Need Advise/Recommendations Please

[leftie]

I am starting to look (no rush) for a new digital camera. The one I have came as a bundle with a printer and is not the best that's for sure. I don't want to pay big bucks but want something half decent. I'm not big into photography so don't need anything fancy; another better than what I have is great. My camera only has a small viewer - want at least 2 1/2' viewer; mine seems to take forever to be ready for the next picture to take, want something that take a picture and camera pretty well ready to take next picture. What is the minimum pixel and zoom I should look for? My camera uses AAA batteries and new camera that uses AA or AAA is great as have plenty of chargeable batteries in both sizes. Thanks for any advise, recommendations

[cyborg30]

It is hard to suggest something without knowing the purpose for the camera and budget.

Consumer camera prices depend on two main factors: picture resolution (usually measured in megapixels) and optical zoom (usually measured in times or "x").

Additional factors that weight on the price are:

- brand
- image or picture stabilization
- LCD display size


There are many other features that are now common (like red eye reduction, scene/face recognition, high ISO sensitivity, etc) and do not weight so much in price.

Of course size, weight and positive reviews from profesionals are also important factors on camera prices.

The lower price cameras are usually from brands like GE, Polaroid, Sanyo, Samsung and even Kodak.

Better quality cameras are Casio, Fuji, Olympus and Pentax.

High price cameras include Sony, Panasonic, Nikon, Canon, Minolta.

I would look for something in the 10~12 Megapixels with at least 6X optical zoom and image stabilization. I'd probably prefer Canon or Panasonic for afordable high quality; maybe even Fuji or Minolta. Expected base price $200~250.00 and would not hesitate to get a better camera even if it means higher price within the range.

For DSLR or higher end cameras I'd look for Nikon almost exclusively.

Great reviews on digital cameras @ http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/

You can get great deals on cameras purchasing online or in the USA.

This is a good example:


Nikon - Coolpix 10.0-Megapixel Digital Camera - Black

Model: L100 | SKU: 9220229


Regular price on Best Buy USA is $279.99 but it is now on sale for $199.99

Here in Canada some of the best prices are @:

















The Camera Store







Notes:
Companies listed without any preference/order.
These are only examples based on my own opinion, experience and preferences.

The photo print quality of your images depends on the camera's "megapixel rating." The higher number of pixels your camera has, the higher the resolution (or sharpness) of your images---and the larger your prints can be without quality loss.


* Average file size using cameras highest resolution JPEG mode. Actual number of photos, songs, and minutes will vary depending on camera/device model, format resolution and compression, usable capacity, and bundled software. Actual usable memory capacity may vary. 1MB equals 1 million bytes; 1GB equals 1 billion bytes.
NUMBER OF IMAGES STORED ON A DIGITAL CARD
The number of pictures you can take varies depending on your camera model and complexity of the scene being photographed. To calculate how many pictures your card can hold, divide the capacity of your card by the average file size of your images. For example, if you have a 256MB card, and use a camera that has an average file size of 1.2MB, then 256 divided by 1.2 gives you approximately 213 pictures. As you change modes on your camera, the number of images will increase if you shoot in a lower resolution mode, and decrease if you shoot in a higher resolution mode.

This guide can be of help:

http://static.tigerdirect.ca/html/ch...m-article.html

[Miss_Tiffany]

I'm not too digi cam smart... but I just got a 7.2 mega pixel Samsung D760 today and LOVE IT! I hope you can find something that suits your needs!

[Clarence]

Once you've decided what type of camera you're looking for, (eg. Point & Shoot, Super Zoom, DSLR) photoprice.ca/ is a good resource, it lists the prices for a variety of cameras & photo equipment at online stores across Canada. One tip is that if you order online from a store in Alberta or BC you usually only get charged the 5% GST (and I've found the stores out west usually have the best prices to begin with).

[cyborg30]

Note that photoprice.ca does not always reflect the correct pricing at some stores. There are unadvertised deals that you can only see when you add an item to your shopping cart, so I'd suggest you check those sites individually.

Nevertheless photoprice.ca is a great comparisson tool, and so is pricegrabber.com.

[hya_been]

I don't have a specific camera to recommend, but you should be going for at least 3X Optical Zoom and as for Mega-Pixels, 4 is all you need for a great 5 by 7, but most cameras come with much more.

As for speed, I really like Canon, I find their software easy to use and the camera takes fast pictures and saves rather quickly. I recommend going into a store and checking it out. If your current camera's a Nikon, do try the newer models just to see if they improved I had a Nikon 4 years ago and it was terribly slow.

Honestly, Blacks is my favourite. Good service and informative. They also Price Match if something's advertised, so you must bring in the flyer.

[LoRaOz]

It may not matter to you but you might want to look to see if the camera you are looking to purchase has a view finder! My new one did not and I was very upset that i did not think to look for this when I bought it. Also if there is a video option on your possible new camera you might want find out if it records volume. It really sucks to be able to take video and no sound. These are just a few things that I am going to remember to look for next time I buy a camera

Good Luck and happy shopping

[Sally888]

Honestly Ill never go back to aa or aa recharge batteries. Lithium Ion all the way. Last wayyyy longer.
The brands I've always had that I trust the most are olympus and Fuji.

[leftie]

Thanks for all the great advice - printed it all off and will keep all these points in mind when I actually start shopping around The main use of the camera will be vacation pictures and party pictures when with a crowd. No set price limit as yet but don't need super expensive - prob plan to stick $250 or under (with under and great deal my main goal when the search begins)

[cyborg30]

If you are not interested in high zoom there are plenty of deals available.

Olympus has a few waterproof & shockproof cameras that would fit your budget. Those features prove to be helpful when travelling on vacation.

If you would like to have some zooming check out the Fuji Finepix S1500 currently on sale @ $209 (sometimes available for $199) @ newegg (SIG has the same price w/ $40 MIR but you still need to pay tax on $249 and wait for the mail-in rebate).

[JAMs Wife]

Great thread, I am in the market for a new camera too

[bina]

Love my Canon A720 IS
The 6x optical zoom is amazing. Purchased last year for $198.

[cyborg30]

For good reasons.The A720 got excellent reviews from the profesionals:

Quote

Surprisingly good image quality (at lower ISO settings)
Accurate metering in the majority of situations
Long lens with surprisingly good edge-to-edge performance
Handy macro performance at wide end of lens
Bright, clear screen
Very simple user interface
Good battery life out of NiMH AA batteries
Feels fast and responsive in use
Fairly subtle noise reduction in ISO 100-400 region
Direct print button can be customized into something useful
Comprehensive range of controls
Well priced

If used in automatic mode, it takes consistently good photographs so long as you keep away from the highest ISO settings. It's a good camera with a simple and consistent user interface that allows the user to take good photos for a very reasonable amount of money.

These may sound like the qualities that all compact cameras should offer by default yet there are still many manufacturers that struggle with these basics. As long as their expectations are not utterly unreasonable, it's hard to imagine anyone being disappointed with the A720IS.
Unquote

Canon PowerShot A720 IS Concise Review, January 2008, Richard Butler

[madeinczech]

Olympus is a pretty good camera!

[madeinczech]

Even better if it's on sale at Shoppers Drug Mart for like $88!