Best digital camera for $250 ????????

[disfamily2]

I am shopping for a new digital camera for my next trip. I have a Sony and didnot like it at all. Very tempermental. Just want a point and click and have nice color and clarity.

Jo Ann

 

[joanchris]

I searched, and researched for a few months, wanting to stay under $250 like you. I finally got a Kodak DX7440 in July and I LOVE IT! The one thing I had been looking for that I didn't get was a camera that used AA batteries, but I'm so glad I got the one I did. An 2nd extra long life battery was only about $20, lasts FOREVER, unlike the constant changing of the rechargable AAs on my last digital. The screen is a big 2 inches (or 2.2?), can be quick, point and shoot, seconds from turning it on to first pic, and quick pic to pic shots too. It also has different modes you can choose (party indoors, action, fireworks, closeup, portrait etc) really easily. It's not the tiniest camera, I didn't want that--I'd misplace it! But it's still smallish, and has a good grip, so I can shoot one handed if I must. It has 4 mp, 4x optical zoom.........I can't recall where I got mine online.....try bwayphoto dot com to see it if you want.
Can you tell I love it?

 

[Frantasmic]

See reviews at www.cnet.com.

I think Fuji is actually rated fairly high in that price range.

 

[andrabell]

I highly recommend the Casio QV R40. You can stay under $200 and get a very sharp 4mp digital camera that is very easy to use.

The photos are very clear, crisp and the color is excellent for the price and it's very small and fairly lightweight yet sturdy.

Here is one sample photo that was taken recently.

 

[disfamily2]

Thanks for your advice. I will check them out online at the digital camera review websites.

Jo Ann

 

[meuseman]

I find the best site for digital camera reviews is www.dcpreview.com

I am of the opinion that for point and shoot cams, the canon software that processes the pictures is the best.

 

[ukcatfan]

I think you mean http://www.dpreview.com/ . Another good site is http://www.dcresource.com/ .

 

[disfamily2]

Thanks for your enthusiasm for the kodak dx7440. I checked out the online reviews all weekend and finally ordered it on Circuitcity.com. It was not available in the store. I hope I love it. Leaving in three weeks and want to take tons of pictures this trip........

Jo Ann

 

[almacdonald]

Don't forget to pack an extra set of batteries (or 2!) and memory card. You can never have enough memory. The Camera is only half the cost unfortunately!

 

[joanchris]

So glad you decided on the DX7440, I do hope you like it as much as I do. Hope you ordered an extra battery, and a memory card too! If not, go to amazon, I looked and got the best price there, though if you belong to BJS club, they also had the batteries and mem cards at about the same prices, minus the shipping!
Have fun! We go in 3 weeks too, Oct 8-15!

 

[disfamily2]

Like someone said the price of the camera is only half of what you spend.When I bought the camera I also purchased a memory card, case , and the dock which comes with an extra battery. How many photos do you
think I can fit on a 512 memory card ? Do you think I need another one ? I will be at Disney Oct. 10-16 with two DD's, nine and twelve. Thanks for the advice. Can't wait to get my camera !!!!!!


Jo Ann

 

[joanchris]

. How many photos do you
think I can fit on a 512 memory card ? Do you think I need another one ? I will be at Disney Oct. 10-16 with two DD's, nine and twelve. Thanks for the advice. Can't wait to get my camera !!!!!!


Jo Ann

I have a 512 in my camera now, it's set at 3.5 megapixels (this format eliminates the cropping that happens with most digital prints, I get the whole picture in my print, without chopping someones head, or, heaven forbid, the top of the castle at Disney!), anyhow......it can fit about 280 pics on the 512......Plus i have a 256 AND a 128 card.....I figure if I actually manage to fill all but the 128 up, I'll put that in the camera for the day and then have the pics from the other memory cards downloaded at one of the camera shops at WDW, not cheap, but cheaper than buying yet another memory card! (dont' think I'll need to do that, that's what the 512 card, my newest, is supposed to prevent!)
I heard that you have to leave your memory card at the photo shop for the pics to be downloaded and put on CD (though if you have a car you can go offsite to a drugstore/walmart etc and do it yourself, not leaving the card at all, and it's cheaper---we won't have a car while there). So, if you think you'll take more than 280 pics (probably more like 250 or less if you have it up to 4 mp), then at least get another smaller memory card, like a 128 or 256 so you can take pics while the other larger card is downloaded......

 

[disfamily2]

Joan,

Thanks for the advice on the memory card. Just got my camera this week and I am actually reading the manual so I know how to run the thing. It has a great look and I love the different modes on it. Do you use the Scene modes for alot of your pictures and do they make an improvement in your pictures ? I am going to try to use it at my daughter's soccer game today and see how it works. It seems like it has a scene mode for every occasion.
I also want to get a couple more memory cards.
Jo Ann

 

[joanchris]

Joan,

Thanks for the advice on the memory card. Just got my camera this week and I am actually reading the manual so I know how to run the thing. It has a great look and I love the different modes on it. Do you use the Scene modes for alot of your pictures and do they make an improvement in your pictures ? I am going to try to use it at my daughter's soccer game today and see how it works. It seems like it has a scene mode for every occasion.
I also want to get a couple more memory cards.
Jo Ann

I hope you're trying the action/sports mode for the soccer game! It really does work and makes a world of difference when taking action shots. I got some of the kids in the pool this summer where there was splashing and you can actually see the drops of water in the air as they were being splashed! Very cool.
I've also used the night scene mode (where you see your subject and background), and indoor party mode, works great in my house, our living room is pretty dark and it works really well in there where my other camera did not. (and where the automatic setting did ok but not great). Have you tried the movie mode yet? I didn't think I'd use that at all, but found it's great for 30 second clips to email to my parents who just moved away after living near us since the kids were born, they do something new, or say how much they miss them and off it goes with just a few clicks of the mouse.
Have fun.

 

[Lachesis00]

I was just reading how it's better to buy 2 smaller memory cards (say 2-512) vs one large (1 gig) so if heaven forbid something happens, you do not loose all of your photos.