Suggestions for Digital Camera?
 

Hey All-

Am looking for a digital camera for Christmas-and I know you guys are going to make fun of me;) but it's going to be for me from my parents. I have this whole thing about picking out stuff I like so my folks don't have to return things in the end.

Where have you guys bought your cameras? Suggestions? Saw this Canon A60 on the staples site which looks pretty cool and seems reasonable for $179:

http://www.staples.com/Catalog/Brows...e=1&Sku=504728

Minolta Dimage X2

reasonably priced and takes great photos. I got mine at Target for under $200.

I have the Canon A75, the model up from the A60. My dad has the A60, and he likes his so much, and I did too when I used it, that I went out and got the A75. I'm very satisfied with the quality of the pictures, with all the different settings it has, and with the general feel and layout of the camera itself. It's very easy to use.

However, if I could do it all again I would get a digicam with a swivel lens. That way, you can take pictures more secretly, without people realizing you're taking a picture necessarily b/c you're looking down at the screen while the lens is pointed elsewhere. Now, before you go thinking "CREEPY! taking secret pictures of people!", this is why that's fun: If you're travelling, and want to take a picture of something but can't help getting people in the frame with it, it looks a lot better if they're just walking by instead of gawking at you like people do if they know you're taking a picture. It can also be good for taking, say, stealth pictures of someone with a really bad mullet or something. ;)

Good luck with finding a camera!

The big question when you're buying a digital camera is what the person is likely to do with it. If someone really likes technology or photography, a camera with more options is probably good. Other people would like to push a button and get a decent photo without messing with the controls. For them, a point and shoot with a simple interface is probably the best bet. The Canon A60 would fall into this category. However, you might be able to find a better price on it than Staples. For example, Royal Camera (http://www.royalcamera.com) is selling the A60 for $135 and VIP Camera has it for $115. (http://vipcamera.com). I've heard that Canon and Nikon make the best digital cameras, though other people here may disagree.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by TigerLilly
I have the Canon A75, the model up from the A60. My dad has the A60, and he likes his so much, and I did too when I used it, that I went out and got the A75. I'm very satisfied with the quality of the pictures, with all the different settings it has, and with the general feel and layout of the camera itself. It's very easy to use.

However, if I could do it all again I would get a digicam with a swivel lens. That way, you can take pictures more secretly, without people realizing you're taking a picture necessarily b/c you're looking down at the screen while the lens is pointed elsewhere. Now, before you go thinking "CREEPY! taking secret pictures of people!", this is why that's fun: If you're travelling, and want to take a picture of something but can't help getting people in the frame with it, it looks a lot better if they're just walking by instead of gawking at you like people do if they know you're taking a picture. It can also be good for taking, say, stealth pictures of someone with a really bad mullet or something. ;)

I've admired the Canon G6, though I'll probably never own it. But that would be a nice camera for someone who was into photography but didn't want to deal with detachable lenses.
The main concern I'd have about the digicam with the swivel lens would be whether it would degrade the quality of the image. I mean, would someone really want a bad photo, no matter how stealthily it was taken? :)

do they usually come with warranties? And does that vary on where you buy them from?

I have a digital camera now. I bought an Olympus 550 about 2 years ago. But I discovered that my LCD screen got knicked and the thing weighs a ton. I figure I can still use it if I am taking nice, graphic design-like, pics... but if I am out with my friends or on a trip and I am simply going to be printing the images for a scrapbook, I want one of those thin ones.

Anyone got a good brand or place to look? I'm kind of on a budget too. My current is 3 MP and kind of want to keep it at that.

that stinks that your lcd screen came off! I've just been doing a search on the staples site for digital cameras-then it gives you a list and you can sort it by brand or price.

You may also want to do some reading up on the consumer reports-as to the best ones in the various price ranges-my dad is going to let me take a peek at that one to get a better sense of what'll be best for me.

I've found this site to be pretty useful, as far as digital cameras:
http://www.dpreview.com/

This allows you to compare sample images taken with different cameras (although the images aren't exactly the same).
http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/COMPS01.HTM

IMHO, these might be good choices for the < $250 range.
Canon Powershot S1 1S $239
http://www.royalcamera.com/canpows1is.html
Canon Powershot A75 $160
http://www.royalcamera.com/canpowa75.html
Nikon also has a good reputation, but I don't know much about their products.
If you were on a higher budget, I've heard good things about the Canon G6. VIP Camera has that for $429.
http://vipcamera.com/product.asp?id=cnpsg6

As far as money issues, buying rechargeable batteries is definitely worth it (and better for the environment too). Also, CF cards are fairly cheap, and you might want to get one with at least 128M space. I like using a higher resolution than you need to print, because you might want to crop the image. So at least 3MP could be a good thing in a digital camera.

Apologies
 

Actually, I'd just been browsing froogle when I posted the links to the apparent bargains at Royal and VIPCamera. But both places apparently have very poor ratings, so you might want to stay away from them. I checked out http://www.resellerratings.com and found a number of complaints about both sites.

http://www.resellerratings.com/seller1895.html
http://www.resellerratings.com/seller8674.html

USAPhotonation.com is apparently pretty shady too.
http://www.resellerratings.com/seller8278.html

thanks for the update! So has anyone else had a stellar experience recenly purchasing one? And am I better off going to the store to check out a type/model and then to an online site.

DO NOT get a Sony Cybershot. Within days of the parts warrenty running out (90 days), the focus went all to hell. Now it only turns itself on when it wants to, and it's only a few months old. I'm already shopping around for another camera.

The best time to get a digi camera would be day after Thanksgiving, if you can beat the crowds. You usually get some good rebates/discounts that you can't get the rest of the year.

