getting a digital camera, have questions

[Bmms]

ok when it comes to computers i know what i want in ever thing, but digital camers its a differnt story, iv wanted one for a few years, now that im turning 18 on the 20th this month, i think its about time i get on so, i reall know nothing at all about cameras, what do you ppl, think will be the best thing for me to get with about 200-300$, i been looking at http://www.bestbuy.com

 

so pls give thoughts, thanks a head of time

 

 

 

~bmms

[nomar04]

i dont really have a good suggestion on what specific camera to get, i have a sony handycam w/ 5.1 megapixels that i got just under a year ago, and it works great. i would also suggest waiting till after christmas if u can, cuz that normally when the new stuff drops in price for almost everything.

[Bmms]

i been thinking about it and well, im split between getting a tattoo, or a camera, its a hard choice

 

 

 

pls i need some more input on cameras anyway, cuz i still might get one

 

 

 

~bmms

[bob2001]

Really depends what you intend using it for, my personal view is if your just after every day photo taking at partys, christmas and just fooling arround most mid range cameras would do fine. Their is a wide choise and you can pick a camera with the features on it you want, you wont be short of choice.

 

 

 

I got mine about 4 months ago in a sale for ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã129 down from ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã240 but to be honest i hardly use alot of the features on it, it goes up to 6.1 megapixels but i never have it set that high, it eats memory and seems rather excessive.

 

 

 

My top tip would be look for a good lense, its ok having a whole load of megapixels but if you lense is cabbage then you might aswell not bother and spend you money on something else. years ago i ought a 3 megapixel camera it was terrible, the lense just s*cked bigtime and ti ate batteries like they were 10 a penny.

 

 

 

so give us a shout back with what you want it for etc and iwill see fi i can help.

[Kinslayer777]

Cameras move around too fast, its hard to tell whats best when. Leafing through a national geographic magazine is usually a good way to find a camera interestingly, they often have reviews.

 

 

 

I've always loved cannon, they've NEVER failed me, unlike minolta and two others. Try and avoid sony, since their premium for cards is massive.

 

 

 

And also, i wouldnt recommend bestbuy, they are overpriced to be sure. You dont want to look at the stores, you want to look for reviews.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sorry not to be specific, its really changed, but thats all the information i have, i dont keep up with cameras till i need a new one, and since i got the cannon powershot SD700 i dont need a new camera (its new- i love it, 100% recommended although its pricy, $400. I wouldnt buy it for another year if i didnt want to pay a premium).

[Kinslayer777]

 

My top tip would be look for a good lense, its ok having a whole load of megapixels but if you lense is cabbage then you might aswell not bother and spend you money on something else. years ago i ought a 3 megapixel camera it was terrible, the lense just s*cked bigtime and ti ate batteries like they were 10 a penny.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to back that. I've switched cameras with a friend who had a 8megapixel camera, and the powershot at 5 or 6 simply destroyed it due to its superior balance. You cant just slap on a high pixel rating and get a good camera. Thats why reviews are essnetial.

[LP]

Fill this out please

 

 

 

What are you using it for:

 

(Sports, General, Art, Action, Landscape) ect ect.

 

 

 

Type:

 

(Compact, DSLR, SLR-Like)

 

 

 

Minimum Resolution:

 

(Megapixels)

 

 

 

 

 

A Big site that is really helpful is DPreview, just google it and you'll find a link.

 

it has reviews, comparisons and all that good stuff.

 

It also has a good camera finder where u fill out a form and it auto-searchers and narrows it down to your specs.

[TheLeader]

i been thinking about it and well, im split between getting a tattoo, or a camera, its a hard choice

 

 

 

pls i need some more input on cameras anyway, cuz i still might get one

 

 

 

~bmms

 

 

 

Don't get a tattoo.

 

 

 

All i really know about digital cameras is, that the more MegaPixels like 5.1m The sharper and less blury the picture will be.

[Bmms]

ok, well i ride bmx, i want it for that along with just takiing pics for partys, and everyday things

 

looking for at least a 5.1megapixel, and a compact one,

 

 

 

~bmms

[Doomster]

Digital zoom is just a con trick, the only zoom that counts is OPTICAL.

 

 

 

All digital zoom does is either:

 

 

 

1. Pre-magnify a segment of the image, with no increase in detail. This may slightly improve quality, by reducing the impact of any compression artifacts.

 

2. Crop a segment of the image. All this achieves is to save memory space and make the on-camera preview larger.

 

 

 

A really cool feature to have, is movie capture with sound, though if that sounds good, maybe a pocketDV (digital, uses card, can take a WHOLE card of video) or a camcorder may be better.

 

 

 

A digicam with movie has better stills capability, but is often limited to clip-length video if it has that feature.

 

A pocketDV is geared primarily to the video function, but some can take good megapixel stills too, but without the range of features.

[bob2001]

My camera is a Kodak C643 it can go up to 6.1megapixels which is more than your 5.1 minimum, its fairly compact, can be used indoors or out.

