Tips for digital cam buying

[Chris-n-Veronica 0]

Cool. Thanks for all the advice. I'm gonna have to look into it some more this week.

Can you tell I have some extra money to burn?

Nah, we could really use a camera since we have none whatsoever.

Thanks again, everyone!

Whatever you get - make sure it has a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery. Messing about with AA batteries gets annoying and expensive.

I disagree. I specifically looked for a camera with AAs. I've seen too many people run out of battery in the middle of a day of sightseeing. I like being able to just pop a couple of AAs in emergencies. Then I have a regular old AA recharger for normal use.

AA NiCad batteries don't last as long as Lithium ion. They also make the camera weigh more.

You can also buy replacement Lithium ion batteries relatively easily for around $20. They have last at least 1000 charge cycles before they lose the zero point (which is also more than AA rechargeables).

I guess it depends where you're travelling too. When I was in Morocco, it was very easy to just get a couple of AAs in a pinch. I don't know where I would have found Lithium ions.

You can order them online. I wouldn't have a camera without a spare battery for the same reason I wouldn't take a laptop without a replacement battery pack.

Now I don't have a extra battery pack for my Toshiba Laptop....mmmmmm Guess I better check around..

[RaspberrySwirl 20]

Hm I think we're going for the Powershot SD630.

What do you guys think of this deal?

http://www2.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=E2CNPSSD630

Never bought through them before, but they have good reviews on pricegrabber.

[StarProg 0]

Hm I think we're going for the Powershot SD630.

What do you guys think of this deal?

http://www2.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=E2CNPSSD630

Never bought through them before, but they have good reviews on pricegrabber.

Good choice in camera, my sister loves her SD630. You know it doesn't have an optical viewfinder, right? You have to use the lcd. As for the deal, no problems I know of with buydig.com. The price looks good with those accessories.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Hm I think we're going for the Powershot SD630.

What do you guys think of this deal?

http://www2.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=E2CNPSSD630

Never bought through them before, but they have good reviews on pricegrabber.

That's a good choice, I was looking at that one myself. My wife has an older model in that series and it works pretty well.

Only thing to point out with that specific model is that there's no viewfinder on it, if you like to take pictures the old fashioned way. But that's probably a moot point. The screen is very nice.

[Flames9_RN 358]

As posted earlier, bought a Sd630 for my dad, and wish I had bought one for myself instead of the Fuji! He loves it, He has never had any problems with it, and he has had it since Apr 2006.

[RaspberrySwirl 20]

Well, here I am again. Still without a camera though. I've been looking and reading and researching and OMG my head is going to explode. There are so many things to look for and so many models out there, I just can't make up my mind!

What I NEED is: reliable, good quality pictures for regular sized print-outs.

I think I have it narrowed down to a top 5 right about now using Steve's Digicams website reviews:

1. Canon Powershot A630

- It's Canon.

- It's a very reasonable price for what is being offered.

- No image stabilization though.

2. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7

- I like how it looks?

3. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H2

- Meh would be nice, if I had more money to spend.

4. Canon Powershot SD630

- I think I've made up my mind about this one but not quite yet.

5. I've been looking at some of the Kodak Easyshare series. What do you guys think about those? Seems they're all around cheaper and easier to use than most but I'm not convinced. Like this one: http://www.buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=KDZ7590

ARGH! I just need to order something and get it over with. Why is this so hard?

I'll mostly be sticking to regular size prints but I don't know how much camera I need, ya know?

