Digital Camera Reccomendations

[Brookenstein]

Well, the 2 year old broke my camera today.  The mister is gonna be po'd when he finds out as I think I will have to use our Wii money that is saved up to get a camera instead.

Our current camera was an Olympus C3030, 3.3 megapixel camera.  It is around 6 or 7 years old.  We paid a fortune for it back then.

I would like to spend as little as possible, but get something decent.  $300 would be top $$$ and I would prefer to be closer to $200 if that is even possible.  I haven't looked at cameras in years and would like some feedback/reccomendations of where to start.

[Brewman]

The new "standard" seems to be around 5 mega pix.  That resolution is easily available in your price range.  And it's good for prints up to 8" X 10".  For snapshots, it all you'd ever need.   Going beyond gets you little return, and cost more.  
 Whatever you decide, don't forget to budget for memory cards.  The ones they include with the cameras are almost always pathetically undersized.  

Any memory cards you already have for the broken carmera are still good to use, so you may want to look at cameras using the same type of memory card.   Or not.  Just something else to consider to save a little up front money.

For $300 you can get a really nice point and shoot.  At $200 you're looking at a little less features, but that price may still be do-able.  

I personally like Canon.  But there are scads of camera brands out there in this price range.  And at this price range, they're probably all subbed out to some huge manufacturing concern in outer mongolia anyway, so brand is less important.

If you're into the online thing I'd recommend B&H Photo in NYC.  They are one of the few NY based camera operations that are legit- they are competitively priced and honest.  
Depending on your local market, you might be able to get more camera for your money from them than at your local chains like Best Buy, Target, ect....

[Brookenstein]

Normally I'm all for online, but my grandparents are here visiting and will be leaving SUnday so I would like to take some pics before they go.  Also we are doing California Adventure tomorrow.

I looked at Consumer Reports online and these are the ones I found that sounded good.

Kodak Easy Share C875 $230
Olympus Stylus 800 $300
Fujifilm FinePix E900 $290
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W50 $210
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H2 $310
Fujifilm Fine PixS5200 $280
Kodak Easy Share Z612 $300

I'm kind of torn between something small that can fit in my purse and something with a big lense.  I think once I make that decision it will be a lot easier to narrow down.

[svspa]

Brooke,

Nikon has some decent digital cameras that are inexpensive. I just bought a model L3 for my daughter for $130. It's small and uses AA rechargeable batts, so in a pinch you can just put in some AAs if you neglect to charge the batteries. Bad thing about Nikons is their movie mode isn't as good as some (like Sony). Their model L6 is similar with a little higher megapixel sensor and bigger LCD for around $200.

Prices have come down considerably so you can stick with name brands and you shouldn't have any problems.

Steve

[vlady]

I recently took my daughter to pick out a digital camera for her birthday.  It seemed that the price differences between the major brands was due to the size and type of LCD screen and whether or not the camera used several alkaline batteries or included a rechargable battery.  Of course the more megapixels, the higher the cost.

Some of the ones with the larger LCD screens didn't have a view finder so that is something to decide on whether you want that or not.  Also, it seemed that the cameras that included a rechargable battery were more expensive.

She decided on a Canon because of the larger nonglare LCD screen.  Personally, I've got a Nikon Coolpix 4300 and have been very happy with it.  For my own use, I don't need more than 4 megapixels.

Good luck in your search!

[GoBlue]

I've found people overbuy.   Fugi and Canon both make a 3 MP model that sell for less than $100.  Thats all I paid for mine. I'm not a pro, and just wanted something for snapshots. Something to replace the ol' Brownie.

[svspa]

Brooke,

Yes you'll need to narrow down the features you feel are important. I have a big Sony prosumer (F828) that I use a lot, but I want to get a little point and shoot for those times when carrying a big camera is not preferable. You need to decide which is more important to you.

If movies are important to you then Sony's VX fine (640x480 30fps) mpeg movie mode is pretty good. I basically don't need a camcorder, I use my camera's movie mode. And you're only limited in length of the movie by the size of your memory card.

For camera reviews you might try [link]www.dpreview.com[/link]. They have some pretty thorough reviews and active forums.

