Digital cameras

[mommytotwo]

My sister had just gotten me a digital camera, and I know nothing about mega pixels and such. I was wondering what type of digital cameras other DISers have and, what you like and dislike about it.

Any tips would also be appreciated. I have used one before, but stayed away from really getting into it, till now.

 

[MoniqueU]

I have a nikon coolpix 5200 I believe. It is 5MP which is plenty for the size of pics I get. Which are usually no bigger then 5x7. I wish it zoomed in more but it really is about average as far as zoom. I like the auto picture settings on it as in portrait, landscape, night scene etc. They are clearly marked. I have had this camera almost 2 years now and it is going strong, never a mechanical problem on it which is more then I can say for every computer in my house.

 

[scoutsmom99]

I have two digital cameras

I have a Olympus C755 that I got at Costco in summer 04 (my first digital camera ever). I love the optical zoom it has (10x) and it is 4.0 megapixels I believe. It takes great pictures and it can even take movies with sound which is really awesome. It has both an LCD screen and a viewfinder. This camera uses 4AA batteries which is really nice becuase I use re-chargeable batteries and the they seem to have a very good battery life too them. I have taken it to Disney with me my last few trips and the picture quality has been amazing. Another thing I really like about the camera is that it came with the a/v outlets to plug into the TV so you can view your pictures (this is handy when on vacation)

Pic taken w/C755

My other camera is a Sony DSC-T1. I orginally got this for my dad for his birthday, but he did not like it so I kept it (It did not live up to Mosberg's credentials for Digital Camera's (Mosberg is a reporter with the WSJ)). Anyways I love this little camera it has a huge 2.5" LCD screen (no viewfinder) and it is litteraly a little larger than a cell phone and it is very thin. I love that I can toss it in my purse or pocket and be on my way. I used this in Disney on my fall trip and it worked great. It only has a 3x zoom, which is fine because I have my other camera for zooming. It is a 5 megapixel camera. This camera did not come with the A/V cables, but the screen is large enough for me to decide whether or not I like the pics. My sister has the same camera and she just loves it.

Pic Taken w/DSC-T1

ETA: This guide from All Ears helped me to really understand digital camera's when I was looking at what to get (granted it is a little old the basics haven't changed any): http://allearsnet.com/btp/digital.htm

 

[makinorlando]

Digital phography is awesome - so many possibilities! They best part is, you only print what you want.

I have an HP707, my 2nd HP camera and I love it. There are as many opinions on the best camera/brand as there are cameras! I like my present camera due to it's small size. It is always in my purse, wherever I go. It has great zoom capability. I like having a good zoom for close ups when you can't get so close and at least 5MP.

Play with the camera around home to get the feeling for what you are doing - most are pretty much point and shoot, and don't require too much guesswork! Take pics or your kids, or gardens, etc. You will soon become addicted!

After you take your pictures, and download to a computer, you have even more options - I love creating with my digitial pictures!

Good luck!

 

[janet715]

I have an olympus c5000 and I absolutely love it. The only bad thing about digital is the delay you get whe taking pics, which stinks if you have a one year old like I do that moves around alot.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I just purchased (a few months ago) a new camera, a Canon 2S IS. The main features I like on it are the 12X zoom and the image stabilization, great for those long zooms. Additionally, the swivel LCD screen, something I got VERY use to on my previous camera, a Nikon 995. Helps immensely with getting unusal angles of view and perspectives.

Good wishes with your new camera. A great place to visit is the new Photography board here on the DIS. http://130.94.75.33/forumdisplay.php?f=97 Also, see if your camera has a book available here http://www.shortcourses.com/ http://www.shortcourses.com/bookstore/book.htm great books. I have one for my 995, waiting patiently for the one on the 2S IS. Or even any of the general, overall books would be very helpful, easy to understand.

 

[Doug123]

We just bought the Canon PowerShot A620, 7.1 Megapixel, 4x Optical/4x Digital Zoom. We love it (so far).

 

[S. C.]

My sister had just gotten me a digital camera, and I know nothing about mega pixels and such. I was wondering what type of digital cameras other DISers have and, what you like and dislike about it.

