Shutters and Digital Camera Question

[alexandrew]

I am considering the purchase of a digital camera for our next cruise...

Does Shutters offer a service to burn your pictures from the camera to a CD? If so, how much do they charge? I want to avoid buying a big memory card for the camera...

Also, can you guys recommend a good digital camera....my budget is about $300-$350...up until now, we've used an Olympus Stylus zoom 35mm for all our cruises...very trusty and easy to use...I'm looking for a digital camera that is also easy to use,not bulky, at least 4 megapixel, with a decent zoom...I am not what you would call a "photo-phile"...I take standard issue pictures...Also,Do you recommend I purchase a photo quality printer, or a camera with one of those docking stations/built-in printers?..



Thanks for your recommendations!!
Jeff

 

[kshabare]

With a nice budget like that you could get a nice one at HSN. Our friends just bought a 6.0 megapixel from Kodak with 16 MB built in memory, a card, a battery, a case for around $300.00 or so. Santa MIL bought DH and I a 6.2 Fuji which I love. It only comes with 16 MB but can take small videos with sound, black & white, etc. Not sure of price but can go onto QVC.COM and look for the F700 which is what we have. Unfortunately that didn't come with a case like the one on HSN.

We have a hpdeskjet 960c which does great photos. Another printing option is Walgreens, Costco, Walmart, etc. Everyone charges about 29cents per picture. They're saving my printer. Shutterfly.com will let you upload photos and print them out for you too.

Best Buy told us to shy away from the 4x6 printers - they only print that size see. Makes more sense to get a printer that will allow for different types of paper to be used. I love my hp. When looking for a new printer just concentrate on the dpi.

Hope I help. I'm not a professional - our photos are basically fun and games.

Kim

 

[aprilgail2]

They can burn them on a CD for you but I bought a cheap memory card and it hold 610 picutres so I really never need to do that, no way do I take 610 pictures on any vacation LOL.

 

[alexandrew]

How large is your memory card? is it 512? How much was it?

we usually take about the equivalent of 5 rolls of film on a cruise, about 125 pix....

 

[aprilgail2]

its 512...I think they are cheaper now but it was 39 when I got it....

 

[staylor]

I have a great Canon powershot A 80. It has 4 pixels and the lcd screen pops out and swivels. So you can take pictures over your head and know what they are, if needed. A friend just bought her DH the Canon powershot A95. It has 5 pixels, improved lcd screen, but basically just like mine. I like the Canon's because you can switch them to manual mode, just like a SLR, and take your own pic. Both cameras use a compact flash for the media. On Ebay, I bought one 512mb and two 128mb cards for $60 total shipped. Also, I bought Nimh rechargable batteries and they last a long time.
Our printer is the HP2210 all-in-one. It holds 2 ink cartridges at one time, black and color. But you can take out the black cartridge and replace it w/ the photo cartridge. Therefore when you print photos you have a 6 color print. They look fantastic. It has 4 slots on the front right side for the memory cards. You just slide the card in and the printer asks you if you want to download to computer or print out a proof sheet. We usually download, it just takes seconds. But every once in a while do a proof sheet. They are so cool. It is a sheet of 20 pictures and you have the option at the bottom of the sheet to tell it which pictures to print and what size you want them to be.
Feel free to pm me w/ any questions
Staci

 

[alexandrew]

Thanks so much Staci...I've had my eye on those Canons!!!

 

[brack]

, no way do I take 610 pictures on any vacation LOL.

On our last WDW visit in November I took over 1,200 digital pictures. I use then in my screen saver.

If I were going to buy a digital camera to start with I would buy one of the Nikon Coolpix cameras which start at $150

 

[jdm]

I have a Kodak Easyshare. Simple, simple, I love it.

Jenn

 

[alexandrew]

I am definitely going to narrow my choice to either Nikon, Canon, or Olympus...through the research I've done today, I think I can get for $350 a camera with 3-4x optical zoom, at least 5 megapixel, and an extra 512 memory card....

 

[smchan]

I'll back up some of the advice offered here; online printing sites are generally more economical than buying your own printer and ink. There's a number of them including shutterfly.com and ofoto.com.

