need new camera - suggestions!

[ohMom]

my camera just broke!!! my Olympus 35 mm camera, the zoom lens went out and just won't come back in! i tried to "help" it along and made it worse!

My question - for all you fellow scrappers! Which camera do you have and why do you love/hate it! I'm thinking of going digital! commments?? I really don't think I can give up my "photos" and print them out - too pricey for ink for one thing. Can I take my memory stick and have real pictures made? Is this pricey??

thanks for any comments!!

 

[holycow]

I didn't think I'd like the Digital camera but it is really great.
We got the Cannon A 40 you can down load your pics or have them printed out. I've gone to Walmart where you insert your memory card, you can pic out the pics you want, enlarge them crop them and then they print them out for you. It is really great!

The pic turn out great too..if I wasn't so computer illiterate I'd post some of the ones we took when we went to Pa..2 weeks ago.

Holycow

 

[aurora19]

I'm definately going digital for my next camera. I have lost too many rolls of film over the years sending them in to be developed and not getting them back. I wanted to tell you about the hp digital photo printer (we gave one to my mom for xmas)

It is the coolest thing. It is about nine inches wide and about 5 inches tall and you load it with 4x6 photo paper and it prints out fantastic glossy photos. We have the model that costs about $199. You load the memory stick in the printer and can view the contents on the little screen - crop the photos, zoom in - anything you want. Yes it is expensive but again you are printing out only what you want and it is incredibly convenient to have it at home.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

A lot of the decision depends on what you are shooting. I'm probably in the minority on this board but I am a dyed in the wool film shooter.

I have a Pentax ZX-10 (there is slightly newer version now but basically the same camera). Up until about 3? 4? years ago (time flies) I had a fairly decent Canon point and shoot 35 mm pocket. I had used SLRs in college but when the kids came along I didn't want to mess around with setting F stops and apertures. Then I got to a point where the pocket just wasn't getting decent shots any more. Couldn't get flash range, etc. Everything looked like buffalo shots - those way off in the distance where you need a magnifier to identify anyone!

The Pentax allows me to shoot in fully automatic mode - or if I want to play and get more artistic I can go semi-auto where I can make some adjustments to focus, or speed. The latter is really handy when I'm shooting inside an auditorium such as our musicals, plays, choir concerts, etc and wish to shoot without flash. Coupled with a high speed film of course. There also isn't the distraction of the brightly lit digital screen in a dark house for those around me. I can also go fully manual if I wish.

At this point in time I have added several longer lenses - these help particularly with sporting events - son plays football and tennis - which allow me to zoom up to 300 mm. I can get as wide as about 75 degrees at the 28 mm setting. Anything longer than 300 mm would need a pod - can't handhold. Which I do have - both a tri and mono but like the flexibility of handholding.

I've also added the mounted flash which allows me to bounce the flash (not directly aimed at people) and can get a much longer range when flash is allowed such as at Scout ceremonies (usually held in a gym!) and so forth.

Think about what you're shooting - is there a lot of action? Did you usually shoot a 200 or 400 speed film at relatively close range? I'd also suggest going into a reputable local camera shop that sells BOTH digital and film (preferably SLR and pocket styles) and discuss with them the sort of photography you do. They can be enormously helpful.

Good luck!
Deb

 

[Swan]

My hubby uses a Sony digital. He loves it but I don't. I have an SLR , Canon Rebel. It is automatic as well as manual. It has semi automatic also. I love it.

 

[m&m's mom]

Everyone else had a digital camera but me (even my 5 yo DD had a 2MP digital). I researced and researched and finally decided on a Canon S45. It just came out in late Dec. and I cannot find it locally (and I live in Dallas). I am going to order over internet.
The camera was very highly recommended. It is 4 MP and has a lot of bells and whistles but not so many it would be hard to use.
The digital is not a problem because I have a great photo printer and also burn pictures I want on CD and take to Wal Mart to have "real" pictures printed.
I definitely agree on the digital!

 

[WDWMom]

I have a Canon Sure SHot and I love it. The zoom is great and they are fairly new. I think they have been out for about a year. That was when I got mine. It is small and compact but does the job and I live the color of my pics.

I refuse to go digital also. I do not have the time or money to spend on paper and ink. I am a perfectionist and I think I would spend way too much time on the computer making my pics look good and cropping and such.

JMO, I am sure they are great for some people.

 

[4407mark]

There are a lot of choices no matter which way you decide to go. I like both film and digital for different reasons. I like film because of the great colors and the multi-functions of my camera (Pentax) and I can have the pictures put on CD if I like. On the digital side, I save money on film and processing, can delete photos I don't like to save space on my memory sticks (I have the Sony DSC-S70) and can see the pictures immediately (to know whether I need to re-shoot pics or not). I don't like the time it takes the digital camera to focus and save the shot. Have been thinking of upgrading to the DSC-717 for the burst mode (taking three pictures within about two seconds).

you can find some really good 2MP and even some of the 3MP cameras now for a lot less than what they used to be. It might be worth buying one, experimenting with it to see if you like it, and if not, going back to 35. You can upload your photos over the internet and have actual chemical prints made and there are several websites that offer that. Cost is usually around .35 to .50 per print for a 4x6.

If you need more info or would like some web addresses to compare digital cams, PM me.

 

[pattyT]

just my opinion:

I just got a NIKON N65 with an extra 80-300 zoom lense and I love it - the photos are gorgeous - crisp and colors are GREAT! It is automatic - and semi and eventually I will learn to go manual (so you won't 'outgrow the camera') and I already have a list of things I want for Christmas! Tripod, lenses, etc.

I have an HP photosmart 612 digital and it is fun for project but as for the quality of the photos - not the BEST - you can't shut the flash off and the colors never come out clean - and you can have them printed by printer ( I got the HP printer that you just slip the card in and hit a button), dowloading to a site (I heard Walmart does this now although I have gone through snapfish) or going to stores like CVS or Ritz. I didn't save any money using the digital. If you want to see some I can show you my snapfish account - just messsage me.

I loved my APS camera (that I broke) although it was more expenseive to buy film and develope the photos were beautiful and I liked getting 5X7's and panoramics!

Patty

 

[lrmillen]

my husband and i take TONS of pictures. (we have a new baby). so it's definitely worth it for us to have a digital camera. (canon powershot G2) because we can take as many pics as we want without worrying about running out of film or feeling guilty about wasting shots. we delete the bad ones, put the good ones on the computer, then print out the great ones for the scrapbooks. this is really great compared to our old camera where we might use only a few pics for scrapping and the rest go in a box. so if you're not looking to print out tons of photos i would definately spend a little more for start up digital so as to save money in the long run. the forums and reviews on www.dpreview.com helped me out a lot when we were looking for a camera. hope this helps.

 

[Beanie]

We used to have a Kodak DC290, which I loved, up until one of the pins in the camera where the card goes, broke! Anyway, I was lost without my camera and missed many photos ops while waiting to see if DH could fix it...He fixed it once and then it broke again a month later, so we decided to trash it all together and buy a new one! Now I have a Fugi S602 Zoom Pro and I absolutely love it!! It is the best camera I have ever owned and takes awesome shots! I also have a HP Officejet D145 printer that I just slip the Media Card into the slot and it downloads the pictures to my computer!! It is so simple!! Then I just print them out myself! Scrapbooking is so much easier with a digital camera, in my opinion! I would be so lost without one!!