I am buing a new computer at the end of the the month and was thinking I would pick up a degital camera as well. I dont know the first thing about cameras digital or otherwise. I am looking to spend in the neighborhood of $200-$300. What should I look for and what should I stay away from. I will probably get my computer from Dell if that matters.
For that price range you can't beat the Sony Cyber shot series... This sells all day long at $299. I use one of these as a back up camera and it is incredible for standard uses.... HC
If your using the digital mostly for the computer try a Olympus. I have a D-460 Zoom It's 1.3 MP and that's fine for PIC's for the internet. It's the nuts for every day. Nice PIC's and the battery life is damn near forever. You can still pick these up cheap, around $100. . They make a 560 in the D series that' 3.2 Mp (I believe) supposed to have great battery life too. Probably around $200. My next camera will be a 5 mp and SLR but that's a big buck item.
I plan to use the camera for everyday purposes as well as computer pics. The printer I am planning to buy is a photo quality so want to use it with that as well. My wife does scrap booking so she plans to get some use out of it too. We have a Kodak 2 mga pixel here at work and it does ok but I would like a little better.
I'd have to go with Hankcash's option. At 299 you can't beat 3.2 megapixels, and it's got a zoom that's optical instead of shitty digital. Sony is alright... they arn't the best in Cameras, but they do a pretty good job. I"d look for that one, but keep an eye out for any Kodaks around that price range... those are exellent digtial cameras, espeically the PowerShot series.
I used dpreview.com to price, review and look at sample photos of a whole bunch of cameras. Using that I was able to zero down on the Canon Powershot A70, 3.2 megapixels, etc. I was able to get it through epay for $250, which is about 30-40 dollars less than what you would pay at the store. Anyways, the site really helped out with making a choice, everyone has their choice camera using this and other review sites you can narrow it down.
go here: steves digicam website then go to the "camera review" section. lots of good info on this page.
Wally World has some deals right now: Fuji A205 w/ 2.1 MP $148.53 Fuji A210 w/ 3.2 MP $198.77 Kodak DX4530 w/ 5.0 MP $298.57 Concord w/ 3.0 MP $98.74 !! Plus lots of others listed. On an exciting note.... YOUR WIFE SCRAPBOOKS??!! So do I, CherryBlossom, and KustomLincolnLady, all here on the HAMB and HotRodGirl on the RRT. I work nites and weekends at the local scrapbook store not only for extra money but for the great discount on the products. I'd love to meet your wife and see her books and exchange ideas. The GG Indy show in June is where all of us scrappbook hot rod ladies get together. Maybe your wife can join us next year. Anyway, tell her I said "hi".
My new one is a Cannon Power Shot A70. It also does short Quicktime movies up to 640/480 and hooks right into the USB port. Pretty good software with it. Zoom seems to work pretty good. 3.2 megapixel. Compact flash cards come in up to 512MB sizes so you can shoot a shitload of pictures. Got it for $299 at Walmart.
I bought a Minolta DiMage Z1. It was right at $400 when I bought it, but it gets cheaper everytime I see one in the Store. I think Wally World has it for $350 now. I bought it mainly because it has 10X Optical Zoom. I saw cheaper Cameras with 10x optical, but they were just simple Point and Shoot types. This one has features comparable to a good quality 35mm. The "Macro" feature on it will focus on something as close as 2" for example, where the last Point and Shoot digital I owned had to be 10"-12" away from the subject.
Most of this is already posted above, but here's my $.02 - Canon and Olympus rock! Steve's Digi-cams is the best site for comparing. Go for optical zoom over megapixels if you don't want to pay for both.
<font color="red"> Hank is a hell of a photog but not a good shopper ...you can get a 4 mega pixel for that price at Gateway!......check it out fool! http://accessories.gateway.com/AccessoryStore/Consumer%20Electronics_381930/Photo_316497/Digital%20Cameras_316499/2520587_ProdDetail?moreDetails=1 R E D M E A T </font>
yeah Red, that's a good price, but I know dick about Gateway digital camera quality. I know that the Sony is bult well. I have put mine thru hell. Good price, but I can't comment on the quality, features and useability of the Gateway. Funny thing is... these cameras are probably all made in the same factory anyway.... HC
I am realy diggin that Minolta!!! I can't get to the comparison site from here at work the fire wall wont let me. I'll check it out when I get home. Denise My wife doesnt usualy like going to car shows for some stupid reason. I cant figure it out she loved it when we were dating. I think it was false advertisement. If I can get her to come along I'll be sure to introduce you. Thanks every one for your input.
