Help Me Choose a Camera

Discussion in 'Digital photography' started by dkang, Dec 7, 2005.

  1. dkang

    dkang Member

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    I've been researching digital cameras, but really have been unable to choose. I will be using my camera frequently, just carrying it around in my pocket. I am starting to get into photography and want to start out with a mid-range camera to learn more about photography before I go to a better camera. I was wondering if anyone could suggest some cameras for me. I will be taking both indoor and outdoor pictures.

    - Min Shutter Speed: 1/2000(or 1/600, but 2000 preferred)
    - Compact Size (Pocketable)
    - At least 4 Megapixels(5+ Preferred)
    - Rechargable Battery
    - Adjustable ISO settings
    - Above-Average Picture Quality
    - Quick shot – to – shot ability
    - Optical Zoom
    - Video + Sound
    - Expandable Memory
    (large lcd w/ high fps preferrable)

    I'm not really sure about manual settings, because I don't know much about cameras at this point. I will be using photoshop cs to edit pictures.

    Thanks much
     
  2. BigDK

    BigDK Regular member

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    Take a look here for good reviews on cameras.
    Personally I only use canon, they are definately the best cameras.
    http://www.dpreview.com
     
  3. dvd_craze

    dvd_craze Regular member

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    i just bought a Nikon Coolpix S1 5.0MP and its sweet. Its like an inch thick and has video with sound.
     
  4. AE27

    AE27 Regular member

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    What price range do you have in mind? I got a Sony DSC-H1. Its 5.0 mega-pixel.
     
  5. SeanZ0r

    SeanZ0r Regular member

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    I would highley recommend the Kodak DX7590.2.2" hidef lcd screen, 10x optical zoom,5.0mp(the higher the MP rating dosent mean it will be higher quality!) It has 22 different scene selections,(Outside,Inside,Night portrait,At night lanscape,Fireworks,Inside portrait,Sport) to name a few. I own the lower 4.0 mp dx7440 Model. These cameras have beautiful 2.2" high resolution lcd screens, the best low light focusing systems, and other benefits. Also in some of the custom setting profiles you can easliy adjust ISO, appature, shutter speed, ev, and other settings with ease. And Thats one of the basic manuel settings profiles. There is another in which you can adjust everything pertaining to your shot. The DX series offers changable lenses too,professional quality SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH VARIOGON lenses. This is one of the best cameras ive owned.
     
  6. brant

    brant Guest

    Dont do sony only for the reason of price and they made rectangle memory cards so you'd have to buy extra cards from them. other companies have started making them for sony, but idea's like that is why i'll stay away from sony.

    get above 4 mexapix and get video with sound.

    later b
     
  7. ireland

    ireland Active member

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    look here
    http://pcworld.pricegrabber.com/search_attrib.php/page_id=48/ut=43ab5323f4f0ecd0

    Top 10 Advanced Digital Cameras
    Fujifilm's 9-megapixel FinePix S9000 and Konica Minolta's Maxxum 5D SLR take chart positions. more
    http://pcworld.com/reviews/article/0,aid,123237,00.asp

    also check here
    http://pcworld.com/resource/browse/0,cat,1163,sortIdx,1,pg,1,00.asp

    Reviews > Top 5 SLR Cameras
    Single-lens reflex cameras offer powerful features and the flexibility of interchangeable lenses, so you can shoot like the pros. Ratings and rankings can change due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info. (17-Dec-2005)
    Reviews > Top 5 Advanced Digital Cameras
    These cameras typically offer more manual controls and more powerful features than point-and-shoot models. Ratings and rankings can change due to pricing and technology changes so check back frequently for the latest info. (17-Dec-2005)
    Reviews > Top 10 Point-and-Shoot Cameras
    Easy to use, point-and-shoot cameras are a great choice for the casual photographer. Ratings and rankings can change due to pricing and technology changes, so check back frequently for the latest info. (05-Dec-2005)
    News > Digital Gear: Gadgets for Kids
    New video cameras and a notebook look-alike should appeal to the younger set. Plus, a pair of Xbox 360 peripherals. (22-Dec-2005)
     
