New digital camera for under $200

[sl_underwood]

First, is it possible to buy a good compact digital for this price or should I increase my budget? Also, which brands are good to buy? I have an HPphotosmart that is really old (was bought back when digital cameras were a fairly new on the market) its only a 3mp. I am not looking to do professional work but I would like to be able to take great pics especially of my upcoming vacation. Thanks

 

[fitzperry]

Depends on what you're looking for. You can get a decent digicam for less than $200, but there are reasons why people spend much, much more than that as well. This is a pretty good place to start searching: http://www.myproductadvisor.com/mpa/camera/inputSummary.do. You answer questions about your budget and the features that interest you and it provides several models that meet your criteria. Some things to consider--What zoom range do you want? Is 3x or 4x enough or do you want more reach? Are you looking for a pocket sized camera? And don't get caught up in the megapixel war; more is not necessarily better, particularly once you get beyond 5 or 6 megapixels.

FWIW, I bought my mom a Canon A560 for Christmas for less than $150 and she's quite happy with it. Nikon and Fuji also offer several cameras in your price range that would be worth checking out.

 

[eduk8r26]

A good site to check for camera reviews is steves-digicams.com. It's pretty comprehensive.

 

[DisDaydreamer]

Depends on what you're looking for. You can get a decent digicam for less than $200, but there are reasons why people spend much, much more than that as well. This is a pretty good place to start searching: http://www.myproductadvisor.com/mpa/camera/inputSummary.do. You answer questions about your budget and the features that interest you and it provides several models that meet your criteria. Some things to consider--What zoom range do you want? Is 3x or 4x enough or do you want more reach? Are you looking for a pocket sized camera? And don't get caught up in the megapixel war; more is not necessarily better, particularly once you get beyond 5 or 6 megapixels.

FWIW, I bought my mom a Canon A560 for Christmas for less than $150 and she's quite happy with it. Nikon and Fuji also offer several cameras in your price range that would be worth checking out.

What a great site. Thanks for the link.

 

[fitzperry]

What a great site. Thanks for the link.

No problem. I find their reviews to be very helpful.

 

[agtlmm]

I am not sure if you have a Compusa near you, but they are closing. They are liquidating everything in the store. As of Wednesday, they have cameras 20% off. I got a great deal on a Kodak camera that was $220.

They might even drop in price, but I didn't want to wait.