 

 

 

I am currently seeing it arround for about ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã120-130 from the highstreet chains websites im looking at here, i dont know what your price range is but its fairly cheep add on 2anotehr ÃÆââ¬Å¡Ãâã25 and you get a 256mb memory card which you will need because it only comes with 32mb internal memory.

 

 

 

I noticed the last poster talking about video. i wouldn't recomend mine for video but you havnt said you want it for video so im geussing thats ok. If you want to capture video then get a proper camcorder, stills cameras are best at taking stills, the video is cool if you just want to take video of something but it lacks real quality.

 

 

 

http://www.dixons.co.uk/martprd/store/d ... tabIndex=1

 

 

 

link to shop selling it (from uk) with list of fetures etc. I would reccomend this one as i use it myself and think its great.

[LP]

ok, well i ride bmx, i want it for that along with just takiing pics for partys, and everyday things

 

looking for at least a 5.1megapixel, and a compact one,

 

 

 

~bmms

 

 

 

Might i suggest this

 

 

 

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/C ... _sd600.asp

[weezcake]

The only thing I don't like about powershots is the slow shutter speeds (which means it's hard to take indoor pictures without a flash).

 

 

 

But other than that, I love powershots. They're small and compact and great for taking random pictures. :)

[Bmms]

atm im lookign at this one

 

http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/productD ... age=befree

 

i got a cupon for 10% off so it will be about 305$ then, not 100% sure

 

 

 

thanks for the feedback, but i think im going o go with a cannon powershot, just not sure what one yet

 

ill post later to let you know what i got then

 

 

 

~bmms

[Kinslayer777]

The only thing I don't like about powershots is the slow shutter speeds (which means it's hard to take indoor pictures without a flash).

 

 

 

But other than that, I love powershots. They're small and compact and great for taking random pictures. :)

 

 

 

 

 

I suppose that would be true...I've rarely had a picture with similar settings though. I always use them outside. For more personal at events and things that might pose a problem. But normally you're not taking indoor pictures that arent well well lit. Unless you're visiting dungeons... :-s . I use the camera for travel, its proved amazing for that (short of going into the 2-10,000 professional range lol). But its occured to me they are quite pricey for casual use, you can get something for $200 not $400.

[Militaris]

The Canon PowerShot SD700 IS is a very nice camera, I would personally consider it to be in the top 2 compact cameras, its main challenger being the Fuji F30, (The F20 and Z3 are also worth a look) . It is a trade off between class leading ISO or Image stabilization. Sony also has several good compact cameras at the moment (In the T series), and they generally do better then Canon for their ISO and they generally have IS.

 

 

 

Another point I would make, if you plan on taking it BMX make sure you keep it in a padded case, unless you want to hear a very expensive sound in a crash.

 

 

 

The only compact digital camera with any kind of shock protection is the Olympus Stylus 720SW or 725 SW. They are Waterproof and shockproof. Which makes them more suitable for tough environments. Saying that, they do not have excellent performance or image quality, but would be perfectly acceptable for most consumers..

 

 

 

The only thing I don't like about powershots is the slow shutter speeds (which means it's hard to take indoor pictures without a flash).

 

 

 

They are no worst then any other compact digital camera. Their shutter speeds pretty much ranges from 1/2000 up to 15 secs, that is pretty much standard for all compacts. I say more important for indoor pictures would be a clean high ISO ability. At this point of time only fuji has managed to achieve that on a compact.

[Bmms]

Another point I would make, if you plan on taking it BMX make sure you keep it in a padded case, unless you want to hear a very expensive sound in a crash.

 

 

 

i have a backpack, and i take it off everytime, when i hit a spot to ride at, so items in there dont get broken, im not that dumb to keep it in my pocket

 

 

 

im torn between a cannon powershot sd630, and a cannon powershot sd700

 

 

 

~bmms

[Militaris]

Both are very similar cameras. Both are very good cameras. With regards to image quality they are both pretty much Identical.

 

 

 

The SD700IS has slightly more optical zoom and has Image stabilization which can be useful on ultra compacts. Due to the IS is slightly heavier and bigger. It also has better battery life. I also think it looks better.

 

 

 

The SD630 has a larger screen. It also uses a older battery which means worst battery life. It also does not have a Optical viewfinder.

 

 

 

So, if you want a massive screen get the SD630. If you want a large screen with better features get the SD700IS.

 

 

 

A couple of reviews

 

 

 

SD630

 

 

 

SD700IS

 

 

 

Out of these two if there is not a massive difference in cost I would get the SD700IS. [/url]

[Militaris]

Just a small update. Canon has recently announced the replacement of the SD700IS and it appears to be quite nice from the specs. One good thing with the announcement is that the older models make see a discounted price shortly.

 

 

 

SD800 IS

 

The main differences are 28 - 105mm zoom lens (Wider angle) and a higher resolution LCD.

 

 

 

 

 

They have also released the SD900. I would not bother with it, to me it seems more like a marketing design product then a technical design for quality.

 

 

 

10.0 effective Megapixel CCD

 

Zoom lens 37 - 111 mm

 

Ultra-compact titanium body

 

Slightly higher resolution LCD 230,000 pixels

 

Does not seem to have Optical image stabilization.