for my taste. However that is to be expected since it is a digital camera primarily.

The memory cards are also relatively inexpensive at Circuit City compared to most places. You can get something around 556 for $70 right now. If you plan on using the video feature with a camera like this you need a memory card that size and you will get about 35 minutes of video onto it.

It's easy to load things into your computer as well. I've been uploading our videos to family and friends all weekend!

The cost of this camera was $285 I believe (my darling husband wouldn't tell me but I sneaked a look when we went back to get some extra memory cards in anticipation of my tendency to break those things accidentally). This camera also takes regular AA batteries and comes with rechargeable pair and the battery charger. To buy another set of rechargable batteries at Circuit City it was $15 for 4 I believe.

There are other options of cameras there as well. Though I'd recommend that you go with at least 5.1 megapixels or higher though.

PM Me if you have any general camera questions or specific ones about this model and I'll be more than glad to help.

[manticore]

Onecall.com has the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P93A on sale for $199 + $10 for 3 day shipping. It is a reputable online dealer that I have purchased from in the past. Circuit City does have a great deal on another nice Sony camera, the DCS-W1 which is $264.99 after rebate. This camera has recently been replaced by a new model but is still selling for around $300 at most online dealers.

[DAWGPOUNDAJ]

Onecall.com has the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P93A on sale for $199 + $10 for 3 day shipping. It is a reputable online dealer that I have purchased from in the past. Circuit City does have a great deal on another nice Sony camera, the DCS-W1 which is $264.99 after rebate. This camera has recently been replaced by a new model but is still selling for around $300 at most online dealers.
LOL Oh my it looks like I'm going to have to keep my husband away from this board for a few days! lol He'll fall over if he realizes he could have gotten a better deal on the same product elsewhere! LOL :rotfl2:

[manticore]

LOL Oh my it looks like I'm going to have to keep my husband away from this board for a few days! lol He'll fall over if he realizes he could have gotten a better deal on the same product elsewhere! LOL :rotfl2:

Oh, I feel for him. I am the same way, drives the DW nuts. :rotfl:

[KirstenJB]

I have the Canon Powershot S1 IS. I absoutly love it. My dad has the Canon A70 and it's a great camera too. :) Canons are really good cameras. I hope you enjoy yours.

Kirsten

[manticore]

Hey...thanks for all your help! I just ordered a Canon A95 from Dell. It actually worked very well...I just bought a computer from Dell, so they gave me a $35 coupon for accessories and with the discount there and free shipping, I got if for $244. Hope that was a decent deal! Wish me luck with it! THANKS AGAIN! :cool1:

tikkipoo
I don't know if you have a printer yet but if you need one, www.newegg.com has the Canon Pixma IP3000 photo printer for $69.95 and since you just bought the Canon A95 you can get a $70.00 rebate so all it will cost you is shipping which is about $4.75 for ExpressSaver FedEx.

[ShadowWind]

I have an Olympus 740UZ and I love the thing to death. It did quite well in Disney's severe lighting conditions. It also takes regular AA batteries. Rayovac has rechargables which will last almost the whole day on a 15 minute charge. I also recommend a larger memory card for bigger pictures. You can see the Olympus pictures I shot in my signature.

Disney themselves will convert your memory card to CD-ROM at all the parks, check the camera stores, although last I checked it was $20 for 100 pictures. There are much cheaper places to get them done (basically any processing place), but it's convenient. They don't have printing/processing services though that I'm aware of. Also Disney uses CD-R's, so be careful, as a couple people had complained about not having the picture and the CD-R didn't work in their drive.

[DisneyForLife]

I have the Sony cubershot and love it. Does anyone know a good reputable place online to buy a new memory card?
Thanks.

[manticore]

I have the Sony cubershot and love it. Does anyone know a good reputable place online to buy a new memory card?
Thanks.

Dell Home has 25% off most of their memory cards including Memeory stick. Deal ends today.

[DisneyForLife]

Thank you so much for that info, I will head on over right now.

