Need input on buying a digital camera please?

Post #276,075 by Nightowl 12/18/06 2:45:01 PM 12/18/06 4:21:50 PM Reply	Need input on buying a digital camera please? Hey all, I'm looking to spend my Christmas money from John's folks this year on a better digital camera than the one we purchased last year. The one I purchased before is a Concord 1500, (1.3 mexapixels). It doesn't show the image in an LCD, and is very difficult for me to work. I can't even figure out how to set it up to use, for the most part. I bought it as my first attempt to use a digital camra. It cost about $40.00 or so. I would like to purchase something a little more expensive this time around, but hopefully that is very easy to use, will not take a lot of set up and definitely has a LCD image. I have approximately $150.00 to spend, and have been looking at some Kodak and Fuji models around $80 to $149.00 or so. Can anyone make any suggestions for an easy to use, still beginner type digital camera in that price range for me? Thanks in advance! Brenda Edit: Mom just added to my Christmas money count, so I changed the amount I have to spend from $125.00 to $150.00. "When you take charge of your life, there is no longer need to ask permission of other people or society at large. When you ask permission, you give someone veto power over your life." -- By Geoffrey F. Abert ************************** "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind, don't matter - and those who matter, don't mind." -- By Dr. Seuss ******************************* "Sometimes it takes a whole lot more strength to walk away than to stand there and fight." -- By the character of John Abbott: said on Young & Restless on 5/19/06 ******************************* Edited by Nightowl Dec. 18, 2006, 04:21:50 PM EST Expand All History
Post #276,081 by Another Scott 12/18/06 4:04:31 PM Reply	You have lots of choices around $100. I'd try to get something from a real camera manufacturer. Maybe something like [link\|http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16830187611\|this] Vivitar. Note that you would probably want the Combo with the 1 GB memory card (at the bottom of the page) as it doesn't come with a memory card. The Combo is $99.99 + $7.43 shipping. I'm partial to Canons myself, but they are much more money. You can also look around at [link\|http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=\|B&H] for more cameras in that price range. Don't forget that you may need a USB memory card reader too, to get the photos off the card. HTH a bit. Cheers, Scott.
Post #276,742 by jb4 12/26/06 8:16:13 PM Reply	B&H is awright! The only (and I mean only!!!) place I could find the object of SWMBO's desire for Christmas: the Fuji F31fd! And at a decent price (less than Best Buy's price for a F30!). The only downside is that, because they are a Jewish owned business, there is absolutely no sales service or telephone support on Saturday. The upside is that they are open (sales, service, etc.) on Sunday. Woot! I can place orders during half-time... jb4 "When the final history is written in Iraq, [link\|http://images.ucomics.com/comics/tmate/2006/tmate060926.gif\|it'll look just like a comma.]" — George W. Bush, 24 Sep 06
Post #276,093 by Bman 12/18/06 5:49:30 PM Reply	I like the canon line I have had 3 canon digital cameras and love them there ez to use nice pics heres one i like [link\|http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=cat3&product_code=337655&Pn=PowerShot_A530_Digital_Camera\|http://www.compusa.c...30_Digital_Camera] "Pictures are better then words because some words are big and hard to understand" Peter Griffin (Family Guy)
Post #276,102 by Ashton 12/18/06 6:38:03 PM Reply	Or an A-510, likely cheaper == original version (I intentionally chose the 3 MPixel for reasons of less noise at low light levels / avoiding faked higher 'ASA' numbers and the like.) Checked some web comparos with techno numbers and pix examples, before opting. You might find a NIB A-510 for nearer $100 by now, I'd guess. More $$ now gets you bigger and bigger viewing screens on thinner and thinner teensy marvels. Indeed Owlet, having a TFT screen is no longer optional - given all the special effects possible. You HAVE to look at those teensy icons, after you start exploiting features. Canon A-5xx are amazingly compact; the size is on border of too-small, for some with large paws.. Provides many/many clever options including pseudo camcorder mode. I use few - as for close-ups of small objects, low-light sans flash. A trip through the lengthy manual will reveal all that gadgetry - some of which, later on you will welcome. The default Auto setting will likely be all you need or want - until such time as you choose to advance from point-click snaphots into 'photography' ... stuff as is known only to the Ancients. Remember too, nobody.. can own enough examples of the plethora of choices today - to have a er, 'statistically valid' opinion about all the intangibles. But you can Google some model that catches your fancy - for owners' experience, esp. re reliability, warranty service? or little annoyances which for some, aren't little. Luck