Edited March 3, 2007 by RaspberrySwirl

[Peikko 1,575]

Digital cameras are fabulous, I recommend you have at least three. One really mega huge one with an enourmous lens for taking 'serious' photographs. One teeny weeny pocket sized one to take with you everywhere to capture any moment and one medium sized one for those occaisions when you're not sure if you need the big one or not

Seriously though, can't go wrong with Canon or Fuji really

[RaspberrySwirl 20]

Digital cameras are fabulous, I recommend you have at least three. One really mega huge one with an enourmous lens for taking 'serious' photographs. One teeny weeny pocket sized one to take with you everywhere to capture any moment and one medium sized one for those occaisions when you're not sure if you need the big one or not

Seriously though, can't go wrong with Canon or Fuji really

Hehe, I wish I could convince hubby of this! I want a Rebel

Well, the reason I haven't ordered the Canon SD630 yet is because I've read there have been some problems with the LCD cracking and such.

I dunno, I guess I'm worrying too much about things :-|

[Peikko 1,575]

No, it's a serious purchase and it would really suck if you bought something and it was faulty. Had no idea about the LCD problem, but Canon take good pictures and have been pretty reliable in the past. I have had a Fuji too, again reliable but I think the pics from the Canon had the edge. Not sure why though, not technical.

[Flames9_RN 358]

My dad uses his SD 630 all the time and no problems!!! Buy it froma reputable store, so if any problems do arise, they will take care of you. He loves it.

[StarProg 0]

Well, the reason I haven't ordered the Canon SD630 yet is because I've read there have been some problems with the LCD cracking and such.

I dunno, I guess I'm worrying too much about things :-|

My sister loves her SD630, and it takes beautiful pictures. Sure you might need to be careful with that large LCD, but I worry more about the delicate zoom mechanism than the LCD, and it's a problem with all digital cams (unless you get the sports option). Incidentally, I had a faulty LCD on a Canon camera a few years ago. I notified Canon, they had me send it in and they fixed it in just a few days for free. Best customer service I've dealt with in years.

Hey, in the time you've spent looking, the price has gone down about $50.

[sereia 0]

good post!!! i just broke my digital and am in the market for a new one.

can someone help me out?

i want something HIGH quality, max i will spend is around $800. something with a pretty decent zoom option. something that takes good night photos. what else? just an overall good camera. i'm willing to spend quite a bit if its worth it.

if i can get by with an awesome camera for $300 then okay! but if there's something better out there, let me know your advice!

i'd love it if it were small enough to keep in my purse so i can travel and walk around the city with it....but.... again. if there are better options that are more worth it , tell me!

thanks!

[Dan J 277]

good post!!! i just broke my digital and am in the market for a new one.

can someone help me out?

i want something HIGH quality, max i will spend is around $800. something with a pretty decent zoom option. something that takes good night photos. what else? just an overall good camera. i'm willing to spend quite a bit if its worth it.

if i can get by with an awesome camera for $300 then okay! but if there's something better out there, let me know your advice!

i'd love it if it were small enough to keep in my purse so i can travel and walk around the city with it....but.... again. if there are better options that are more worth it , tell me!

thanks!

If you want something very good, get a Canon Digital Rebel XT. XTi might be just over your price range. The digital rebel can use all the Canon lenses. Point and shoot cameras and Digital SLR's use diffrent kinds of image sensors. Point and shoot cameras use video sensors. Thats how its able to show the image on the LCD. Digital SLRs use an image sensor that behaves more like film. Giving you better quality images.

Its not about the megapixel size of the image. Its about the quality of the image sensor taking the image. You can get 8MP cameras for $150, but that doesnt mean the image senor is very good. Digital SLR's do have the best image sensors made for digital cameras, but for most people a point and shoot camera is good enough.

I'm using a Cannon Powershot A530, It works pretty well, and does have quite a few image controls if you want to use them. Its not as small as other cameras, but sometimes size and weight make it easier to take pictures in low light situations. Image stablization is nice, but it wont help in all cases. It only allows you to decrease your shutter speed a setting or two.

[RaspberrySwirl 20]

Woot, I gots me a new camera.

I decided on the Powershot A710 IS. I haven't had a chance to try everything out yet but I'm lovin' it so far!

Got a great deal on it on buydig.com and bought an accessories pack for about $70.

Here's Puck who got interested in the camera after he got bored playing in the shipping box it came in.