Unlike other advice you'll receive, it ain't all about megapixels. Consider, for example, that Nikon's top sports camera is only 4 megapixels - but that camera will outgun ANY consumer level point-n-shoot. At the end of the day, it's about image quality and features that best suit your needs.

Check out my digital photos for some hopefully useful ideas on shots to get while onboard: http://www.pbase.com/srmchan/disney_cruise_line&page=all

Sam

 

[pppiglet]

I have the Canon Powershot a70 and it takes great pictures. We have both the 4x6 compact printer which is fun to watch doing one color at a time, but we have since got a hp psc1350xi all in one printer that we do most of ours on now. Same description as Staylor gave with the slots for card and proof sheet. Not a very expensive printer and ink lasts a long time!

 

[alexandrew]

I made the decision to go with the Canon Powershot A85...best combination of features and value

 

[SeaSpray]

Shutters charges $14.95 to burn your memory card to CD. We use XD ram and as of our cruise in early September, we had to leave the memory card overnight because the machine that Shutters uses to burn the CDs doesn't accept XD ram, so they had to take it to a different part of the ship. Otherwise, they will burn the CD right there for you while you wait. We also were given a sheet full of thumbnail prints along with the CD.

 

[bubbasmom99]

You should be able to get alot of photos on a 512mb card. I took nearly 400 at fine (but super fine) quality and resolution on a 256mb card. I came home, chose which prints I wanted, and burned those to a CD, which I then took to Costco for printing - 14 cents per print, which is much cheaper than any other places, including online.

 

[pppiglet]

Good choice alexandrew! And I think I will use bubbasmom99 tip about burning the ones I like to CD and taking those to print elsewhere. (by the way, I am a mom to a bubba also and I have a cousin that lives in Elk Grove!)

 

[jfis1020]

I just got a Minolta 5 megapixel from Santa. It is so cool because it can fit in my pocket. It has everything that my SIL new Kodak has and hers is as big as two fists!

 

[DenverVal]

Check out my digital photos for some hopefully useful ideas on shots to get while onboard: http://www.pbase.com/srmchan/disney_cruise_line&page=all

Sam, did you take the photos of the shows without flash?? How close were you sitting?

I have a Fuji finepix, and while it takes great daytime pictures, photos like yours without flash are just a big blur. Plus it takes an eternity to recharge the flash and prepare for the next photo, and just plain useless at fast-action photos (i.e., DD's track meet-she's nearly past me when it finally takes). I am very interested in getting a camera which doesn't have this disadvantage. We have been considering the Casio Exilim P600, and would like to see it, hold it, experiment with it before deciding, but no one carries it where we are. I would love to have the control over the exposure that I gave up with the point 'n shoot, but don't like the size/weight (or the price) of the true SLR digital cameras. If you have any opinions on this model, I would love to hear it.

Thanks,
Val

edited to add: Oh, if you took those with the Nikon D100, I guess that's like comparing a Yugo to a Cadillac. Not even in the same league.

 

[lkohawaii]

I'll back up some of the advice offered here; online printing sites are generally more economical than buying your own printer and ink. There's a number of them including shutterfly.com and ofoto.com.

Unlike other advice you'll receive, it ain't all about megapixels. Consider, for example, that Nikon's top sports camera is only 4 megapixels - but that camera will outgun ANY consumer level point-n-shoot. At the end of the day, it's about image quality and features that best suit your needs.

Check out my digital photos for some hopefully useful ideas on shots to get while onboard: http://www.pbase.com/srmchan/disney_cruise_line&page=all

Sam

Alright Sam...I knew you wouldn't fail the boards!!! Sam helped me a lot when I first went digital about a week ago. I've learned soooo much from him and the boards he refers me too. I have lots more to learn...so make sure you get your digital and play with it a lot before you need it. Anyway, for those of you that can wait San Disk Flash memory (item 783799,30840,30838,30843,30852) is coming on sale 20% at Costco Mar. 14- Mar. 20. For the compact flash I need this will beat the prices I can get on E bay. Plus when I went to costoc the memory came with a coupon for 20 digital prints at their one hour.