<p>Well, I’ve decided to join the technological age and spring for a digital camera. I’ve relied on two battered-but-reliable Nikon 35 mm. SLR’s for the past 30 years but would like something smaller and easier to take on trips.</p>
<p>But, I am absolutely confused by the options out there. I know the basics - I want a camera with high resolution, at least a 3X optical zoom, easy to use, yet lightweight. I don’t want to spend more than $500 and would prefer something in the $200-400 range. I will probably use it mainly for snapshots but want something that I can push a bit to do more quality photography when I’m travelling or don’t feel like pulling out my Nikons.</p>
<p>So, if anyone could recommend a camera based on your own experiences, I’d appreciate it. I’ve looked at the Fuji Finepix 510 and the SONY cyber-shot Pro. and both look good but I really have no idea how to pick something.</p>
<p>I went online at Amazon and read reviews along with reviews in a few camera magazines.
We bought a kodakcx7300 for my daughter to take with her on school trips after realizing that only printing the pics that we wanted would be a lot cheaper than buying umpteen disposable cameras.
I believe it was more expensive last year- now they are listed for about $100. perfectly fine starter digital.</p>
<p>Carolyn, my S and I both have the Canon Powershot 50, and my D has the Sony cybershot Pro. We would definitely recommend our respective cameras. Both are small, lightweight, good resolution (I prefer to have no less than 5 megapixels. You can save media space and select lower resolution when you want to. But if you get a camera with 4 megapixels, you cannot select up. So with 5 or higher, you have the best of both worlds.)</p>
<p>The two drawbacks - which in fact may be drawbacks with most of the digitals - are first, that it can be really difficult to focus on close-up objects. I don’t mean people - they’re all good at that. but if you ever do nature photography, you might have some qualms.</p>
<p>The second drawback is that the menu-driven approach of the digitals means that it can be hard to select different options. So it’s key to get a camera that is clearly marked and easy to handle quickly. I think perhaps the Sony has the edge there, but not by enough to steer you only to Sony, particularly if you’re used to more advanced work. I used my old Minolta SLR, which was built like a tank. Still takes great pictures. But I have to say I love the Canon.</p>
<p>It all depends on what you are looking for in the camera. When i’m doing photography that i want VERY nice quality out of, like the above mentioned nature shots and whatnot, I stick with my Minolta SLR manual camera and I develop the photos myself in our photography lab at school. (They do make SLR Digital cameras, but I don’t have enough money for one of them yet).</p>
<p>Different cameras use different technologies, such as the sensor type used. Some cameras use the Super CCD Sensor, which basically arranges the pixels in different way than other sensors do. They store their pixels in somewhat of a honeycomb manner… It’s been said that these cameras can produce the same quality with 2 million pixels as a competitor can with 3 million pixels. because of this, a picture taken with a 3MP Super CCD camera looks a lot more vibrant and has better color than a picture taken with a 3MP CCD camera. A disadvantage to this is the processing time, because it has to fix/convert the images.</p>
<p>One thing you might be interested in looking at is if the camera has an adjustable white balance. (usually there’s like 6 for you to choose from) Color temperatures vary under different light sources, and while SLR cameras take an exact image, point-and-shoot digital cameras don’t work that way. Light plays a huge role (unless you get a SLR digital camera). (For example, you take a picture in a room and it tends to have a yellow glow)… If the camera has adjustable white balance you can tell it HEY I"M INSIDE RIGHT NOW, and it alters the way it views colors, or you can tell it HEY IM OUTSIDE… on mine you can even say i’m under florescent lighting, or i’m under incandescent lights, etc. Some you can even set up your own… just a nice extra feature to look at.</p>
<p>Sony cameras are nice and compact, but they use their own type of memory card (memory stick). Sony’s cameras are a bit easy to use, but i think Fuji’s are more durable… I’m not a fan of the Olympus cameras, they seem to take ease of use and throw it out the door. I personally have a Toshiba Digital Camera, and I love it. (I’m a fan of Toshiba, what can I say. I also have a Toshiba laptop and a TV). I’ve used Canon Powershots at work before, and they were all very easy to use. I bought my mom a HP camera for Christmas and it’s very simple to use… I specifically looked for one that was a little bit more simple than mine, and she loves it. It also doesn’t have as many features as my digital camera… but she didn’t need them.</p>
<p>I would go to a store and look at the cameras. Play with them, see how easy/hard they are to use. Just check out the different options between the cameras… if you have any questions don’t hesistate to ask, i’m sure people on here can help you find the answers.</p>
<p>We have three digital cameras…a Kodak Easyshare (dd’s), Canon Powershot (mine), and a Sony (very expensive and powerful…DH’s which he really uses for work only). Honestly all three are great. The Sony we have is the best of the three, but it is also the largest and heaviest (heavier than my old Canon AE1). My Canon Powershot and the Kodak are both great cameras, easy to use and not all that fancy. The Kodak has features that my Canon does not have (like video). The Easy share feature is very nice. The camera has the option of a docking station/charger which is nice too.</p>
<p>Since you have Nikon lenses, I’d take a good look at the Nikon D70, They have a rebate until March 31. Try buydig.com for good pricing. I don’t think you’ll be happy with a consumer camera after years with an SLR. Look at DSLRs like the D70, the Canon Rebel XT, 20D, etc. I just upgraded from an Olympus 5050 to the Canon 20D. The biggest detractor on the consumer cameras is shutter lag.</p>
<p>You could play around on the B & H website where you can see all kinds of camers, sort by brand, megapixels, price etc. That would give you a jumping off point ot do comparison shopping.</p>
