View Full Version : Need Good Digital Camera.
I have finally decided to get a digital camera, I just dont know which one to get. I read the sticky, but it wasnt much help in my opinion. What I am looking for is something <@300 $. Also I would like it to have a large lcd viewing screen. And I guess about 5MP. I dont know how good 5 really is though cause I have never really tested one.
The only camera that stands out to me is the Sony Cyber Shot. And its to expensive I think. Is there a cheaper alternative ? What other good camera's are there to choose from ?
Thanks
bchur83
01-04-06, 05:08 PM
I just bought a Sony DSC-W7 7.2MP camera this weekend. I haven't had much time to play with it, but it seems to take great pictures so far. Only $299 @ BB. The 2.5" LCD is nice.
Go for one of the Canon cameras. they are well made and take great pictures and don't use proprietary memory sticks like the sony's
stick with canon and nikon for cameras
mp dont matter really compared to image quality
id take a canon 3.2 mp over those high mp sonys and kodaks
stevieb92
01-04-06, 08:21 PM
My wife and I just got a Kodak Z730 for her parents for xmas. It is 5mp, and can be found for around 200. Great camera!!!
K Thanks, Ill prolly end up buying this one. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16830113129
I'm going back and forth between the Canons. On the one hand, the elph,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16830120174
has uber small portability, take-it-anywhere formfactor.
And then there's the s2,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16830120171
with it's image stabilizer and big fat zoom...
Swashbuckler
01-05-06, 01:12 PM
The Canon Powershot series has rave reviews - do yourself a favor and look it up :) I bought the A70 a few years back and it out performs other makes/models with more megapixels and features.
One of the best purchases I've ever made.
you are not gonna get very good shots with a lens that small
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16830120180
Don't forget a decent SD card, 4x NiMH AA batteries, a charger, and a card reader.
And http://www.irfanview.com/
dogooder
01-06-06, 02:50 AM
You really can't go wrong with the A610 canon. I recently purchased one and really enjoy it. Also picked up a telephoto and wide angle lense, which gives you a few more options. Google for reviews, you won't find many negatives.
Got an A620 here and love it. I would also say go with Canon/Nikon for cameras. Although the Nikon L1 isnt great imho (dad has one) and eats batteries.
I'm definitely diggin' the 6xx series, but they don't have IS, which I NEED BADLY. dpreview's (http://www.dpreview.com/) where I've been gettin most of my info from.
IS Off Click here (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/CanonS2IS/samples/IS/IMG_1541.JPG)
IS On Click here (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/CanonS2IS/samples/IS/IMG_1540.JPG)
Also, the movie mode with stereo recording's SICK.
640 x 480 pixels @ 30 fps
File size: 13.5MB Click here (http://img2.dpreview.com/reviews/canons2is/MVI_1741.AVI)
The lenses on the S2 and A610 are so different they can't really be compared.
IMHO the A6xx series are perfect for people who just want to grab the camera and take some pictures while on vacation. With a 140mm equivalent zoom (at f/4) there are few cases where IS would help. The cases where it would help the most would be with low light pictures of still objects (if the subject is moving it'll be blurry regardless, because of the slow shutter speed). So in most cases if the subject is not moving you can just use the flash, and/or move closer.
The S2 IS allows you to be a little more artistic/creative. Plus you get a 430mm equivalent zoom at a fairly impressive f/3.5. This means that at the same 140mm equivalent zoom as the A610, this lens will let in roughly twice as much light (~f/2.8 vs ~f/4). So even without IS, you can shoot a subject that is twice as dark, or shoot the same subject with a shutter speed twice as fast (probably 1/90 or the S2 vs 1/180 on the A610). Flipping on the IS will probably give you another stop to play with, maybe two at the long end if you've got a fairly steady hand, allowing you to possibily shoot 1/45~1/60 @140mm and 1/125~1/180 @400mm without much camera shake if you're lucky. But any moving subject will still be blurry.
The S2 is twice as expensive as the A610 (I compare it to the A610 because they are both 5MP Digic II cameras). But if you want the 400mm zoom, and/or the faster lens, it's the way to go.
I have the Canon 24-85mm lens for my 10D which is equivalent to 35-140, exactly the same as the lens on the A610. My lens is a half stop slower (f/3.5-4.5 vs f/2.8-4.0 for the A610) but I never wish I had IS on it. I'd take the faster Canon 24-70 f/2.8 over the 24-105 f/4.0 IS. I do have one IS lens - the 75-300mm (120-480mm equivalent - f/4.5-5.6).
You will love any camera you get in 5mp range. Have a Sony cybershot myself and its my favorite camera ever.
madcow235
01-07-06, 11:50 PM
I just got a canon SD400 and man is it amazing. Takes amazing pictures for something so small. THe only problem i have with it, and its not very bad, is the flash isn't that bright and the edges of pictures can look very dark. I recommend it so highly though.