Post #276,121 by Nightowl 12/19/06 2:49:45 AM Reply	I took all of your advice... it's a Canon! Hey all, Thanks for all the input, it really helped since I have not had time to do much research myself (what with the paperwork and all the stuff to do in regard to getting the new car). I'm purchasing a Canon Powershot A530 Digital camera in the morning. Office Max has a deal where I get the memory card free, (which is really nice), and I got $10.00 more dollars from someone else to make $160.00 total to spend. John said he'll help me if I run over any. The Powershot series seems to be the most recommended one not only on IWT but on other places online and in Consumer's Digest. The one I'm buying has 5.0 mexapixel, 4x Optical Zoom, 1.8 LCD screen, a New ISO 800 setting that reduces image blur (no idea what that is, do you guys?), and is on sale for $149.99 It comes with a free Simpletech (never heard of them either), 512 SD card, is that a good card? If not, we can always upgrade later, John said. So they are holding me one, I called and asked them to when it was clear that buying the new car tonight was going to run me too late to get it. BTW we did get our new car tonight, and there were some surprises that were awesome! John will get his fancier Sirius radio (the one we demoed and had for the weekend didn't have Artist and Title display), and I will get my power pedals! WHEE! Anyway, thanks again for all your help! And please let me know fast if I'm making a mistake with the camera choice! ;) I'm going to get it around 8 a.m.! Brenda "When you take charge of your life, there is no longer need to ask permission of other people or society at large. When you ask permission, you give someone veto power over your life." -- By Geoffrey F. Abert ************************** "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind, don't matter - and those who matter, don't mind." -- By Dr. Seuss ******************************* "Sometimes it takes a whole lot more strength to walk away than to stand there and fight." -- By the character of John Abbott: said on Young & Restless on 5/19/06 *******************************
Post #276,140 by a6l6e6x 12/19/06 1:18:42 PM Reply	Re: ISO 800. The "ISO 800" (ISO is the "Frenchified" International Organization for Standardization) has to do with an international standard for [link\|http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Film_speed\|film speed]. Basically it has to do with how much light is needed for a good picture. The bigger the number the more sensitive the film is. Using available light is when you might like a higher ISO number. Flash is used to compensate for lack of sensitivity of a given film. There is always a trade-off in these things. Fast film tends to be more "grainy". The fact that the digital camera doesn't actually use film is mostly beside the point. Similar trade-offs in picture quality come up. Alex When fascism comes to America, it'll be wrapped in a flag and carrying a cross. -- Sinclair Lewis
Post #276,144 by tonytib 12/19/06 2:51:03 PM Reply	For a digicam it basically means crappy image quality if you want good ISO 800 you need a D-SLR (and not all of them - e.g. Olympus, Kodak aren't good at 800). Higher ISO = less light = more noise = can use higher shutter speed for a given aperture (so if someone is moving, it can eliminate blur). If you combine a good low light SLR (e.g. ISO 1600 or even 3200) with anti-shake (especially in-body like Sony and Pentax) and a fast lens (e.g. 50mm f/1.4 prime or Sony 28-75 f/2.8 zoom), it means you can take pictures in low light without flash. --Tony
Post #276,141 by boxley 12/19/06 1:33:35 PM Reply	whats "Power Pedals" ? Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 51 years. meep reach me at [link\|mailto:bill.oxley@cox.net\|mailto:bill.oxley@cox.net]
Post #276,178 by Nightowl 12/19/06 9:25:00 PM Reply	Power pedals are great! What power pedals are, is that in addition to power seat adjustment, and adjustable steering, you get power pedals. You push a button on the side of the seat and you can make the pedals move closer towards you or farther away from you! It's a really wonderful feature in my case, because I have a short torso and really long legs, so I have to raise my seat to about the highest place to see over the dash and almost all the way forwards and such. However, when I do that, my knees get bent on a straighter and straighter angle and sometimes can bump against the steering column. John on the other hand, has shorter legs and a longer torso, so he lowers his seat all the way down and all the way back. Now, I can move forward most of the way and push the button and the pedals come out to meet my feet, so I can have my knees bent at a less severe angle, still sit up high and not bump the steering column anymore. That's what's so nice about it, first time I haven't had to worry about where my knees come up under the steering wheel in a new car since oh, the 80s maybe. ;) Brenda "When you take charge of your life, there is no longer need to ask permission of other people or society at large. When you ask permission, you give someone veto power over your life." -- By Geoffrey F. Abert ************************** "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind, don't matter - and those who matter, don't mind." -- By Dr. Seuss ******************************* "Sometimes it takes a whole lot more strength to walk away than to stand there and fight." -- By the character of John Abbott: said on Young & Restless on 5/19/06 *******************************
Post #276,180 by boxley 12/19/06 9:55:46 PM Reply	never heard of such a thing, sounds great Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 51 years. meep reach me at [link\|mailto:bill.oxley@cox.net\|mailto:bill.oxley@cox.net]

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