<p>Six months ago I was looking for a compact digital that could go in my pocket and cut the choices down to a Canon Powershot S410 (4mp - the Powershot S500 is 5mp) and a Nikon Coolpix 5200. The Nikon felt better in my hand; the Canon had slightly better pictures, though the flash is a bit harsh in close indoor shots. I bought the Canon and have been happy with it, though it would be nice if someone made a compact digital camera that actually matches the quality of film and has a viewfinder that shows 100% of the image, instead of 80-90%. </p>
<p>Of course new models come out every six months or so, and right now Canon is offering SD models. They are probably very good, but this likely means a nice price on any older models that might still be around.</p>
<p>And one more thing to think of… batteries. We did all of the reviews and narrowed down the choices for what we were looking for: quality, but in a small package to make it easy to carry. The Canon Powershot A80 was what we got, but that was a year or more and now there are more choices.</p>
<p>But back to the batteries: we wanted something that would take standard AA-sized batteries, not something that was unique to that camera. I can’t tell you how often we’ve been who knows where and needed batteries for the camera. AA’s are always available.</p>
<p>If you use standard alkaline batteries, be prepared to be upset with how short battery life is! But please take this recommendation: USE LITHIUM BATTERIES!!! Yes, they are more than twice as expensive as alkalines, but they’ll last up to 7 times longer. It’s hard to pay such a high initial price for batteries when you go with lithium ones, but believe me, you actually save money (and frustration) if you use them.</p>
<p>mine actually was silver and not black, and came with a 32mb card not an 8 mb card, but you can read over what’s said about it. Notice what it says about the fully manual controls. if youre used to an SLR you should definately try to find a digital camera with the fully manual controls. I really love the way my digital camera works, and I would recommend their cameras to anyone. As it says on the site, “When you’re talking about digital cameras to someone, the name Toshiba rarely comes up. That’s unfortunate, because Toshiba’s digital cameras are some of the best out there, are are excellent values too.”</p>
<p>My only comments are the technology and prices change so quickly it is hard to keep up on it. </p>
<p>When I bought my 2nd digital camera, a Fuji S3000 I was very happy with the camera itself, but one thing I missed was the ability to slip a small compact camera into my shirt pocket. So the tradeoff for me was owning a very nice camera that I didn’t have with me vs maybe a smaller less good camera that was always available.</p>
<p>Carolyn,
I researched digitals for my d. in December, and based on the CR magazine, and on-line reviews, we ended up with a Canon A75 for less than $200 including a spare 128MB memory card. It is only a 3.2 MP, but takes great photos. (The A-85 is the 4MP in this series). We wanted a lightweight, easy-to-use, inexpensive camera that she would not feel “devastated” if she accidentally left it someplace. After the purchase, we held on to it unopened for about a month researching all the alternatives (I obsess over cameras), and came to the conclusion it was still the best of its class. It is slightly heavier since it takes 4 AA batteries, but they also last more than 2x longer than most comparible cameras, and as digmedia mentioned, can be easily purchased anywhere. </p>
<p>The A-75 has manual over-rides (nice if you’re accustomed to a manual 35 SLR), but my daughter rarely uses anything other than the simple point and shoot. I find the controls overwhelming, but I read that this is common with digital cameras. While I did the research, she is the end user, so I cannot give you first-hand critique on its ease of use. Also consider the type of memory. The Canon uses the inexpensive CF card. I liked it’s macro capability, allowing close-up shots as close as 2 inches. It has some video capibility (with audio), which my daughter loves, although the quality is not the best, but we did not expect that of any camera in this group. The reviews I read, praised the lens quality, and I’ve been amazed at the sharpness of the prints (at 4x6). It definitely sold me on digital, and I LOVE my 30 yr. old 35mm Olympus.</p>
<p>If you want to enlarge your pictures greater than 5X7, or crop, then you’ll need a higher MP, but for 4X6 shapshops, this camera is great. Ultimately it depends on what you want to do with it. While I love my 35mm, and continue to use it for vacations and special shots, there are many times I want the ease and convenience (and size) of the small quick point and shoot cameras. The main missing feature of the A-75, is a greater optical zoom (It is only 3x). I also did not like the “design” with the curved battery case that forms the grip, but ultimately decided had the best features for a great price.</p>
<p>We use rechargeables in the Fuji Finepix S5000. I went from a Nikon FE slr, which I had had for years, to this. One thing I like is that it doesn’t have a big delay when you snap the shutter, unlike many other digitals I have tried. Here is a whole forum devoted to Finepix users: <a href=“s5000.net - This website is for sale! - s5000 Resources and Information.”>s5000.net; I am very happy with it.</p>
<p>We did a lot of research in December also and ended up with a Canon A85. Actually, I think my plan was to buy the A-75 but got a great deal on the A85 so went for it. It is a little heavy but it’s very comfortable to handle, easy to use (very intuitive) and takes great pictures. We had bought our daughter a nikon coolpix last year and she’s very happy with that.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone! I am on my way to a few stores to check out some cameras right now. I appreciate all of your input - I have a whole list of questions toa sk now.</p>
<p>Carolyn- I researched last year and was overwhelmed. I asked a friend who had a business teaching digital photography classes. She recommended the Nikon Coolpix3200 or the Canon A75 or 85 for a good small but not tiny digital camera. I went with the Canon A85 and it is good for overall family travel type of pictures.
My youngest wanted a digital camera in the worst way so took her savings and bought a Nikon Coolpix entry level camera for $110 at Costco. She has taken some great pictures. And in some cases she took the same picture I did with my camera that cost much more and her picture was better. So some of the results are determined by the person shooting the picture.</p>
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