Digital Camera - Is This Thing Worth Buying?

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 12:06 pm

I have little knowledge of digital cameras so I have no clue if this thing is worth the $80 US. If you know anything about digital cameras then please tell me your thoughts ...

http://www.buy.com/retail/clearance/pro ... =&product=

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 12:10 pm

80bux?

I say go find a better camera. My advice is to stay away from Kodak.

go look at 3.2 mp cameras at the least.

CDN_Merlin · Post by **CDN_Merlin** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 12:25 pm

Canon has some really nice 3.2 MP cams.

Plebeian · Post by **Plebeian** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 12:53 pm

I second the recommendation to look at Canon. Well-respected, with some nice products, even on the low end. Though "low end" doesn't really include those cheap $50-100 things that try to pass themselves off as camera.

$200 is about what you'd need to expect for a good, solid entry-level digital camera. You can get things cheaper, but most likely it won't be worth it. (But depending on the budget and usage you anticipate, sometimes there's not really any other viable choice, and waiting's not an option.)

STRESSTEST · Post by **STRESSTEST** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 1:01 pm

Your camera is sold out now

Hows this one if you want cheap
click

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 1:22 pm

Ok one more question b4 I decide between the el cheapo Stress linked me to or spending $200+ ...

How much of a visual difference do you see (on the PC) between the 2M and the 3.2M cams?

STRESSTEST · Post by **STRESSTEST** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 1:24 pm

the difference is the size of the image.

Personally I wouldn't touch a camera under 3.1 MP. And I'd only use Olympus / Fuji in that order. But that's my personal oppinion.

Remember your screen will only display 72 DPI. It's when you hit the print button that the difference is evident.

STRESSTEST · Post by **STRESSTEST** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 1:27 pm

Here's the one I had Punisher buy earlier this week.

Fujifilm
FinePix A330
FinePix 3.2 MegaPixel Digital Camera. 1.5-in. Color LCD, 3x optical 1.6x digital zoom, 16MB xD Memory Card

149.99 (But pun said it was 135 when he got there) @ BestBuy

Get that
talk to pun on the phone. he loves it

edit

Sale ends tomorrow at BB BTW

BAAL · Post by **BAAL** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 1:40 pm

Agreed, a friend has that camera....takes great pics and easy to use.

Deadmeat · Post by **Deadmeat** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 1:50 pm

Iceman, one word in that URL told me a lot. "Clearance" means someone's trying to get rid of it, maybe Kodak. And it's the old story of you get what you pay for. Even at its retail price of $130, it's not much of a camera. Take your time and do some research. Christmas is coming and you're going to see some great deals made available.

Case in point. Last year the GF and I decided to get ourselves a decent digicam. I did some research and found some nice 3MP cameras in the price range we could afford. One Sunday morning I went to Officemax to pick up some stuff and noticed a sale display for a Hewlett Packard camera. Talked to a store guy who knew about cameras, went home and checked it out online and bought it. I got the HP-935, a 5.3MP with 21X zoom. A $350 camera for $250 out the door, no rebates. It came with photo editing software, lots of features including bells and whistles and I have been very happy with this camera.

Now, one thing I've come to find out is that you don't need a high MP camera unless you're going to get into specialized photography. A camera in the 3.2MP range is more that adequate for the average user. I only bought the one we have because of the deal.

And another thing. No matter what you buy, make sure you can use rechargable batteries in it. Some low-end cameras will not work with NiCad batteries. Just like cheap **s RC cars from Radio Shack, digicams eat batteries. So be sure to get one that offers some kind of charging option. In my case I went on Ebay and got the HP charging station which keeps the batteries charged and also lets me upload pics to my comp.

Anyway, there's a lot of stuff out there and it can be confusing. Just do your homework and I'm sure you'll find something to suit your needs.

