help me buy a digital camera for my cruise!

[Rootee]

Here are two free (you don't need an online subscription to view) articles on digital cameras from Consumer Reports. These really helped me decide what camera was a good deal because I knew absolutely nothing about digital cameras


http://www.consumerreports.org/main...&FOLDER<>folder_id=142683&bmUID=1033781953847

and

http://www.consumerreports.org/main...&FOLDER<>folder_id=142683&bmUID=1033781718691



I ended up getting the Kodak Easyshare DX3600 which they rated on top of its category (2.2 megapixel model). It was easy to learn to use it, and I was very pleased with the results.

Consumer Reports also mentions that you are more likely to find the best prices online and not in a local store.

Ruth

 

[DreamsDoComeTrue]

Consumer Reports also mentions that you are more likely to find the best prices online and not in a local store.

Humm, that's good to know.
I also like that idea of seeing an actual printed picture from each of the final contestants for side by side comparison.

 

[smjj]

I read and read and read up on digital cameras. I then went to Halfbay.com(part of E-Bay) and got my new camera for a steal(Olympus D510Z) and LOVE it..smjj

 

[aalan]

i'll try to keep it short and simple:

i am a painter/photographer, and have been using an olympus d-460 1.3 mega pixel camera for the last 2 years. it has its limitations, but you know what? it does a real fine job: i am constantly amazed at the images i get. its an extremely easy camera to use: the automatic settings work very well, just point and click. (although you can set things manually, as well)

sticking to the major brands is a good idea.

buy at least one extra 64 meg card, or 128 if you can afford it. you just cant take too many photos when they really do not cost anything to process.

dont forget about rechargeable batteries: most cameras need 4 double "a's." i carry an extra charged set at all times, cause you never know when your batteries will go...on that note, use the view finder to take photos instead of the digital screen. the screen is neat, but it does eat power quickly!

mickey mars is right about one thing: better quality cameras are available today for much less than what i paid for mine almost 2 years ago. 2.0 megapixel cameras seem to be in the $200.00 range, and i think you will be very happy with your purchase.

one last thought: you will need to have a good inkjet printer and purchase decent photopaper. it helps (although its not required) to have some knowledge in some sort of photo software. (photoshop or photopaint, for example) most cameras come with some sort of basic photo software so you can view, crop, and print your images on your computer.

well, it wasnt that short, but i hope it was simple! happy to answer any questions anyone may have...

 

[mausmu]

OK. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I have to give my opinion. I say go out and buy a camera that you like the size and looks of and that is in your price range. I read this post and see people saying there son can tell the difference between a digital picture and a film camera, and then they turn around and say that they have a video that is 20 years old and it looks as good as the day it was shot? Everyone has different expectations of what there pictures should be. How many people do you see with disposable cameras in the parks and on the ships? They don't give you a professional quality photo, but they give a nice shot to show people when you get home in your album. Hope you find the right camera and really enjoy your trip.

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

I just purchased the Canon Powershot S30 and LOVE it!! I had alot of help from the people on these boards - especially Zurg (thanks, thanks, thanks). It is a 3.2 megapixel and 10X optical zoom. I played with it all day yesterday, and have gotten pretty good as most of the stuff - very easy to do. I got if off the internet (buydig.com) for about $150 less than Best Buy, plus no tax. They also sent it in 3 days - can't beat that. Also got a great price on a second battery because I bought the camera from them. The camera only came with a 16 MB CF, but decided to get a higher volume card ( I took 20 rolls of film on our last cruise). Best Buy had a special on a SANDISK 256 MB card - $124.99 and a $25 rebate. I also had a coupon for 15% off, so the card will end up costing me only about $80.

No I just have to get a good photo printer.
Any suggestions?

