Looking for a good digital camera. Any suggestions?

[GoogleGirl]

I get my first real "adult" paycheck next week, and I have decided to get a moderately priced digital camera. I'm looking between the range of 150-200 (200 is a bit of a stretch). I've started to look at cameras and I have nooo idea how to determine what kind to get. What should I look for in a good digital camera without the hefty price? Any suggestions? I'm not like a photographer or anything; I just need something that is good quality for a decent price. Any suggestions would be great!

[winneythepooh7]

We received a Kodak Easyshare digital camera for an engagement gift. My parents got this for us after speaking with a few people who had the same one. We have no complaints and don't consider ourselves "photographers". It serves it's basic purpose. I think they spent around $300.00.

[arrow]

I find that Cannon makes durable, good-quality consumer digital cameras. Never, ever buy a Minolta.

[blueyes]

Nikon CoolPix - they're practically idiot-proof and durable, to boot.

[EmberMae]

I got the Canon PowerShot SD 600 for christmas. See here: http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-Camera-Optical/dp/B000EMWBT2/sr=8-1/qid=1169477131/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/103-5097836-8598235?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

It's pretty popular, and has gotten good reviews overall. I haven't figured out all the functions yet, so I can't give a very good overview of what it can do.

[beeblebrox]

We received a Kodak Easyshare digital camera for an engagement gift. My parents got this for us after speaking with a few people who had the same one. We have no complaints and don't consider ourselves "photographers". It serves it's basic purpose. I think they spent around $300.00.

I second the Kodak Easyshare. It's a great, easy to use camera. I got one for Christmas two years ago and it's been wonderful. I like using the kodakgallery.com website to load pictures to and share with my friends and family.

My bf has a Canon Powershot which is also nice and reliable.

[meatwad]

Nikon CoolPix - they're practically idiot-proof and durable, to boot.

I second the Nikon. I have one, my mom has one and a guy at work has one and we all love them. And you don't need to install any software to connect them to your computer.

The Kodak cameras take a nice picture, but the software can be problematic. If it doesn't work on install for some reason it can turn into a real nightmare. We've had more than a few computers in the shop with problems related to EasyShare software. The newer cameras may not require you to use the software, but some of the older ones did.

[and1grad]

I have a friend that is a professional photographer and she says go with Canon right now b/c they take good quality pics and are really easy to use. If you want something more on the professional side, Nikon's probably the highest quality out there.

[buckeyebri15]

I will third the Kodak Easyshare. We got the C875 for $129 after rebates. It is one of the highest rated cameras from Consumer Reports.

It's my second Kodak, I had an older version that I loved, but it was only 2 megapixels.

[cameralady]

I will third the Nikon suggestion. The current L3 model can be purchased for less than $200.

[wordsmith]

I've really liked working with Nikon's higher end cameras, and I although I haven't used their more pedestrian models, I can't imagine they wouldn't be of good quality. I don't own my own digital, because I have access to such nice ones at my job, but if I did, I would probably look into a lower end Nikon.

[GoogleGirl]

What's the minimun megapixels i should look for? I've seen 6.1 and 6.2 megapixels.

[meatwad]

What's the minimun megapixels i should look for? I've seen 6.1 and 6.2 megapixels.

Anything over 3.5 is fine for 90% of the people out there.

[CoolAZN]

I bought somewhat of an off-brand name digital camera that you would not here in the media. Its the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ3 5 Megapixel Digital Camera. It's about $150 at Circuit City. Here is the link and review from others:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Customer-reviews-for-Panasonic-DMC-LZ3-Digital-Camera/sem/rpsm/oid/145719/rpem/ccd/productDetailReview.do#tabs

It took me about a month to research for a digital camera that was compatible for my taste; I wanted above 3 mega, and better optical zoom. This camera has a 5 mega, 6x optical zoom (how far you can get close up too. You really do not want to use the digital zoom option, b/c it just makes the picture more blur) (also, there are no other camera that will offer a 6x optical zoom for that price out there, that I did not find), has an image stabilzation feature for shaky hands, multi-take shots which will shot three frames per second, so you do not miss the action (its kind of fun to see the frame shots), shoots very nicely indoors without the flash, it has a 2 in. LCD screen to look at. I guess the only draw back is that it does not have an audio for the movie feature and no view lense, just the LCD. Overall, I like it very much and it is small enough for me to put it in my jean pockets and light to carry.

