Looking to Buy a Digital Camera - Any Recommendations?

[David Octavius]

To give you an idea of how long its been since I last bought a digital camera, 3 megapixels was considered top of the line and was about $300!


So I decided - after watching in jealousy friend after friend showing off cool and slick looking cameras - that I needed to get with the times but I am so lost. I went to circuit city earlier and saw a bunch of 7 MP cameras around $250 - 350 and they all looked good.

Do you guys have any recommendations? Last I knew Kodak, HP were not good quality, has that changed? The cameras that seem to draw my attention are the PowerShot series (SD800 and SD 1000) and the Sony CyberShot. I don't much care for LCD size and I am quite amateurish with taking pics. Plus most pics would prolly be taken as bars, parties and at night, my budget would be in the $250 to $350 range - any thoughts??

[JaJae]

Sounds like you want a small camera. Canon makes some great ones. Look at the IS model for the image stabilizer if you can afford it. I recommend going by the newest models and getting the best lenses. Anything over 5MP is really good enough. Buy the camera with the best lens you can get for the price (usually means the newer models of the series), even if it has a lower MP rating.

Steve's Digicams - Main Menu is a great place to read reviews and see actual photos taken by the cameras.

[David Octavius]

Originally Posted by JaJae

Buy the camera with the best lens you can get for the price (usually means the newer models of the series), even if it has a lower MP rating.

Ahh nice, I knew had to me more than just the MPs, by lens are you talking about the zoom lens or focal length? I got that from looking at C-net reviews, dont really know what that means though

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by David Octavius

Ahh nice, I knew had to me more than just the MPs, by lens are you talking about the zoom lens or focal length? I got that from looking at C-net reviews, dont really know what that means though

I mean the actual lens of the camera and the image sensing system. Most cameras use a CCD image sensor. They keep getting better and better as time goes on giving you better image quality.

For example, if you have the option of a 10MP camera with an older lens or a 7MP with a brand new top of the line lens I'd go with the 7MP. You won't really need the extra 3MP, but the image quality would be preferable.

I believe the best lens Canon is now using is Digic III. That would be where you would want to start at and rule anything less out (Digic II). Look for better CCD ratings as well. Basically the bigger the better:

* 1/1.5-inch CCD or 0.66 inch area
* 1/1.7-inch CCD or 0.58 inch area
* 1/1.8-inch CCD or 0.55 inch area
* 1/2.5-inch CCD or 0.40 inch area
* 1/2.7-inch CCD or 0.37 inch area

Here's a decent link that explains things well, it is kind of old though and some of the info is dated:
Getting the Right Digital Camera

When it comes to deciding what level of resolution is right for you, the biggest question you need to ask yourself is: "Am I going to want to print enlargements and/or crop and edit my photos before printing them at regular size?"

If you never print anything besides 4" x 6" pictures, a 2 megapixel camera should serve you just fine. However, if you would like to have the option to enlarge your pictures to 5"x7", 8"x10" or larger, consider a 3, 4 or 5 megapixel camera. This also holds true if you want the option to perform significant edits on your digital photos, such as cropping and resizing.

Anything over 5MP is really just extra to be honest. It's nice, don't get me wrong. The more Megapixels you can get the better, but I think getting a camera with the best imaging is usually better than getting the highest resolution.

BTW, you mentioned the SD1000, the SD900 is actually the better camera even though the model number is lower.

[ArrestMeRedZ28]

Originally Posted by David Octavius

The cameras that seem to draw my attention are the PowerShot series (SD800 and SD 1000)

great cameras.

I've owned:
Canon SD400

I own:
Canon S70
Canon Digital Rebel XT

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by ArrestMeRedZ28

great cameras.

I've owned:
Canon SD400

I own:
Canon S70
Canon Digital Rebel XT

You really can't go wrong with a Canon. I have the SD400. My girlfriend has the SD800IS. My brother just got the A640 and his girlfriend is still using a 2MP Canon she got for Christmas about 5 years ago and loves it. I haven't met anyone who was disappointed with their Canon purchase.

[motivez]

Get the Canon PowerShot S3.

