Digital Camera?

Question

We are wanting to buy a digital camera and the only thing we know is that you want at least 5 megapixels. As far as features go, we know we want a decent zoom package. Can any of you offer any suggestions or advice on what to look for in digital cameras? We would appreciate it!!!

Answer 1

Yeah...5mp is a good start for sensor resolution. At 5mp you have the ability to make up to an 8x10 print with very very good quality. And I wouldn't get caught up in the 10mp craze. 10mp cameras don't give very good dynamic range, and have a ton of noise. So, they might be able to give you a 17x24 print...but the image quality would lack detail in the very bright areas and very dark areas.

Another thing to look at when it comes to sensors is what kind of sensor is it, and how big is it? Most p&s cameras use a normal CCD sensor. Larger SLR-like cameras use larger CMOS sensors, which are superior in image quality. But they are...larger. Take note of Fuji's Super-CCD sensors. They do amazingly well in low-light situations, and in a class of their own. If you have a preference for natural lighting, and dont want to use flash too much, you might have a preference for the Fuji's SuperCCD sensor.

3x optical zoom is the standard expecation these days for simple point-and-shoot cameras. With larger compact cameras, it goes all the way up to 6x or even 12x zoom. Those are pretty impressive...but not very compact.

In fact the first thing you'll probably want to do is define what form factor you're willing to go with. The biggest cameras are infallibly the best quality ones. But the smaller cameras are more convenient. To get things smaller, manufacturers had to use creative optics and technologies to shrink things down. But you sacrifice performance to varying degrees as well. You need to define what you are willing to sacrifice. For instance: a common preference is in having the option to use AA batteries (easy to replace if you happen to run out of rechargables in an inopportune moment). But if you get really ultra compact cameras, you'll find many that you are limited to proprietary flat batteries.

Other things to look at: folded optics versus in-line optics. Folded optics takes the lens assembly and puts a 90 degree turn in it. It sacrifices some image quality. The optics are usually very small (if you let in more light, you have more versatility), and the sensor has to be really tiny (tiny sensors have tiny pixels, which aren't as sensitive to light as larger pixels), so performance is usually a little more limited. But you can get amazingly small cameras out of it. Take a look at sample pics and see if you're satisfied with them first.


Also, take a look at the shooting modes the camera offers. If you're into custom settings, find one that offers full photographic control. If you'd rather point-and-shoot simplicity, look for ones that have pre-defined settings like portrait, landscape, fireworks, beach, action, etc.

You'll also see cameras have aperture sizes defined. The larger the aperture, the more flexibility you'll have to take pictures in lower light conditions. The smaller the lens assembly, the more limited you'll be in terms of how well you'll be able to take pics in low light--forcing you to use flash more often.

Speaking of flash...most small cams only have flashes good for about 10 ft.

Lastly, take a look at the type of memory cards it supports. SD cards seem like the new compact standard. But there are others too, like Fuji's xD card. Just make sure you're satisfied with the arrangement you have to transfer media to your computer. If you were expecting to be able to use a card reader for faster downloads, the xD card may be limiting.

What's most important is that you start looking at reviews and sample pics and decide for yourself whether you're happy with a camera's output. The best thing to do is take sample pics from review sites and look at them the way you'd look at your own pics. And print one or two out and see if it looks the same as you'd expect them to look.

Answer 2

I am definitely not an expert in this field but have had several digital cameras over the past ten years. Although my current camera is 5 MP, I generally set it at the 3.1 MP setting to obtain more images. Also, I find that the higher MP settings results in larger images when I transfer them to the computer. Maybe I am doing something wrong and someone can explain this to me. As far as zoom goes, I would not even consider the digital zoom feature which most cameras have. You should look for a camera with a 10X optical zoom. My sony only has 3X optical zoom and I find the feature very limiting. I usually go to CNet for answers to these questions as they have user ratings that are awesome. I almost never buy a computer related item without reading the pros and cons posted there.

Answer 3

Two cameras that take excellent 8X10 prints. I own a Sony CyberShot DSC-H2, has 6 megapixels, 12X optical; comes with batteries and battery charger. Bought my daughter a Fugifilm FinePix S5200 for Chrstmas. It has 5 megapixels, 10X optical no battery charger but is quite a bit cheaper. Also the Fugi has a wider ISO range. Hope this helps a little. Look at Nov '06 Consumer Reports in your local library.

Answer 4

Digital Camera........