    Last edited: Dec 26, 2005
  8. kinza

    kinza Regular member

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    I was also thinking of getting a new camera, I'm more of an enthusiast now. I basically want an at least 4.0 MP camera, that has above-average photos, in addition to at least 3X optical zoom. The most important consideration, I want it to be pocketable, you know like some chic styling(yes, girl here), basically it should fit in a purse without changing it's shape. These are some of the cameras I was looking at:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16830124117
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16830170044
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16830120170
    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16830126030


    Any suggestions are greatly appreciated :p
     
  9. pulsar

    pulsar Active member

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    Quote;

    [bold]"Personally I only use canon, they are definately the best cameras."[/bold]


    Well, there is a sweeping statement if ever I saw one....
     
  10. kinza

    kinza Regular member

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    I understand Canon is a great company but sometimes you just want a change, and I really don't need Canon's generic styling, except maybe the SD400.
     
  11. badger38

    badger38 Member

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    Ive just recently bought a Nikon coolpix L1, Very good camera for middle range, cost £200. Its got a x5 optical zoom which is rear on digital camera (so i was told). Nice big lcd screen, Only flaw it hasnt got a viewfinder. Recommended!
     
  12. kinza

    kinza Regular member

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    I thought it was a good camera, but I'm looking for an overall smaller one. The links above might give you some idea.
     
  13. Jamzbond

    Jamzbond Regular member

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    @Dkang
    I know that you have already been enundated with information but if you don't mind a bit more reading then here's another good site to check for a guide as to what to buy http://reviews.cnet.com/Digital_cameras/4520-7603_7-5023995-7.html?tag=dir
    Might I also suggest that you do what Kinza did and come up with your own short list based on advise/research and then throw it out for further suggestions. Another thought that may influence your decision is whether or not you have other devices that use removable memory media eg sandisk, smart stick, flash disk,etc which if you already have say a 512-1000MB card you might just want to stick with one type of memory format.

    @Kinza
    Of the 4 you provided links to I believe only the Canon had an optical view finder which you may or may not personally want. Though I would suggest that you factor this in your consideration. I know that you said that you didn't want a Canon because of their genetic styling but have a look at this one http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canonsd550/page2.asp It's 7.1MP but a bit on the pricey side. It's in the $400-$450 region though so I don't know how you'll feel about that seeing that the ones you mentioned were in the $200-$300 region. If you bear in mind that the acceptable going price for 'chic-ness' is about $100-200 then I guess it's not a bad deal, lol. I've had a Canon Powershot G3 for a few years and I have been very happy with it. So I have confidence in their products(well at least the model that I have).
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2006
  14. kinza

    kinza Regular member

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    Thanks for the link jamz, much appreciated. I did indeed like the Canon, but I'm not sure if I want to pay $100 more for a bigger screen and more megapixels. The camera has to have a high aesthetic appeal, and based on that I would rather get the SD400. I would get the next model in the ELPH line but the reviews aren't as great as the SD400's, hence my apprehensiveness. I'm moving more towards the Casio...as for now, the screen is huge, and that gives it big points in my book. I'm not entirely aware of all the manual settings on cameras, do you think you could advise me towards a certain direction, you know, just give a little description of some of the settings, like aperature, focal length, etc. Thanks a ton!!

    How about this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16830124119
     
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2006
  15. dkang

    dkang Member

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    Thanks for all the information guys. After extensive research, I decided to go with the Canon Powershot A620. I've been playing with it for a while now and it is excellent. No problems so far. It is a little bulky, but I plan on using a SLR in a year or so, so it's no big deal. It's loaded with awesome features and I got it for a great price($320). I highly recommend the camera.
     
