digital camera?

[nancyv58]

Thinking about buying a digital camera before our next trip to WDW. Can anyone give some suggestions for what to look for and what NOT to buy? Thanks

 

[emmagata]

Things to look for:

1) Batteries.

Try to avoid proprietary batteries. They tend to be on the expensive side (this IS the BB!!). Use NiMh (nickle metal hydride) or Lithium ION (more $$ but better than NiMh. Avoid Alkalines. Digital cameras are tough on batteries and Alkalines don't last very long. The camera I bought uses "AA" size. It's a very common size and can be found almost anywhere.

I have 5 sets of batteries and two chargers plus a rechargeable (lasts all day) battery pack.


2) Memory cards:

It's really a personal choice since you don't have any now. There are about 5 different types. The newest ones are really small (postage stamp size). Try to determine your picture taking habits when you use film. Since taking pictures with a digital incurs no processing or printing (or not as much printing) costs, shoot as many as you like. You can always delete the duds!

I tend to take several shots of the same thing from different angles or using different settings. This means I shoot a lot of pics.
On the last two trips to WDW (a week trip) I shoot about 1000 pics on each trip.

You'll need to think about what to do if you run out of memory cards. I take my laptop with me and download them each (or every other) night. It's also nice to be able to email pics back to family and friends. If you don't have any way of storing the pics other than the memory cards themselves, you'll need to have plenty on hand.

Look at the specs of the camera you get to see the estimated number of pics per card. The cards come in sizes like 32meg, 64meg all the way up to 512meg. The larger cards tend to be disproportionately more expensive than the smaller ones.
The 128meg and 256meg cards are about the best deal right now.

My 2.1 megapixel camera puts about 45 pics on a 64 meg card and about 90 on a 128 meg card. However, depending on the subject you're shooting, you could get a lot more per cards. For example, you can get more dark room with low lighting pics on a card than being outside in bright daylight.




3) ZOOOOOOOOOOOM!

There are two kinds of zoom. Optical and digital. Avoid any camera that has only digital zoom. You'll probably be disappointed in the results. Look for a camera that has at least a 3X (or more) OPTICAL zoom. This will make for better pictures. Nobody likes to see an ant size person in the middle of a picture.


4) MEGAPIXELS

The more the better. But it also depends on what you'll do with the pics. The higher megapixel cameras tend to take better pics than the lower ones but they also produce larger files. This means less pics per memory card. A 2 to 4 megapixel camera would meet most peoples needs for pretty much anything they wanted to do with the pics (printing, email, online album, etc)

Also, to get the best possible pics while maximizing the amount of pics you can put on a memory card, read the owners manual and set the camera to the highest resolution and best image quality (might be called compression or SHQ, HQ, Fine, Super Fine). DO NOT use the TIFF setting (don't worry about what it is for right now, just don't use it).


As you can see, the initial costs can be high but it's a one time up front expense. If you shop around you can get good deals on batteries and memory cards. If you're not afraid to buy something on the Internet, you can usually get MUCH better deals on cameras there. Just know what you want and buy from a reputable place (checkout www.resellerratings.com to see how a seller rates)

I have not shot one roll of film since buying my digital camera 2 1/2 years ago.


For reviews and sample pics of various different cameras as well as dicussion forums, check out www.dpreview.com


Checkout my digital pics from our 2001 WDW trip at www.pbase.com/emmagata/disney_2001

Good luck!

 

[TreeOfLife]

If you are not too concerned about megapixels, consider a mini dv! You flip a switch and you go from taking pictures to making movies! The quality is still very nice.

Whatever you get, don't spend too much on memory cards. Consider a digital wallet instead, where you can store at least over 2,000 pictures, emptying your card as often as you need in just minutes, virtually anywhere!

 

[Luv2Roam]

I'm not looking for vacation pics. I have been browsing Ebay to buy a digital camera for just general stuff -- like taking pics so I can sell on Ebay.
Do I still need a lot of this or that and bells and whistles?
I just want something simple for under $100. Experts, is this do-able?

 

[emmagata]

Originally posted by Luv2Roam
I'm not looking for vacation pics. I have been browsing Ebay to buy a digital camera for just general stuff -- like taking pics so I can sell on Ebay.
Do I still need a lot of this or that and bells and whistles?
I just want something simple for under $100. Experts, is this do-able?

Depending on what you want to take pictures of a lower cost digital camera in the $100-200 range should be more than sufficient.

The reason I say depending is if you sell stuff like jewelry or other small items with fine detail the cheaper cameras usually don't have the ablility to take decent close up pictures.

For this type of stuff, you'll want to get a camera with a good macro setting (Nikons are pretty good at that).