[spoon2003]

Went over to Dell to browse and ended up buying a 1GB Kingston for $59.99 with $15 rebate, no tax and free ship!!! I find myself doing alot more short video clips and those eat up memory fast.

Sue

[tigertam]

could anyone help with printing of digital pictures while im there as i would like to print them out and put them on to disk. is there any where on international drive that does them while you wait and how dear is it.
im staying at ramada inn lakeside so somewhere local to that would be nice.

this is my first visit with 2 children so will have lots to print and keep to show when get home

I do not want to print them out at Disney but would like to keep shooting pictures. Does anyone know how much it costs to down load your pictures to a disk at WDW? Does anyone know if the resorts are doing this yet? Is it possible to get a list of photo places in WDW and contact them?

[ShadowWind]

Yes, it is possible to download your pictures to CD. It's $20 for 100 last time I was there, admittedly last year, so it might have gone up since then a bit. Doubt it if went down. I'm pretty sure the lady at Pop Century's gift shop told me they can take the memory card and have it sent out to EPCOT to have it processed and then returned. The parks take a bit of time to have it done as well, so it's not just pop it in a machine, spit it out in 5 minutes, type a deal.

[cocowum]

I was wondering if and what the difference is between a Sandisk memory card(512mb) and a Kodak memory card(512mb)?? I have a kodak camera? TIA :wave2:

[netposer]

I was wondering if and what the difference is between a Sandisk memory card(512mb) and a Kodak memory card(512mb)?? I have a kodak camera? TIA :wave2:

Not really, more than likely they are the same thing but a different brand. It's hard to tell who actually manufactured the card. The only difference you might notice is the sticker/writing on the card itself. Good brands are Kingston, Sandisk, Lexar, Kingston and of course the camera brands.

Some SD,CompactFlash, XD, MS have different read/write speads (faster or slower) and the faster the RW speads the more expensive the card.

Unless you have a high-end camera it really won't matter. Find the best price and go with that.

There are a ton of rebates on camera memory all over the web. Sandisk, Lexar, Kingston seem to be offering $15-25 rebates on all their cards.

[mel63]

Nothing, as long as they are the same type of card like an SD card. But, there a few different types of cards, like xD, CF, SD, smart media & memory stick etc. Just make sure that the type is the same. Some cards are a little faster than others, but that shouldn't matter. Sandisk is just the name of the company that puts out that particular card. Hope this helps.

[netposer]

I have the Sony cubershot and love it. Does anyone know a good reputable place online to buy a new memory card?
Thanks.

I buy and recommend a lot of digital cams and accessories and here are a few of my favorite sites:

Newegg.com (http://www.newegg.com/camera/?DEPA=7) - Take advantage of their very low or even free shipping. I've had great success with them in the last few years and their shipping is fast and they beat most veryone else's prices on most if not all items. Order something on a Monday and you'll get it Wed or Thursday with their standard shipping.

ZipZoomFly.com (http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Dcamera.jsp) - They are almost identical to newegg.com but don't have as much inventory as newegg.com. Shipping is super fast and can be free depending on the product. I buy from here also

ecost.com (http://www.ecost.com/) is great if you like rebates. I think I've bought most all my memory cards from these folks and they make the rebate process painless by providing pdf and info links for the rebate products. They also have a thing called "Bargain Countdown (http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/countdown/default.asp)" that lists all their specials, how mean of each, how many sold/left. If you don't mind rebates you can get some of the best deals for memory cards here. It's the same company as PC Mall (http://www.pcmall.com/) / Mac Mall (http://www.macmall.com/).

Other sites that you can start your search for digital cams/accessories is Pricewatch.com (http://www.pricewatch.com) and try Froogle (Visit Google (http://www.google.com) and search for a particular camera then click the "froogle" link at the top).

My one word of advice is to stay away from any area code from NYC. You'll see camera's for half of what everyone else is selling them. But when you dig deeper you will see shipping costs that are 20% of the price and accessories that are 3 to 5 times more expensive than normal. They are rude and they will try to get you to spend more. I called a few places when looking for a Sony cam and when I said I wasn't interested in any accessories they hung up on me--no kidding. Just ignore the cheapest prices and use common sense when searching.

