I Need Tips For a buying Decent Digital Camera

[Tiggerrific]

I need to get a new Digital camera for our Feb trip, But have no clue what ones to consider. DW says she dosen't want to spend over $200, I could spend up to $300 if need be. We don't need the next best thing, just something to take lot's of decent pictures we could print and enjoy for many years to come. Thanx in advance for any help.

 

[Mitchell]

Well, I think you definately need to get something that is at least a 4.0 Megapixle--it used to be at least a 3.0 and while my 3.2 camera printed some great pictures--I'd go with somewhere between a 3.5 and 4.0

You definately want optical zoom also--there are a lot of cheap cameras out there with 4.0 but no digital-make sure it has optical, because that is what zooms in as you are taking the picture. Digital zooms in only AFTER the picture was taken. So most camers either have Optical/Digital zoom or just Digital. Go for Optical/Digital.

I have always been comfortable with Olympus cameras, but recently just bought a Sony--and am hooked on that brand. Stay away from Fuji and Kodak cameras--they are considered "low-end" cameras. Olympus, Sony and Canon are considered "high-end".

I work @ Target and I don't know if you shop there or if there is one near you, but her are a couple suggestions I would have for you. And I'm sure you could buy them elsewhere, but here's the prices for Target.

1. Canon Powershot A85--4.0 MP, 3x Optical, 3.6X Digital, 11X combined and also a movie mode--with a 256 MB card (that's about 120 photos) it's $279.99 (My StepDad has this camera and loves it)

2.Sony Cybershot P73--4.0 MP, 3X Optical, 2X Digital--$249.99

3.Olympus D580--4 MP, 3X Optical, movie mode--$229.99

These are only a couple suggestions.

The downfall of Olympus is while there is a protective part covering the lens,it can be a little slow and sometime bang against the lens when trying to shut it. It also doesn't provide the quick, instant access of switching back and forth to view the pictures like Sony does. With Olympus you have to wait to shut the cover.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Melissa

 

[Cherb]

Hi,

I've just recently purchase a Canon digital camera and in my personal opinion its one of the best I've owned (and there have been a few). I believe in the US its called a Powershot SD300.

Main advantages?....

- Extremely small and lightweight (it really is credit card sized and does fit in your pocket quite easily)
- Picture quality is very good at 4MP
- Durable metal case protects it while you're on the move
- Larger than normal LCD screen on the back makes taking pictures very easy

All these help to make it a very good all-round camera and ideal for carrying round all those Disney theme parks!

Search on CNET.COM and you'll see where to buy it cheapest and also over 100 reviews from satisfied customers.

 

[jtdl]

I have also been told, by a very knowledgable camera person, to go with Olympus brand as it is a very good but reasonably priced brand. And again, the OPTICAL zoom is what you want.

 

[KirstenJB]

I just got my first digital camera for christmas and it's a Canon PowerShot S1. It's 3.2MP and a 10X optical zoom (couldn't tell ya what the digital is, dont use it). It's a very good camera and you can shoot in several diffent modes, and it also takes videos. It takes compakflash cards.

I personally think Canons are really good cameras. My dad has a Powershot A70 and it's a really nice camera also. His is able to fit nicely in his shirt pocket and is very easy to use. Mine is a bit larger and comes with a neck strap. But our family has had good luck with Canons.

And then my mom has a film camera made by olympus..and so does my dad. We have a lot of cameras.

And I work in a photo lab, and find cameras that take CompacFlash, SD, or MemoryStic are the best to handle. I find the smartmedia cards are very flimsy and the xD cards are extremely small and could be easy to lose. That how I feel on those.

Good Luck!!

 

[Tom Morrow]

Ok not sure if you can take advantage of this or not, but currently Best Buy is running a sale on the Sony Cybershot 5.0 MP camera for $299. It is originally priced $499. A friend got one and it is great. He also said Sears might be running the same sale. I have the same camera, but last years model and it works great. The only camera I would take over that one is one of the Cannon SLR's, but they run $1000++

If you plan on printing pictures I would definitely no go any lower than 5 MP. I print out on my Cannon i960 printer and there is no noticable difference between the printed pictures and pictures you develop at a camera store.

 

[Renysmom]

Decide first what you want in a camera.. pocket size, little larger?? Do you want to be able to add lenses and filters or not? Do you want to be able to use regular batteries or just the ones if comes with? Do you want a big zoom or little zoom? Learn about mega pixels... Not only do they help with the clearness of your pics but they also determine how large a picture you can print..

