Looking for a Digital Camera....

[dragonfly75]

I'm looking for a digital camera for our September trip, and I was wondering if anyone has any suggestions for me .

What digital camera do you use? Do you like it?

So far I'm thinking about the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ2. Does anyone use this camera?

My price range is around $200-$300 (ish) and I'm thinking around 4 megapixels

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[ukcatfan]

In my opinion, you can not go wrong with a Panasonic. They make incredible cameras. I personally chose the Canon S1 IS, but I was looking at ultra zooms. I chose the Canon over the Panasonics because the Canon S1 uses CF media and AA batteries. I also liked the way it felt in my hands over the Panasonics. I suggest going and handling them in person to make your decision. That is what made my decision.

 

[tlbwriter]

I don't use the Lumix, but I know someone who does, and it takes excellent photos. Well, the photographer's talent counts too.

 

[asaj]

I agree with the previous poster, I would recommend the Canon S1 IS. It's price has dropped with the recent introduction of the S2 IS, so you should be able to find it in your price range. It is 3MP, but you wont see a huge difference between 3 and 4MP, and the big zoom more than makes up for 1 less MP, IMHO. I would say you could print up to 8x10 with a sharp 3MP picture.

Andy

 

[dragonfly75]

wow! Both Cameras look great! I'm glad to hear good things about the Panasonic, and I really like the zoom on the Canon.... Such a hard decision! :

 

[Quaktastic]

Can't go wron with any of the Nikon P & S cameras. I have the 3 Mpx, it rocks

 

[melissa5583]

I just got a great camera. It's an Olympus D-595. I got it for $212.00. It's 5 megapixals and it's soooo great. It takes GREAT pics and it's great for beginners like me!!!

 

[Cplofdisneynutz]

We us a Sony cybershot model # DSC-P72, 3.2 mega-pixel. We bought it April of 2004 for our May trip. We love it and the pictures turn out amazing.
Here are a few samples of our pictures

Have you given much thought to memory cards for the camera? If you are not taking a lap-top with you and plan on taking a lot of photos like we do, you might consider a Flash HD We just bought a refurbished 40gb one for about $135, just a little more than the 1gb memory card we were going to buy. It's great!!! I figure that 40gb device will hold about 30,000+ pictures....much better than the 700 projected by the memory card. Just something else to consider. Good luck finding a camera and we hope you have a magical trip!!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I don't hear much mention of them but I have an HP Photosmart 3.1 MP that I bought 3 years ago. I love it and have finally gotten pretty good at using it. I have HP computer systems so as a new digital camera user back then having everything go together made it fairly simple to learn how to process pictures.

When I replace it I'm not sure what I'll buy (it's possible I'll get another HP) so I'm interested to hear people's responses. I haven't researched any new cameras but I know I'm interested in getting one that will take panoramic shots next time.

Great shots, cplofdisneynutz. Here's one of mine, it was taken at night without a flash from the top of a trash can.

 

[dragonfly75]

Cplofdisneynutz- I took a look at your pics and you're right! The camera (or maybe it was your photography skills ) took awesome pics! Also, I have thought about the memory card/stick issue. I think the 40gig sounds like a great idea! ( I'm one of those people who will take a picture of everything )

melissa5583- Wow! a 5mp camera for $200! What a steal!

Pea-n-Me - I used to have an HP cam. a while back, but I did find that it ate batteries...Is that a problem for you? Also greeeeaat pic!





I've been checking out all these cameras at dcresouce.com, and they all sound great! Today we went and looked at some cameras, And I'm still having a hard time deciding Also, I think I would prefer a cam with standard (ie: AA) batteries, 'cause they're easy to find and It's nice to have an extra set!

 

[ukcatfan]

The AAs are the best. Not only can you find them anywhere, but they are much cheaper than other rechargeables. You can get the top of the line AAs for $10-$15 where a non-standard battery is around $40-$100.

That is the primary reason that I decided on Canon over Panasonic. It was also because the S1 takes CF memory (which I already have plenty of) instead of SD. That is not an issue on the S2 now because it takes SD . That is my biggest gripe about the S2. Compact Flash (CF) is and looks to remain the standard for professional photography, so I do not understand why every camera company is turning to SD for their consumer grade cameras. Can you find an 8GB ultra fast memory card in SD? I don't think so... Also, every comparable level is cheaper in CF! I think Canon made a bad decision, but I don't have their marketing and research to back that up. I just do not want to switch to SD when I have so much invested in CF. OK... I am taking a breath now... Just my little rant about where digital media is going.