ETA: I'd definitely recommend getting one with some sort of external memory, like a memory stick or San-Disk card. My friends who have the cameras with internal memory are constantly losing pictures.

My suggestion is to buy one made by a camera company, not a computer/electronics company... I say this because of the lense... Camera companies generally have nicer lenses on their cameras in terms of quality... So I suggest Cannon, Olympus or Nikon... really you just need to know what the price range that people are shopping in and compare... I know Olympus's website even has a comparison asking what type of features you want over others... It is pretty good to get an idea...

I personally have a Cannon now (I wanted the smaller size), but before that I had an Olympus... Nikon in general makes a lot more higher end camera's and only a few lower end models...

Hope that helps...

I have a Sony Cybershot, and I LOVE it. I've had it for a year now and I use it alot. Mine has been great, I'm sorry yours isn't. :(

Why is this in academics?

Anyway check out this thread: http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...anasonic+lumix

I recommend the Lumix lenses.

Read reviews and don't just take the opinion of one or two people on Greekchat.

-Rudey

A similar thing happened to my Cybershot--it happened about a year and a half after I got it. I took it to a Sony repairshop, where it would have been $225 to get a new video card and shutter since it was out of warranty.

I just got a Canon Powershot Digital Elph and I love it.

No problem. I felt sort of responsible, since I'd posted links to the sites before I learned that they were scams.
As far as personal camera experiences, I got a Canon A95 from a local camera shop and have been generally happy with it. I sometimes lust after higher-end equipment, but this is apparently normal for photographers. :) Although I ended up paying a little more than I would have online, their customer service was great and I like supporting small businesses.

Yeah, I've admired the Panasonic Lumix. IIRC, the lenses are made by Leica, which has an excellent reputation. (Leica's own digital cameras are very pricey.) However, if I upgraded to a higher-end digital camera, I think I'd like an SLR with detachable lenses (e.g., telephoto, wide angle, etc). AFAIK, this isn't an option with the Lumix cameras. So I'd guess that I'd probably end up with a Nikon or Canon if I upgraded.

great insight all!

>>The best time to get a digi camera would be day after Thanksgiving, if you can beat the crowds. You usually get some good rebates/discounts that you can't get the rest of the year.

The sales have begun already though-it's nuts. I'm definitely going to the store to check things out and buying online. The deals are out there. They've got free shipping going on at the places I've been checking out online in addition to extra packages for free like camera cradles and stuff.

I'm also looking for a new digital camera. I currently have The Olympus D-520 ZOOM 2.0 MP Camedia camera. (haha, I don't know what it's called so I just listed everything on the camera).

I got this as a HS graduation gift in '02, and while it was great at the time, it's... not so great right now. It's a bit bulky and only takes pictures when it feels like it. If I'm in very bright light it works great, but in iffy lighting it might not take at all or I'll have to stand there for 30 seconds waiting for it to take. VERY annoying when taking a group pic. It also eats up battery like crazy.

What I'm looking for:

- SMALL size (my friend has a digicam that she stores in an altoids box)

- takes CLEAR pictures in ANY lighting (not just outside in bright light)

- it'd be great if you could turn off the flash, not sure if any digicams let you do that

- not too many settings -- I take a lot of digital pictures but I dont know a ton about photography. However, right now mine only has zoom.

- not too expensive

any suggestions?

I just wanted to comment on the flash comment... most current digital cameras will let you take images without the flash... There is one problem with this... the way that digital cameras work, you will have to hold the camera extremely still... Usually when I do them, I will end up having to take 5 or so images very still to get one that isn't fuzzy (my hands are not steady no matter how much I try)... In addition, many of them will not have the quality without the flash, because of the sensitivity of the chip...

The point of my comment is that if the camera picks up enough light on its own to not use the flash... then that is fine... but otherwise I suggest using the flash...

As for a small camera, I use a Canon Powershot SD-10... It usually runs about $350 and is 3.6 x 1.9 x 0.7 in... it also it 4.0 mega pixels... Its one real limitation is it does not have optical zoom only digital (this can cause quality issues if you are trying to greatly zoom in)... Overall, I love this camera... To give a size comparison, it is about the same size as my ipod mini... Also when I bought it, it came with a leather carrying case...

Have you tried also manipulating the ISO? (Uh, what does that stand for? Shutter speed? Film Speed? Something...) Anyway, I take a lot of pictures in natural light using ISO 400 and no flash, and it works great on my digicam. The pictures usually come out way better than if I had used the flash (which would have washed out the subjects).

On the other hand, if I want to take a picture of something in darkish light, I take the ISO down to 100 or 50 and do it without the flash. I've found that leaning against a pole or wall while taking the shot helps to cut down on the shakiness.

Sorry for the completely non-technical explanations: this is just what I've learned from trial-and-error on my digicam.

I do entirely know what you mean... but the person asking the question said she didn't want many settings to adjust, so for the general sense not using the flash it doesn't work well...

The reason I wanted the option to not use the flash was that when I try to photograph shiny items or some of my paintings I get a glare from the flash. I'd rather have the option to light them with an outside light source and then take the picture without a flash.

However, most of the time I would use a flash.

I don't want an overly complicated camera but could learn to use one with more settings/buttons/whatever than mine does now.

If you really want to shoot in low light without flash, you might want to consider using a tripod. What seems to be happening is that your camera is using a wider aperture and slower shutter speed to compensate for the light. This makes it a lot more sensitive to camera shake.

One possibility might be "scene modes," if the camera has them. There are a number of options that the user can set, like "nighttime", "landscape", etc.