 

[emmagata]

Originally posted by TreeOfLife
If you are not too concerned about megapixels, consider a mini dv! You flip a switch and you go from taking pictures to making movies! The quality is still very nice.

Whatever you get, don't spend too much on memory cards. Consider a digital wallet instead, where you can store at least over 2,000 pictures, emptying your card as often as you need in just minutes, virtually anywhere!

Not to take the air from your sail but I've seen pics from the mini-dv cameras. They are pretty bad when compared to a decent digital still camera. A friend of mine bought a Canon MiniDV and was very disappointed with the image quality.

The lastest batch of Mini-DV have better resolution for still pics but still cannot compete with a middle of the road digital still camera.

The best solution is to have both!!


Also, I agree about the digital wallet being an ideal solution (for some) but they are still expensive and bulky. I also like the idea of having the images spread over several storage devices (my laptop and the memory cards) just in case something happens. I'd rather lose some pics than all of them.

 

[JoniGirl]

I just bought a Hewlett Packard Photo Smart 320 to replace my old digital camera. I love it! It has high resolution, LCD, and takes mpegs! It takes the secure digital cards (which are still pretty expensive) and has zoom, flash settings etc!

I got mine for $78.00 shipped, but I got in on a great deal. They are on sale right now on the HP website for $199.

 

[SplashMountainRules]

Do a search on Ebay for Fuji finepix 1300. This is one of the best budget camera out there. Look at the reveiws on cnet and other sites. It has been disconiued by fuji and they are going for amazing prices on ebay. Under $100 easy!. I have this camera and just bought a Fuji 2600 and I really don't see any difference in the quaility. I would highly recommend it!

 

[deputydisney]

bump

 

[deputy disney]

bump

 

[DrCool]

I have always liked the Olympus digital cameras. They are easy to use, have good picture quality, and are generally priced good.

As far as what to look for I would say optical zoom is one of the key features. My current Olympus D-490 has a 3X optical zoom. My next camera I purchase will have at least a 10x optical zoom. I think the c-740 has this.

 

[TreeOfLife]

John, where did you ever see a digital wallet expensive and bulky? I bought mine (Minds@work) for under $125.00 from a private distributor on ebay, brand new, weights only a couple of ounces and fits in my camera bag with my mini dv! It practically weights nothing and it is not bulky at all... I actually enjoy being able to maintain only one card that holds hundreds of pictures and then in a few minutes download and empty it even in the parks! The concenience is astonishing. Considering you'd pay well over $125 for several cards that would hold well over 2,000 pictures, the digital wallet is a bargain.

A mini dv will not give you a resolution that a butt kicking digital camera will, but I am satisfied with my pictures. I have used them to make mugs, etc and they turn out very well. Put them next to a mega pixel digital camera and you will indeed notice a difference in resolution but for those who aren't considering professional photos, the mini dv gives you an acceptable quality of pictures.

 

[emmagata]

If I could find one for that price, I'd buy one too! They are usually much more expensive than that. The reason I say they're bulky is that a lot of people want the smallest digital camera possible and by comparison, the DW is bulky!

Personally, I don't really care about bulk or weight. I'd rather have function and features with buttons I don't need a toothpick to press.

Another reason I like to take my laptop (NOT in the park!!!) is to preview the pics as well as email e-postards back home. It's sometimes difficult to tell how bad a pic is on the rear LCD screens.

 

[TreeOfLife]

I see your point, John.

Try ebay for digital wallets. I know this distributor had several back then but they sold like hot cakes. I have the smallest unit, I think it is 3 Gb and still holds more pictures that I think I'll ever take. They also store more than pictures, they store MP3s and documents, so they're neat little gadgets.

Do not buy them directly from the manufacturer or even local distributors. I think Amazon also sells them but they cost an arm and a leg.

I like the fact that I can feel confident about filling my memory card and emptying it even while we're waiting for our dinner to come! Weighing 3 or 6 ounces, it is about the size of my mini dv, only thinner. Both fit in my camera bag and I drag them along barely noticing anything. And you don't need a toothpick to push buttons! hehehe

Like I said before, I do agree with you on your points regarding megapixels but I also enjoy the convenience of being in the middle of something and switching from taking pictures to making a movie by just flipping a switch. No need to put down the camera and pull out the camcorder. No need to drag both along... It does not only come in handy at Disney but back home during school activities and karate tournaments!

 

[rpink58]

I own a Fuji Fine Pix camera and love it. Takes great pictures and is easy to use. They are rated as one of the best buys buy consumer digest. My onlt sugestion is to buy another memory card, it comes with an 8mb for a small price you can buy a 32mb and that should give you enough room for the whole vacation.