If you can take one piece of camera buying advice to heart, it is this: Go somewhere and actually try out your choices before making a decision! For example: I think Kodak and HP are just complete junk, but I know people that are completely happy with them. It all depends on the user. I like to control everything in an image and I could not be happier with Canon, some people do not want to think about it at all and could be perfectly happy with Kodak, HP, Fuji, etc. It all comes down to how you feel with the camera. Do your research and do not let some $7/hr. uneducated Best Buy sales jockey influence your buy. Good Luck!!!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I think Kodak and HP are just complete junk, but I know people that are completely happy with them.

Wow, ukcatfan, tell us how you really feel.

fly, I use rechargeable batteries and don't have a problem if I remember to change them once in a while. I keep my camera in my pocketbook and take a ton of pictures and it's pretty rare that I run out.

When I had 35mm cameras I loved both my Nikon and Canon. But as I said I chose the HP because it meshed seamlessly with the HP computer systems and software I use and it helped make it easy for me to switch to digital photography. I'd read all the reviews at the time and some of them weren't great, but as uk says above, I'd gone into the stores and held them and looked at their buttons, etc and I really liked that one the best; to me it was fairly easy to use. Many digital camera users say they don't actually know how to use their camera other than the basics - some of them seem a bit too complicated for their particular users. Find one that works for you and go with it.

If you care to see some of my other pictures you can check out the DCL Picture a Day thread - I began posting somewhere around page 20 I believe.
(I've received PMs asking what type of camera I use).

 

[lenshanem]

Hey. I've been watching this thread as I'm looking to buy, too. I have been looking online and reading for days. I am leaning heavily towards the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ2. The only thing it doesn't have that is bugging me is a viewfinder.

I had a digital when they first starting coming out and the pics were TERRIBLE and we wasted nearly $700 on it. So, I stuck with DH's 35mm. It took awesome pics, but for like the third time it needs repairs and at this point I can't justify the cost anymore.

I'm looking towards the Lumix because -
It is 5 megapixels.
IMAGE STABILIZATION - I can't seem to find another camera in the price range that has this! This one is important to me.
It runs on AA batteries - convenient.
It has a 6X optical zoom - again something else many cameras in this price range don't have, typically they are 3X.
I like the SD card, seems pretty standard and I think that is a safe bet.
It also comes with a USB transfer and automatically flips pictures for viewing on the LCD screen or on the TV if they were taken vertically.

Circuit City has it for $269.99 online only - it is $299.99 in the store. They also have free shipping. That seems like the best price I have found that is from a reliable source.

As for the memory, I have read those cards can get corrupted! I would rather have two smaller cards than one really big one so I don't lose everything at once. I was thinking of getting two 512 MB. (The Lumix can only hold up to 1GB.) On their chart they say at 5 megapixels and fine -
512 MB - 197 pics. 1GB would be 395.


Regardless, I'm very open to suggestions cause I want a good camera and I'm new to this. My birthday is coming up and this is what I'm getting.

 

[bicker]

I want to echo what Linda said: (1) Canon; (2) AA batteries for power; (3) Compact Flash for memory. Those are what I look for in a digital camera these days.

 

[5kwallace]

I have a Canon Rebel 35mm. Although I love it, I want something smaller to take to WDW. I am looking in the 5mp range. I really want something that is light weight and easy to use. A large screen would be a plus. I think I have narrowed it down to the Nikon Coolpix or a Sony. Once I decide what brand -then comes which model? There are so many options that I am having trouble deciding. My 35mm has lots of options but I only use the automatic mode. Any suggestions? Thanks

 

[kizmac]

I have a Panasonic fz20 and love it! The long zoom is awesome. The FZ5 has the same long zoom. It's $388 from Butterfly right now. The LZ2 looks like a good choice. It's nice that it has the 6x optical zoom instead of the usual 3x. Panasonic is releasing some new cams in September so the prices may drop on their current line, real soon.

DH just ordered a Sony Cybershot p200. It is 7 mp. $339 at Newegg and even got a free Epson R200 printer with it. Circuit city and Best Buy all wanted $399 just for the camera. I also love Canon.

I felt so bad for this young couple in Best Buy who were obviously clueless about digital cameras and the sales kids was just feeding them all kinds of info, I wanted so bad to tell them to go home go online and read! Then buy, preferably online because it is much cheaper in most cases. The only place I will even buy memory is online from Newegg..their prices can not be beat.

When you find the cam you want, go to pricegrabber.com and search it and go with the top rated stores, not necessarily the cheapest, but the best rated. Never had a problem with the top rated stores.

 

[lenshanem]

kizmac, thanks for the info.

