[MRBEE]

Can anyone recommend a digital camera in the $250.00 to $300.00 range? I will be using it for family snapshots and to email.

[hewee]

MRBEE,

You can read up on models here.

http://www.cnet.com/electronics/0-1429209.html

http://www.cnet.com/electronics/0-1629009.html

You don't want a cheap one but for the price you want to pay you should do ok. Get from someplace that will let you take it back if you don't like it.
Test is on inside and outside shots.
Close up and far away shots.
And what ever way you will use it to see how they look. What is nice you don't have to buy rolls of film to do all your testing and wait to get the prints back.

So read the reviews and read this here.
http://www.cnet.com/electronics/0-16...2719046-1.html

http://www.cnet.com/electronics/0-16...7-2463088.html

http://www.cnet.com/electronics/0-16...7-2425545.html

http://www.cnet.com/electronics/0-1629012.html

[wen]

go for an optical zoom and card reader.

wen

[hewee]

OK I found out what my sister had.
Make: OLYMPUS OPTICAL CO.,LTD
Model450Z

She got it for about $325.00 but that was over 3 years ago and digital cameras are better and cheaper now.

I got the digital camera info. from Photo-Brush.
http://www.mediachance.com/pbrush/index.html

Great program. It showes all digital camera info. and also info. if you took your pictures on film but got them on say a Kodak CD.

Hereis the info. you get from the digital camera info. from Photo-Brush on the OLYMPUS.

Make: OLYMPUS OPTICAL CO.,LTD
Model: C920Z,D450Z
Date & Time: 2000:11:05 18:07:29
Exposure Time: ---
F Number: ---
Exposure Program: ---
Bias: 0/10
Metering Mode: multi-segment
Light Source: auto
Flash: ---
Focal Length: 5.60
ISO Speed: 160
Shutter Speed: ---
Subject Distance: ---
Orientation: upper left
Artist: ---
Aperture: ---
Battery Level: ---
BitsPerSample: ---
Brightness: ---
CFA Pattern: ---
CFA Pattern: ---
CFA Repeat Pattern Dim: ---
ColorSpace: 1
Component Configuration: ---
Compressed BitsPerPixel: 1/1
Compression: 6=Vendor Unique Number
Copyright: ---
Date & Time: 2000:11:04 12:15:51
Exif Image Height: 1280
Exif Image Width: 960
Exif Interoperability Offset: [0.0.3.190]
InteroperabilityIndex: ---
Interoperability Version: ---
Exif Offset: 102
Exif Version: ---
Exposure Index: ---
Exposure Index: ---
File Source: 3
Flash Energy: ---
Flash Energy: ---
Flash Pix Version: ---
FocalPlaneResolutionUnit: ---
Focal Plane X: ---
Focal Plane Y: ---
GPS Info: ---
IPTC/NAA: ---
ImageDescription: OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Image History: ---
ImageLength: ---
Image Number: ---
ImageWidth: ---
Inter ColorProfile: ---
Interlace: ---
JPEGT ables: ---
Jpeg IF Byte Count: 3014
Jpeg IF Offset: 2012
Maker Note: 4f4c594d500001000a000002040003000000380300000102030001000000030000000202030 001000000000000000302030001000000000000000402050001000000440300000502050001 0000004c0300000602080006000000540300000702020008000000600300000802020035000 0006803000009020700200000009e0300000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 0a0000009802000064000000e5fef4fdc5fdf5fe1bfefafd20202020202020005b706963747 57265496e666f5d205265736f6c7574696f6e3d335b43616d65726120496e666f5d20547970 653d556e6b6e6f776e00004f4c594d505553204449474954414c2043414d45524100fffffff fffffffffff
Max Aperture: 3.00
New Subfile Type: ---
Noise: ---
OECF: ---
PhotometricInterpretation: ---
Planar Configuration: ---
Predictor: ---
Primary Chromaticities: ---
Reference Black White: ---
Related Sound File: ---
Resolution Unit: inch
Rows Per Strip: ---
Samples Per Pixel: ---
Scene Type: ---
Security Classification: ---
Self Timer: ---
Sensing Method: ---
Software: v873-75
Spatial Frequency Response: ---
Spatial Frequency Response: ---
Spectral Sensitivity: ---
Strip Byte Conunts: ---
Strip Offsets: ---
Sub IFDs: ---
SubSec Time: ---
Sub Sec Time Digitized: ---
SubSec Time Original: ---
Subfile Type: ---
Subject Location: ---
Subject Location: ---
TIFF/EPStandardID: ---
Tile ByteCounts: ---
Tile Length: ---
Tile Offsets: ---
Tile Width: ---
Time Zone Offset: ---
Transfer Function: ---
User Comment:
WhitePoint: ---
X Res: 72/1 72/1
YCbCr Coefficients: ---
YCbCr Positioning: the datum point
YCbCr SubSampling: ---
Y Res: 72/1 72/1
Date & Time Original: 2000:11:04 12:15:51


Ya right most of the info. means nothing to me.
But you do still get some info. that you can understand.

