Please Help? Never Owned a Digital Camera

[Canadisney]

I am thinking of getting a Canon Powershot A610. I have never owned a digital camera before and I am pretty clueless on how I would use it. Would this camera be good for beginners? Is it easy to use? Good quality?

What kind of memory card would I need for it? Would I have to really study the maual to understand how to use? I know I must sound dumb, but is it as easy as pressing a button like a regular camera?


Please, please help. I am leaving on my trip in a week in a half and just decided that I should get a digital camera to use at Disney world. Will I be able to learn how to use it within a couple days?

 

[manning]

I have owned several digital cameras and have read the manual for each one.

Yes read the manual!!!

No you are not stupid. It's something new to you. You will find out it is not as hard as you think.

You will have the hang of it in a day or two. Just take lots of picures before you go so everything will be second nature. Just think no expensive film to buy processing cost. Snap the pictures, look at them, then delete and start over again. By the time you get down there all you will have to do is decide what you want to take, won't have to think how to operate the camera, just point and shoot.

I'm not familiar with this model. Canon makes good products. Our in house Canon expert may be able to tell you more.

 

[YEKCIM]

...that the A610 is an excellent P&S digicam. You can read for yourself on www.dpreview.com or www.steves-digicams.com. In full-auto mode, most digital cameras, including the 610 operate much like a film P&S. Some differences, obviously, are that you have a reusable memory card (get at least a 512MB, more if you can swing it) and the ability to review your pictures after taking the shot. The real difference comes when you get ready to "process" your pictures. Instead of dropping the roll off at the StuffMart, you take your memory card to the processing kiosk, which downloads the pix, and then select which pix to print, size, and so on. My personal preference is to download all the pix to my PC, do my editing, burn the ones I want prints of, to a CD, and then take the CD to the lab (Sam's Club, in my case). Editing can be a time-consuming process, depending on how picky you are, but can result in much better results, and IMO, is better done at your leisure, at home, than standing at the processing kiosk, with a half-dozen impatient customers in line behind you.

Edit: I don't know your budget, but you might want to also consider the A700, which is 6MP, as opposed to the 610's 5MP, and it has a little more "reach" in the lens department, as well as a *much* larger 2.5" LCD. Again, check the reviews.

~YEKCIM

 

[manning]

one question that comes up is how many mega pixels do you need.

The next question should be "how big a print are going to make most of the time?"

One part of the answer is 300.

300? most printers now print at 300 ppi resolution. So how many pixels do you need?

let's say you want a 5x7 print.
1. multiply 5 x 300 = 1500
2. multiply 7 x 300 = 2100
3. multiply 1500 x 2100 = 3,150,000
4. you will need 3.2 megapexels to make the 5x7 print

The same procedure is used for 4x6 and 8x10 prints.

If you are going to do a lot of cropping you may want more megapixels.

With this you will want a good lens.

By the way, I have some good 8x10 pictures taken with a 3.2 mp canon G1. some cropped.

So is this the perfect answer? .... NO !!!!!!!

With that said the 610 or 700 is a good start. I would go for the little more reach.

Here is dpreview.com conclusion on the A700.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona700/page15.asp

There full review
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona700/

 

[T. Lynn]

I have the A620, which I think is inbetween those 2 models.

 

[Canadisney]

Thanks for all of your help.

 

[goofy4tink]

I had a very basic Kodak Easyshare that I replaced with the A610. I am really a digital novice...I do nothing with any of the settings so far. But, I am having a grand time playing with the A610. It has everything that I need. Still getting used to it. Be sure to read the Basic guide that comes with it before going on to the more advanced guide. I still haven't gotten through the advanced guide!