Maybe I'll post some buying and technical tips for digi-cams next. But if you have any questions please post and I'll be happy to answer them. I've owned quite a few digital cameras in the past 10 years. I'm no pro photographer but I know what works and doesn't work for myself and my wife when it comes to cameras.

[netposer]

Yes, it is possible to download your pictures to CD. It's $20 for 100 last time I was there, admittedly last year, so it might have gone up since then a bit. Doubt it if went down. I'm pretty sure the lady at Pop Century's gift shop told me they can take the memory card and have it sent out to EPCOT to have it processed and then returned. The parks take a bit of time to have it done as well, so it's not just pop it in a machine, spit it out in 5 minutes, type a deal.

If it's $20 per 100 photos than that's way too pricey. If your camera was a 5 Megapixel version than you could fit 2 to 3 times that many a CD. It'd be cheaper to buy/borrow a few more memory cards.

I take my laptop with me and copy them each night. I even upload them to my own server or to ofoto.com.

There are devices you can buy that are like portable hard disks that you can plug you camera into but they are expensive. Most are hundreds of dollars:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,,1773343,00.asp

[cocowum]

thanks so much!!! I found a Sandisk 512mb memory card online at Dell for 39.99. I printed out the ad and brought it to my local Staples. They offer 110% price match. They match the price and then give you an additional 10% of the difference. So it ended up being about $40 after tax. plus they had an $18 rebate. So in the end the (512mb) card is only costing $22. :cool1:

[manticore]

If it's $20 per 100 photos than that's way too pricey. If your camera was a 5 Megapixel version than you could fit 2 to 3 times that many a CD. It'd be cheaper to buy/borrow a few more memory cards.

I take my laptop with me and copy them each night. I even upload them to my own server or to ofoto.com.

There are devices you can buy that are like portable hard disks that you can plug you camera into but they are expensive. Most are hundreds of dollars:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,,1773343,00.asp

I have the X-Drive portable hard drive (doubles as an MP3 player). The case can be had for around $85 @ http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=VP-300&cpc=SCH then you need a laptop drive to put in it. I had upgraded my laptop from 20Gb to a 60GB so I used that. It is relatively small, works great and takes most memory cards, including CompactFlash Type I (CF) CompactFlash Type II SmartMedia (SM) Memory Stick (MS) Memory Stick Pro (MS Pro) SecureDigital (SD) MultiMedia Card (MMC) & IBM MicroDrive. I got sick of lugging my laptop around and this drive fits easily in the safe.

[netposer]

thanks so much!!! I found a Sandisk 512mb memory card online at Dell for 39.99. I printed out the ad and brought it to my local Staples. They offer 110% price match. They match the price and then give you an additional 10% of the difference. So it ended up being about $40 after tax. plus they had an $18 rebate. So in the end the (512mb) card is only costing $22. :cool1:

sweet. You sound like one of the fatwallet.com (http://www.fatwallet.com) regulars

[netposer]

I have the X-Drive portable hard drive (doubles as an MP3 player). The case can be had for around $85 @ http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=VP-300&cpc=SCH then you need a laptop drive to put in it. I had upgraded my laptop from 20Gb to a 60GB so I used that. It is relatively small, works great and takes most memory cards, including CompactFlash Type I (CF) CompactFlash Type II SmartMedia (SM) Memory Stick (MS) Memory Stick Pro (MS Pro) SecureDigital (SD) MultiMedia Card (MMC) & IBM MicroDrive. I got sick of lugging my laptop around and this drive fits easily in the safe.

20 GB should be plenty of storage while on vacation. I still have to bring my laptop so we can watch DVD's in the minivan while traveling down I95. And I have to check me email and stuff too.

[manticore]

20 GB should be plenty of storage while on vacation. I still have to bring my laptop so we can watch DVD's in the minivan while traveling down I95. And I have to check me email and stuff too.

