Digital Camera Question

[dopeys biggest fan]

I'm looking to buy a small digital camera and with so many out there, have no clue where to start. I have a Kodak right now but it's so big, I have been leaving it at home and buying disposable cameras that are smaller when I go anywhere. I want one that will fit in my pocket but still take great pics. I can't think of the name of it but I saw a commercial about a camera that looked great the one with the fairy in it. the one where he took a pic of a hummingbird without looking through the lens. What camera was that?

Any other suggestions about what kind of camera to buy are welcome!

I would like one with at least 5 MP's and X3 optical zoom. TIA

 

[dopeys biggest fan]

bump.

 

[TheDisneyTraveler06]

You'd might want to check out the photography board.

 

[AtlantaSue]

When I was looking, a friend suggested I look at pc magazine's website - they review/rate digital cameras. Based on their "editor's choice" last year, I purchased the Canon SD500. I have been very happy w/ it! (I see now that their editor's choice is the newer model, the SD550).

I'm sure you will receive lots of suggestions. Good luck w/ your search!

 

[dopeys biggest fan]

You'd might want to check out the photography board.

I posted over there as well but was not getting any responses. I thought I would try here too.

 

[lowie]

i have a nikon coolpix and hate it
i can't get decent pictures at night or in a dark spot. my old humongous sharp digi is awesome but too big to take anywhere.

 

[dopeys biggest fan]

i have a nikon coolpix and hate it
i can't get decent pictures at night or in a dark spot. my old humongous sharp digi is awesome but too big to take anywhere.

See, that's how I feel. I want a small one too but I'm so used to how good my Kodak is I don't want to take too big of a step down. I know wanting to spend less than $150 is gonna limit my choices but i want to get the best camera for the money I can. I LOVE my Kodak but it's just too big!

 

[Donald is #1]

I would go into your local camera store and check some out. Make sure that they have batteries in them and then try the different models. Some of the things to look for:
1) Does is feel "right" in your hand? (For me many small cameras are too small)
2) Does it take the picture right away or is there a delay? (I hate that delay)
3) Can you turn the LCD screen off? ( The LCD screen is the biggest battery killer there is.)
4) What kind of memory card does it take? (If it takes the same as your old camera, then you don't need to buy new cards)
5) Does it have "scenes" that you will use?
6) Does if have a flash & if it does, can you turn it off when you want?

Here is a site with some good reviews for cameras. http://www.dpreview.com/

Good Luck!

 

[BeckWhy]

i have a nikon coolpix and hate it
i can't get decent pictures at night or in a dark spot. my old humongous sharp digi is awesome but too big to take anywhere.

Weird... I have a Nikon and I don't have those problems.

 

[aynt79]

I love my Sony, I think that is the commercial you are talking about. I wanted something small that would fit in my pocket, otherwise I won't take my camera if I have to drag a camera bag with me.

You can see thier current lineup here . The one I bought last year is like the $249.00 ones, but I don't have the extra sliding lens cover thing on mine. You should be able to see a couple of the models in person at any Best Buy/Circuit City, and they're probably slighty cheaper there as well.

 

[Blondie]

For our first digital we bought a Nikon Coolpix 7900. It's okay in photo quality, but I want a bigger zoom.

For a starter camera it is just fine though.

Nikon Coolpix 7900.

 

[Blondie]

I wanted to add that it took me a while to master night shots without a tripod. It took some patience, but it paid off in the end.

 

[golfgal]

I got DS14 a Polaroid i532 that was less then $150 that I have been using more then him. It is smaller then my hand but has a large viewer in back that has great lighting even in very sunny conditions (I can't see a THING in my viewer when it is sunny--what ever that screen is called). We got it at walmart. It is 5MP with a 3x zoom. I haven't printed any pictures but the quality on the computer looks great.

Here is a link to the Polaroid site with the spec's:
http://www.polaroid-digital.com/?cid=14&lid=1&serid=4&pid=22

Edit: I just looked at the Walmart website and they have them listed at $111.

 

[dopeys biggest fan]

Thanks for all your advice guys!!!

I just got back from Walmart and bought another Kodak. It's a Kodak Easy Share C643. It was $45 more than I wanted to spend but it's set up just like my other one but is much smaller!! It's 6.1 MP and has a 3 X optical zoom!! The screen on back is 2.4" which is the same size of my other one!!! I'm very excited to try it out!

Again, thank you for all the great links and advice, they really helped!

 

[RobinMarie]

I bought my father a Canon A620 after getting a recommendation here. It's a small camera, but substantial in your hands. It's a great little camera with lots of nice features. Check Amazon for ~220.00 price.

• 
  Technical Details
  7-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
  2.0-inch vari-angle LCD display; 4x optical zoom
  Shoot high-quality movies at up to 60 frames per second
  DIG!C II Image Processor for faster processing, vibrant colors, and excellent image quality
  20 shooting modes including My Color settings for customization while shooting