Can you help me pick a digital camera?

Question

i'm deciding to get a digital camera and i don't know what do get so if you can help me out in telling me which ones are good or something like that. website would help.

Answer 1

Art, you have three excellent answers above me. I agree with them all, but in a minute I will post my standard answer just because it has a couple of links in it and because I want to reinforce what the others have already said.

Koko, that is a GREAT list that is comprehensive and I hope you have saved it for future use. I'd take a look at the 700IS vs. the 800 IS, though. Personally, I think you get a lot more bang for the buck with the 700IS. Ask Petra about this or just look at the charts side-by-side on dpreview.com. (haha) And double haha - I wonder why there are no Nikon SLR's on your list??? :-)

Mir, you have given all the details for why the 540 is a good choice for a new user. I've recommended this to my mother-in-law, my brother, and an employee and they are all tickled pink with the camera.

Big Jim, your thought process is right on the mark. You are showing that this is not such a simple question and the buyer has a lot to consider before just going out to a store and saying that they want a digital camera.

Tee, you'll see below that I also agree with you. The A630 or A640 will not soon be outgrown by anyone.

My stock answer:

Start with the budget. This may seem backwards, but it's not. You can find a decent camera to match any amount of money you want to spend.

Next, find a friend who will help you learn how to use the camera. This "friend" could even be the clerk in your local photo shop. By "photo shop," I mean an actual camera shop or at least a camera department where the sales staff only deals with cameras and not dishwashers, too. Buy the camera that your friend recommends so that they will be able to teach you how to use it.

After you know what you are doing and are ready for your next camera - and this will come sooner than you think - you will be in a position to make your own choice.

If you have some vague ideas about price and desired features, go to http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp and see what they select for you.

Choose the best one by deciding what you want to do, how much you want to learn, how far you want to progress and how much you want to spend.

http://www.dcresource.com/buyersguide/
http://www.dcresource.com/buyersguide/shopping_tips.shtml
http://www.steves-digicams.com/best_cameras.html
http://www.popphoto.com/buyingguide/
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sidebyside.asp

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/3148/top-5-digital-cameras-for-august.html

Consumer Reports for November 2006 has ranked the Canon Powershot A620 as the best compact digital camera. It is becoming almost a legend for longevity at the top of various consumer lists. This model has been replaced by the A630, which I would expect to be just as popular. The A640 is virtually the same, but it is 10 MP instead of 8 MP (A630) or 7 MP (A620).

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_a620%2Ccanon_a630%2Ccanon_a640&show=all

If you want to trim the budget a little, the Canon Powershot A540 is a great choice. I have recommended it in my own family several times. You will still need a decent memory card as discussed above, though.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_a540.asp
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/a540.html

Answer 2

Probably The Best Place To Start Is "How Much Do I Want To Spend"? And "What Would I Like The Camera To Do"? There Are A Lot of Models To Choose From And Most Of Them Take Great Pictures: But, Here Is My Advice For What It Is Worth. FIRST: Do You Already Own Media (Memory) Cards For Other Devices? (Compact Flash,Memory Stick,SD, MMC) If So, You May Want To Get A Camera That Uses The Same Type. (Example: You Have A Sony PSP That Uses Memory Stick Or An MP3 Player That Uses SD Media) Another Thing To Consider Is: "How Large Am I Going To Print My Pictures"? If You Never Make Prints Bigger Than 4X6 You Won't Need To Buy A Camera With 8 Mega-Pixels Or More, It Would Be A Waste. Have You Considered Battery Type: If Your Camera Needs Some Special Battery, Even If It Is "Rechargeable" You May Find Yourself Out Somewhere Without Your Charging System Or You May Lose Or Damage Your Battery-"Then What"? If You Must Have One Of These Types, Be Willing To Buy Additional Batteries For Emergencies. If Not, Try To Find One That Uses "AA" Or "AAA" Batteries.You Can Still Get Rechargables. But, You Can Also Buy "Ordinary Alkalines" In An Emergency Almost Anywhere. Another Feature That Is Nice Is Video With Audio. It Won't Take The Place Of Your Regular Video Cam But, It Can Come In Handy And It's A Lot Easier To Tote Around. Zoom Is Nice. But Remember, Most "Pocket Size" Cameras Won't Have More Than 3X Zoom(Optical) And If It Advertises More It Is Probably "Digital Zoom" Which "Electronicly Crops" The Image Degrading The Image Quality. If They Offer A Lot Of Optical Zoom (4X Or More, The Amount Of Light Reaching The Image Sensor (The Part That Makes The Picture) Is Automatically LESS Making The Camera SLOW to Capture The Image(Blurred Shots) Or Dark And "Noisy" (Grainy) (You Can't Get Something For Nothing)-So Don't Try Finding a 10X Zoom In A Camera The Size Of A Credit Card. Hope My Advice Helps- Good Luck!