I know the feeling, latest vehicle has the DVD built in for driving and we fly almost exclusively Song or Jet Blue for in flight TV and movies. I am a www.fatwallet.com and www.techbargains.com junkie. I have a thin wallet because of those sites, but hey I save a lot. ;)

[netposer]

I know the feeling, latest vehicle has the DVD built in for driving and we fly almost exclusively Song or Jet Blue for in flight TV and movies. I am a www.fatwallet.com and www.techbargains.com junkie. I have a thin wallet because of those sites, but hey I save a lot. ;)

How big is the DVD screen in your vehicle? I was thinking about installing one (DVD system) but my laptops have 15.4" screens and we don't do that much traveling so spending 5 mins setting up the laptop is working.

I'm gonna try an FM modulator this trip instead of the cassette adapter.

[manticore]

How big is the DVD screen in your vehicle? I was thinking about installing one (DVD system) but my laptops have 15.4" screens and we don't do that much traveling so spending 5 mins setting up the laptop is working.

I'm gonna try an FM modulator this trip instead of the cassette adapter.

It is relatively small 7"-8" but my DS is sitting right in front of it. It is mounted on the back of the armrest between the driver and the front seat passenger, so it is very easy to see from all three back seat positions, unlike some units mounted on the ceiling. It also has the wireless headsets and allows me to listen to whatever I want without having to listen to Nemo again and again and again. (Sorry, I love the movie just not everytime i get in the car) I'll tell you, I have not heard "ARE WE THERE YET?" since we got the car, instead it is "Can we go around the block once I want to see this part!!".

BTW the car is the Malibu Maxx LT. Nice car but not my choice. For driving fun I prefer my old Pontiac Vibe GT, but it didn't have a DVD player and the 6sp tranny was a pain for my job. The Malibu fits both needs nicely and with employee discount from my old man couldn't beat the price. They had $5,000 rebate on top of $3,500 discount when I bought it.

[netposer]

It is relatively small 7"-8" but my DS is sitting right in front of it. It is mounted on the back of the armrest between the driver and the front seat passenger, so it is very easy to see from all three back seat positions, unlike some units mounted on the ceiling. It also has the wireless headsets and allows me to listen to whatever I want without having to listen to Nemo again and again and again. (Sorry, I love the movie just not everytime i get in the car) I'll tell you, I have not heard "ARE WE THERE YET?" since we got the car, instead it is "Can we go around the block once I want to see this part!!".

BTW the car is the Malibu Maxx LT. Nice car but not my choice. For driving fun I prefer my old Pontiac Vibe GT, but it didn't have a DVD player and the 6sp tranny was a pain for my job. The Malibu fits both needs nicely and with employee discount from my old man couldn't beat the price. They had $5,000 rebate on top of $3,500 discount when I bought it.


We bought a KIA minvan 2 years ago and have been to Disney in it twice. This year I'm taking my XM SkyFi2 with me so I don't have to *listen* to movies the entire trip.

I setup my laptop on a "milk" crate just behind and between the 2 front seats. My wife and daughter (sorry, don't feel comfortable saying DW or DD--lol) can sit back and relax with pillows and blankets from NC to FL. When we stop they are upset when we have to pause the movie.

I have a TiVo with the TTG/HMO option. This allows me to transfer tv shows/movies to the laptop from the TiVo. So this year we are gonna try that out. Maybe transfer "Good Eats" or "Lizzy McGuire" to the laptop before we leave.

[manticore]

We bought a KIA minvan 2 years ago and have been to Disney in it twice. This year I'm taking my XM SkyFi2 with me so I don't have to *listen* to movies the entire trip.

I setup my laptop on a "milk" crate just behind and between the 2 front seats. My wife and daughter (sorry, don't feel comfortable saying DW or DD--lol) can sit back and relax with pillows and blankets from NC to FL. When we stop they are upset when we have to pause the movie.

