I'm getting ready to finally make the switch over from a film camera to a digital but I haven't paid much attention to...anything with digital cameras to be honest. Is there a good site I can visit or a book someone can recommend for me to read that will educate me on what a person needs to know before buying a digital camera? Or just any pointers someone can give me? I have had wonderful experiences with Minolta film cameras, has anyone had any experience with the digital cameras, good or bad? Stuck in a rut, any suggestions helpful! Thanks!
2006-12-28 03:29:14 · 11 answers · asked by skygirl_21 2 in Consumer Electronics ➔ Cameras
get the Scanport SP500 5 Megapixel Camera. read the manul and that should tell you how it works. if you want to expand memory, buy a SD card for it.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2366075&Tab=2&NoMapp=0
"Scanport SP500 Portable Multimedia Player.
It’s hard to imagine how Scanport managed to include so many fantastic multimedia options on its incredibly compact SP500 multimedia player. And we’ve sweetened the pot by offering the Scanport SP500 at our a rock-bottom price! The snazzy little SP500 with its brilliant 2.5-inch LCD screen integrates the functions of an MP3 player and 5-megapixel digital camera to allow you to play music and videos, shoot video clips, record and play audio, store data, play games and much more! Yes, this stylish multimedia player is a digital video camera, digital camera, movie recorder, movie player, MP3 player, game player, voice recorder, calendar, alarm clock and calculator all rolled into one! And despite the multiplicity of functions, the Scanport SP500 is amazingly easy to use. In no time at all, you’ll have complete command of a world of digital entertainment possibilities. This stylish, lightweight Scanport SP500 features great video capture resolution, built-in 128 MB memory, support for SD card media, high-speed USB 2.0 port for blazing fast data transfer, TV output and input, plus built-in microphone and speaker. Comes with hand strap, lithium ion battery, USB cable, TV-in and TV-Out cables, earphone, charger, traveling bag and CDs containing driver software and user guide. Take advantage of this sweet deal today! A superb, ultra-compact multimedia player at an absolutely unbeatable value." -Tigerdirect
2006-12-28 03:36:56 · answer #1 · answered by Unblack 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Kodak makes great quality digital cameras that are affordable and easy for beginners to use. Most of them have an optional printer so you can easily make your own prints at home too.
Try www.dpreview.com and www.cnet.com for more information.
All you need is the basics though. Look for 4 megapixels or higher and at least a 3x OPTICAL zoom. "Digital" zoom is meaningless, all it does is enlarge pixels.
A camera that uses CF or Compact Flash memory will be the cheapest to buy memory for, but they tend to be bulkier.
Get at least 128 mb of memory, 256 or 512 mb is much better.
Sony, Canon and Fuji also make very good digital cameras. Minolta should be fine as well.
I would NOT recommend buying a digital camera from a company you've never heard of. The quality and customer support could be questionable at best. Don't be wowed by extras you'll probably never use.
My best suggestion for a beginner is to go for an entry to mid-entry level Kodak digital camera. They have great quality and value for your money and are easy to use.
2006-12-28 03:40:56 · answer #2 · answered by Ryan 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It depends on what you want the camera for. Things to consider are size, price, battery life, LCD size, zoom, stability software. Minor things to consider are card (memory) type, sensor, and megapixels.
Decide if you want something small, like a Casio Exslim or Canon Powershot S550. Those can fit in your wallet and pocket easily (but always take care not to bang it around!). If you're a serious photographer and want a digital SLR camera, those are bulkier and cost more. But, if you already have a film SLR camera with lenses, oftenfimes you can use those lenses on a digital SLR if they're the same brand (e.g. Nikon lens on a Nikon film and digital SLR cameras). If you have your own photography company or are the amateur photographer of your crowd of friends, then obviously getting a larger SLR camera would be more impressive. If you're a bit clutzy (I'm not saying that you are ;-) then perhaps something small would be nice.
Some people like having a giant LCD. I personally don't. The LCD is the screen so that you don't have to look in the small rectangle when you're trying to focus your picture. Some people like looking at the LCD instead of the small view finder because it makes photo taking easier. However, using the LCD eats up batteries faster.
Another thing to consider is batteries. Can it use a typical battery that you can pick up at the drug store? This is important to consider when you're going on trips. Some cameras use AA batteries. Some use special lithium ion batteries that require recharing. If you don't have an outlet handy, then maybe a camera that uses AA is better. Of course, you could get a few backup lithium batteries as well, all charged up, so that when the battery in the camera dies, you can put in the new one.
Some people care about the sensor a lot. There are different types. For example, CCDs. Some people care about that sensor the camera uses. The sensor is basically the chip inside the camera that captures the colors, and certain sensors capture colors differently. For example, a certain sensor might capture the blue sky correctly, but the skin tone of the people in the picture would be off.
You might also want to consider type of zoom. In general, optical zoom is better than digital zoom. Some cameras have digital zoom but no optical while some have both. (I'm not sure if some have just optical zoom but no digital). This helps get clearer pictures when you are trying to zoom in on something far away.
Card type (e.g. Secure digital, Compact flash) matters a bit sometimes to some people. Some people like certain card types better. To me, it really doesn't matter because most cameras have a cable that you connect it to in order to get the pictures out of it. Some people like takiing the card out like a floppy disk almost and putting it in a card reader. This consumes less batteries.
Some cameras have built-in stability software. I don't know if this matters to you or not. You've seen the ads on TV where some people are on a motorcycle and trying to take a picture from it. The stability stuff in the camera just makes it so that you can take pictures of or from moving things and have them be still instead of blurry.
