Which digital camera do YOU have?

[AGampher]

I am looking for a fairly cheap ($250-$350) point and shoot digital camera.

Please post your cameras and experiences.

I have looked up info on Steve's Digicams (http://www.steves-digicams.com/) and have seriously considered a couple (namely the Nikon Coolpix 3100 (http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/nikon3100.html)), but I wanted to know what everyone had and what they thought.

Ideas are welcome, opinions are encouraged, and insane rantings are rewarded!

[Tismedt]

Well l bought a HP 900. Its a great camera. I also got a bunch of add on lenses and filters and that kinda stuff. Pictures are outstanding and its pretty easy to use. Except for the macro thing I have a hard time getting clear shots of items up close like it says it will do. This is as close to a digital SLR camera you can get. Cost me about 2x what you want to pay with all the extras I added on.

Only one rant about it. It sucks batteries dry very fast. I have rechargables and always end up using regular batteries when we are out and about.

[deathman20]

For a digital camera I'd highly suggest something with a lithium battery pack in it. All the ones that use AA or AAA's suck batteries down like how college students down beer's.

I know I was lookin for a digital camera soon because I've always wanted one. A nice 3 megapixel one. Sony and Cannon are one of the top companies for features on the camera. Also the Nikion's come in really close to the top, if not at the top also. I use to work for Best Buy in the Digital Imaging department and knew loads of information about this.

Give me an idea of what your looking for and there is a good possibilty I could help narrow your selection down.

[AGampher]

Well.....I got hasty and bought this Nikon (http://www.newegg.com/app/viewproduct.asp?description=30-113-110&DEPA=7) at newegg on sale for $257. :D

A tripod is free as a customer appreciation gift!

If I remember I'll post what I think of it when it comes in.

[Kendan]

I have an old Canon s110 It is a great little camera. The size was the deciding factor for me getting it. It makes a big difference when it fits right in your pocket. The newer from the canon digital elph series are even better:D Just check out the reviews for youer self.

[Bobby]

I guess I'm a bit late in this thread but here goes...

I have a Canon S50. Works great, picture quality is excellent and I'm very happy with it.

I've heard the Nikon image processors are slow and there's a noticeable delay when you push the shutter button and when it actually takes the picture. My sister's Coolpix 4500 is really slow and she asked me if there was anything she could do about it but it seems all of them are like that, regardless of how fast your memory card (CF) is. My other sister has a Canon S45 so I was able to try out both and really liked the S45 which is why I chose the S50 (5mp vs. 4mp).

-Bobby

[JigPu]

Originally posted by deathman20
For a digital camera I'd highly suggest something with a lithium battery pack in it. All the ones that use AA or AAA's suck batteries down like how college students down beer's.
I've never seen a camera like that, but it would be interesting to see how long it lasts! For AAs, as long as you use NiMH batteries, they'll last for a descently long time (I usually get a week or so on a charge of leisurely picture taking). Alkaline or NiCad get sucked up in no time flat though.

I (...well, my mom has, but I'm the one who uses it!) have a Casio QV-3000EX. It's got fairly good quality with 'Normal' @ 2048x1536, and is great for taking macros with. That's my favorite feature of the thing actually :) Nothing like getting up within 6cm (2") of something and hitting the shutter. Also, the manual exposure and apeture settings are great for dramatic night shots. Aside from the utter lack of add-on lenses and filters it seems, it's a very nice camera.

JigPu

[Bobby]

My camera (S50) comes with a Lithium Ion battery. It lasts a pretty long time but I bought a 2nd battery just in case.

-Bobby

[Caffinehog]

I've got a Nikon Coolpix 2000. It's only 2.1megapixel, but it has manual 1X-4X zoom, video recording, several light settings, and it allows you to set a 3 or 10 second delay as well. It's also compact flash, which is quite cheap compared to other camera memory formats. Its optics are also the same as those found on $400 cameras. I can say that I'm WAY more than just satisfied with it. And it was only $210 at Wal-mart.

*edit: I see you got a very similar camera. I think you'll be more than satisfied.

[Arctic]

I have a Kodak EasyShare LS443... I love the picture quality and can do video and sound. Lithium battery...uses SD memory

[Mike360000]

Originally posted by Arctic
I have a Kodak EasyShare LS443... I love the picture quality and can do video and sound. Lithium battery...uses SD memory

I've had several digital cameras since 1998; Nikon, Canon, Sony, Olympus and Kodak. And a few promotional "cheapo" cameras. Finally I also have a Logitec Clicksmart 510 which is a webcam that doubles as 1 mp camera.

Out of all the cameras I've had, I've only been a repeat buyer of 1 brand. I bought a 2nd Kodak, this time a 6440. Kodak gave me better pics than any camera except maybe the Canon, and definitely better than Olympus and Sony, and much faster than Nikon. But the thing about Kodak is the value of the entire package, and its' shear ease of use.(It is very possible to start taking good pics with a Kodak stright from the box without ever reading the manual. I had my sister-in-law try it as a test and she managed to take several good pics without coaching or reading the manual.) You simply get more camera for your dollar compared to any other. The Kodak won't have every last thing that all the cameras has, but it will do more things than any 1 camera above will do, and at a real good price.

Sure there is always exceptions and then there is the human factor, what a person likes and thinks looks right to him. It would be wise to try out as many cameras as possible to actually see what they give you, er how well you like their pictures.

