Can anyone give me a digital camera recommendation for under $300

[traces7]

I've been looking at the Canons - Powershot A610 and Powershot A620. I was thinking about getting the A620. But are there any other cameras I should be looking at? I've heard good things about the Canons. Any ideas on other cameras? Or comments about the Canons? Thanks!

 

[bicker]

We love our Canon.

I'd be careful about the lower-end cameras, though, of any brand, because there are definite reasons why they're lower-priced, and you could end up regretting those compromises. I don't know about the specific models you're referring to, but typically the compromises are with regard to latency (how long it takes for the phototo be taken after you press the button/how long it takes the camera to be ready to take the next photo). I found that very frustrating to deal with.

 

[YEKCIM]

If you are only considering Canon, you may want to check out the A700 or the S2-IS. The A700 can be had for around $290 online; the S2-IS is slightly higher than your target, at around $325 online. If shopping online, check www.pricegrabber.com for pricing comparison, and www.resellerratings.com to find a reputable dealer. Personally, I have had excellent service from www.butterflyphoto.com.

~YEKCIM

 

[Kelly Grannell]

I'd go with S2-IS. Not for picture quality, but for the feel in my hands. I can hold it far steadier than the A700. Oh, also the swivel LCD helps a lot for group pictures.

 

[traces7]

I'm not necessarily looking for a Canon. I had just heard good things about Canon. Any other suggestions?

 

[Kelly Grannell]

nope

 

[Kelly Grannell]

I mean, Kodak sucks big time, Fuji and Olympus drain batteries and uses proprietary XD card that's more expensive than everybody else, Minolta went bankrupt, Pentax offers nothing good at that price range. The other option will be Nikon but I don't know whether it has the same crazy zoom range (12x) and Image Stabilizer (they called theirs "Vibration Reduction")

 

[bsbkmacgowan]

I seem to have a habit of purchasing previous-year's models whenever I buy a new digital camera.
So far, I've always been able to purchase in the $250 range.

You do have another option... Two years ago, I bought my Panasonic DMC-FZ1...
Yeah, I know... it's only a 2mp camera, but I'm still pretty happy with my results.
(But I'm always checking the various digital photo review web sites to see what the current
prices for newer models are... ya never know when one of those Lumix's are gonna get down
to that $250 range!) (Well, I can dream!)

With the Panasonic, I've got the 12x optical zoom (I don't bother turning on the digital zoom, of course),
great image stabilization, a kickin' lens that seems to challenge a 4mp camera, spot metering,
4 frames/sec continuous drive mode (comes in real handy for taking pics at Kellie's Pee-Wee
baseball games/practices), auto-bracketing ability (+/- 1/3, 2/3 or 1) - and much more, as well.
(I can even use it as a P&S if I really want to, too. It's got a totally automatic mode... but I don't
think I've ever used it that way!)

My brother-in-law has a Canon (not 100% sure of the model, but I think it was the S2-IS)...
I played around with it over Christmas and frankly, I didn't really care for the feel of it... but then,
I'm used to my own camera. We all have our little quirks that way, I guess.

If $300 is definitely your maximum price point, I'd suggest you look around (online or in stores, even)
for any deal you can get on last-year's models. I know not everyone will agree with me, but I've
personally had really good results with doing that.

Here's a shot I took last year with my Lumix... this one particular kid loved to get as much dirt as possible
flying whenever he'd slide in to home plate... yup, I caught it (and his folks loved it when they saw it on
the team DVD we produced as a thank-you for the coaches and parents.)

(Yeah, it's a huge pic... but I was afraid to resize it down and end up losing the dirt spray... sorry!)

Good luck with your search!

Sandy (and Brian, Bonnie & Kellie, too!)