I have a TiVo with the TTG/HMO option. This allows me to transfer tv shows/movies to the laptop from the TiVo. So this year we are gonna try that out. Maybe transfer "Good Eats" or "Lizzy McGuire" to the laptop before we leave.

I picked up one of TIVO DVD players last fall, that transfer option is great. The Windows XP media 2005 also gives that capability.

[Carrie Ellis]

I am not very digital camera savy so please forgive me! I have a Fuji Film S3000. With 4 kids moving all the time I can not get my pictures to not be blurry. Even pictures of other things that move slightly. I have worked with the settings and I have read the instructions. Is there a digital camera that is good for people with kids because they are always moving! I am considering getting a new camera before our next trip.

[netposer]

I am not very digital camera savy so please forgive me! I have a Fuji Film S3000. With 4 kids moving all the time I can not get my pictures to not be blurry. Even pictures of other things that move slightly. I have worked with the settings and I have read the instructions. Is there a digital camera that is good for people with kids because they are always moving! I am considering getting a new camera before our next trip.

That camera should take photos of moving objects without being blurry. Some cameras have icons that show the type of scene. Like a sports figure for shooting moving objects.

I'd break out the manual and play with it for a bit trying the different settings before trying to take 'real' photos.

[manticore]

I am not very digital camera savy so please forgive me! I have a Fuji Film S3000. With 4 kids moving all the time I can not get my pictures to not be blurry. Even pictures of other things that move slightly. I have worked with the settings and I have read the instructions. Is there a digital camera that is good for people with kids because they are always moving! I am considering getting a new camera before our next trip.

Looking at some of the comments on this camera over at www.dpreview.com, I noticed you are not alone in this complaint for this camera. You will find though that most digitals are not as good as film in capturing motion, but what is usually more the issue is missing the shot due to slow shutter not focus. It does seem a few people do have focus complaint on this camera.

[ukcatfan]

Look for a camera that has a fast lens all the way through the zoom range. Most new cameras have f/2.8 at wide angle, but go to something like f/4.8 at full zoom. This means that there is less light getting to the sensor and therefor the camera requires a longer shutter speed to capture the image properly. The longer the shutter, the more likely that you will get a blurry picture. Blurring could also be caused by not keeping the camera still enough. Cameras with image stabilization help with this.

I recently upgraded from a Canon A70 to a Canon S1 IS which has both a faster lens (f/3.1 at 10x zoom) and image stabilization. I have seen a dramatic improvement. It also has a 10x optical zoom which is pretty fun. I was torn between this camera and a similar ultra zoom from Panasonic. The Panasonic probably takes a slight edge over my S1 IS, but I already had the memory and extra batteries to work with my S1 IS. I would have had to spend over $100 more to get those with the Panasonic. In my opinion, it is always helpful when you do not have to buy new media and can use AAs instead of specialized batteries.

I believe that your Fuji used xD memory, so you could save money by sticking to Fuji and Olympus models.

[Dementia]

Anyone have one of these? I've been trying to find someone else who owns one because there's an issue I've been having with it (the only other person I know to own one has the same issue), and I want to learn if there are any tricks to maximizing this camera so we can get the best quality photos we can out of this. I've checked the manual (which didn't give me much) and also google'd the camera, but I haven't found anything helpful. I'd actually rather discuss the camera with people who have used it as opposed to reading reviews from a website, you know? :)

[tigertam]

Hey...thanks for all your help! I just ordered a Canon A95 from Dell. It actually worked very well...I just bought a computer from Dell, so they gave me a $35 coupon for accessories and with the discount there and free shipping, I got if for $244. Hope that was a decent deal! Wish me luck with it! THANKS AGAIN! :cool1:

I bought a canon A80 in Mar. 2004 and I love it. It takes great pictures, it has features to use if I'm interested in growing. I believe it was considered easy enough for the amatuer but has the capabilities of the intermediate. One of the reasons I bought it (along with everything else it bragged about) was because all camera's in the same comparison catagories all seemed to have about the same quality pictures, but the A80 was the best for low light situations and indoor photos. I do my share of indoor photos and hate getting dark pictures due to poor lighting. I was highly impressed that I can take birthday pictures and they come out great! I can take a picture in the complete dark and it looks like it was taken in the day time. The pictures of them blowing out the candles come out awesome! And of course with most camera's the outdoor pictures are vibrant with color. The only thing I do not like about the camera is the delay of how long it takes to take a picture. Hopefully the A95 shutter speed is faster. But I believe at the time most cameras at that time were the same speed unless you paid big money to compensate.

