Good/"cheap" digital camera?

[agnes!]

I want to buy a digitial "snapshot-style" camera that takes decent stills. I don't want something bulky, I want to be able to easily stick the camera in my purse or fannypack or even a pocket. I don't want to spend more than $200. Any ideas/hints/tips? I am one of the most techo-illiterate folks around, and my eyes tend to glaze over when people talk about pixels, etc.
Any advice would be appreciated, especially maybe even where to buy...

tia,
agnes!

 

[got2travel]

I love my Olympus D-580. When I got it last year, I didn't know anything about how to use a digital camera. It has been very easy to use and the pictures come out great. It's very compact and fits easily in a fanny pack.

I just noticed in the papers this weekend, that the price has dropped down to $99. (I guess a new model has come out).

 

[funcinderella]

I like my Canon sure-shot. I had originally purchased it almost 2 years ago for about 375; then it was stolen about a year ago, and I replaced it with the same model, but by that time it was about 250. It's a 5.1 megapixel, so good quality pictures. I think you can blow them up to an 8X10 and still maintain quality.

 

[maggiann]

i just bought a nikon coolpix 4600 and i love it. it is really simple. it is a 4 megapix and really small and takes good pics. you can zoom in and crop your pics on the camera...really cool. i paid about $200 at walmart.

 

[Therapeutic Smile]

The Canon PowerShot SD110 is a 3.2MP camera with a 1.5" LCD on the back, and 3x zoom... plus Canon reliability. I have its big brother, the S410... the SD110 can be found for $175-$180 online a few places... also, if you have a Fry's or Best Buy near you, you can try them too. You can't go wrong with a Canon.

 

[Cajun28]

I bought a CanonA510 a few months back and I love it. It is a 3.2 megapixel camera with a 4X optical zoom. It uses the SD memory card and AA batteries. It easily fits into a shirt pocket and takes great pictures. I paid $189.00 at Best Buy. There is also an A520 model for $279.00, same camera except it is a 4 megapixel camera. It is a solidly built camera and I recommend it highly.

Good luck with your search.

 

[Disneefun]

I have a Concord 4363z and realy like it. It's 4MP, 3x optical zoom, AA batts., uses the SD card and has the ability to shoot short movies. Got it at compusa for $79 after all rebates and whatnot. This was last year and I've seen the offer repeated several times since then. OfficeMax also occasionally runs specials on this one, too. I confess that I was a bit leery at first because I didn't know the brand, etc. but figured for $79, I'd take the chance. I love it. Takes great pics and the movies aren't bad quality, either. We had one little problem with it during the warranty period that didn't totally disable the camera but made some pics come out a bit funny, but we contacted customer support and they were great. Exchanged the camera promptly and even gave us the newer model in exchange (now our little movies can have sound). All in all I'd recommend the camera and Concord's support team. Good luck

 

[hulabird]

I bought the Kodak LS743, it has 4 megapixels and takes the best pictures and I bought it because it was super small and I got mine for a little over $200 last year. The size is what I loved (4.3x1.9x1.2 in.) and it has a professional lens on it. I was able to fit it in my tiny purse or my fanny pack with no problem, plus when you add the strap, you can hang it around your neck and it's so light it isn't annoying. I highly recommend it!

 

[shelly3girls]

Have you checked out the Canon Elph series? The SD200 is a 3.3 megapixel and is so small you can put it in your front pocket and barely notice it is there. We have the SD400, but from what I understand the only real difference is the higher megapixel. We absolutely love ours, I even lose it in my purse it is that small. I have seen the SD200 on the internet for around $210.

 

[TxDisneyFan]

Ok, I just bought my soon to be 7 yr old (her birthday present) a basic beginner camera for $99. I was VERY hesitant to hand her something so delicate. I got her the Olympus Digital 300 3.2 megapixel camera. We'll only be printing 4x6 size prints so I wanted something very basic...and if it breaks, well, I've learned my lesson.

 

[DisneyPhD]

Have you checked out the Canon Elph series? The SD200 is a 3.3 megapixel and is so small you can put it in your front pocket and barely notice it is there. We have the SD400, but from what I understand the only real difference is the higher megapixel. We absolutely love ours, I even lose it in my purse it is that small. I have seen the SD200 on the internet for around $210.

Another vote for these. I have one that is 2 years old and 3.2 maga pixels. It was 400 new. However I just bought my dad one that is a step up for mine for $200 and it is a great camera. I can't say enought good things about it.

 

[CapHook]

My daughter wanted a Digital camera for christmas. I found a great price on a Kodak on amazon.com. Instead of getting "kiddie" camera, I paid just a little more and got a 2 mega pixel for $75. 2 mega pixel is fine for printing 4x6 shots. If you hunt for a bargain you can find on online.

This Olympus looks like a bargin to me on amazon ... http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...54435?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

 

[christinadei]

I love my Kodak 5mp. It was on sale on black Friday for $199. My sister just bought a refurbished kodak 3.2 mp from ecost for only $79. It works great, she loves it. Here's the link.

http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail~DPNo~966395.asp

 

[RickinNYC]

There's a new 3.2 megapixel camera out by Polaroid that is one of the thinnest on the market. It got named Best Value by Cargo Magazine (just saw it in the mag last night), priced at $129.00. I'm thinking of buying it for the other half.

Here's a link for more info: http://www.polaroid-digital.com/site.php?cid=14&lid=1&pid=23&serid=2

 

[shelly3girls]

There's a new 3.2 megapixel camera out by Polaroid that is one of the thinnest on the market. It got named Best Value by Cargo Magazine (just saw it in the mag last night), priced at $129.00. I'm thinking of buying it for the other half.

This camera looks great but I noticed that there is no optical zoom and only a 3x digital zoom. This might make it difficult to take pictures in WDW.

 

[2angelsinheaven]

I own an HP 307, you can find it at Walmart for only $128.00. It is a 3.2 megapixel and also takes videos with sound. It has a 3 or 4 optical zoom and a pretty high digital zoom. It includes internal memory for about 20 high quality photos and some video and with a 1G card I get around 1,000 photos and many many videos. Also there is no limit to the video times, as long as there is space on the card you can record. It's small and it's got a good image program that comes with it. They also have GREAT customer service. I had a problem with it using a lot of batteries, they sent me 8 of those expensive ones free, overnight! And when it was still doing it, I got a brand new camera the next day free as well!