Which digital camera

[Stick_to_Disney]

I need to get a new digital camera. I need it to be 6-8 megapixels and no more than 300 dollars. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

 

[ukcatfan]

Please give some more information on what features you would like. (i.e. size, zoom, low light ability, etc.) Your 6-8MP is a little too vague. There are probably over 100 cameras in that criteria.

Also, why the 6-8MP requirement? I do not know if you read the board often, but the MP rating for the average user is actually one of the least important factors once you get at least 4-5MP.

Also, is $300 the max in total, or is that just for the unit by itself? You will have to have a larger memory card and will likely want rechargeable batteries.

We look forward to helping you.

Kevin

 

[Stick_to_Disney]

I want it to be pretty high qaulity.I want it to zoom pretty far too. I am mostly gonna be using it in disney world so it should have low light ability.I also would like it to have a 2in or above screen size. And it should be a thin camera not one of those thick bulky kind. 300 $ is for just the camera by itself.

P.S. I am thinking about getting a Samsung NV3 and revievs on that?

Thanks alot!!

 

[Jeanne B]

I would recommend the Canon S2 or S3 (the S3 is more expensive but it's been on sale on occasion lately at some of the online retailers and probably at the b&m stores also).

They both have 12x zoom, the S2 has a 1.8" screen, the S3 has a 2", S2 is 5MP, S3 is 6MP and both get great reviews. Both have Image Stabilization which is a great feature when you don't have a tripod handy.

Just noticed you're looking for a thin camera, you may need to rule these out in that case since these are a bit bulky.

 

[Stick_to_Disney]

I do not really mind if it is bulky just not huge.

 

[jann1033]

the s2 and 3 take very nice pictures and while not pocket sized would fit in a small bag

you might want to read some of the reviews on this page then go to a store and try them out..personally i thought the s2/3 were a nice size but you might hate the way they feel...the reviews will help you decide as they give you something to look for( ie that is important to you) and help you weed out others...his reviews ( and dpreview) seem pretty much on the money and i like this page cause it puts them in catagories ie the large optical zoom you want

http://www.steves-digicams.com/best_cameras.html

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I want it to be pretty high qaulity.I want it to zoom pretty far too. I am mostly gonna be using it in disney world so it should have low light ability.I also would like it to have a 2in or above screen size. And it should be a thin camera not one of those thick bulky kind. 300 $ is for just the camera by itself.

I just went through this myself. Which of the things you listed is most important to you? It can be a challenge to find a small point and shoot camera with a high zoom - most are in the 3X -5X range. Here's one that has a higher one but I don't know much about it other than my friend has it and likes it, and the zoom is high. http://www.nikonusa.com/template.php?cat=1&grp=2&productNr=25533

Getting good shots in low light involves technique, not just the camera. Most cameras have a night setting which would help, but also the camera needs to stay still too (ideally using a tripod or another stable surface). If you do that you should be able to get some pretty good shots with many cameras. (Keep in mind if your subject is moving, it can be even more difficult.)

Some questions to ask yourself: What do you take pictures of? Do you use it outside of WDW or mainly on trips? How often will you use the camera (for many of us here, it's daily, LOL). How will you carry the camera? Are you a "stick it in your pocket" kind of person, or do you mind carrying a bag? If you favor your pocket, you should stick with a small camera. The better Canon cameras have many of the same features of the S3, without the bulk. If sticking it in your pocket is important to you, I'd look into one of those. You'll lose some zoom, but many times you can zoom with your own two feet and not truly need the extra zoom. Check this one out: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=12914

If you are a reader, there are lots of primers out there which can help you decide what type of camera will fit your needs. Good luck.

 

[jann1033]

i posted this from the review link i posted as he mentions the low mm and f stops... new the link below shows you the difference in what the zoom would be when you take a picture IE you are standing in one place , 135 would look like this, 400 would look like this

"The camera’s 12x zoom lens has an equivalent film focal length of 36-432 mm (f/2.7 at wide angle and f/3.5 at telephoto)"

this is for the s2/3...the f stop of 2.7 and 3.5 is larger than most of my lens for my dslr camera so i would imagine you should be able to get decent low light pictures with this as the larger the shutter "hole" ( IE f2.7 rather than say f5.6... the littler the f number the larger the hole) the faster the shutter speed you can use in that condition...
big shutter hole needs less time to gather the needed light than a little hole would. so the image stabilization would let you use a slower shutter speed(IE maybe 1/30 of a sec rather than 1/15 of a sec...)with less chance of blurry photos. faster shutter=less blur due to you moving but the IS is = to using a monopod as far as stability is concerned so again less blur at any speed.