[MRBEE]

Hewee,

All that stuff is way too detailed for me, but I am nonetheless encouraged by your post. An article in a local computer group club publication recommends Olympus 490, which just might be the current version of your sister's camera. It retails for $399.00 but can be got for around $270 over the net. So, I'll take a gamble on it.

Thanks.

MRBEE

[hewee]

My sister's was this one.
http://computers.cnet.com/electronic...5-1304-1713019

So I guess the 490 you are talking about is this Olympus D-490 Zoom.


It about the same.
The Olympus D-490 Zoom may be pocket-sized, but it sure is loaded. Priced at
approximately $499 ($100 more than the popular D-460 Zoom), you get almost double the
pixel resolution and a cool QuickTime Movie Capture mode. Is that enough to entice you to
spend the extra money on this upscale model?

http://computers.cnet.com/electronic...5-1305-2466724

The size is real nice and I like the way the camera closes over the lens. I takes good pic's too.

WAIT MRBEE and look here.

http://computers.cnet.com/electronic...5-1305-6051115

The Olympus D-510 Zoom has a slightly smaller and lighter body than its predecessor, the
Olympus D-490 Zoom, but it outweighs the earlier model in both features and functionality.
Surprisingly, the D-510 Zoom is even easier to use than the earlier offering, thanks to a
revamped menu and streamlined controls.


It's really the same one but you have a lot lot more. Plus USB connection, Bigger SmartMedia cards can be added. The price is about the same here at cnet too. You know you can get it less then the price here too so that good.

[pfoerste]

I had a Olympus 310 and thought it was the greatest. I now have the 510zoom and it is even better. Easy to use with a low learning curve.
Another little trick is copy your picture file to a floppy and Walmart will make prints for $.29 each. if you hard copies. But be shure to use a high resolution to make prints. The 510z resolution defaults to 1200x1600 which makes great prints.

[MRBEE]

Hewee & Phoerste,

I appreciate your help. I looked in Dealtime.com and found the Olympus D-510 priced anywhere from $275.00 to $399.00 at the discount online stores. I have purchased many times online before, and have yet to be stung, but it still worries me. Do you know of any way I can check on the stores -- most of them have never been reviewed.

About the camera: can you tell me how many pictures can be taken on a single disk?

-------------------------------------------------
This is an edit add-on. Dealtime does show reviews of the stores -- and some of them were pretty scary. However, I think I can get one for about $300.00 fairly reliably.

[buck52]

MRBEE
you probably don't need another site to confuse the issue more but....
here's a great site for camera reviews and info

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs.asp

buck

[hewee]

MRBEE,

Ok it said the meager 8MB SmartMedia card, which stores only 60 low-res shots or 15 at a high resolution.

I see you like the Olympus D-510 now. It's better and you can also get a bigger SmartMedia card for it. That is good because it's best if you can take your images in high resolution. You can always turn the high resolution into low resolution for email etc. But you can not do it the other way around. Will there are in image program ways to add more resolution but it does not look good at all. Gets real fuzzy looking

I know someone that go on trips and uses his all the time for pic's but I forget how many SmartMedia cards he had but it does not matter.
He has a laptop he got so he can alway upload the images to it on all his trips, camp outs etc.

So if you have a laptop that you can take with you when your away from your desktop you will not need a lot of SmartMedia cards and can always take as many pictures you want and at high resolution too.

[MRBEE]

Hewee,

Well, I made the mistake of looking too closely into my prospective purchase. I downloaded a PC World review, and now I'm not too sure about the Olympus 510. Rather, I'm leaning towards the Olympus C-2040 (except it's a little beyond what I wanted to pay), or the Canon Power shoot A20 -- which I can get for the same price as the 510. PCWorld said the 510 "looks and feels cheap" and is a bit complex to use. So . . . I'll keep studying a bit. I'll still appreciate further advise from you or anyone.

[buck52]

<A HREF=http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?cameras=canon_a20&method=sidebyside>Canon PowerShot A20</A>

buck

[hewee]

MRBEE,

You have to read up on all the models. There is pro's and con's on all of them. Plus if you can get it at a store that you have 30 days to return it to get your money back and/or another model then all the better.

[pfoerste]

I liked my 510z so well, I bought 2 more for my daughters. It takes a little reading while holding the camera to get accustom to whats there. There is a manual on the camedia disk that is better than the hard copy one in many languages.
I don't think it is as hard as running a VCR, I still have problems running my VCR, to the point that I don't.

I read many reviews, but I had a 310 and I knew how nice the Olympus was. Now I don't agree with most of the reviews.
You will be suprised how often you will use the zoom. I just took a picture of a broken part that's 4" long that fills the screen to send to the manufacture for a replacement. Many uses.

Good luck

[hewee]

MRBEE,

Todays ads!
OfficeMax has the Olympus D-370L for $199.99 with a free $19.99 16MB SmartMedia card.
Also a Olympus D-510 for $399.99 with a free $39.99 32MB SmartMedia card.
But there are so so so many models to pick from it hard to pick.