So do you think I should hold out on the Panasonic LZ2 then since they're coming out with new cameras? I thought the LZ2 was fairly new. The 269.99 seemed like a good price.

I'll check out Newegg for memory then. I was wondering where to find the best prices on that...

 

[kizmac]

kizmac, thanks for the info.

So do you think I should hold out on the Panasonic LZ2 then since they're coming out with new cameras? I thought the LZ2 was fairly new. The 269.99 seemed like a good price.

I'll check out Newegg for memory then. I was wondering where to find the best prices on that...

I just went to dpreview and the Pannies that are coming out aren't in the LZ series so the LZ2 price probably won't be affected. They are coming out with the FZ30, FX9 and LX1....They LZ2 looks like a great choice. Here is what dpreview said about it incase you didn't read their review.

Conclusion - Pros
Very good resolution
Sharp images with good color (though see below)
Effective Image stabilization
6x optical zoom lens
Easy to use
Good handling and decent construction
Fast operation for a budget camera
Good burst performance
Good white balance in all but incandescent light
Record and playback histogram
Excellent battery life from 2x NiHM AA cells
Great value for money

Conclusion - Cons
Flash recycle time (and blacking out of LCD during recycle)
Red eye
Low dynamic range (inherent problem of small 5MP chips)
No AF illuminator (camera struggles to focus in very low light)
Noise - and noise reduction - an issue at ISO 100+, real problem at ISO 300+
Images slightly over-sharpened
Some edge softness and vignetting in macro mode
Limited manual controls
Movie mode not very impressive
Overall conclusion
The Panasonic LZ2 promises a lot for under $300, and in the most part it doesn't disappoint. For one thing offers a longer zoom range than just about every other major-brand 5MP camera in its price range, and that's before you throw in the undeniably useful image stabilization system. It's as well built as can be expected of an all-plastic 'entry-level' camera, seems pretty tough and handles a lot better than it looks. The images produced are - if you keep the ISO low - very sharp, and detailed, and color, contrast and white balance leave little to complain about.

On the downside there's the noise issue - and it's a biggie if you like to push the 5 megapixels to their limit and print at larger sizes (say 8x10 inches). Even ISO 100 shots have some visible noise, though this is partly due to Panasonic's rather unusual approach to noise reduction, which is obviously designed to retain as much visual 'sharpness' as possible, something it does by turning high ISO shots into something resembling a watercolor special effect (that gets gradually worse as the light levels drop). The visibility of the noise (which is about the same, measurably, as most competitors) is exacerbated by the relatively high sharpening applied in-camera.

The lack of an autofocus illuminator - and low resolution LCD screen - are obviously cost-cutting exercises, but overall the LZ2 doesn't feel anything like a 'budget' model. It doesn't have the sex appeal of a Canon Ixus (or Panasonic's own FX7), and it is missing any real manual controls, but if you want a decent long zoom on a small camera, then this is by far the best value on the market today. The image stabilization means you can shoot at lower ISO settings without worrying so much about camera shake, something you won't find on any similarly-priced camera, big zoom or not. So then, as with any camera built to a price, the LZ2 offers something of a compromise, but it's a compromise I suspect many people on a tight budget will be happy to accept.

And so, because it offers so much 'bang for your buck, is capable of taking remarkably good pictures, is effectively in a 'class of its own' and is so easy to use, the LZ2 hits just about enough targets to warrant a dpreview 'Recommended'

Butterflyphoto has it for $250 before shipping. I bought my FZ20 from them. Newegg also has it for $259 so you may consider them if you are going to check out their memory prices!

 

[dragonfly75]

I've been looking more online and such, and I've made up a list of a few things I think are good qualities...

-picture quality
-optical zoom
-AA batteries
-quick start-up


Thanks for all the help; but I think I need to go to best buy (or another store like that) and get the feel for these cameras then chose...

 

[jgreen]

I purchased the Panasonic FZ5 a couple of weeks ago for our upcoming trip to WDW, and I am absolutely blown away by this camera. It is simply amazing! The 12X optical zoom along with the Image Stabilization are great. The small size and light weight of the camera are also nice features.

The price of $388 mentioned above is also a very good deal for this camera, and if this is within your budget, I would highly recommend it.

I also looked at the Canon S2 IS and the Sony DSC-H1, both of which are also extremely nice, but ultimately settled on the Panasonic.

My previous digital camera was a Nikon that used CF memory cards, and I was hoping to find a new camera that utilized the same memory format in order to avoid having to also buy new memory as well, but the Panasonic was still the best choice for me.