[Dumpy Dooby]

Originally Posted by David Octavius

To give you an idea of how long its been since I last bought a digital camera, 3 megapixels was considered top of the line and was about $300!


So I decided - after watching in jealousy friend after friend showing off cool and slick looking cameras - that I needed to get with the times but I am so lost. I went to circuit city earlier and saw a bunch of 7 MP cameras around $250 - 350 and they all looked good.

Do you guys have any recommendations? Last I knew Kodak, HP were not good quality, has that changed? The cameras that seem to draw my attention are the PowerShot series (SD800 and SD 1000) and the Sony CyberShot. I don't much care for LCD size and I am quite amateurish with taking pics. Plus most pics would prolly be taken as bars, parties and at night, my budget would be in the $250 to $350 range - any thoughts??

Canon A640 > * in that price range.

edit: nvm. I skimmed the first time and saw that most of your pics will be at bars and parties. A640 is probably too big for you.

[Dumpy Dooby]

Originally Posted by motivez

Get the Canon PowerShot S3.

Canon PowerShot A710 IS is cheaper, lighter (weighs half as much), and quite comparable to the S3.

Sample Gallery

Review

[Ardentfrost]

Whenever I buy another digital camera, it will be an SLR. Why buy a small light weight camera when you probably have one in your cell phone? Canon or Nikon with the SLRs is the way to go though. Of course, that's not going to happen in the $250-350 range

Currently, though, I have a Canon PowerShot A3 that I bought in 2001

[WickedLou9]

Another vote for Canon. I only buy thier cameras now. I have an old powershot A75 I think. It's a 3.2 MP camera and I think it takes great pictures. When we bought our Camcorder I made sure that it was a Canon. We bought our mother in law a camera for christmas and it was another Canon.
For digital cameras, the only other brand I would consider is a Nikon. I have a friend that is an amateur photographer and she has a really nice Nikon ( it's probably a 1000 dollar camera ). It takes fantastic pictures.

[Linzyhop]

yeah, Canon is the way to go. I had the Powershot 200 but dropped it at a winetasting. then i bought a new SD600 online for $200 when it's normal over $250 (highly recommend the website BeachCamera.com, cheaper than anywhere else, shipped it to me the NEXT day, and the camera is fantastic).

very good. I've been a canon customer for 4 years now, never had a problem!

[thomez]

I have a Sony

[JaJae]

Originally Posted by thomez

I have a Sony

Sony isn't bad if you don't mind overpriced proprietary equipment. They're good quality cameras and they produce very good images.

[IminWonderland]

Originally Posted by motivez

Get the Canon PowerShot S3.

This is the camera that I have, and I absolutley love it.

It's a little big, so it won't be easy to take to a club or something, if you do that...

But it takes nice pictures:





Nighttime settings:



Action settings:




Once I've played with it I have been able to take really nice pictures with it....

[David Octavius]

Thanks alot for the advice! Looks like I can't go wrong with a Canon, just have to figure out which one is right for me


I took a look at the Canon A640, good reviews though C-Net said it does not take great pics in low light but the features are awesome

The PowerShot S3 seems promising

And of course will be looking more closely at the SD 800, 900 and 1000

[Dumpy Dooby]

Originally Posted by David Octavius

Thanks alot for the advice! Looks like I can't go wrong with a Canon, just have to figure out which one is right for me


I took a look at the Canon A640, good reviews though C-Net said it does not take great pics in low light but the features are awesome

The PowerShot S3 seems promising

And of course will be looking more closely at the SD 800, 900 and 1000

If you're looking at the S3, check out the A710 SI instead. They're very comparable cameras (though the S3 is slightly better). The A710 weighs half as much, and it's cheaper.

Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ

That's an excellent site that has information on all sorts of cameras. They have extremely in-depth reviews as well. Incidentally, they have in-depth reviews on the A710 and the S3. I haven't checked to see if they have reviews on the others.

[DosEquis]

Linzy has one for sale, but it doesn't have a battery.

[motivez]

Another great thing about the S3 is also the swivel that the LCD is on, letting you see what you're taking pictures of from various angles you wouldn't be able to otherwise