As with any techie gagets, you should consider on getting rechargeable batteries, if it does not have its own. I bought the energizer ones.

For the camera listed above, it does take an SD card. I think up to 1 gig, that is what I currently using. Here is a good one for a reasonable price, if you do not mind the rebate offers: http://ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?DPNo=4937840

Well, I hope this helped out. Good luck:D

_________________________________


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[and1grad]

Anything over 3.5 is fine for 90% of the people out there.
Ditto that...in fact I'd say over 95% of people dont need more than that.

[wordsmith]

Nobody doing amateur photography is going to be able to discern ANY quality difference between megapixels once you get past about three, anyway. Paying more for higher at that level is throwing away money.

[sparklyrocks]

I agree - don't get too caught up in the megapixel game. Unless you're making poster-sized prints regularly, anything above 4-5 MP isn't going to make a difference. Image quality also has to do with color and sharpness, and this is where Canon is leader in the game.

Use this tool to help you narrow down your choices: http://dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp

You can also poke around to find reviews and dedicated discussions.

[caddymac]

I've had a Canon SD100 3.2 Megapixel camera for almost 3 years now. I like it, but it's getting to be a bit dated. I highly recommend Canon, I've converted my mom and the sis-in-law over to Canon and they both love their cameras.

[HereComes30]

I agree that you can't really go wrong with Canon or a Nikon. I personally am a REALLY big fan of Panasonic. Not a choice that most people think of but they make really good cameras. The lenses are fantastic, they usually include shake reduction which is essential to a novice and a smaller camera (when you depress the button, do you know that creates shake and can ruin a pic?), and they are usually well priced. They also have great LCD's on the back and typically great features.

I personally have a Panasonic point and shoot with a 12x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom, and 5.1 mp. It takes amazing pictures! If you want to see some of the pictures I have taken with it, send me a private message and I can share my webshots or Flickr site with you. I also have a Pentax *ist DL dSLR which I really like. Probably going to get a Pentax K100d soon which is a digital SLR with built in shake reduction. I would like to get the K10d but not sure I want to drop the $800 on it right now.

Stay away from Fuji (questionable picture quality) and Sony (you have to use the expensive memory sticks). I personally do not like Olympus or Kodak either because of poor image quality.

You can also get great professional and user reviews on cnet.com I use this site constantly when looking at electronics!

[WorkInProgress]

I have a Canon PowerShot A610, which I love. It does everything I need it to do (including take decent night shots, on its night setting). Since it is a point and shoot with auto focus, it does sometimes focus on the wrong object, but in general, I don't find that to be an issue. It takes 4 AA batteries (I use the rechargables, but it's important to me to be able to use regular ones in case something happens while I am traveling). I also like that the LCD screen flips out, so I can use it or not and if I choose not to use it, it is protected. It's on the pricey end of cheap cameras, but I expect it to last me a while.

[sparky88]

i've owned Canon and Kodak Easyshare. I loved the Canon while I had it- but only because I did not know any better- Kodak is wayy better and gets my vote.

The one we have has 10x optical zoom and 3x digital zoom with 6.0 megapixels, it cost around $450 before rebates.

[coll214]

I must be the only one, but am not a fan of the Kodak Easy Share... everyone i know that's had one has had nothing but problems... I have Minolta actually which I like; it's about 4 MP.

[elise9]

I'd have to disagree about the megapixels... I'd say get as many as you can afford. I do notice a difference between my camera (6) and those of my friends. My pics are much clearer when printed - but i'm someone who likes detail and for my pics to be the best they can be. Just my opinion though.

