Which Camera??? PLEASE HELP!

[LSDisney]

HELLO!!!

My son's 16th birthday is comming up, and he's asked for a Pentax digital camera. He's loves taking pics of everything with my sister's Pentax Optio MX, but its kind of strange for him to be asking his aunt for it all the time. I would also love a digital camera, so I want to get him something we can both use.

I was thinking of the PENTAX Optio WP because the waterproof feature seems cool, but I don't think the waterproofness will be of much use to us. Does anyone know if the Pentax Optio WP is ideal for everyday use also? He wants something that he can just slip in his pocket to take pictures everywhere. He would also like it if he can take it to amusement parks (like DISNEY), concerts, parties, school, and just around the house. If this camera isn't good for his needs, does anyone know of a good one? It has to take at least 5 Megapixels, have a rechargable battery, and be priced under $300.

PLEASE HELP! SUPPLIES ARE LIMITED! SHIPPING TAKES 10 DAYS AT MAX AND HIS BIRTHDAY IS DECEMBER 13!!! HELP!!!

ANY Input will be of use!

 

[LSDisney]

also i want it to be able to take pictures of Wishes and other nighttime events.

 

[Charade]

I looked at some of the sample pics for that model at www.stevesdigicams.com and didn't care for the quality.

I would recommend taking a look at the Canon A610 instead. It's still in your price range as well.


Check out http://www2.butterflyphoto.com/shop/product.aspx?ref=dealtime&sku=A610

They have it for $244.

 

[salmoneous]

If the camera is to allow a 16-year old to take snapshots, any of the basic models from a major manufacturer is going to be just fine. Personally (and others are probably going to disagree) I'd worry more about making the kid happy by giving him a Pentax like he wants, than in giving him a slightly better camera from another manufacturer.

As for features:

Waterproofness is really for underwater photos. If you aren't planning on that, you don't need it (assuming it doesn't get left in the rain), though it won't hurt other photos.

Compactness - the compact and ultra compact models fit easier in pockets, and have a high "cool" factor. The tradeoffs are (1) higher costs, (2) with the lack of viewfinder and odd shapes, they can seem weird to folks used to "normal" cameras. Your son probably won't care, but Mom and Dad may be a bit disconcerted, (3) don't take AA batteries (see below).

Battery: You mention rechargeable batters as a must. But you and your son) will become a *huge* fan of AA-based camera the first time the battery runs out while you are in an amusement park and you can buy replacements at any store. With AA recharables, you get the best of both worlds. But note that the smallest and most stylish models don't take them.

Wishes: If you want to take photos of fireworks or other nighttime scenes, a small tripod and a camera with manual modes is necessary. Some camera do have a "fireworks" setting, but manual modes and experimentation are vastly superior.

Finally, more a question than a comment. Many people find 3-4 megapixel cameras more than sufficient. Just curious why have you set your minimum at 5?

 

[IamAnniM]

I have an Optio Waterproof and I really like it - posted some photos on Community boards - Don't worry about having a waterproof camera but when it rains I'm not very concerned about standing at a parade route or on the Kahli Rapids trying to take a photo. It think it's a nice little camera, takes nice shots and nice size.