MD-2389 · Post by **MD-2389** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 2:00 pm

The thing you really want to focus on when buying a camera is how good the sensor is, how well it fits into your hand, and if it has a widely supported media for storage. A 10MP camera with a really grainy picture and a poor grip won't do you a whole hell of good.

Here's a review on the camera Stress posted. Official site for the camera.

Plebeian · Post by **Plebeian** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 2:38 pm

Definitely go by some stores and see what they have that you can look at, hold, take a couple pictures with, and hopefully even get a printout of a shot or two to be able to try to compare some of the brands and models. if you have a local camera store, they might be of more help to you than going to an electronics store and shopping around.

Higher megapixel ratings just means higher resolution (the ability to get the same "quality" in larger print sizes). Once you hit the level you want, anything higher really won't do much for you. And just because they have all those pixels, it doesn't mean they're very good.

Two of the sites I like for camera reviews:
http://www.dpreview.com
http://www.dcresource.com

BUBBALOU · Post by **BUBBALOU** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 7:08 am

over 3.x MP

no properitery BS : standard size batteries that you can buy at any store, or buy a rechargable set like mentioned above.

Software..BLeH : Dont load that BS

when it says ZOOM must be optical (cause digital only works in one mode)

I can go into a lot of details about the cameras, ones for underwater use, sports...blah blah blah.. but the aspects above is all YOU need

kurupt · Post by **kurupt** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 7:18 am

another vote for canon here. not necessarily a canon camera, but if you can find one with a canon lens they rock and cost a little less

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 8:11 am

I missed the Fuji sale ...

Considering these two :

Sony DSC-P41 ($166.50) : http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDe ... ory=BROWSE

Canon PowerShot A75 ($179.95) : http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 122&depa=0

Issues:

1) The Canon's shutter speed goes up to 1/2000s while the Sony's only goes up to 1/1000s.

2) The Sony captures up to 4.1 MP while the Canon maxes at 3.2MP.

3) The Canon supports only AVI and JPEG while the Sony supports JPEG and MPEG VX.

4) Sony zooms only to 3.6X while Canon zooms to 9.6x

5) Sony LCD is smaller than Canon (1.5" versus 1.8")

6) Canon takes 4 batteries, Sony only 2

CDN_Merlin · Post by **CDN_Merlin** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 8:21 am

Sony uses propriety SIM cards, canon doens't. I know this for a fact cause my sis-in-law has a sony and I have the Canon G3 and mine takes regular SD cards her doesn't.

Will Robinson · Post by **Will Robinson** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 8:43 am

Here is a great site for honest reviews that are not influenced by advertising dollars the way it happens in magazines and some web sites.

A 3 megapixel or greater camera will be fine for display on a screen, TV or computer monitor. When printing more resolution is alway better but I've printed some mighty fine looking 4x6 prints from 3 megapixel cameras.

The biggest thing to look for is shutter lag. The time you wait between pushing the shutter release and the actual time the image is captured. Basically they are all too slow and you learn to anticipate and push it a split second early so you end up with what you want on the image. If any manufacturer has improved on this shutter lag more than the others I would consider that to be the most important feature to look for.

Remember, "shutter speed" is how long a shutter can stay open once it *is* opened, not how quick it can open ie; lag.
A 2000 speed shutter will stop action better than a 1000 speed shutter, the 1000 speed shutter stays open twice as long as the 2000 speed shutter giving the subject time to move more, for my taste 1000 is kind of limiting but for most photography it won't matter. Most snap shots of people are taken with less than 1000 shutter speed even in bright light where faster shutter speed is a factor.

Kyouryuu · Post by **Kyouryuu** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 1:10 pm

I have one of those shiny Canon ELPH cameras because I wanted a simple point-and-shoot camera that was reasonably small and portable. I love it. The only thing I don't care for, and I think this is true of all Canon digitals, is that arbitrary time limit on video recording. Most cameras just let you record until you run out of memory card space. Canons have locked down limitations, which annoy me to no end.

