Digital Camera dummy

[Goobergal99]

Ok, I really want to get a DC this summer b/c I am a frequent Disney goer and I always end up taking all these disposable cameras and never developing them (I know I am terrible ) But I have no idea where to start I don't want to spend a whole lot of money but I was good quality as well. Can anyone give me advice? Thanks!

 

[YEKCIM]

www.dpreview.com
www.steves-digicams.com
www.imaging-resource.com

~YEKCIM

 

[ducklite]

Digital cameras run from under $100 to well over $4000. A price range would be helpful. "a whole lot of money" has very different meanings to different people.

Do you have any ideas what type of features you want? The ability to zoom, take photo's of fireworks and/or in rides, turn off the flash all make a difference. Have you ever used any kind of camera except a disposable? Are you willing to take time to learn, or do you just want to turn it on and take photo's?

Without knowing all that (especially your price range, which will dictate to a degree the features you will have) it's difficult to suggest anything.

Anne

 

[Goobergal99]

Digital cameras run from under $100 to well over $4000. A price range would be helpful. "a whole lot of money" has very different meanings to different people.

Do you have any ideas what type of features you want? The ability to zoom, take photo's of fireworks and/or in rides, turn off the flash all make a difference. Have you ever used any kind of camera except a disposable? Are you willing to take time to learn, or do you just want to turn it on and take photo's?

Without knowing all that (especially your price range, which will dictate to a degree the features you will have) it's difficult to suggest anything.

Anne

I think I want somthing nice and easy I guess zoom capability would be nice, I am just giving it to my DH to deal with for the most part I don't need to take photos in the rides (we have gone enough times that everyone has had to see those pics a million times) I would like to get some decent pictures at night though of my DD enjoying herself and of course of the Castle

I guess speding between $100-$150 although I have seen some at Best Buy for a lil under $100 (I guess there not so good huh )

 

[captaincrash]

You can make this as complicated or simple as you like....

... and as with anything - the more time and effort you put into it the more you will get out. On the most basic level - I say you can get by on something as little as 3 or 4 megapixel for most applications so a basic digicam should serve well. And with a 4, 3 or even 2 megapixel cameras your memory cards will go much farther. 3 megapixels is enough for 8x10 images. On the other hand if you get sucked into the more mega-pixels is better thinking then your memory cards will have to be bigger - and your storage limits MIGHT be noticed on your computer HD and CDs or DVDs.

A few hints and pointers up front. If you post process your images (IE, sharpen, rebalance color, crop, fix red eye, etc.) then every time you save an image it gets compressed and will lose a little of it's perfection. Always save to an alternate file name so you have an original image that has NOT been rewritten as a JPEG.

Next - when you store your images to CD or DVDs - bear in mind that this sort of storage is not expected to last much beyond 10 years. If you want it saved securely then you need an external hard drive. I have CDs that have delaminated at 5 years making part of the CD unreadable. I have since transferred my entire photo archeive to an external hard drive and I store that in a fireproof safe.

I print to Costco online for local pickup (4x6= $0.15 up to 12x18 for $2.99), and use an online subscription service too. Plus I have tried printing the bound 4 color process books and recently started using propixexpress for prints on Kodak Endura paper pressed to canvass and mounted in wood frames. $4.95 in 8x10 and $8.95/9.95 in 10x13! Shipping is a flat $5 regardless of order size for 2nd dfay fedEX.

Also, I would recommend buying from Costco. Just in case you are not satisfied with your digicam purchase Costco has a very liberal return policy - just keep your receipt, packaging and decide if you're satisfied within a few months - or even within the first year. Trying to return after a year will depend on the thickness of your skin - but the reutrn policy has no apparent time limit so long as you have a receipt. Certain items do have a time limit though on returns - such as computers. Computers have an absolute 6 month reuturn limit - pretty outrageous, eh?

Plan on enjoying zero cost image capture; and low cost sharing of images via email. Equipment may become an issue if you get caught up with it. My 1st digicam cost me $900 for a G! the first 2 weeks it was released. And I bought a 1 gig IBM micro drive for $500 at the same time. Now you can get the G1 used on ebay for under $100 and a 4 gig micordrive for under $150. Solid state 1 gig CF cards are to be had for under $50 on promotion too. Currently I have a Canon 10D... a $2000 DSLR which I bought used for $600 on ebay 20 months after it was INTRODUCED! Talk about radical depreciation! So - get something to get started with and if buying the latest and snazziest = be warned that it will be replaced every 18 months with a better model. In 36 months it will be twice replaced and probably available on Ebay for very cheap.

Post processing is also a huge potential issue. You may very well end up spending much more time manipulating and organizing your images then actually shooting them. OR... you might just take your cards to Costco, Walmart or Target in person and just select 4x6 prints and a storage CD on the spot for the simplistic convenience it offers.

ONE THING>..... do plan on learning how to down load and handle your images. I have cousins and a BIL who cannot off load the images - so they just buy a new memory card when the current card fills up. THat is pretty silly as the storage media is reusable and expected to be reused as such. Oh yeah... do print some of your images in the big size (12x18 or a framed 10x13 at least) every now and then when an image is nice, tac sharp without being under or over exposed.

Here are a couple of fun images I've taken recently....

 

[manning]

Next - when you store your images to CD or DVDs - bear in mind that this sort of storage is not expected to last much beyond 10 years. If you want it saved securely then you need an external hard drive. I have CDs that have delaminated at 5 years making part of the CD unreadable. I have since transferred my entire photo archeive to an external hard drive and I store that in a fireproof safe.

Actually you will want to store images on BOTH CD or DVD and external hard drive. A hard drive will, not if, fail and at anytime. I had one that failed after one month and there was not any heavy use. And recovering data from a failed hard drive is expensive. CD/DVD can be copied periodically at low cost.

 

[captaincrash]

Actually you will want to store images on BOTH CD or DVD and external hard drive. A hard drive will, not if, fail and at anytime. I had one that failed after one month and there was not any heavy use. And recovering data from a failed hard drive is expensive. CD/DVD can be copied periodically at low cost.

Pardon me.... but this is also quite true. My BIL had a HD fail and he had the birth photos of his daughter on it. He spent big bucks to recover the files. SO -to be prudent you should do both - and give a little consideration how you want to organize your library to ease recovery of various subjects and events. PLUS you cannot have really long file names as some systems cannot handle them without manual adjustment. Some printers will access an extra fee for handling your files when the file names exceed a certain number of digits - I think it is 30 or so.