Go to camera stores and look at all of them that meet what you want then go to the internet and search the boards for opinions Dpeg is a great message board and covers all the major cameras..

Feel free to visit my webpage under links and then photography.. I have tons of links to digital camera sites.. renyplace.com

 

[DisneyPete]

You might want to check out this site, http://www.dpreview.com/ . They have reviews and ratings for practically every digital camera out there.

 

[Emily and Jack's Dad]

Suggest you read the reviews on www.cnet.com or www.pcmagazine.com to get a independent expert opinion on the digital camera choices. Only certainty is to make sure you get a resolution of 4 MBytes or greater. The other various issues/options comes down to personal preference. Like does the camera use regular batteries or a rechargeable battery. If you take 30-40 photos in one session and then remember to recharge, it's cheaper than all those AA batteries you burn through. Some folks like the really small models so they can fit in a purse or a pocket. With size though comes buttons that are hard to negotiate, or a small screen, etc.

I have a Nikon 4300 and it's small, compact, easy to use and takes great photos. The sync cable provides an easy method to download the photos to a laptop with the USB port, or the CF memory cards can be synced into various readers. I had a earlier Kodak model, but I found it cumbersome and large.

Shop around for the best model offering the best price. Even the online vendors offer great prices as long as you select one that is reliable.

 

[disneysteve]

3.Olympus D580--4 MP, 3X Optical, movie mode--$229.99

These are only a couple suggestions.

The downfall of Olympus is while there is a protective part covering the lens,it can be a little slow and sometime bang against the lens when trying to shut it. It also doesn't provide the quick, instant access of switching back and forth to view the pictures like Sony does. With Olympus you have to wait to shut the cover.

I have the D580 and have been very happy with it. You do need to take half a second when closing the cover to let the lens retract but I don't find that to be inconvenient.

I'm not sure what you mean about the instant access, though. With the D580 you do not have to close the cover to view your photos. You just have to hit the Quick View button on the back. I think that is really convenient and use that feature frequently.

 

[Augustheather97]

If I were you I'd get a Pentax Optio S4i.....4 megapixals and 3x zoom and tiny....can fit in an altoids tin........so easy to hold in the parks.....I have done a lot of research and it is a great little camera

 

[disneysteve]

If I were you I'd get a Pentax Optio S4i.....4 megapixals and 3x zoom and tiny....can fit in an altoids tin........so easy to hold in the parks.....

I agree that its a good choice. Personally, I considered it before I bought my Olympus. I actually found it was too small. I liked the feel of the D580 better and its still small enough to slip into my pocket easily.

Best advice is to not buy any camera without actually holding in your hands. If the store doesn't have a display model and won't open one for you, go elsewhere.

One other tip, pay attention to what kind of battery the camera takes. If it uses AAs, you can buy them anywhere or use rechargeables. If it only takes a proprietary special battery, you're in for a bigger expense and inconvenience. If you are away and the battery dies or gets lost or damaged, you can't easily replace it.

 

[HenDuck]

I just got mine. I paid $318 from www.butterflyphoto.com

It is an excellent camera!

Good luck on your search.

 

[alloyd1170]

I like Sony and have had a few video and digital cameras. The last digital I bought was the DSC-T1 because its 5 megapixels and so small it fits easily in a pocket. After using it for over a year, Im thinking of getting a new one or going back to my old Cybershot. While the size, and huge display screen are really nice, the camera is lousy in dim situations. The flash only goes about 5 ft (from what I recall in the manual) and Ive been noticing that even with the flash, if I or the subject moves a little bit, the photo is blury. Since the camera is so small, its hard to not move at all when shooting.

alison

 

[Tiggerrific]

I went ahead and purchased a Sony Cybershot DSC-P73. It's a 4MP and it came with nickel metal hydride rechargeable batteries and the charger for $249. Then I also purchased a 1gb Sony pro memory stick. So far I am loving the camera. It's easy to use, but then again I'm only in the practicing stages. We'll see how it goes next week on the vacation. Thanx everyone for all your help.

 

[andrabell]

If you have a Costco membership, use it. You can get so much more for your digital camera dollar. I got my HP 5.3mp camera in a bundle, which came with the dock, a battery charger with 6 batteries and two 32mb cards and a case all for the same price as the camera alone at Circuit City and Best Buy. I invested in a 256mb card at Costco and I had plenty of room for over 100 piccies from our last Disney trip.

Good luck!