IS works for you moving, not the object moving . higher the shutter speed would give you more latitude to freeze motion by using the higher speed( ie someone running) and the higher the speed the less time you have to move the camera, sneeze, get hit by a falling log whatever might make you jerk the camera and blur the picture

there is an enormous amount of difference between a normal 4-6x zoom and a 10-12 x zoom, more than you could reasonably get by moving a step or 2. you are talking about roughly 130mm (4x) vs 430mm (12x)

you have to go to lens 101 on the right side of the page and then focal length comparison chart
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ProductCatIndexAct&fcategoryid=149

 

[Jeanne B]

there is an enormous amount of difference between a normal 4-6x zoom and a 10-12 x zoom, more than you could reasonably get by moving a step or 2. you are talking about roughly 130mm (4x) vrs 430mm (12x)[/url]

I agree, we purchased the A610 which is 4x, we use it primarily with an underwater housing for snorkeling and it's a GREAT camera but I really missed the 10x zoom of my old Kodak which is what led me to purchase the S3. And I know people say don't pay any attention to the digital zoom but I've found the digital zoom on both the A610 and S3 aren't that bad (I did some comparison shots once with my A610 and I was surprised by the quality and I've read a few similar posts on other photography boards, they were a little grainy, but not as bad as I expected). So potentially you can get 48x with the S3 but I wouldn't factor the digital zoom into your buying decision but it could come in handy on occasion.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

there is an enormous amount of difference between a normal 4-6x zoom and a 10-12 x zoom, more than you could reasonably get by moving a step or 2. you are talking about roughly 130mm (4x) vrs 430mm (12x)

Absolutely. I'm not sure if your post is referring to my comment about zooming with your own two feet or not, but let me clarify. No question, serious hobbyists (and others) enjoy the higher zoom. I'm just not sure that most camera users need that feature (in balance with other desired features of a camera). In fact, I borrowed that phrase from a photography book that I just got through reading. There are times that people want to rely on the zoom when in fact they could simply move closer to the subject. Now obviously, this won't work all the time, but I do think it's a basic skill that's often overlooked in this day of advanced camera technology. I see people doing it a lot. Until several months ago I had a camera with just a 3X optical zoom, yet I managed to get some pretty good shots simply because I got close to the subject matter. I'm actually looking forward to using a higher zoom now that I have it, but I still contend that for most, it's not absolutely necessary. That's all I meant in my advice to the OP. We still also don't know if the OP is a serious hobbyist or rare camera user.

 

[jann1033]

Absolutely. I'm not sure if your post is referring to my comment about zooming with your own two feet or not, but let me clarify. No question, serious hobbyists (and others) enjoy the higher zoom. I'm just not sure that most camera users need that feature (in balance with other desired features of a camera). In fact, I borrowed that phrase from a photography book that I just got through reading. There are times that people want to rely on the zoom when in fact they could simply move closer to the subject. Now obviously, this won't work all the time, but I do think it's a basic skill that's often overlooked in this day of advanced camera technology. I see people doing it a lot. Until several months ago I had a camera with just a 3X optical zoom, yet I managed to get some pretty good shots simply because I got close to the subject matter. I'm actually looking forward to using a higher zoom now that I have it, but I still contend that for most, it's not absolutely necessary. That's all I meant in my advice to the OP. We still also don't know if the OP is a serious hobbyist or rare camera user.

no pea n me i was thinking bout my own way of getting a wide angle with my 28-135 lens, i back up 2 steps or so for a wider angle... however throwing a grappling iron onto the top of Cindy's castle and scaling up the sides to get a longer zoom might be beyond my capabilities which is why i am looking for a longer zoom lens now...( like to 300mm or so, comparable to the 12x of the s2/3s)
sorry if i came across as attempt at correcting you...up till 4am due to my insommnia so I was really 1/2 a sleep still when i was posting so i went back and changed it now that i am a little more awake. basically i thought i made no sense whatsoever any way
in post 3 op mentions wanting low light and zoom so an attempt to address that is what took me on my weirdly skewed tangent

 

[Pea-n-Me]

throwing a grappling iron onto the top of Cindy's castle and scaling up the sides to get a better zoom might be beyond my capabilities

LOL, so you've seen me in action?