buying a digital camera

[carlo_scute]

good day,

I would like to get more information and your generous insight in purchasing a brand new digital camera(first time to have one)
How many megapixels do i need(is 3.2 MP enough?).And other things/features that I need to learn and understand before buying one.The camera would be for personal use(newbie in digital photography), I'm not a professional by the way.And I would like to browse the images on a pc,by way of usb port(any other ports?) I never used a digital camera,only the one that uses a physical roll of film)
Thanks!

 

[analogking]

Just some quick tips:

Look for optical zoom. Digital zoom doesn't really zoom the camera in at all.

The 3 megapixel range is good for people starting out. The pictures aren't too large and you can fit a good amount on a 256 MB card.

Most cameras come with the minimum amount of memory. When you purchase a camera, you should also purchase a spare memory card/stick.

Pricegrabber.com is a good place to look. Not only will you find the lowest price, but you can read user reviews.

 

[linskyjack]

If you could let us know a couple of things it would help.

How much do you have to spend?
Do you want manual controls in addition to automatic.?
How big do you want ot print--will everything be 4x6, 5x7---or do you want to go bigger.
What will you primarily be shooting---action, nature, portrait etc.

 

[hewee]

Look here.

http://www.imaging-resource.com/DIGCAM01.HTM

 

[bonzobob999]

Well looking at that site hewee and its reviews, the world should buy a Canon.

 

[buck52]

Well looking at that site hewee and its reviews, the world should buy a Canon.

Not my world... No Canon for me...

If your going to buy a point and shoot type camera...there are many that will do the job...look for the features that you want...not necessaily the most megapixels.. I still use my Sony DSC S70 , 3 mega pixels, in certain situations..

buck

 

[jgjulio]

http://www.dpreview.com/

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

Two very good review sites for cameras.

Look for things that you like that are significant to you beyond just the number of pixels. 3-5megapixels is the range I would recommend to a beginner.
Price is important of course but I also would look at:
1. Size of camera. Do you want to carry it around in a bag or purse all the time. Then a little tiny camera is really nice.
2. Size of the view LCD screen. Now we are seeing 2" screens that are nicer to see the pictures you have taken instantly than the smaller screens on some cameras.
3. Only compare OPTICAL zoom between cameras. Digital Zoom is a marketing nonsense feature. It is totally worthless. 3X Optical zoom is pretty standard now. Some cameras have 4X. So if you want to be able to zoom in closer then look for the 4X cameras.
Here is an example of tiny:
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0503/05030804sondsct7.asp

Here is an example of 4X zoom:
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sonydscv3/

The Sony DSC-V3 is a great camera. Sony cameras have great features. They have the autofocusing technology that is probably the best in the industry. This camera can focus in the dark!

If size is not a big issue then seriously consider this one. This camera will allow you to grow into digital photography.

I own the previous model DSC-V1 as my point and shoot camera.

If you want to grow into digital photography as a serious hobby then look into the digital SLR cameras like Canon 350XT and Nikon D50.

Let us know what you see and what you are thinking about as you review your choices.
Most of all - Have Fun with this.

 

[bonzobob999]

Not my world... No Canon for me...

If your going to buy a point and shoot type camera...there are many that will do the job...look for the features that you want...not necessaily the most megapixels.. I still use my Sony DSC S70 , 3 mega pixels, in certain situations..

buck

Nor mine, if you go to this page you will see he has Canon's at the top of every list..........it was not my intent to promote Canon's.......


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

 

[jethsy]

I had a 1.0 megapixel for a few years and it was perfectly adequate for emailing and even printing photos up to 4x6. I now have a 3.2 and it makes beautiful photos up to 8x10, which I've done very little, but they are of very good quality. I agree that optical zoom is very valuable, digital zoom gives very grainy, blurry closeups. I would suggest you buy a card reader when you buy the camera. As someone mentioned, cameras come with a small (16mb) or lower card. This won't allow you to take many photos. I bought a 256 mb card and took more than 200 photos on a trip and still had memory left. The card reader was about $20 and well worth it. You can leave it attached to a usb port and just slip the card in to download photos to the computer. This way, you will not use up battery in the camera and you will not have to have cables ready to attach to the camera. One last suggestion, I went to a camera store and though the cost might be a bit more, I learned a great deal from the salesperson and at Best Buy I could get no one who could give me much information. Good luck choosing--I know you'll love digital photography. Feel free to write me with questions. If I can help, I will.

 

[ineedhelp890]

In my experience you can't go wrong with a Canon. I've had the G5 and currently use the digital Rebel. I love both of the cameras. I know people who use the Powershots and they like them just as much.

 

[slipe]

Some of the cameras with high speed USB2 download at over 2Mb/sec. And some cameras come with docks that download the pictures effortlessly. IMO card readers don’t have the advantage they once did. And I prefer to just leave the card in the camera. The cards are tiny and can get lost and people have damaged them.

Don’t go by brand but by features and the quality of photographs in reviews. All of the major makers are putting out some high quality cameras and one brand doesn’t have an advantage over another.

I would start with Steve’s list of Best Cameras. He tests almost all of them and is a pretty good judge.
http://www.steves-digicams.com/best_cameras.html

Dave is a tester as well and Dave’s Picks are also quite good, although he doesn’t seem to be quite as picky as Steve.
http://www.imaging-resource.com/WB/WB.HTM

Each listing is a link to a multi-page review.

If you intend to shop online check here:
http://shopping.com/
Go with one of their trusted stores.

 

[carlo_scute]

Hello experts,I checked the links you gave me,..guess I wanted a lightweight camera that can be easily stored or put in my bag while i'm travelling.just to take snapshots of my friends and love ones.another question is.. how can i connect it to a entry level computer..having several usb 2.0 ports..and how big should the lcd screen be(is that the screen you can view the picture you taken ,located at the other side of the lens ?)
i don't know the different sizes of pictures,guess the normal size would do and the (wallet size.) btw i plan to spend just around 100$-150$,and i plan to take pictures also during the night,inside my workplace which has internal lights only,no daylight
thanks again for your generous replies.

 

[jethsy]

Hello, Carlo,
The first website that Slipe gave you is excellent for finding the camera you want. It has categories to help you and thorough ratings and information. It leads you to prices, too. It seems that your price range should get you a 3-4 megapixel camera. The LCD screen size is probably listed in the information, as well as the size and weight of the camera. All should attach to the computer's USB easily, though, that too is probably given on the specs for each camera. You can take the memory card to a photo finisher, such as CVS or Walgreen's and have them print your photos. Here is another great website: http://www.shortcourses.com/using/flash/chapter6.htm
This is the text of a book on digital photography and as you can see, there is a section on low-light photography such as you mentioned. Good luck with your choosing and enjoy digital photography!

 

[Mulderator]

Here is the irony about digital cameras and that is that we've actually gone backwards in terms of quality of photo. For the average person, you will take a better picture with the old 35 mm cameras than you will with digital because digital has too many variables for most people to deal with and do correctly. A great scanner and a 35 mm camera will give most people better results.

Not trying to dissuade you--digital cameras are great for getting all your vacation photos quickly on to the hard drive, reducing them and sending them to the relatives or posting on the web, but for that great shot you put in a frame on the wall, the old way is still a better way!

The moral--take a 35 mm with you on vacation and for those shots you may want to frame later---take it with 35 mm as well.

 

[carlo_scute]

great, thanks for the information!