STRESSTEST · Post by **STRESSTEST** » Sun Oct 31, 2004 1:54 pm

ok, another recomendation from the Stress camp since your in the 180 range now

Olympus D540
Camedia D540z 3.2 MegaPixel Digital Camera. 1.8-in. color LCD screen, 3x optical 3.3x digital zoom, 7 scene selection modes including landscape, night & self portrait. 16MB xD memory card
$179.99

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp ... pe=product

If that link doesn't work, just search Olympus D540

Product Features

Olympus aspherical glass zoom lens
7 selectable shooting modes, including program auto, portrait, portrait + landscape, self-portrait, landscape, night scene; QuickTime JPEG movie mode lets you make mini movies
TruePic TURBO technology delivers color-accurate images and fast processing speed
Direct print capability â?? connect to any PictBridge-enabled printer via USB interface
Auto-connect USB instantly links camera to any USB-equipped computer for easy downloading
Panorama option, up to 10 frames stitchable, with included Camedia Master software when using Olympus-brand xD-Picture Card media (16MB included)
Built-in, multiple-mode flash
12-second delay self-timer

Product Details

Warranty Terms - Parts 1 year
Warranty Terms - Labour 1 year
Product Height 2.2"
Product Width 1.5"
Product Weight 5.3 oz. (without battery and media card)
Product Length 4"
Image Resolution Up to 2048 x 1536
Image Storage Media and Capacity xD-Picture Card
Imaging Sensor Resolution 3.3 total, 3.2 effective megapixels
Lens 3x optical/3.3x digital zoom/10x total
Lens Focal Length(s) 35mm equivalent 38-114mm
Viewfinder Real-image optical
Burst Mode Yes
Internal Memory None
Text Overlay Date/time/calendar
Shutter Speeds 1 - 1/2000 sec.
Aperture Range f/2.9/5 - f/7
White Balance Auto, preset (daylight, overcast, tungsten, fluorescent)
Flash Range 8" - 11.2' (wide); 8" - 6.6' (telephoto)
Flash Modes Auto (lowlight and backlight), red-eye reduction, fill-in, flash off
Orientation Sensor No
External Flash Mount No
Focus Range 20" - infinity (normal); 8" - 20" (macro); 0.8" - 8" (super macro)
Movie Mode Yes
ISO Equivalent Auto, 50-400
Self-Timer 12 sec.
Interface USB, DC input
Video Outputs NTSC
Audio None
File Formats Still image: JPEG (Exif v2.2), DCF, PIM II; movie mode: QuickTime Motion JPEG
Exposure Control Programmed auto
Image Storage Capacity Varies
Batteries 2 AA alkaline (included), 2 AA NiMH or 1 CR-V3 lithium battery pack
AC Adapter Optional
Digital Magnification 3.3x
Imaging Sensor Type CCD
Imaging Sensor Size 1/3.7"
Time Lapse None
Tripod Mount None
Accessories 16MB xD-Picture Card, 2 AA alkaline batteries, USB cable, wrist strap, quick-start guide, instruction manual
Software Included Camedia Master software, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Windows 98 Rev. 2 driver

Jagger · Post by **Jagger** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 5:11 pm

Don't buy a cheap digital camera. You WILL regret it, I guarantee it.

I recommend Canon / Fuji. Canon A75 is a very nice camera with competent automatic modes. And it's decently priced, too!

Iceman · Post by **Iceman** » Sat Nov 06, 2004 4:56 pm

Ok I went with Stress and bought the Olympus D-540Z. So far it looks like a great camera. I bought the 256Mb memory pack so I spent an extra $70 from the listed price. I had to lighten up these pix in Photoshop a little bit and at full resolution they are a little grainy but ... Not bad for $250 total ...

Here is a picture of it (linked) :

A pic of my car (linked) :

Outside of my home (linked) :

Digital Camera - Is This Thing Worth Buying?

Is this camera worth $80?

Digital Camera - Is This Thing Worth Buying?