Steve

[NE-Phil]

Brooke,

My 4 year old fujifilm digital camera finally stopped working last month and I had to find a replacement. I ended up getting a Cannon Powershot S3IS camera. Check the Canon site here for the specs. It's a 6.0 Megapixel camera with a 12X optical zoom that uses SD memory cards and AA batteries.

It's best features are the 12X optical zoom and image stabilization (hence the "IS" in S3IS). While helping during karate tests, I often snap pictures. With my fuji, many were blurred because of all the action shots. Not any more. The pictures are very clear and there's almost no lag time between clicking the camera and having it actually take the picture. And you can never have enough zoom. Works great.

There are lots of features and modes if you like to make your own adjustments but I normally just stick with Auto and it still takes great pictures, inside and out. There's a dedicated web page and forum for S3is users located here.

Lot's of bells and whistles for a reasonable price. I just froogled it and it's currently going for $319 and up. It's a little higher than you wanted to pay but I think it would be worth it.

Good Luck,

Phil

[Bonibelle]

Brooke, I have several inexpensive digital cameras...If you have a Walmart or similar store near you, use the reference book near the cameras (I am not saying to buy there..that is up to you).  It will list things that you don't typically think about like the recovery time...(probably not the correct term), the time it takes in seconds for the camera to shoot another picture. That was important to me with kids..and that is one of the drawbacks to some of the digital cameras.

Phil, your Fuji wasn't the 3800 was it?

[bluesman]

Try this web site for reviews. There's an endless amount of info on digicams.

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

Bluesman 8-)

[NE-Phil]

Phil, your Fuji wasn't the 3800 was it?

Bonibelle,

It sure was. The Fujifilm Finepix 3800 with 3+MP, 6X zoom and it used 4 - AA batteries. It was a pretty good camera. Took better pictures outdoors then indoors. Indoors, I would get these funny little "water spots" on the picture although the lens was clean. And action pictures were mostly blurry. A few months ago, the adapter ring suddenly fell off which was no big deal, but last month, the lens barrel suddenly seized up solid. Once the lens barrel froze, that was the end of the camera. It wouldn't even stay powered on.

It can't compare with the Canon S3IS I'm using now. It has twice the zoom and the image stabilization makes a world of difference. I'm using 2 - 2GB SD memory cards that will hold 100's of pictures and it also does video: 640 x 480 at 30 fps (frames per second). Video looks very good. It appeals to "auto" snappers like me and those that like to change their own settings.

If you're in the market for a replacement, you want to consider this Canon.  

Phil

[Chad]

I have a Canon 6MP Power Shot A540. It was $195 w/tax. One of the best point and shoots for the money, imo.
Here's a link and a pic.
http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Canon-PowerShot-A540-Digital-Camera/sem/rpsm/oid/146234/catOid/-13062/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

[anne]

Great brief and detailed info at :

ftp://http://www.dpreview.com/

shutter lag comparison table (this may not be updated, but I saved this page when shopping last year)

ftp://http://www.cameras.co.uk/html/shutter-lag-comparisons.cfm

Good luck!

[Reese]

...I ended up getting a Cannon Powershot S3IS camera... I just froogled it and it's currently going for $319 and up...

There are still a few S2 IS (last year's model) around.  The upgrades to the S3 are minimal IMO, and it was available from Amazon for $100 less than and S3 shortly before Christmas.  It is a lot of camera for the money.  We chose it over the S3, Sony H2/H3, and the similar Panasonic.  The usefulness of the zoom, image stabilization, and flip screen LCD cannot be understated.  The only drawback is the size in comparison to the ones that fit easily in the purse/pocket.

[Tatooed_Lady]

Brooke, FWIW, this is the camera I bought last fall....now, of course, it's cheaper...
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4722901
It's an SLR type body, so it's bulky, but I've found that as I get older, I like having things like that...the micro size everything is okay for some, but I still equate weight and size to quality in some cases.
It takes awesome pics, has some extras I don't use, was a good price, and uses SD memory card....also, it can take AA batteries (2 of 'em) or a more expensive, longer lasting alternative...turns out, that was a real important factor to me, as I took my dad's advice....if you're out in a small town and suddenly realize you need new batteries for your camera, will the local mom and pop store be able to supply them??
Best of luck, let us know what you wind up with, please!!