Digital Camera Question

[+ Lucky]

As a fossil in the modern age of digital this and that, could someone advise me on a simple quality digital camera that would take great pics and be simple to transfer to the computer? I am thinking under $300...

[+ Hoover42]

Lucky,

 

If you can go just a bit higher, the Canon A80 has been getting tons of good press lately. Here are some reviews that I found on the web:

 

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/A80/A80A.HTM

 

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/a80.html

 

http://www.tomshardware.com/consumer/20030904/

 

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a80-review/index.shtml

 

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0308/03082003canona80.asp

 

http://www.photo.net/equipment/canon/a80/

 

http://www.photoxels.com/canon_a80_execSummary.html

 

...Hoover

[+ deej]

A lot depends on your definition of "takes great pictures", and how you'll typically use the camera.

 

If you want professional quality portrait results, you're probably not going to get it for $300. If you just want decent snapshots such as you might get from one of those disposable film cameras you buy at the drugstore, you're probably looking at less than $300.

 

If you want to make large blow-up prints, spend more $ for more megapixels. If you're just gonna upload them to websites, any resolution more than 640x480 will be too large to download/display.

 

Some key features you need to decide on:

 

* Do you want flash? (Incredible but true ... some cameras don't have it when you'd think they would.)

* Do you want zoom?

* Do you want the LCD preview panel? Handy, but note that with most cameras you'll forego an optical viewfinder. Go for both if you can.

* Go for rechargeable batteries. Otherwise, these beasties EAT batteries.

 

Note that the low-end digital cameras really peter out, performance-wise, in extreme lighting. (Bright or dim light.) Lighting extremes tend to confuse the auto-focus mechanisms, and if your only viewfinder is the LCD you may not be able to see what you're taking a picture of. (Of course, with digital photos what are you out if you just point the thing and press the button a few times? If it doesn't come out, delete it!)

 

You've already decided on easy computer connectivity, which is good. Look for a camera that has USB, assuming your computer does also. It's just drag and drop through Windows Explorer then.

 

Looking at the $300-range cameras, it's hard to imagine going wrong if you're just looking for something for snapshots. They've come a LONG way since my first digital camera several years ago.

 

Why not pick a couple of models that seem to meet your needs and ask for anyone with experience with those?

[bluenix]

I've been pleased with my Sony Cyber-shot 3.2 megapixel 3x zoom lens camera. Most of the too many menu items are at least intuitively obvious. Pic quality is good.

[Guest rampo]

I am VERY pleased with my new Casio EX-Z4U. It's about the size of a pack of cigarettes (but slimmer), is 4.0 megapixels, and comes with a 3x optical zoom. It's so small that I can carry it in my pocket and forget that I'm carrying it. It has an optical viewer as well as a 2" monitor screen and, of course, a flash. It's a bit higher than your price limit but you can get it for under $350 if you shop around.

 

If you want to first see how much you like digital, you may also want to consider looking on eBay or half.com for an older model camera. Many digital camera users dump their barely used cameras for the newer, smaller, more powerful models at a rather quick pace. The Olympus C2040 is a very nice 2.1 megapixel camera that you should be able to get on eBay for under $175 (I see one on half.com for $159) and that would work as a very nice entry to the world of digital photography.

[Guest Tampa Yankee]

I'm no expert. I wanted an inexpensive compact easy-to-use digital camera with decent pic quality. I got the 3.2 megapixel Canon Powershot S230. To my amateur eye it takes great pics that I have blown up as large as 16x24. I was very pleasantly suprised at the excellent quality of the blow-up. Under $300. If I were buying today I'd get the 4 megapixel brother Canon SD400 just because it is available now... and I might want to blow up pics to mural size some day... lol.

[Chuck50]

I have a Cybershot 2.0 pixel that does me well really nice pics. Guess I could do better but yuo know what I am happy with it. One of my buds and someone who knows help me pick it out and takes great pics and is easy to use Rule # 1. So you can go more or less, cheap or expensive but mine was under 300 and I love it HUGS Chuck

 

Did I say it was a SONY HUGS

[Guest Tomcal_]

Lucky, for Christmas I was given the Olymnpus Stylus 300, I highly recommend it. It's my 3rd digital camera and it takes great pics!(the rio ones I sent you were taken with it!) It's 3.2 p which is great for reg. photographs taken by most of us. Has 3X optical zoom and is "all weather" if you get it wet in the rain(or shower) no problem. It has feathres which I havent' used and probably won't ,but seems to be a great "general" type digital camera

[+ deej]

>If you want to first see how much you like digital

 

Excellent point, rampo. If you just want to try it out for a bit, go out and buy the cheapest digital camera you can find and snap pictures of everything around you.

 

You'll quickly build a shopping list of features you wish the camera had, and you won't have spent an arm and leg so you won't mind ditching the first buy.

 

FOR THE GADGET JUNKIES AMONG US....

 

http://www.thinkgeek.com is selling a Phillips keychain digital camera. It's basically a USB memory stick with a snapshot camera built in. No flash, no preview, it won't work anywhere other than average room lighting. But it's easy to carry everywhere, and it doubles as a USB memory stick for carrying around data files. ;-) $99.99

[jackhammer91406]

Lucky,

Just before leaving for Rio I purchased a Nikon coolpix 2100. It has a 3x zoom feature, 2.0 effective mega pixels, 14 scene modes (including flash) as well as being able to do quick vids (40 secs).

It uploads easily to computer and is about the size of a pack of cigarettes. I paid just under $200 for it at Best Buy (also available at Target) and along with the HP pic printer at Under $200, I have a whole digital system for under $400.

The camera does alot more than I have learned to do with it, but have never taken the time to read the whole booklet.

[+ deej]

And weren't those boys nice to us that day in Best Buy? }(

[+ Lucky]

The boys at best Buy could not have been more helpful than you guys. Thanks for the information and advice. I did decide to go with the Canon A80, which is available down the street for $359, which is about mid-range, but I can have it right away.

I was surprised how much information is available, but that is also daunting. The reviews for the A80 were all very favorable, even as to battery life. ((I would prefer a re-chargeable.) What also impressed me were how intelligent the reviews online are, compared to some of the other cameras.

I'll wait until tomorrow to buy, so I can still be persuaded differentlt!