'I cant figure it out, she loved it when we were dating" Yeah, women are pretty good at that False Advertising bit. Dr Jeckyl becomes Mrs Hyde as soon as you slide that Ring on... Heres an outfit on the web thats selling the Minolta for $329. http://www.willoughbys.com/shop/Product.asp?sku=2050Z1 I wish I had found that before I bought mine. I think with tax mine was $420, but that was right after they hit the market. I know they make Cameras with Higher Pixel count, but I can't imagine why anyone would need it unless thay were a professional Photographer. I can print out 8x10 Glossys that look just as good as any 35mm, IMO.
I have found if for as low at $269 at the attached web site. It says its an SLR is that true? Agian I dont know much about this stuf but I thought that meant it would accept other lenses and stuff. If thats the case I would have expected to pay alot more for it. Can yo attach some pics you have taken with it so I can see the quality? http://www.pricescan.com/digiphoto/items/item152459.asp?sid=O5103941
SLR - Single Lens Reflex - Means the camera has a viewfinder that sees through the lens (TTL) by way of a 45°-angled mirror that flips up when the shutter fires and allows the light to strike the image sensor (or film). I am getting this one Dec 29th..... I can't wait! HC
"Can you attach some pics you have taken with it so I can see the quality?" Here's one of my daughter practicing up for future Husband problems.
Heres another taken from the same position with the full 10x Zoom. It has been cropped and enlarged slightly. Both these pics were taken at 1600x1200 so thats one step below max quality.
This is another at 1600x1200 with no light source other than the flash. Sorry, I don't have any Car Pics handy.
Yeah, that was a nice Deer. A buddy of mine killed it Saturday afternoon. Scored 158 green, it will have to dry out a while before they get an actual score, but it will make "Missouri Big Bucks". I think Boone and Crockett takes 160 or better. Look close at the Pic, the left Brow Tine is coming almost out of the center of its forehead. Everybody was teasing him about killing the last Unicorn...
My vote would be for the canon elph series. I feel strongly about this and I will tell you why in order of importance to me. Size: its they same size as a pack of cigarettes, its easy to have on you all the time. Great for having at swap meets or parties. MP options: 2.0,3.0, 4.0 all for under $500 I believe you can get a 3.0 for under 3 bills. Batteries: rechargeable in under a hour, buy 2 their cheap and small, I know others use AA or AAA but if your going to take alot of photos you'll go broke at the drug store. movies: alot of cameras do have this option, but now you have a video camera the size of a pack of smokes. user interface: both on the camera and the PC its easy to use with out sratching your head. Words of warning when buying a digital: DO NOT pick zoom over MgPix pay the money and get the highest mp you can afford, need a zoom? its called your legs get off your ass and walk over to your subject. unless you go to the topless beach alot.... Use you digi for snapshots only if you can. Unless you convert images to a tiff or a photoshope format THEY WILL each time you open them, degrade and fall apart. Take this from my experiance, I used to shoot alot with my digi and never convert them, when django wanted to use one of my images for the hamb calender, guess what? and it was less than a year old and I only opened it a few times. Which brings me to another point about digital images. They will get destroyed one way or another, eventully over time. If you keep them on your computer and your computer crashes or your hard drive dies... oops. Burn them on a cd or dvd, the dyes in them WILL break down and information will be lost... it may be 10 or 20 years but... oops again. How do you store digital images forever or at least so your grandkids can look at all the kool fossil fuel burning beast you used to drive? The closest thing you can do is take your best images to a pro lab and have them output on film, but that is expensive. At least if you print out a digi image with todays modern printers you can hope the print life will last 50 years out of the light. Just remember you will always be able to scan film. If you have any more ?'s feel free to PM me. This is a image I shot with my canon elph 2.0
i agree with mr fastsporty,,, i have an elph,,,,,powershot s330,,,,bought it on egay after my old elph got left at the BAR with pictures NO ONE should've ever seen,,,, i've BANGED it,,,DROPPED it ,,,left in a freezing car,,,left it in the sun at bonneville,,, it HOLDS UP,,, its EASY,,, just make sure you get extra battery packs and flash cards,,,they are SUPERCHEAP on egay,,, great for print or computer,,, MISS hootch
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