I know yall told me to stay away from anything except canon or nikon, but this one is just soo sexy,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16830122049
I might get it. Dunno yet though, just throwing it out there
JCLW:
Thanks for the input. I'd really like the smaller size of a 6xx, but quality's more important to me. Just for kicks, I had a Powershot A75. Would you jump to the SD400 (for size/portability), the 610, or the S2?
WaTTz:
Obviously in the minority here, (according to the egg)...but it doesn't look that sexy to me. At least not as much as Lumberg holding Jen's leg :)
looks liike a sony ripoff and the lens of one on a camera phone...
i can bet that the picture quality isnt going to be that good
JCLW:
Thanks for the input. I'd really like the smaller size of a 6xx, but quality's more important to me. Just for kicks, I had a Powershot A75. Would you jump to the SD400 (for size/portability), the 610, or the S2?My Dad has an A75 that I bought him for Xmas a few years ago. You'd probably find the A610 roughly the same as the A75. Pretty much the same size/shape/weight. You get 33% more zoom with the A610, and the lens lets in ~15% more light (f/4.0 vs ~f/5.0 for the A75) at a full zoom. Plus you get 5MP, which would let you do a little more cropping, or print up to ~24"x18".
My neighbour across the road has an SD500 which is the same as the SD400, except with a 7MP sensor. I've played with it a few times, and it's an amazing little camera for its size. It really is small and light. Optically, it's got pretty much the same lens on it as the A75 (35-105mm equivalent, f/2.8-5.0). So it would be like having a small 5MP A75, that you could slip into your pocket. It also has a proprietary Li-Ion battery, which you can count as a plus or a minus depending on how you feel about such things.
If you're after low light ability and long range zoom then the S2 is the way to go. As I said before, at the same zoom as the maximum A610 zoom the S2 will let in twice as much light, making it much better at indoor/low light shots. But also keep in mind that at the wide end, they are exactly the same (f/2.8). Plus you get the IS. But it's bigger and heavier, and you get shorter battery life (but AA batteries). And it has a USM zoom and focus motors, which will give you fast and quiet operation.
So what would I get if I had just dropped my only camera, an A75, in the lake? Personally I'd get the S2, but that's because I don't mind lugging big cameras around.
I find my neighbours SD500 a little too small to comfortably use - I'm 6'6" and find my hands end up in front of the lens or the flash if I'm not careful, plus I find I have to take the camera off the subject and use my index finger to change any settings. On my dad's A75 I can do most things with my thumb while still keeping the camera focused on the subject. Of course if you're a smaller person you might find the SD400 easier to use then the A610.
IMHO an A610 will fit into a belt holster/case nearly as unobtrusively as an SD400.
I'd take the S2 over the A610 for it's low light and long zoom capability. I spend a lot of time on sail boats, where everything is far away and it's not really practical to move closer to something just to take a picture of it. So a long zoom is a must for me. But again, that's a purely personal thing.
If I was keeping my 10D I'd get the A610 just to throw in my pocket sometimes, as I don't need two big long zooms.
Your best option is to run down to Future Shop or Bestbuy and pick each of them up and see how they feel to you. The last thing you want to do is get an S2 and then never take it anywhere because you don't like carrying something that big and heavy.
BTW, for those just getting into cameras: The f/stop measures how much light a lens lets past onto the sensor (or film). It's basically a ratio of the area of the opening (aperture) of the lens to its focal length (in mm). A 50mm lens that had an aperture of 50mm would be called a "f/1" lens, and would have an open area of ~2000mm^2 (pi(50mm)^2). An "f/2" 50mm lens would have an aperture of 25mm, with an open area of ~500mm^2. Notice that by doubling the f/ stop we are letting in four times as much light (2000 vs 500mm^2).
Lens at 50mm:
f/stop - Aperture (mm) - Aperture area (mm^2)
f/1.0........50.0..........1,963
f/1.4........35.7..........1,002
f/2.0........25.0..........491
f/2.8........17.9..........250
f/4.0........12.5..........123
f/5.6........8.9............63
f/8.0........6.3............31
f/11.........4.5............16
f/16.........3.1............8
f/22.........2.3............4
So every increase of 1.4x lets in twice as much light. An increase of 2x lets in four times as much light.
A f/2.8 lens will let you take the same picture as a 4/4.0 lens, when it is twice as dark.
Note that the published f/stop is the widest a lens can open up. I think the three above cameras can all close up to f/8, and are probably the sharpest aorund f/5.6.
I ended up buying the Canon A620. Very nice camera. Thanks guys !!! = )
Binman_UK
01-11-06, 11:59 PM
I love Canon's cameras.. the picture quality is always excellent and they're built to last (I've dropped my Ixus v2 more times than I care to remember). I've had the Ixus v2 for a few years now, and i'm going to upgrade to the Ixus 55 when I get paid this month :D.
Enjoy your camera!
Binny
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