[manticore]

But I believe at the time most cameras at that time were the same speed unless you paid big money to compensate.


Even spending big money on a point and shoot like my Pro 1 or the Minolta A2 will still give you fits with slow shutterspeeds.. The only way to take good action shots is prefocus on the spot you think it is going to happen. Of course you could solve the problem completely and buy a Digital SLR. :sunny:

[tigertam]

[QUOTE=manticore]Even spending big money on a point and shoot like my Pro 1 or the Minolta A2 will still give you fits with slow shutterspeeds.. The only way to take good action shots is prefocus on the spot you think it is going to happen.

I just started experimenting with my cannon A80. They have a special button that takes action shots. I didn't experiment a lot, but it did take pictures of them dancing and moving and they come out good. Do most cameras in that range(4mp) have that feature, or was this another feature the cannon just had?

And about getting action shots. I just keep clicking until I get the right photo. ie. trying to get babys first smile, and digital is so slow. You know what another feature I think I have is continuous shots for action, just reminded me I haven't tried it.

[manticore]

[QUOTE=tigertam I just started experimenting with my cannon A80. They have a special button that takes action shots. I didn't experiment a lot, but it did take pictures of them dancing and moving and they come out good. Do most cameras in that range(4mp) have that feature, or was this another feature the cannon just had?

And about getting action shots. I just keep clicking until I get the right photo. ie. trying to get babys first smile, and digital is so slow. You know what another feature I think I have is continuous shots for action, just reminded me I haven't tried it.[/QUOTE]

Most of the new digicams have some kind of action preset function. It sets things like aperature, f-stop and ISO for you. This works fine as long as there is adequate lighting. In poor lighting conditions on highers ISO you will get more noise in the darker areas and shadows. This may not be a big deal on most 4x6 prints but as you go larger it becomes more noticable. A lot of it can be taken care of using software. The only drawback to the noise software solutions is a little loss of sharpness and detail.

Yes many cameras also have continuous shooting. The number of shots per second varies by camera. Yours is good for about 4 pictures every 1.5 second. (www.steves-digicams.com).
:wave2:

[darlene9947]

Okay there are a few things that will dictate which camera you want.

I used to work at a camera store (along with 3 housekeeping jobs amongst others in college! lol) so for me I'm a bit picky about cameras. Plus my father does wedding photography so I'm used to new camera hunting with my father. That being said my husband just got me a camera from Circuit City last week for my birthday, and I'm very impressed with it. It's a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P93A, has 5.1 Mega pixels, 3 zooms, and it shoots movies as well. The pictures are phenomenal and when you activate the close picture feature you can get as close as 4 inches to the object you are photographing, and the pictures come out extremely clear. There are different flash features, the camera is small, but not so small that you need a magnifying glass to read the labels, and you can take pictures when it is practically pitch black. If someone would tell me how to post pictures on here I can post a few non-Disney examples from this past weekend.

Theres even a slow flash feature that brings dark backgrounds into stark focus along with the person your photographing. An example of this is say that a person in a house is standing about 5 feet in front of a doorway to a hall. The halls lights are out but with this feature the details of the hall come. I imagine that this would very well when photographing in indoor Disney areas.

It's great for fast action shots as well. We have two ferrets that run around like mad and they always come out clearly in pictures. I haven't had a chance to try photographing traffic on a street yet though, I'll let you know how that experiment turns out. (I always do that with new cameras to get an idea of how well their fast action shots come out.)

