[cammi]

im looking to buy a digital camera. what sort of things should i look for? ive looked at some "help" sites but they all read mumbo jumbo to me. are there any digital camera brands i should avoid buying? (eg one should avoid hp for scanners) what camera are you using?

[hewee]

Look at sites like these here nd read the reviews.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/

http://www.steves-digicams.com/

[kiwiguy]

Simple rules I suggest:

Batteries - rechargeable (or Alkaline for emergency) AA cells. Always available, whereas some custom Lithium types are just too expensive to carry a spare.

Memory type - Cheaper is better, Compact Flash memory is available in large sizes and is cheaper per MB usually.

Zoom - Optical Zoom is the only type that counts. Digital zoom is a gimmick more than a requirement. It may have both but should have optical.

Megapixel size - I find that anything above 3 MP is a bit of a waste, the file sizes are quite large and any gain is practically invisible at normal 6" x 4" photo size, with most eyes. Larger pixel count is handy to have but you may not often need it.

Macro (close-up) mode - is quite useful to have.

Connection to PC - Good cameras show up as a "removeable drive" on modern (XP) operating systems, even without camera software loaded. Allows simple drag and drop of pictures onto the HDD or a CD-R

Printing - Handy to do yourself, but usually cheaper and better quality to get them done at a photo processing shop.

I am now on my 4th Digital Camera, since they were available at an affordable price.

[AcaCandy]

Just got this one and love it.

http://exilim.casio.com/s3model.htm

[Basementgeek]

Don't forget the USB Card Reader - much quicker downloads

[RT]

(Wow, Ms. Candy that is one slim baby! )

cammi,
kiwiguy has posted some very sound general buying tips.

I would also add to try not to rush into it (unless you've got to have it by December 25th! ). Learning even a little bit about the 'mumbo-jumbo' will aide you greatly in your choice, and the camera choices these days can be overwhelming and confusing.
Even some of the basic point&shoot digicams can come with features you may or may not need or want, and more advanced cameras can be very easy to use. But you don't want to pay for features you're not gonna use.

I just went through several weeks of comparing, budgeting, hemming and hawing, re-budgeting, etc. and worked myself into a real tizzy about getting the right camera. I did not know much about digital photography then, now I know a bit more- but there's a heckuva lot more to learn! And it's been fun! Sort of!

The buying guide linked below has helped me more than anything with deciding what to buy. It doesn't dwell on the technical aspects solely like most 'buying guides', rather it focuses on helping you decide what kind of photos you want take and easing you through the process. It did a lot to calm me down and try to think realistically about what I want out of a camera, what it would be used for generally.

I hope it will help you, too.

http://www.photoxels.com/buyersGuide.html

There's really more to this one page process, look to the bottom right of the page for more if you wish (4-step link).

I also think it's important to actually get your hands on a few camera models, once you've made your short list. Doing that certainly influenced my decision. I didn't learn how to really operate the cameras, but I got an idea of how it felt in my own hands, where the buttons were, how light, heavy, sturdy or flimsy the thing was.

Sorry for the book, and I don't mean to sound condescending, or patronizing (or foolish!), I just thought I'd ante my two cents to ya.


But if you find a real bargain....that makes a difference, too!

I hate buying stuff, to many decisions

[hewee]

Originally posted by Basementgeek:
Don't forget the USB Card Reader - much quicker downloads

I have USB on my PC but also got a USB Card Reader and it is just as fast doing it with the camera if I turn off the thumbnails. I know for my sister older camera it was very very slow but it was not usb so then having a USB Card Reader it was faster.

[RT]

Hi hewee! The USB reader will help save your camera's battery life 'cause you don't have to have the camera turned on during the download. Unless you have an AC adapter for the camera.
My old cam had an AC power cable, my new one does not....so I want a USB reader for Christmas!


May I add this link as well?

Same site as posted previously, but it's a page worth reading (about them)that's sorta hard to stumble upon...

http://www.photoxels.com/digital_camera_reviews.html

Really good overview of the site, what they do and don't do and why.

(BTW, a larger memory is a great addition to any digital camera, they are pretty frugal when it comes to included memory)

[hewee]

Rt,

What I did was look at the reviews from lots of web sites on a new camera plus. Plus read up on the type of use I wanted the camera for. You will not get that info at all sites. So will only say indoor shots are not as good as out doors or things like that.
But I like this site here.
http://www.imaging-resource.com/WB/WB.HTM
Look at how you can pick from all the types of use you want. I looked in each one to see if any camera was also list under each type of use or most all uses. Plus you can see all types of picture shots they make with the camera.

The "COMPAROMETER" is great. http://www.imaging-resource.com/IMCOMP/CDISPLAY.HTM

I just open a new window for each camera and you can compare each for each type of shot.

