Buying a New Digital Camera

[ChloeChipper]

I lost our digital camera over the weekend and now need to buy another. Please help.

I want something small, easy to throw in the fanny pack, yet with good picture quality and decent battery life. I had a Canon Elph and loved it but now Im not sure if I should get a different kind.

Please tell me what kind you have, and if you like it, how big it is, how decent the photos come out, how much it cost, how long your battery lasts (and if its AA or battery pack thingy), or any other info about it.

I saw a Nikon Coolpix P1 at Costco that looked nice, but there was no one there to tell me about it. Anyone have that camera?

Thanks in advance.

 

[firefly72]

I recently bought the Canon Powershot S1 IS, which I absolutely love-but it is too big for what you are looking for. Try putting this message on the photography board, there are lots of people who can help you there!

 

[msklcassidy]

I went from a Cannon Powershot to a Cannon Digital Rebel SLR and I'm never going back! No delay when you shoot your photo...great interchangable lenses....and very EASY to use!

Just my 2 cents worth!

 

[Nikel]

I agree that a didital SLR will get you the best pics, however they're def. not that will easily fit in a fanny pack. I have a cybershot. I'm not too impressed with the picture quality in low light.

 

[m1ckeym0use1]

I'm very happy with the Canon Elph line (I believe I have the S400). I also shoot w/ a digital Rebel SLR... but that doesn't fit your small/fanny pack requirement.

Canon makes good cameras.

 

[AmyBWV99]

I just did a TON of research on digital cmaeras as we decided to buy a new one. Canon's are the way to go. CNET and Consumer Reports recommend the A500 and A600 series of cameras. We ended up buying an A620 and LOVE it.

 

[maggiann]

i have the nikon coolpix and i love it. it is really simple to use. i took mine to disney last september and probally put new batteries in every day, depending on how many pic you take. i just bought rechargeable batteries for mine but i really havent used it a whole lot so i dont know how long they will last.

 

[purpliequeen]

My dad gave me a Canon Digital Elph Power Shot SD400 for Christmas so I could get some great pics of the World. I love this camera! Any Canon is fabulous; especially the elph line. The SD400 is tiny, thin, and light-weight, not to mention the screen is large and the camera is easy to use. It also has great storage for memory and charges quickly.

Good luck shopping.
Raina

 

[SteeleTig]

I have the Canon Powershot SD30 in "Vivacious Violet", it's fabulous! It's small, so light you forget you have it, the battery is rechargable and it comes with a docking station for charging and hooking it to your computer. The screen is large, there is no viewfinder, you compose your shot on the screen, fast, great pictures. It comes in black, gold, red and violet. They retail somewhere around $300, give or take. I bought mine on eBay, more because I wanted the violet and it's hard to find in the stores both in person and online, than to save money.

 

[honeybee213]

I have the Canon A520, and really love it! It takes two AA batteries, and we bought rechargable. I'm not sure how long they last, as I don't leave them in when I don't use the camera, and tend to switch them out for other electronics.

 

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

i have a nikon slr which i love, film camera...4 years old, so i wasn't looking for anything of that calibre...

so i got the Canon A620. it came out late last year, and the prices are now dropping ($500 in canada to $420 ) because they intro a new 700 series.
great camera. 4 aa's, and i have taken prob 200 pics on it without having to change the batteries as of yet. 7.1mp, 4xoptical zoom (which is ample and the sharpness is still bang on at this point)
itsa great point and shoot.

on board options are great, room to tinker, awesome macro, and it has a turning tilting lcd screen.

happy shopping!

 

[a*lil*bit*goofy]

I just did a TON of research on digital cmaeras as we decided to buy a new one. Canon's are the way to go. CNET and Consumer Reports recommend the A500 and A600 series of cameras. We ended up buying an A620 and LOVE it.

ditto. a lot of research went into my purchase, and i am so thrilled with my a620. have had it for 2 weeks now. great purchase,no regrets here.

 

[Ride Junkie]

I have a Nikon Coolpix 5600, and I love it! It takes great pics. It is also VERY tiny, about half the size of my old 35mm camera. The Coolpix P1 has 8.0 megapixels -- wow! You'd probably get amazing results with that one. But, for the average user, the 5600 is great. Here's one we took with it:

 

[checkwriter]

These have been getting some great press, though I confess I don't have one yet:

Panasonic DMC-LZ2 Lumix 5 Megapixel Ultra-Compact Digital Camera w/ 6x Optical Zoom

There's a 6 Meg version as well. Try putting "DMC-LZ2" into www.froogle.com. I've seen them for around $200.

They have a motion-compensating sensor that significantly reduces blurry images, which can be a problem when you take advantage of that zoom.

 

[OSUmouse]

I recently upgraded to a Canon A620 .... 7.1 mp. It takes great pictures and is a nice small size. It has a ton of features if you want to use them but it has the auto for those who want the ease of use. I just finished getting it set for our upcoming trip..... Whatever you do, make sure you check out cnet.com for reviews. It is a great source.

 

[wecroozin]

Last year before our Disney Magic Cruise. I wanted a new camera, so I went shopping. Now while Canon seems to have just a bit more performance, if your going for most convenient size and beautiful picture quality I went with the Sony Cybershot DSC-T7. It is the size of a credit card and thinner than my wallet. Fits in my pocket so nice you almost forget you have it with you. Also has a "huge" 2.5" lcd viewing screen on the back for a sight instead of a tiny peep hole to look through. Much easier for capturing quick shots that you may miss trying to look through a sight glass. Look it up for your own curiosity. I got mine brand new off Ebay for 389.00 shipped. They were selling for 499.00 in major stores when I got mine. They may have dropped in price by now since they were released last March. I LOVE MINE!

Plus it has the "WOW" factor. Everywhere I go someone is asking about it when I bring it out to snap a picture or take short video clips. YES it does video too. Sorry, didn't mention that. I have 2 friends that take professional photography an they both were amazed by it's size and features for the money. It uses it's own style of rechargable battery which lasts all day so far for me. I got an off brand as a spare and rarely use it. The original battery is great for an all day excursion. Easily takes over 150 pics before needing charging. Sorry for a long post.

 

[eeyoreiscool]

We have the Canon SD450 for our small camera. It seems to take pretty good pictures. We haven't used it that much because we also have a Nikon D70 but it is nice when we just want to slip a camera into our pockets.