i need some camera help!?

Question

Im looking for a camera that of course has professional quality, but it has to be less than 400 $ which i know isnt a lot to work with, but i want the best camera i can get. I was thinking about the cannon sd900, but it doesnt have image stablization, and is that really necessary? And the 10 mp, does that contribute to how sharp the image is, or just how big you can make the photo become, bc i dont really need them to become that big. As well, my parents were also planning on buying me a more expensive camera for christmas, is it even worth buying one now, or should i just wait til i can get the really nice one? i was also thinking about the Olympus Stylus 750??. i really just am confused about it all. im new to it, but id really like to get the best camera possible for my money.

your help would be greatly appreciated. thanks

Answer 1

The image stabilization is a really nice feature, and I would of loved a camera with that feature, sure it may not be necessary when you have a tripod. but what if you are in a building with not so good light and you are trying to hold your camera steady. So i would go with one that does have an image stabilization feature

for the mega pixels is not how well the camera shoots, that just says how big the picture can be.

What helps the image sharpness is two things one the quality of the glass the lens is, and the camera's jpg settings. For when you take a picture in jpg, the camera has a default setting. Whenever you take a picture in jpg the camera compresses the image. Sometimes the camera might compress the image to much (depends on the camera's settings) and it looks bad. Depends on the camera

reviews of cameras from cnet:

Canon PowerShot SD900: 7.6

The good: Small and comfortable; responsive performance; decent images.

The bad: Few manual controls; noticeable fringing.

The bottom line: A very good compact camera, the 10-megapixel Canon PowerShot SD900 nonetheless falls short of its faster, more full-featured, albeit lower-resolution competitors.

Would not get it..do not need that big of a megapixel. You can have a 6 megapixel camera and still make them into 8-10's

Olympus Stylus 750: 6.8

The good: Decent image quality; comfortable design

The bad: No manual exposure controls; sluggish performance.

The bottom line: It's a bit slow and lacks manual exposure controls, but the Olympus Stylus 750 is still a very nice snapshot

im sure you can find something better but also depends on what you really want in a camera

Answer 2

I'm not a pro, but I'm also in the market for a d. camera. I've been told that if you're not blowing up the pics you probably don't need 10mp. If you're looking for the best camera for the $$ try investigating in Consumer Reports. You can go to the library & find back issues or subscribe online, which is what I did. Not only will you see all the features of the cameras they tested, but also individual scores, and their "best value" picks..There are also articles available that describe what features to look for, etc. For example, they talk about the fact that there are 2 types of image stabilization...one is software-based, the other is hardware...and which one is better. CR is a great source for unbiased reviews...they don't take any $$ from any manufacturers. Once you find the model you like look on Ebay...even if you don't find the exact model you want, try looking at some of the Ebay stores...I found some low prices at www.bhphotovideo.com in NY...not super charismatic salespeople, but low prices. Good luck. For the record, CR rates the Cannon SD800IS a bit higher than the SD900 and it has image stab.

Answer 3

For professional quality, you really need a digital SLR. THey have a larger sensor which gives you the clarity and colors you need for quality photos. You can get a dSLR starting at $500 or a little more. I suggest either Canon or Nikon.

If this is not your style, and you want a small compact camera, I would stay with a camera with about 6mp, and a larger sensor. This will give you better pics than the higher resolution cameras where they pack too many pixels on a small sensor (this gives you flat colors and more noise). A 1/1.7" is a larger sensor than 1/2.5".

A very good camera is the Fuji http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Fujifilm/fuji_finepixf31fd.asp and the Canon SD900 is good too. But I would stress image quality over the megapixel hype.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp is a great site to check on the features you are looking for. Very honest reviews and tests.

Answer 4

Apparently you are looking for a sub compact camera, because that's what the Canon SD900 is.
You'd probably be perfectly happy with the Fujifilm FinePix F30. It has image stabilization, and manual controls if you care to use them. 3X optcal zoom and is 6 megapixels.It's excellent on battery life. Comes with battery and charger.

Answer 5

If you have a few more dollars, I would highly reccommend the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50 which is 10mp (it sells for $395 at fotospirit.com and $469 at bhphotovideo.com )

I am very pleased with mine.

Answer 6

Sony DSC W55
I just got one and love it. $199.00