[RT]

hewee
Yes I have Dave's site in my Favorites and find it to be quite valuable. Still refer to it often, along with Steve's and a few others.

But i haven't seen the COMPAROMETER you posted. That's rather cool!

[Alex Ethridge]

There are many good things about these forums, the most important of which are the many, many fine people here who are willing to help, even if they do have opinions different from mine (he-he).

The "best" camera is about as subjective as it gets. So, I'll give you my own background and then you will understand my choice. So, what is "best" for me will probably not be your "best".

Back when digital was only an idea, I was a semi-pro photojournalist for several years. I have been publised by People Magazine and CBS 60 Minutes and in over forty other countries' magazines and newspapers. I learned over time that the camera that is technically the best instrument with the highest resolution and sharpest image-making capabilities isn't necessarily the "best" choice for any particular person or specific use.

I don't do that work any more and I have since sold all my equipment. All I do now is my grandkids and the rest of my family.

The most important instrument in good photography is the guy framing the picture, arranging the lighting and pressing the button.

Choose a camera that you feel comfortable with. I would not accept less than 3-Megapixel. If you are going to print a lot of 8" x 10" images, or if you are going to significantly crop your 4" x 6" images before printing, and you want professional-looking results in the print, get a six-megapixel camera--or at least get as many megapixels as you can afford.

You see, when you significantly crop an image and still print the cropped portion at 4" by 6", you are essentially printing a small portion of the image at a much larger size than it would be if not cropped. So, crop an image enough and you may have the equivelent of small portion of a 16" by a 20" print that might look very pixelated. That's why you want as many megapixels as you can afford if you are doing 8" x 10" or significantly cropped 4" by 6".

I hope that makes sense to you. If it doesn't, just post back and I'll be glad to help you with it.

Personally, I use the Fuji FinePix S602; however it is about a year old and if I were getting one today, I would probably make a different choice. Digital zoom is as useless as it gets. If I could save a dime on a $700 camera by leaving off digital zoom, I would. It is totally useless. It is just a sales gimmick that works on only those who are ignorant of what it really is.

One feature I like about my S602 is that it does 30-frame-per-second AVI files with sound. With a 1-Gig Compact Flash card, I can make a 15-minute film clip with sound. Since I discovered how well that feature works, I find myself making as many 15- to 30-second clips as I do still images.

I also like its ability to focus down to near 1:1 ratio. That means I can fill the frame with a close-up of a butterfly or a flower at the local botanical gardens.

Don't dismiss the film-clip capability as something uninteresting. Being known for having been a professional photographer at one time, family and friends have asked my advice and some have gotten the S602. When I told them about the film-clip capability, they all pretty much scoffed at the idea; but, every one of them has now been won over and they all make at least one AVI clip at all family gatherings.

Yes, I know, you may already have a digital movie camera; but, is it always in your hand at the flip of a switch when you want it? Mine is. It's built into my still camera and all I have to do is flip a thumb switch to activate it.

There are many other things that will come into play when making your selection. For good explanations of terms and generally good information, try these links:

MegaPixel

Digital Imaging Glossary


Digital Cameras and Photography

Digital Camera Reviews

Digital Camera Review - Forums

I do know of only one camera that I suggest you avoid. It is the Fuji FinePix 2800. According to what I read in the forums, I decided it had a design flaw. The lens focusing/mount mechanism was weak and it suffered from permenent, irreversable jams and in two cases written about in the forums, the lens literally fell out on the ground. Fuji claimed user abuse in all cases and would not make an in-warranty repair. However, I saw this written about in the forums by six people and no other camera seemed to suffer from this malady.

I had just bought one at the time and I printed out all those threads and took the camera and the documentation back to the dealer and got a refund. The 2800 is now an out-of-production model and you probably will not see it available anywhere. The 3800 looked exactly like the 2800 and, except for the 2800/3800 embossed on the body, they are indestinguishable. Having seen they appeared identical in every other respect, I was be afraid the 3800 had the same focusing and mount mechanism so I avoided it, too.

I hope all this has been worth the read.

[hewee]

Originally posted by RT:
hewee
Yes I have Dave's site in my Favorites and find it to be quite valuable. Still refer to it often, along with Steve's and a few others.

But i haven't seen the COMPAROMETER you posted. That's rather cool!

It is cool and even I get lost trying to find it. Seen to be that you need to click on one of the cameras and the on the review to get to a page that has the added links on the left side like this page does.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/A300/A30A.HTM

There is also the "Compare Digital Cameras" on the left side or here. http://www.imaging-resource.com/CAMD...re_cameras.php
Just hold the CTRL+Click on each camera and then the compare button and your see a list of the info on each camera's Specifications only.