  16. Jamzbond

    Jamzbond Regular member

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    @Kinza
    When I looked at your last offering (Casio EX-S500EO Orange 5.0 MP) I thought it was Power Puff Girls cute(....OK I see you shaking your head in embarrassment for me so I'll quit while I still have a smidgen of dignity. Oh how I used to be so cool.......way back in kindergarten, lol). I have never been blessed with the gift of being concise so bear with me. Since the form factor is important to you and you are looking at say the $200-$350 range then you are going to compromise some things. A few that come to mind include optical zoom, degree of manual control, optical view finder, ability to add telephoto/wide angle lens, ability to attach external flash, amount of available ports, file formats to save files, MP size, Memory format, etc depending on which model you buy. I encouraged you to get one with an optical view finder since you will be carrying around this camera a lot and so battery life becomes important to you which the LCD will consume. Another reason is that in bright sunlight or at night esp without ambient light the LCD might not be your best bet to see what your shooting and lastly since you will be carrying it around so much this increases the risk of it falling resulting in damage to the LCD which leaves you without a view finder. LCDs also burn out over time. For the size LCD screen you are looking at, ensure that you get an extra set of Li-ion batteries so you have a set charged and always ready to go. Since you're probably going to take the pics then show them to your friends on the spot this will further consume your battery. The case is an alloy which can easily be scratched and dented so get at least a slim case to protect the lens, LCD & the paint job on this camera. Just some general preamble which I took the liberty of doing because I have a link for you which is a must read. Here it is http://www.photoxels.com/tutorial_aperture.html Check out all the free tutorials none of which are more than a page long. I can't think of a better way to answer the technical questions you asked than to point you there. The different cameras have aperture ranges from approx. more than f2.6 and less than f4.3. I think that the Canon SD400 gives you the widest range of aperture size of the ones you have presented. This is significant for the reasons outlined in that link and so offers you more dynamism with your camera. The good news is you have manual focus on the SD500EO and some others and can vary the shutter speed to your liking so you can still have loads of fun. The SD500EO also only uses jpeg file format which you might be OK with. Have a look here http://cnet.search.com/search?part=&q=CASIO+EX-S500EO as well as at http://dpreview.com (as mentioned above) and compare them before your final decision. I've often found user reviews here to be quite instructive even though they may be conflicting. A 7/10 rating from this site makes it a pretty good investment if you like it. There's so much more to consider such as the time between pics, white balance, image stabilizer, location of controls for ease of use,etc. But look at the free tutorial and if you have any questions at all, feel free to ask. Hope this helps and that I've not suceeded in confusing you. As my parting comment I like the Casio EX-S500EO Orange 5.0 MP.......just wish it had an optical viewfinder, especially for that price.
     
    Last edited: Jan 14, 2006
  17. kinza

    kinza Regular member

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    After much consideration I have decided to purchase the Kodak v550, the big brother of the v530. I tried it out and I like it, easy to operate, high aesthetic appeal, good grip, lots of scene modes, a histogram, this camera has what I'm looking for. I will purchase it soon, just looking for some input, what do you guys think?
     
  18. blubyu

    blubyu Member

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    I've had very good luck with kodak. I'm on my 2nd kodak, a cx7430 this time. Impressive quality/speed/flexability it seems in any of of their models when compared against similar ones. I didn't like the cannon cybershot or any of the hp models I've used in the past nearly as much. The only things I didn't like are the .mov format (just because I have to convert it for slide shows etc.) and I use a card reader instead of the easyshare software for uploading.
     
  19. kumiorava

    kumiorava Regular member

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    Well Canon constantly gets highest marks for picture quality if that is what you want. So I would say canon ixus 50. It is not too expensive and is a very handy where ever you need it.
     
  20. johnodd4

    johnodd4 Guest

    WELL IF YOU ARE NOT AFFRIAD OF PRICE TAG

    MOST NIKON 7 MEGAPIXEL CAMERAS WILL RUN 400.00 TO 300.00 U.S AND ANYTHING HIGHER WILL BE 799.99 TO 925.00
     

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