Digital Camera

[Loteer]

Was going to buy a new digital camera this weekend but i have to wait another 2 weeks. Any recomendations preferences? This will be my first digital camera looking to spend $300-400.

Thanx Jason

[reptilist]

Well, not specifically but...
Buy the most megapixels you can afford!!!
Make sure it has a good macro.
Do some online research for each model.
Don't forget...there will be extra costs for rechargable batteries/charger and extra storage media.

Digital cameras are great fun, just try to buy the best you can so a year from now you won't be all disappointed.

[Donna]

You can get a nice Kodak with a 10X zoom and 3.? megapixel for $350, it's one of the higest rated camera's on the market, I believe it's at Circuit City or Comp USA

Second choice would be the Fuji with the 10x zoon, again a 3. something. Best Buy at the Chandler mall has an open box model for 329.00

You might also want check prices at www.newegg.com great company and usually their prices are lower than local.

Donna

[Adamanteus]

I have a Minolta Dimage s414 and I love it. It has 4 mega pixels and the macro is great. I bought it about a year ago and I think it was just under $400.

Matt

[Donna]

The Fuji I told you about is model s5000

The Kodak I was slightly wrong about. It has a max. zoom of 10x but that is only 3x optical and 3.3x digital.

Personally I'm addicted to zooms because I take a lot of critter photos so the Fuji would be my pick for your price range.

Donna

[Donna]

Well all this talk about digital camera's and I FINALLY went out today and bought a new one... Minolta Dimage A1

I was long over due seeing I have had my Sony Mavica MVC-FD5 since it came out many eons ago. LOL It's a huge jump from 800x600 to 5.3 megapixels.

Donna

[brandi]

I just got an Olympus Stylus 300. Its a 3.2mp, 3x optical/ 4x digital zoom. The camera and a 128 card for it cost me $380. Its not the very best camera out there, but the reason I bought it was field-hardiness. I used this same style camera when I worked for Game and Fish... let me tell you that thing took a pounding. My advice is, don't just think about the bells and whistles, but what you are going to do with it.

Donna congrats on the new toy!

B~

[Donna]

I came this.. close to getting the same camera as Brandi however being the bargain hound, I was offered a really good deal on the Minolta so I had a hard time saying no.

[Loteer]

Kool thanx for the info much apreciated. i dont drive so probly wont be out in the field much but i love a sturdy machine just one more reason i have a Xbox.

Thanx again Jason

[jcaron9999]

On the subject of cameras, I'm just about to purchase one. Best Buy has an Olympus with 3 Mega pixels and 10X optical zoom for about $350. I can get to 5 Mega pixels and 3X optical zoom at the same price point.

I have heard that optical zoom is much better than digital zoom because the digi zoom will turn up grainy. Is that true? I plan on zooming quite a bit since I don't like to get too close to the snakes. I'd like to stay 5 or 6 feet away. Do you think a 3X zoom is good enough at that distance for a quality headshot?

Can someone point me to a couple of pix that are 3 Mega as opposed to 4 or 5 Mega? I'd really like to see the difference somewhere other than a sales brochure...;)

[necoris]

Stay away from digital zoom. Optical zoom doesn't reduce the quality, digital does.

Dustin

[KingEvil]

On the subject of cameras, I'm just about to purchase one. Best Buy has an Olympus with 3 Mega pixels and 10X optical zoom for about $350. I can get to 5 Mega pixels and 3X optical zoom at the same price point.

olympus c-50 is under $350 with 5 megapixels and 3x optical zoom.


I have heard that optical zoom is much better than digital zoom because the digi zoom will turn up grainy. Is that true?

true, except digital images don't have grain, they have 'pixels.'


I plan on zooming quite a bit since I don't like to get too close to the snakes. I'd like to stay 5 or 6 feet away. Do you think a 3X zoom is good enough at that distance for a quality headshot?

no. 3x is not a lot at all.


Can someone point me to a couple of pix that are 3 Mega as opposed to 4 or 5 Mega? I'd really like to see the difference somewhere other than a sales brochure...;)

comparing images online won't help you much. who knows what has been done to the images in post. do you already have a memory card? if so, i suggest you take it to your local camera store and take several shots using your card. take them at different focal lengths, at different iso settings and different resolutions. any legit camera store interested in gaining your business will gladly let you do so. once you get them home, open them in photoshop, tweak them and zoom to 100% view. of course it would help if you are doing this on a calibrated monitor.

[KingEvil]

someone just asked me what my favorite online sources for photography equipment are. here they are in no particular order:

www.calumetphoto.com
www.samys.com
www.canogacamera.com
www.bhphotovideo.com
www.adorama.com

and try to stay away from the 'fly by night' operations listed in the back of photo magazines. if a deal is too good to be true, it really is!

[jcaron9999]

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll go optical 8-10X and as many pixels as I can afford after that.

I like the idea of using my own mem card before buying...