Digital camera questions...

[PRINCESS VIJA]

I am again thinking of getting a digital. I am certain that I will go this way.. now the questions...

Anyone have any comments on the Kodak cameras? Seem like an easy camera to use ( I don't like a lot of complicated buttons etc) and some good features. I like how they have the docking station and how you can print your 4x6 pics on their system. ( not on our computer printer, but their own small printer).

Any things I should look for/ask on this?

what kind of camera do you use, and why do you like it.

thanks a bunch!

 

[joats]

I use a Cannon Powershot A 300. I love using digital. I have small printer that prints pics right off the camera or I can download onto my computer.

Love: ease of use, takes great pictures, printing capabilities, good enough zoom and has option of taking small amounts of video in addition to pics.

Not happy with: battery life and delay w/flash. I feel like I have to make people wait too long before the camera will take the picture in lower light levels indoors.

Sorry, no experience w/Kodak. Good luck in your search.

 

[chell]

I have the Kodak DX4330 and love it. I've had it for just over a year now and have been very happy with it.

 

[lizfromfl]

I have the Kodak DX 6340 and the Cannon A70. I like them both but find the Kodak much easier to use (menus are very self explanatory).

I also find that since the screen to view pictures on the Kodak is a little bigger it is easier to see more details in the pictures after you take them (without using magnify). In my experince the screen also doesn't get scratched up as easily as the Cannon screen.

They are both 3.1 Megapixels and take very nice pictures.

Of course, although I personally prefer the Kodak for my needs, the Cannon does get better ratings in most areas from the "Pros".


Good luck on your search.

 

[kild]

I have a HP and it is very easy to use. I love digital and would never go back to film.

I would suggest rechargeable batteries and extra memory.
128mb works well for me. I can take 90 pictures high quality 300 pictures on the medium setting and almost 2000 on low.

I use medium for the most part.

 

[poohkinandpiglet]

I bought a Fuji Finepix 5000 and, I must say, it's made me a great photographer. I haven't taken a bad picture since I switched to digital.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Digital is great, have not taken a film picture in 5 years, have taken about 20,000 digitals, all 'free'. That is one of the best advantages of digital, the ability to play to get the good ones and not worry about the cost, ands also see your changing results right then.

I do suggest, whatever camera you get, to consider one more strongly if it has compact flash memory, by far, the most popular, therefore the least expensive. Go to a site like www.ecost.com or www.buy.com and check the variance in prices for the several different memory mediums, CF will invaribly be the least. Not the only factor, but all things equal, a possible 'tie breaker'. Also, I suggesat 256Meg cards, seems to be the most cost effective today.

Also, a 'last year's best model' is often a very good buy.

 

[LUVDSNY04]

I own a Sony Mavica and I was very pleased with the results but it was a heavy little camera so my husband bought me a Fuji FinePix 5000 and it takes better pics than the Sony. The pics are much sharper . Right now this camera is on sale at Radio Shack for $350.

 

[Kaybee]

I have the Kodak DX6440 and just love it. I bought it for my disney trip in May and took a ton of pictures. They came out real good too! I was surprised on how well it takes pictures. I love this camera just for the ease of use. Being this is my first digital camera, I like how simple it is to use. And I can also take short videos with it too.

 

[Fire14]

I love my Kodak Camera mine is older model.
I love how easy it is to use and see pictures on.
I would recommend the zoom that you can move in and out with touch of a button. I have an HP that doesn't have this and I honestly dislike it for this reason and fact that I can't turn LCD screen off while taking pics.

I personally wouldn't buy docking station but that's a personal choice. I do own and love my card reader that I paid 15.00 for versus 70.00 for docking station.

 

[Geoff_M]

More information than you'll ever want about a specific make and model of digital camera can be found at: www.dpreview.com

 

[ohanafamily]

I have a Cannon 5050, My wife has i Nikon CoolPix. She likes the size of the Nikon, I use the Macro, and the Cannon works very well.

As far as your question, I have to agree with the all knowing Dan Murphy about Compact Flash, it is not too expensive.

For most people a 2 mega-pixel is enough, unless you are going to zoom in and blow up a section of the picture. I gave my dad a Cannon A60, let him take a couple of pictures, and made them into 8X10's with picture publisher. he was quite happy with the quality.

Unm rechargeable batteries are a must, but you must get the NiMH (Nickel Metal Hydride) ones. the NiCad (Nickel Cadnium) will not last long at all.

 

[BethanyF]

I swore I would never go digital then DH convinced me to get one back in November....I still have Halloween pics in the 35mm (if that tells you how much I am loving this)

We bought a Kodak DX6490 and it is super easy to use and takes great pictures. All the pics in the links in my siggy were taken with it.

Like Dan said, you can take 100's of pics and not feel like you are wasting film or money trying to get that perfect shot. Just last Friday I took DS to a park to try and get a good picture to use as his 6 year old portriat. I took over 100 pics and maybe 10 of them are good. I wasted nothing but some time.

The only thing I dont like about the camera is the editing software it came with. So I just use another program to do my editing. I also chose to not use the docking station to transfer pics (unless they are on the internal memory). But that was mainly a logistics thing....I didnt have the room on my desk for the docking station, so I have a much smaller card reader I use to transfer the pics.

 

[MICKEY88]

Originally posted by kild
I have a HP and it is very easy to use. I love digital and would never go back to film.

I would suggest rechargeable batteries and extra memory.
128mb works well for me. I can take 90 pictures high quality 300 pictures on the medium setting and almost 2000 on low.

I use medium for the most part.

thos enumbers will vary widely based on the camera and the megapixels involved....

 

[MICKEY88]

if you want a zoom at all optical zoom is much more important than digital zoom..digital zoom reduces the quality of your pictures..

 

[MICKEY88]

the more memory and batteries the better...I personally shoot with a 4 gig microdrive... I can get 500 pictures of the highest quality capable of being blown up to poster size..... I love toys....

 

[Dan Murphy]

Zurg has some good thoughts here, basics and simple. http://allearsnet.com/btp/digital.htm

The reviews links are good there. Also, the card reader is the way to go, IMO, not the docking thing.

 

[MICKEY88]

I agree with the card reader...less wear on the camera, plus if you're having a party you can upload one card while still shooting guests...

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

Wow! Thanks for the GREAT information! I am very excited about getting our new toy and you guys have been extremely helpfull!!!