I'd also recommend a canon - I love mine - though something I didn't know until I purchased was having to factor in the cost of buying a memory card, since the camera usually come with a really crappy one...

[HereComes30]

Get your memory cards on ebay. Can't beat the price. I have bought Sandisk SD Ultra II cards (faster than normal cards) 1 gig for less than $30 and full retail is over $75! Have bought 2 1 gig cards on there before and 2 512mb cards. Probably going to get a 2 or 4 gig card on there soon.

[GoogleGirl]

well, it looks like I'm gonna have to hold off on a digital camera for a while. Some unexpected events have come up and I'm gonna have to save up every penny I can for a while. grrr...thanks for the suggestions though. I'll hopefully be getting one in the summer at least.

[WorkInProgress]

Get your memory cards on ebay. Can't beat the price. I have bought Sandisk SD Ultra II cards (faster than normal cards) 1 gig for less than $30 and full retail is over $75! Have bought 2 1 gig cards on there before and 2 512mb cards. Probably going to get a 2 or 4 gig card on there soon.

I don't understand how that works, honestly. Where is the seller getting them that he/she can afford to sell them so cheaply, if they're new?

[old_school_soul]

I don't understand how that works, honestly. Where is the seller getting them that he/she can afford to sell them so cheaply, if they're new?

Umm, you can get them pretty much anywhere but a retail store for a much better price. All retail stores (best buy, circuit city, etc) mark up accessories such as memory cards often by up to $75. That's why I could buy a 2GB memory card on newegg.com, while at the store it's $80. The retail stores are just trying to rip you off.

[meatwad]

I don't understand how that works, honestly. Where is the seller getting them that he/she can afford to sell them so cheaply, if they're new?

They fell off the back of a truck. Stop asking so many questions. You never know when you might have a little...accident.

[HereComes30]

I have bought new cards in retail packaging on retail. I know if they buy them wholesale in bulk they can get them WAY less than the retail stores with markup. And maybe they did fall off of a truck. Beats me. I just know I am not paying the retail price for a memory card.

[TinyDancer]

Hey, even though I didn't start this thread, I used all your advice and got my sis a digital camera for her wedding. I got a Canon SD1000 (I think). . . My Sony camera is four years old. . . and I love their new camera so much that I think I'm going to have to get myself one in the near future! :) Thanks everyone. . .

[Anto]

Hi guys, just a word of caution when buying memory cards on eBay. They are not always authentic.

I've had personal experience - I bought a Sandisk Ultra II 2GB SD card and later found out it was counterfeit. It worked perfectly and appeared to have the right capacity, but the point is that it wasn't what I'd paid for. These guys are getting pretty good too, to most people they look exactly like the authentic Sandisk cards you see in the shops.

If you do a search on google it seems like there are lots of problems like this on eBay, and it will also give you an idea of how to tell counterfeit cards from the real thing. The problem is though, you won't know for sure until you actually pay for it and receive the memory card in the post.

I was lucky, in that I managed to get a full refund.

I paid about AUD$50, when retail value would have been about AUD$90 at the time (although they are now AUD$50 in shops 3 months later!).

[caddymac]

Word to that, Anto. That's why I tend to stick with the big websites (www.newegg.com, etc) and stay back a bit in the technology. For instance, 2GB seems to be the popular card of choice, but I really don't need that much capacity, so I picked up a 1GB card for 1/3 the price. I guess I'm lucky enough that I'm patient enough to not rush out and buy the latest and greatest. It's probably an engineer thing. Or the fact that I'm a cheapass.

[civicmon]

I have some 6mp Sony and it's fantastic. They should be cheaper than what I paid for it (like $200) now.. think I saw one at Wal-Mart recently for something like $145.

[MollyM]

I like my canon

[MollyM]

I got 25% off the normal price of my camera by watching for deals. I found it one sale on dell and then found a coupon code for more off.

[prettymuchyeah]

I love my Sony Cybershot. It's really easy to use, has cool features, and is super durable. :D