Cheers,
Mike

PS Now if there was some way to overclock a digital camera.......?

[yochan]

I have Canon s40 (pretty old). It's a good camera though. The pictures are great and I satisfy with it. The only problem I have is that, when I take picture at night (choose night sceene) I have to still the camera otherwise the picture will blurry. It almost cannot be moved even just a little bit. Other than that, It's very nice camera.

All the best,

yochan

[AGampher]

I got my Coolpix 3100 in today. I am very satisfied with the quality of the pictures and the size of the camera. :D Seriously though, it takes pretty good pictures (http://agampher.shackspace.com/Our%20Home/Stud.JPG). I would recommend it.

[JigPu]

lol, congrats on your camera :) Hope it serves you well!

*goes off to do some photography*

JigPu

[Cuper]

I have a Nikon D100 and love it :) Might be a little out of your price range tho..... ;)

[UnseenMenace]

Originally posted by Arctic
I have a Kodak EasyShare LS443... I love the picture quality and can do video and sound. Lithium battery...uses SD memory

Yea I also have the LS443 the easy share docking bay is awesome and the picture quality is good.. I like it for the fact tht I can just pick it up and take decent photos with it rather than having to set up options to get a decent pic (although these are available).... the software which ships with the camera is pretty good as well and allow you to organize and exit picture albums with ease, not to mention the ordering of photos and picture CD's online.
The camera also works in Linux reasonably well.

Great buy... Great VFM... Great Camera

[Mike360000]

I think too many people under-rate the Kodak digitals.
They associate Kodak digital cameras with cheaper Kodak instamatic film cameras. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Cheers,
Mike

[OSUmaxx]

I've had a great experience with my Olympus 730-UZ. Good quality pics, great battery life, easy to use, etc. Highly recommended, but then again, I haven't had the chance to try many different cameras.

[mrgreenjeans]

I've got a Nikon coolpix 990 and it's the bomb. It's definitely not a "hand to your sister -in-law" camera and the learning curve is steep, but takes excellent photos. I use rechargeable batteries and have gotten 150-200 pics per charge. Still beats the cost of developing in my book. Especially when I usually toss 5 out of 20.
Enjoy your new toy!
PS. with the Nikon keep up on their download site 'cause they're constantly upgrading the transfer software. They've got down to pretty much a no-brainer with the last version.

[leggysoe]

Canon s45 beats all of above

its always better to have manual controls

[Cuper]

Originally posted by leggysoe
its always better to have manual controls

That would be true :)

http://www.bmwtechforums.com/images/lunar7.jpg

[Cuper]

Originally posted by leggysoe
Canon s45 beats all of above

I don't know what you have been smokin':rolleyes:

[Mike360000]

Manual controls stinks when taking pictures on the go.
Manual controls also stinks if one doesn't know a lot about cameras, which is most people.
Manual controls stinks when one is pressed for time trying to take a picture in a hurry.

Manual controls is perfect for taking such things as moonshots, when the subject isn't going anywhere and you have the time to figure the manual controls out. Unfortuantly this doesn't apply for the majority of camera users.

Actually it is good to have manual controls on a camera, for the average user, as a second option only. I have nothing against that. And it is superior for certain things, like you showed us with your pic. But that is NOT the normal way average people takes pictures.

Nice picture though! :)

Cheers,
Mike

[Cuper]

Originally posted by Mike360000
Manual controls stinks when taking pictures on the go.
Manual controls also stinks if one doesn't know a lot about cameras, which is most people.
Manual controls stinks when one is pressed for time trying to take a picture in a hurry.

Manual controls is perfect for taking such things as moonshots, when the subject isn't going anywhere and you have the time to figure the manual controls out. Unfortuantly this doesn't apply for the majority of camera users.

Actually it is good to have manual controls on a camera, for the average user, as a second option only. I have nothing against that. And it is superior for certain things, like you showed us with your pic. But that is NOT the normal way average people takes pictures.

Nice picture though! :)

Cheers,
Mike

Well, not trying to be a jerk but I have yet to see a camera (dig. wise) that is all manual. But just to give you a example of a "action shot" on a manual/auto dig. camera here you go.

http://www.bmwtechforums.com/picturepages/corvair030001/images/DSC_0053.jpg

[Mike360000]

Nothing the Kodaks can't do and equal, auto, semi auto or manual.

Mike

[Cuper]

Originally posted by Mike360000
Nothing the Kodaks can't do and equal, auto, semi auto or manual.

Mike

Relax, I'm not bashing Kodak:rolleyes:

I will say tho... Find me a Kodak that can match the photo of the moon that I shot :D:D

[Mike360000]

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/cameras/camerasIndex.jhtml?id=0.1.18.8.7&lc=en

All those Kodaks will do a decent job on the moon or of the moon.
Those DCs in the link are some of the most highly praised DCs in the market today. I'd like to try that 16 mp job out.

[Bobby]

I have a Canon S50 and while it (and the S45) have great manual controls, they also have great point and shoot settings. Their dsp is pretty fast and they take great pictures. If you can't swing the price or just want a point and shoot camera, the A70 and A80 are pretty good.

I've never used Kodak so I can't comment on them but I've heard great reviews.

-Bobby

[Mike360000]

I like the Canons to.
They are the only other DC I would choose besides Kodaks.