It also has a nice feature where it captures about 16 frames within a second or two, thus allowing you to see how something moves across your camera screen. This is good if your checking the form of a runner or just want kicks out of watching how your pets run. You can also do time lapse easily on this camera so we have quite a few of our ferrets streaking across the floor with short time lapse settings on this one.

The only downside to the camera is the video feature. The videos come out beautifully mind you, so long as you are outside or in a brightly lit room. If you film inside in a normally lit room though the camera does not have an extra light source (like you cannot turn the flash on and keep it on) to add mroe lighting so then videos in darker indoor areas become a bit too dark for my taste. However that is to be expected since it is a digital camera primarily.

The memory cards are also relatively inexpensive at Circuit City compared to most places. You can get something around 556 for $70 right now. If you plan on using the video feature with a camera like this you need a memory card that size and you will get about 35 minutes of video onto it.

It's easy to load things into your computer as well. I've been uploading our videos to family and friends all weekend!

The cost of this camera was $285 I believe (my darling husband wouldn't tell me but I sneaked a look when we went back to get some extra memory cards in anticipation of my tendency to break those things accidentally). This camera also takes regular AA batteries and comes with rechargeable pair and the battery charger. To buy another set of rechargable batteries at Circuit City it was $15 for 4 I believe.

There are other options of cameras there as well. Though I'd recommend that you go with at least 5.1 megapixels or higher though.

PM Me if you have any general camera questions or specific ones about this model and I'll be more than glad to help.

DAWGPOUNDAJ,

I have a Sony digital and have had more problems trying to upload to the computer. I find the Sony software is so confusing. I can never figure out how to use it.

Do you use the Sony software or is there something else I could try?

I just recently bought a Kodak Easy Share DX7590 and believe it or not, I'm having problems with that also. It must be me or my computer :( Probably me!!!

I have re-installed the Kodak software 3 times and everytime I try to upload, the computer freezes. I'm leaving for the Mouse House on 5/21 and hoped to take lots of pix, but now I'm not sure. Maybe I'll just buy more memory cards and bring them to Wally World when I get home. LOL

[netposer]

DAWGPOUNDAJ,

I have a Sony digital and have had more problems trying to upload to the computer. I find the Sony software is so confusing. I can never figure out how to use it.

Do you use the Sony software or is there something else I could try?

I just recently bought a Kodak Easy Share DX7590 and believe it or not, I'm having problems with that also. It must be me or my computer :( Probably me!!!

I have re-installed the Kodak software 3 times and everytime I try to upload, the computer freezes. I'm leaving for the Mouse House on 5/21 and hoped to take lots of pix, but now I'm not sure. Maybe I'll just buy more memory cards and bring them to Wally World when I get home. LOL

I refuse to use the software that ships with most cameras. It's usually buggy and it's really cheap. Seems the camera companies have to ship something just to compete.

There is quite a few Free software titles to choose from. Some of the easiest is free if you become a member to one of the online photo printing sites like ofoto (which is now http://www.kodakgallery.com). My wife and I have been using ofoto since it first came online and she uses their free client application.

Also if you have XP it's a good bet that your pc recognizes your camera without you having to install any software out of the camera box. Most USB connected cameras are seen as "mass storage devices" (just a fancy name for a hard drive). Then you can treat your camera as another drive and just copy the photos from the camera (example, G drive) to your C drive.

As long as you're not having any USB issues you should be ok.

Other great software that's less than $99 is:
Adobe Photoshop Elements 3 [best red-eye removal tool out ther](http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopelwin/main.html) And check out Adobe Photoshop Album while you are there (http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopalbum/main.html)
ACDSEE 7 (http://www.acdsystems.com/nr/acdsee7/en/homelife/index.html)
Picasa 2 [free Google addition] (http://www.picasa.com/)

I like the above 3 and the ofoto app as they will hold your hand when you connect your camera to your pc. They help keep your photos organized.

I can probably answer any question you have about getting your photos from your camera to your pc. Just reply and I'd be more than happy to help you.