Megapixels really doesn't matter much anymore. Most new cameras nowadays are at least 5.1MP. Unless you plan on printing out your own pictures, megapixels won't matter much to you. The more megapixels you have, the bigger you would be able to print out the picture on a piece of paper without having the picture become distorted.
There are many sites to look at for reviews on cameras, but I've pointed out what I consider the most important things to look for. Hope this gives you some things to consider!
2006-12-28 03:55:26 · answer #3 · answered by Wendy C 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
All of the major brands have their fans, and I have no doubt that they are all good cameras. The only camera available at the moment that I would stay away from is the Fuji S9500. I bought one and the photos are just not sharp and clear.
Take your time looking, they are getting better and cheaper as time goes by.
Optical zoom is the most important thing, get the most you can for your money.
Digital zoom is a complete waste of time, do not consider this as a factor when buying a camera. Once you have bought a camera, turn digital zoom off.
Get the most megapixels you can for your money.
As a very rough rule of thumb when comparing your final choices in camera, take the number of megapixels and multiply that by the amount of optical zoom. Buy the camera with the highest number.
Try to avoid a camera that uses two 'AA' batteries (except perhaps the Kodaks that can use the CR3 Lithium ion Battery Pack). Get a camera that either uses four, or one with its own dedicated Lithium Ion battery pack. (If you want to keep it for a long time, check the price and availability of replacement batteries. perhaps ebay?)
2006-12-28 07:24:31 · answer #4 · answered by teef_au 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
About Minolta...
Well, they are out of business. The Konica/ Minolta SLR line has been taken over by Sony, and their first attempt is unremarkable.at best. I don't think there will be any more Konica/Minolta/Sony point & shoots.
I have had a Polaroid (11 years ago, top resolution was 640x480, and that was smokin' back in its day!) , an Olympus 4mp, liked a lot, a Nikon 4300, daughter is using it now, and a Canon Powershot G6, like a lot. I have a stable full of Nikon and Canon film SLR bodies and lenses, but my next camera will be a nikon DSLR.
Go to www.dpreview.com or www.stevesdigicams to research different cameras by specs, features, and reviews. When you decide on one, the first important thing is to read the manual!
There is a pretty good book, "Digital Photography for Dummies" that you might try.
Good luck!
2006-12-28 14:50:46 · answer #5 · answered by Ara57 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
To start, unless you figure on doing LARGE professional prints, it is not neccessary to get anything over about 4 megapixels. Also, optical zoom is better than digital zoom. Read the manual with the camera you buy. Most are pretty straight forward.
As an example, mine is a pretty simple setup:
Kodak EasyShare CD 40 - $80
4x optical zoom
4.1 megapixel
Uses two standard AA batteries (I use 2 1800 milliamp NiMn)
4 pack with charger - $20
At full res (4.1 mega) it will produce a 20"x30" photo quality print.
I usually turn it down to 2.1 mega.
They want $130 for printer/printer dock for this camera.
I bought an Epson Stylus CX5000 all-in-one copier/scanner/printer for $80.
It will print 4x6 prints without being hooked up to the computer(the camera plugs right into the printer) and it has card slots for most popular memory cards. Also, it has individual color cartrages so you can replace what you need instead of throwing away half your red and yellow because you are out of cyan. $16 for black cartrage and $12 for each color cartrage.
With this setup you can have your own photo studio for about the price of an 8 megapixel camera. The only thing I would change is I would get a camera that has optical zoom along with digital zoom.
With
2006-12-28 04:13:52 · answer #6 · answered by Say What? 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My, My, My, you sure got a lot of answers. Your first answer believe it or not said it all. Megapixels and optical zoom. You never mentioned how much you plan to spend. Stick to this Website and you're bound to learn alot. You can spend $180 for a camera or $500 depending on megapixels which almost everyone doesn't need a lot of and features plus size. I know nothing about Minolta, but quality would be Canon, Sony, Nikon and Olympus. Look into Nov'06 Consumer Reports.
2006-12-28 05:42:32 · answer #7 · answered by Vintage Music 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't go all out and buy a 200 or 300 dollar camera at first. I'm a beginner and I got one for 129.99 at K-mart. It's a Samsung and it's really great. Any brand is fine but most people suggest Kodak,HP,Samsung because they're most popular and they work well. Buy the one you like and make sure you can handle it. Also, make sure you buy a case and memory card with it.
2006-12-28 03:33:12 · answer #8 · answered by music_lvr29 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
ebay.com has a digital camera buying guide
go to Best Buy or Staples and ask for help looking at them- Walmart staff is usually helpful too
read consumer reviews before you buy and for a beginner you only need 5mp(resolution) and 3x optical zoom(digital zoom is not very good) unless you are planning on printing pictures larger than 8x10
look at type of battery and battery life, look at what type of memory you can use in the camera( SD - secure digital is very popular), look at what type of software comes with camera, make sure camera connects to computer or print with a USB cord, look at LCD screen size(you want bigger to view your pics after you take them)
i just bought myself a Polaroid digi cam at wally world($120) and it has 5mega pixel resolution and 3x optical zoom, 2.5 in LCD screen and great battery life
2006-12-28 03:43:51 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You ned to give more information. I really like Olympus they are great. Did you own an slr or point and shoot. Kodak makes one of the best point and shoot but Olympus is a great slr
2006-12-28 03:32:19 · answer #10 · answered by shadouse 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