Answer 3

Canon PowerShot A540.
It's relatively cheap and has a WHOLE lot of bang for the buck. I got mine last year from ... Sears? for $129. I'm STILL learning everything that this camera can do. It amazes me. There's an underwater case you can get and can take pictures underwater. Can take Macro shots (get like 2 centimeters close to something and the camera can still focus and take an OUTSTANDING photo)... can print photos... it's so easy to use, I just love it. It's a compact (very) 6 megapixel camera...
I would recommend it for those who want a good, sturdy camera, but don't want to spend an arm and a leg for it.
I have also an HP digital, as well as an old Olympus digital as well. So far the Canon is amazing. The screen is HUGE compared to my other two digitals, and takes the best images. I can zoom up to 16x. It's great.
I highly recommend it. Check it out:

This website has an in depth review:
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a540-review/

Another review:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/A540/A540A.HTM

This is the official Canon website... tells basically what it does and has a 360 degree view... I think the first link has way more info on it, but I figure I'd put this one up too since I was at it.
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=12942

I did a LOT of research and ended up with this camera. It's better than the Canon Digital Elphs (that cost a lot more... you pay more for it being skinnier but you get less options and zoom quality, etc.)

Anyway good luck getting a new camera. I know there are tons of options out there.

It might be a little easier if you wrote a list of the things that you NEED/MUST HAVE in a camera and then a list of things that you WANT but could necessarily do without... and get a few top brands and check out their camera lines from there.

I know that Canon is good, Olympus also makes good cameras (dude I drop kicked my other digital, INTO A CURB, and it still works, it even got a nice sized gash in the side of it and I can still open it up and take pics with it), HP is into the printer share... I guess... I don't know...
I'm an avid photo fan, I'd rather my old 35 millimeter to any digital but the Canon PowerShot a540 has given my old Minolta a run for its money.

Again, good luck!

Take it easy,
miR :)

Answer 4

In the low priced end the Kodaks, Fuji and Nikons are the best bet from $110 to $250.

In the medium price end the Sony and Canon are good such as the A550 for $200 or the W-30, W-50 for $200

If you need lots of zoom and cna live with a bigger camera the HC2 from Sony is excellent as is the Canon S3, but they cost $400.

For an SLR the Nikon D40 and Canon XT are entry level at about $700 for the kit.

Answer 5

I'm not an expert but I have the Canon Powershot A620 with 7.1mp and it's awesome. The picture's we've printed turn out beautiful whether they're of kids, pets or scenery. We've bought cameras before with less mps and they were completely useless.

This model was released last summer and I bought mine in October, by then there was at least one newer model so we got it a liquidation price $350 CAD at Walmart. The memory stick that came with it was tiny so we bought a 1GB stick and the only time it's been full is when I've shot videos with. It takes nice quality vids, with good sound and on an empty 1G stick can last about 10 minutes.

I highly recommend Canon. They're easy to figure out, good quality and worth every penny you spend.

Answer 6

Sounds like you’re looking for a point & shoot (P&S), user friendly digital camera. I apologize in advance for the long answer. On your hunt for your digital camera, consider a Canon. It's just a experience, personal preference and their reputation. Nothing against the other brands.

They have an awesome line of cameras that can fit any kind of budget and offers different features depending on type of photography usage.

My advice for those shopping for a point & shoot digital camera, you should consider the following: 1) 5 mp this is best for most users. 2) OPTICAL zoom with at least 4X. (Digital zoom shouldn’t be high priority in a digital camera). 3) camera ought to have an viewfinder. Some models are doing away with the viewfinder. It is very helpful to have, when your the subject is difficult to see in the LCD/display screen on a very bright day, or to conserve battery life. (Continuous screen use, suck up battery life). 4) Uses AA regular or rechargeable batteries. Some models have specialized lithium ion batteries, where you charge it while in the camera. With AA, you can always pick up a spare if you find yourself caught with low batteries and are not able to charge the camera/lithium ion battery quickly. 5)And a PLUS, can take video/movie mode. (Which most do!)

Canon has an awesome line that can fit the bill. Consider the PowerShot models, the A460, A530/A540/A550/A560 and A630/A640. Or check out the SD models. Here is a link to Canon’s cameras: http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ProductCatIndexAct&fcategoryid=113
These models have helpful pre-set shooting modes that you choose for the particular picture situation you are about to shoot. Like: auto(matic), portrait, nighttime, landscape, indoor, snow, beach, kids & pets (subjects that won’t keep still), and more… Some models have more modes than others, and have the option to program/set your own manual setting, so check the specifications. You should bear in mind, with physical size of the camera, (subcompact/slim/flat vs. compact), you compromise features that are available on the compact/slightly larger models.

