[AhrenBa]

Hello,

I am looking to buy a new Digital Camera for myself. As much as I would like a Digital SLR, I know that is not an option for me at $700 and up. I would like to find a camera $350 and below with good quality and can take video clips.

What brands/models can you guys reccommend? What have you guys had good experiences with? Thanks.

[Noyb]

I'm waiting to see the answers on this one ...
But I will say ... Don't look at the Kodaks.

I was comparing a couple of Sonys .. and the DSC H2 ($341 @ BBuys) seemed to shoot faster than the H5.
And its 6 MPs with a 12x optical Zoom sounds more than good enough to me.

[AhrenBa]

Originally Posted by Noyb

I'm waiting to see the answers on this one ...
But I will say ... Don't look at the Kodaks.

I was comparing a couple of Sonys .. and the DSC H2 ($341 @ BBuys) seemed to shoot faster than the H5.
And its 6 MPs with a 12x optical Zoom sounds more than good enough to me.

Thanks for the response. I have been looking at some Sony's, Canon's, and Fujifilms.

Are the Kodaks not so good? Thanks

[Noyb]

Many problems posted on this forum about the Kodak Easy Share software ..
And a few about HP Image Zone ... They loose the pictures.

Don't really know about the hardware .. but the general answer is ...
Don't load any camera software .. it's not needed if you have XP .. and can only cause problems.

I figure, if they can't provide good software ... Why trust the hardware ?

What I'm looking for is a quick "Speed to Shoot" .. and a good optical zoom lense.
12X optical and 6 MP sounds more than good enough for my non proffesional purposes.
But I'd like to get a shot of my grandson .. while he's still carrying the football.

[AhrenBa]

Originally Posted by Noyb

Many problems posted on this forum about the Kodak Easy Share software ..
And a few about HP Image Zone ... They loose the pictures.

Don't really know about the hardware .. but the general answer is ...
Don't load any camera software .. it's not needed if you have XP .. and can only cause problems.

I figure, if they can't provide good software ... Why trust the hardware ?

What I'm looking for is a quick "Speed to Shoot" .. and a good optical zoom lense.
12X optical and 6 MP sounds more than good enough for my non proffesional purposes.
But I'd like to get a shot of my grandson .. while he's still carrying the football.

Yeah, I have had a kodak in the past, and the software was absolutely horrible. From now on I just use Windows XP's built in "Camera and Scanner" software. It's easy and works great. I have to say, the kodak took really good pictures, but I have had a number of hardware problems with it.

But I'd like to get a shot of my grandson .. while he's still carrying the football.

Lol, yeah, I know what you mean. What is generally a good speed?

[wilson44512]

i got a nikon L3 6month ago. an it takes good pictures an has video with voice. it aint a slr. but its good for the price
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1134697745936
this is a pic i took in my backyard

[AhrenBa]

Originally Posted by wilson44512

i got a nikon L3 6month ago. an it takes good pictures an has video with voice. it aint a slr. but its good for the price
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1134697745936
this is a pic i took in my backyard

Cool! That pic is great, nice job. Does the video on that camera have a set time limit or does it last until the memory card is full? Thanks

[wilson44512]

i only have a 256mb card. an i never tried to run it out so im not really sure. but i thing its untill the memory runs out.

[moper]

Don't overlook Canon. The S2 is last years model with 5 MP, but the price is right:http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=CNPSS2

It has image stabilization and at 12 power will focus down to 3 feet.



moper

[AhrenBa]

Originally Posted by moper

Don't overlook Canon. The S2 is last years model with 5 MP, but the price is right:http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=CNPSS2

It has image stabilization and at 12 power will focus down to 3 feet.



moper

Wow!! That is an impressive picture!

Yes, I have been looking at the Canon's the most, and am liking them more and more. It is just hard for me to choose whether I want the PowerShot or the ELPH. What would you recommend? Thanks!

[telecom69]

Originally Posted by moper

Don't overlook Canon. The S2 is last years model with 5 MP, but the price is right:http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=CNPSS2

It has image stabilization and at 12 power will focus down to 3 feet.



moper

Outstanding close-up, never seen anything better than that .....

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by AhrenBa

and can take video clips.
.

The video capabilities of still cameras are not even in the ballpark of what a video camera can do. It's a gimicky feature just like the video cameras that can take stills. Nice to have but not very good for anything serious.

[Danyo]

The Canon uses SD memory cards prices for them are always on sale, uses AA batteries as power source. The IS2, last years model is rated very high.

[erick295]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

The video capabilities of still cameras are not even in the ballpark of what a video camera can do. It's a gimicky feature just like the video cameras that can take stills. Nice to have but not very good for anything serious.

Actually, some still cameras take pretty impressive video. The feature is no replacement for a real camcorder, but it can be a lot more than a gimmick.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by erick295

Actually, some still cameras take pretty impressive video. The feature is no replacement for a real camcorder, but it can be a lot more than a gimmick.

I'll disagree and I'll explain why. By serious I meant for conversion to DVD. Still camera video uses a non standard resolution as far as DVD is cooncered in a highly compressed format. This introduces three distict problems.

1. Scaling video up introduces artifacts, this is especially true when dealing with compressed formats. So you either have to scale it up reducing the quality or scale it down and reduce the detail.
2. In addition to scaling it also has to be recompressed into MPEG2, so you're getting the "double whammy" Converting video from one format to another always results in some quality loss. This is exacerbated when dealing with a very compressed format as a source and compressing it yet again.
3. Editing it is a nightmare.

The point being is that if you want to use video for DVD get a video camera.