New Camera - under $200????

[billwendy]

hI everyone,

do you think it would be possible to find a new camera with high mega pixels and a decent zoom under 200?

Currently I have a kodak ezshare with 6 MP and 3x optical zoom, and digital zoom too - i do love the easynes of the dock and the rechargeable battery, but i dont like the turn wheel on the back...

any advice would be great!!

thanks!!

wendy

 

[grumpy'svillainess]

I'm a big fan of the Kodak EasyShare line myself. I am in the process of getting ready to purchase the Z712IS today. It is on sale at BestBuy.com for $219.99. It is a 7.1 MP with a 12X zoom. But then you would need to get the dock as well which is another $95. I have a 5MP 3X zoom right now so this a considerable upgrade for me. After researching it online, it has great customer reviews.

 

[LPZ_Stitch!]

An important question to ask yourself is why you want a camera with higher megapixels....

Unless you're commonly making enlargements much larger than 11"x16", a camera with 5-7MP is more than enough ... especially on a small sensor P&S.

As the MP goes higher, so does the sensor noise; so even though these high-megapixel cameras do, in theory, have better resolution, the noise often eliminates any advantage they'd have.

I'd strongly urge you not to fall for the marketing hype; more megapixels does NOT mean "better pictures." Instead look for a camera that has the features you are looking for; zoom range, picture taking modes, manual controls (if that's your thing), etc and don't let MP be the be-all-end-all of your search for a new camera.

Personally, I love my Canon Powershot S3 IS; it's a superzoom camera (12X -- 36mm to 432mm in 35mm equivalent) that takes great pictures and has an excellent movie mode. It's also only 6MP, and takes "better" pictures -- less noise, sharper, less CA/PF -- in many cases than the newer 8MP S5.

Panasonic also makes a couple of really good cameras in their Lumix line (FZ-something or other, can't remember the numbers).

And, Fuji (specifically the F30 and S6000sd) have larger sensors, and are very good in low light; better than anything but DSLRs.

The best of them, in any brand, are still the ones at 5-7MP.

 

[ukcatfan]

I will back up that more MPs should not be a motivation for an upgrade. I would also like to add that the dock is not as great as people think it is. If it is free then why not use it, but it does nothing that a $10 card reader and $15 battery charger cannot do. Plus, it takes up valuable desk space. The $95 price for the dock only saves you a few seconds over removing batteries and placing them in a charger.

Kevin

 

[grumpy'svillainess]

I will back up that more MPs should not be a motivation for an upgrade. I would also like to add that the dock is not as great as people think it is. If it is free then why not use it, but it does nothing that a $10 card reader and $15 battery charger cannot do. Plus, it takes up valuable desk space. The $95 price for the dock only saves you a few seconds over removing batteries and placing them in a charger.

Kevin

The MP was not the motivation for me to get my new camera, it was the 12X zoom. I am not even an amatuer photographer, I just enjoy taking photos of my children and at Disney. I also truly enjoy the convenience of having the dock to print what pictures I want to and when I want to. The quality is better than off of a standard home printer, similar to what you would get if you had them printed for you at a retail outlet. Also, the battery charger was not a main reason for me either, but it is convenient. I am a creature of habit and the Kodak EasyShare is what I am used to. I don't want to have to learn an entire new camera just for point and shoot purposes.

 

[Groucho]

Me too on the whole megapixel thing. I think most point-n-shoot's started going downhill, quality-wise, after maybe 4mp or so. As you go higher, noise levels go up and up without a corresponding bump in sensor size, which hasn't been happening. This is especially true with low-light photos - the darker it gets, the worse the quality gets on high-megapixel point-n-shoot cameras.

Fuji is the exception with their SuperCCD HR sensors, which have gotten larger as they resolve more megapixels (1/1.6" for 8mp vs 1/1.7" for 6pm), but not all Fujis have these - most are regular "SuperCCD" sensors which are nice, but no bigger than the competition. For example, the new S8000, while it finally adds true image stabilization to a Fuji long-zoom, has a smallish 1/2.35" sensor, not one of their larger ones. It also loses the nice SLR look and feel of the earlier S-series cameras.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Is the only reason you want a new camera to get more megapixels? If so, you might as well just stick with what you have, for the reasons the guys mentioned above. If you had a burning desire for something else such as longer zoom or better battery life, then that might be a different story. Good luck.

 

[Anewman]

Buydig(Beachcamera) has this(Refurbished by Panasonic) in Silver for $229 free shipping and no Tax

It does not have a bigger sensor like the Fuji but it does have 12x zoom and a FASTER lens which combined with Opitcal image stabilization you should be able to keep ISO down for most shots.

 

[billwendy]

Thanks so much everyone,,,

I think it may be that my zoom is only 3x - and when I go through software to "zoom" closer, I of course lose clarity after a while. So Im guessing zoom is more important?????? I already have a dock, so desk space isnt an issue - its also very nice to store my camera there so i always know where it is and that it is charged - not a necessity, but just something that i am used to and like -

I work at a camp for kids with special needs in MT for 2 weeks out of the summer, and take pictures for them to take home and show their parents since many of them cant speak - but sometimes when you get real close, you lose the cool picture - just like with any kiddo - so the zooming is a primary goal of mine!!

 

[Groucho]

Cropping in software is basically what digital zoom does - in other words, digital zoom is something to be ignored and not used on your camera itself.

You'll probably want a 10-12x zoom camera... most start closer to $250 or so, you can probably find a used one on eBay for under $200.

Also, docks are generally camera-specific, it's very unlikely than any new camera you buy will work with your existing dock. Maybe if it's the same brand, it may, but generally, any camera that will work with a dock, comes with one already.

 

[billwendy]

Hey - thanks alot - i never thought of cropping like a digital zoom, but you are so right, and that was a great way to explain it!!! Yeah, I've had 2 easy share cameras, and neither of them had the same dock - so I could live without a dock,,,

so, if its the zoom that i am looking for to capture those special moments - what are your recommendations???????? i love to take pictures and like it to be quick and easy!!

thanks for all your help so far everyone, mega pixels are not the answer!! that i have totally learned now!!! and digital zoom