I own the Canon PowerShot A620 which I purchased new online last Spring. My favorite feature of this model is the vari-angle display/LCD screen. It protects the screen when not in use, and helpful for odd angle shots. Picture taking is instant! I have found lag time is not an issue, with this camera, compared to my first digital camera. They now have an updated version of my A620… the A630 and A640. Here is a review and its features (keep scrolling to see the vari-angle screen), up close and personal:
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a630_a640-review/index.shtml

Here is where I go to shop on-line for the best price for digital cameras. (Which I found to have considerable better prices than going locally to your nearest digital camera dealer). Just type in your camera model in the ‘search keyword’: http://lowpricedigital.com/category.asp?master_category_Id=1000 Buy soon or check daily, for prices changes daily amongst merchants. Also check if the camera is being sold ‘new’ or ‘refurbished’.

If you’d rather buy from the store, check the usual places, Best Buy, Circuit City, Wal-Mart, Target, and camera stores. Even consider Office Max, Office Depot, CostCo/Sam’s Club---any store with a camera department.

I'm sure you'll find a great camera that'll work for you!

Answer 7

Here are a few choices:

Slim and Small- No limit- Canon SD900
Slim and Small- $300-400 limit Canon SD800 IS (Has Imagine Stablization)
Slim and Small- $200-$300 limit- SD600 6MP

Ultrazoom- Canon S3IS (Has Imagine Stablization) 12X optical 6MP

Budget Camera- No limit- Canon A640 10MP 4X Optical Zoom
Budget Camera- Less than $300- Canon A630 8MP 4X Optical Zoom

Enutheist Camera- No Limit- ($500+) Canon G7 10MP 6X Optical Zoom

SLR- No Limit- Canon Mk-II $5000 w/o lens
SLR- $3000 - Canon 5D Full Sensor
SLR- Budget - Canon 30D
SLR- Below $1000 w/ lens kit - Canon Rebel XTi

Just depends on what you need. For a general all purpose camera, the Canon A640 is one of the best. It has great imagine quality and i think has the most bang for your buck. There is also compact pocket size cameras but your paying for the size and not imagine quality. The imagine quality is usuable by most standards but remember it aint no camera your hopeing to sell pictures with. I own the SD700IS from Canon, I love it. I take it everywhere with my Rebel XTi just incase i need back up (even though the SD700 cant compare to the XTi). The pictures are great for a family slideshow but dont plan on going WOW. The SD series are mainly for convience so that you can slip it easly in a pocket or purse without worring too much about space it takes up. The A series are more based on imagine quality in a small size, but it wont fit in your pocket, trust me.

Answer 8

hey...there are a couple of great pns cameras out there which does provide u with great quality images and colours.
Go for the canon powershot G7 if ur budget is higher about US$531...its a great camera...Excellent resolution and respectable edge-to-edge sharpness across the zoom range
Classic 'rangefinder' styling looks great, fit & finish superb.
Capable of very good results at lower ISO settings
ISO 200-400 usable for standard sized prints (noise and NR effects are visible, however)
Huge feature set
Face detect AF a bit of a novelty but it is very effective for novice users
Real, usable photographic control
ISO dial on body and external access to all important controls
Bright, sharp screen that works pretty well in bright light
Rugged, solid construction and excellent build quality
Useful 35-210mm focal length range
Effective image stabilization with 3 stop advantage
Fast and responsive performance overall
Optional lens adaptors
Flash hot shoe for dedicated flash units
Built-in flash performs well
Two custom modes and customizable shortcut button
Wide range of image color and sharpness parameters
Good continuous shooting mode (at lower ISO settings)
1cm macro mode
Excellent movie mode - and max file size increased to 4.0GB

or u can go for the canon S3 IS, or canon SD ranges...they hav great value for money cameras which are also easy to use and produces great quality images.

Fujifilm F31 is also a great compact camera.

Dont go for kodak, nikon, sony and panansonic. they are just fashion cameras...they do nt hav great flexibilty and are nt worth the time and money. They are also pricey and they do nt offer u what u would except from a good pns.

go to www.dpreview.com for more info on reviews on the cameras tat u might be interested in.

most importantly head down to ur nearest camera store and try the camera personally to feel the camera and see if it suits ur needs

Answer 9

I think the best digital camera is the Canon Power Shot SD600. That is what I have and love it! It takes great pictures and very easy to operate!

Answer 10

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H5 is a great one , If you want it I saw it at Ritz Camera, they also got some promos at http://www.prioritycodes.com/Electronics/RitzCamera.com-Priority-Codes/index.html for a discount