Any tips would also be appreciated. I have used one before, but stayed away from really getting into it, till now.

What kind did you get??

Mine is an oldie i've had it for a few yrs. It is a Toshiba PDR M-71 3.2 mega pixels .
When we bought it 3.2 was as high as the mega pixels went.

 

[asta]

I don't know a lot about digital cameras so I won't be able to use technical terms but I just bought two cameras and I can tell you what I based my decisions on. I bought a Canon PowerShot S2 IS for myself and a Canon PowerShot SD450 for my daughter. I liked the Canon brand because it seems like all of the people I know who are serious about photography use the Canon Digital Rebel. The Rebel was too much camera for me and I thought the S2 IS was a good compromise. The thing is that I think you have to step up to a larger camera like the S2 IS to get a larger zoom. The pocket size on the SD450 is fantastic for carrying around but cameras this small don't have the space to have lenses that can zoom in (the SD450 has a 3X optical zoom, the S2 IS has a 12X optical zoom). Both cameras have 5.0 mega pixels which is plenty for normal size prints. More mega pixels really eat up space on your memory card and are probably only needed if you are getting oversized copies of your prints. The other thing that is nice about the Canons is that the PowerShot lets you take pictures more rapidly.

 

[helenabear]

I've gone through a series of Canon digital cameras. They really truly make one of the best processors out there for digital cameras. I've been hard pressed to find one as true with colors, clarity and response time with the shutter pressed as a Canon.

Currently I am on a Canon 10D... love it! Granted I am far more serious about photography htan some, and I outgrew my other cameras (why I've had three) and I really "require" all a DSLR has to offer me. I've tried to go back to lower models, but I get frustrated and can't. Unless something changes drastically I will keep on loving Canon for digital

 

[DawnCt1]

I have a Kodak Easy Share which takes really nice pictures, easy to use, etc but, I don't like having to limit where I take it. I am going to get the Olympus 800 stylus. It is weatherproof and can be used outside if it is raining, on Splash Mt, etc. Of course it can't be submerged but I am happy with waterproof disposables for snorkling. I mean how many pictures of fish does one really need?

 

[mommytotwo]

What kind did you get??

Mine is an oldie i've had it for a few yrs. It is a Toshiba PDR M-71 3.2 mega pixels .
When we bought it 3.2 was as high as the mega pixels went.

I have a Sony Cybershot 7.2 mega pixels and a memory stick that has 512mb.


Thank you for all the information everyone.

 

[MOMTOCUTESTDOGEVER]

We just bought the Canon PowerShot A620, 7.1 Megapixel, 4x Optical/4x Digital Zoom. We love it (so far).

I have 2 actually. The Olympus mentioned in the post with the pictures. I got the point where I really disliked this camera because the shots came out blurry--this is not a camera to be used for quick moving objects or if you don't have an extremely steady hand.

The Canon PowerShot A620 has been incredible. It has many really cool features and you don't have to be completely still for the pictures to come out. A few options: you can "tell" it to focus on one color, snap the picture, and only the color you selected will be in color--everything else will be black and white. Similarly, you can have it "switch" colors. If you "tell" it to switch green to red and then take a picture of something like a baseball field, the field will be red. You can change the sounds it makes as it snaps pictures--mine currently barks (you can also record your own sounds.) The digital zoom is incredible. The pictures come out very clear. I haven't explored all of the options, but I would really recommend this camera!

 

[S. C.]

The Canon PowerShot A620 has been incredible. It has many really cool features and you don't have to be completely still for the pictures to come out. A few options: you can "tell" it to focus on one color, snap the picture, and only the color you selected will be in color--everything else will be black and white. Similarly, you can have it "switch" colors. If you "tell" it to switch green to red and then take a picture of something like a baseball field, the field will be red. You can change the sounds it makes as it snaps pictures--mine currently barks (you can also record your own sounds.) The digital zoom is incredible. The pictures come out very clear. I haven't explored all of the options, but I would really recommend this camera!

Thank you for the info. I was reading on this camera around christmas time and everything i've read about it has been good. This just might be the next camera I get.