Answer 5

5Mpixels is gobs of plenty unless you are a professional photographer or plan on making HUGE pictures larger than 8 x 10's. Sony and Cannon have some really nice cameras that are capable of accepting "add-on" lenses later if you so choose. My best advice is to go check some out and see what feels comfortable to you. Is it easy to carry, is it akward to hold??? You can spend any amount of money you want, it just depends on the capabilities/expandabilities you want. Good luck.

Answer 6

5 megapixels should not be the criteria but - a easy to use and share camera that takes good pictures...
go for Canon Powershot A430 or 530 ones..good for beginners..

Answer 7

Look for a camera with a 1) minimum 5 megapixels (mp), this is very good for most users. 2) 4x optical zoom is good, don't worry too much about digital zoom. 3) Best to stick with regular (or rechargeable) AA batteries. Lithium battery are good, but not easy to find if you're on vacation and need batteries at a convienence store or can recharge quickly. 4) I see that many digital cameras are doing away with the optical viewfinder (the old fashioned way of looking through the viewfinder to take a picture), and strickly having just the LCD screen to compose a shot to take. I, personally still like the optical viewfinder to really focus on a particular subject, or use on a really sunny day where it's hard to see your subject(s) on the screen, or just to save battery power on my camera. These are just a few things to consider for your first camera. Here's what I have...

I LOVE my Canon PowerShot A620. It's a 7.1 mp camera which takes awesome still shots, and just as awesome video. Great for home and everyday use. Easy to take on vacations and you can take some really artistic/creative photos too. A great all-around camera. My 35mm cameras are Canon too, and I still love and use it. .

I had a Sony, and I gave that to my daughter, and purchased the Canon PowerShot A610 for my teenage son. The Canon A610 is exactly like my A620, but is a 5 mp digital camera. They both take GREAT pictures, but my favorite thing about the camera, is the vari-angle LCD screen. You can even hook it up to your tv and see your pictures/video on whatever size screen you have. It's pretty neat on the big screens! (The necessary cords come with it). It is very easy to use, and a camera you can grow with. http://www.usa.canon.com
Go to 'products' to 'consumer products' to lead you to the cameras.

Our A610/A620 has a setting, call "kids&pets". Typically you use these on the subjects that usually has a hard time keeping still. But I also use this setting when taking pictures of my soccer team during game play. I've also taken pictures of my kids, nieces and nephews jumping in the air, a la cheerleader jumps, with great results. Lag time is very, very, very minimal. (e.g. delay from pressing button to actual camera capturing the shot). This is just one of the many settings the camera has to offer and you can also manually set and program your own settings.

For ease of point and shoot, just choose the setting in which you're taking pictures of, (i.e. indoor, outdoor, nighttime, portrait, fireworks, snow, beach, and 'auto' [automatic]), and it'll adjust accordingly the proper exposure/settings. And it even has an 'underwater' mode to use, but that's if you purchase the special housing for the camera. (I don't have the housing. I'll wait to save up or find it for very inexpensive). If you get more experience or for the experienced, you can manually choose exposure and settings like the old 35 mm.

I'm a bargain hunter. I purchased both NEW Canon this late spring 2006 on line. My son's was under $200 and mine was $204. Just Google (or Froogle) or Yahoo! Search any Canon model, and then see which merchant has the best price with those low price websites and order on-line. The price is waaaay better than going physically to the stores. If you need it right away, just upgrade the shipping. It's still cheaper than buying at the stores. No matter what model camera you're searching for, better prices are on-line.

I don't know if you'll find this model (A610) at the stores. They have newer models, the A630 (8mp) and the A640 (10mp), they boast more mega-pixels and ISO settings. But 5mp, more than suffices for most users. What I did was physically touched and feel the camera at the store, then go on-line to purchase. But if you prefer to purchase at the stores, some good places are Best Buy, Wal Mart and Target. Suprisingly enough, they have good selection at Wal-Mart and Target.

Here is the link if you'd like to check out the specs on these models and other Canon cameras: http://www.usa.canon.com
and go to 'products' to 'consumer products' to lead you to the cameras. It tells you what the camera has and what it looks like up close.

While you're searching on-line, you'll also find many reviews on these cameras. All with many positives things to say about the camer and you can also find information on these cameras in Yahoo! Tech http://tech.yahoo.com/rc/digital-cameras...

Hope this helps in your hunt for a digital camera!

Answer 8

go to yahoo shopping
digital camera
digital camera buying guide
the guide will help you choose the right camera

Answer 9

I have a HPE327 and it is pretty good and cheap!

Answer 10

http://answers.yahoo.com/my/profile;_ylt=Asyolok3AAVfVZHgqyXTdSYezKIX?show=0b8da2260d046cd27dd03cc35365d4cfaa