 

[cyndilou01]

Heidi,
Glad to hear you got the Cannon Elph digital and liked it. We have all the Cannon elph cameras... my husband loves his underwater elphsport... I had the elph 2 for about two years and my pictures have always got raved reviews... especially the outside shots.... Last month I dropped my camera and it broke when I left my job the girls at work bought me the Elph 370.... I was thinking about getting a Digital camera but I really did not know what to look for.... How are your pictures? Is it easy to download on the computer... I will be cruising in November... I think we may be on the same cruise if so you can show me how it works....

thanks for all the info on this site.... The Dis Boards are the Best....

 

[DreamsDoComeTrue]

Well, at least I can relax about finding a digital camera in time for cruising, (10 days, yeehaw!) but oh, what I seem to have gotten use of! My Dad has offered to loan me his, (I forgot he even had one) and it must be OLD! I asked if I should get another memory card for it and he said, "oh no, it just uses floppy discs. Pop them straight into your computer." I didn't know digital camera's even used floppies! Is that really, really old, or is it just a type that I hadn't run across yet? It has a separate zoom lens that can be attached. He said it's so easy and convenient to have them work on any computer without cables or software. Make copies for friends or fellow travelers on the spot, etc. Humm. Any comments? I'll get it tomorrow and share the make and model if anyone is interested.

 

[psimon]

... My Dad has offered to loan me his, (I forgot he even had one) and it must be OLD! I asked if I should get another memory card for it and he said, "oh no, it just uses floppy discs. Pop them straight into your computer." I didn't know digital camera's even used floppies! Is that really, really old, or is it just a type that I hadn't run across yet? It has a separate zoom lens that can be attached. [/B]

It is probably not one of the newer ones.

The upside: You can take a box or two of floppies with you.

The downside: Because it is saving to floppies, the files are not going to be very large. Smaller files implies a lower resolution camera, or files that are highly compressed, or both. The lower the resolution, the smaller the photo will be when printed (an example: A 2 Megapixel camera will allow you to print reasonable photos up to 4x6. A 3 Megapixel camera will give you up to 8x10 photos, and higher pixel rates will allow still larger photos.)

File size will depend on both the the above criteria. Any megapixel camera will look good when posted on the web.

I suggest you try a few before you take it with you. A suggestion; Walmart will print your digital pictures for $0.26 each! They do a really good job.

Have I confused you more?

If I did, I'm sorry.... Paul

 

[DreamsDoComeTrue]

Thanks Paul. That all makes perfect sense.
I had heard that about Walmart too but wasn't sure if I'd heard Walgreens or Walmart. Now I know! I'll definitely play with a bit. If nothing else, I have my good film camera that I am also taking. I know exactly how that works, and enlargements always look great.
I wonder how those hybrids are coming along?

 

[Mike Bartenhagen]

Lovethatmouse,

I have had the S30 for about a year and I love it. We just got back from the 4 day Wonder last night and I took about 600 pictures. It was great to be able to take pictures of everything and now I can print only the ones I want. The camera fits in a pants pocket which was nice because I got several great pictures because I had my camera with me at the right time. One feature of the camera that I did not use until about a month ago is the ability to record small video clips. This works great for recording 10 to 15 seconds of video to e-mail (a Happy Birthday to someone from our kids, etc.). You might want to search for a free program called cam2pc. I use this to download my pictures and rename them with the date. You can rename them about anyway you want when you do this.

Dreamsdocometrue,

As Paul says you need about a 2 megapixel camera to get good 4 x 6 pictures. These pictures would be about 1 to 2 mb in size. A floppy holds 1.44 mb or only 1 picture from a camera of this quality. In other words the cameras that use floppies take a very low resolution image in order to get even 5 or 6 pictures on a disk. The pictures would be good to e-mail but make sure you use your film camera or you may be disapointed

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

I have to say, that although I have only had the camera a week or so, I absolutely love it! I even used the video to send a greeting to the grandparents in FL. I seem to be playing with it all the time!

Thanks for the info Mike - will search for that site! Post some pics from the trip. I would love to see how they came out.