Digital Cameras. What should I know before going shopping as a first time buyer?

Question

I am looking to buy a digital camera for the first time. I am only an occasional photographer so i don't need anything fancy. I am looking for a decent camera for under $300CAD but I don't even know what sort of questions to ask at the store. Can you either recommend a camera or give me some guidelines in what I should be looking for. I don't want to be fleeced by some salesman who sees an easy mark. Thanks

Answer 1

I've been a photo buff for over 40 years and I just love digital.

Most folks tend to get way to excited over Mega-pixels. You can get cameras today with 10 to 12 mega-pixes, but simply over kill. I use a 9 mp camera but never shoot about 5 mp.

What to look for:

Mega-pixels - 5 to 6 is plenty.

Zoom - At least 3X optical, more is better. Don't be concerned about "Digital" zoom, it destroys picture quality.

View screen - At least 1.8 inch, bigger is better.

Batteries - Should be able to use both standard AA and rechargeable AA. (Be weary of specialized batts)

Memory - Should be removable. Secure digital or XD.

I usually stay away from Sony because they tend to use strange memory systems, and Kodak because they their prioritized software.

Last, you should be able to pick up a really good camera for around $150 to $200.

Hope this helps a little.

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

You can get a pretty good camera for under $300. If you are just going to use the camera for personal purposes, I would recommend either a Nikon L12 or a Sony Cybershot. Both of these cameras are about $130 and they are small, and contain enough features for a beginner just wanting to take personal pictures.

If you are wanting a professional camera, then Nikon is a good brand. You will find the higher end Nikons contain many features that are not for beginning photographers. Fuji also has an excellent camera that takes professional looking photos. If you are going to use the zoom a lot for long range photos, then I recommend going with Fuji. Their resolution is much better than Nikon's at long range.

To summarize, Fuji, Nikon, and Sony are all good cameras. For the personal cameras, the Fuji will cost a little more. As far as the professional cameras, it varies, but generally Nikons will cost more.

Answer 4

All of the major brands are good. Choose a brand that appeals to you. Then you have to think about getting a spare battery, what size memory card, if you want an extended warranty, how much you can afford, what size zoom, if you want manual controls, the size of the camera, finding a reliable place to purchase it, and the list goes on and on and on.......

The first thing to realize is that almost any digital camera will take good pictures. If more people would read the manual more than once, they would be able to take better pictures. Usually, the person assumes it is the camera when it could be them not knowing exactly what to do. Just give yourself more photographic knowledge by doing more reading on the internet.

I really believe buying a camera is an individual choice.
The person needs to read alot of reviews on cameras so they can decide on the features that they really want and need.
Go to the store and hold them so you can see if they feel comfortable in your hands. If possible, take some pictures in the store to check the quality of the pictures.
I can only give a suggestion of what to look for in a new digital camera.
Good Luck

my suggestion
go to yahoo shopping
digital cameras
digital camera GUIDE
be sure to check titles on the left side
the guide should answer your questions

Answer 5

Canon A570 IS, A720 IS or SD850 IS are pretty good cameras for a first time buyer. All of them have 7 megapixels or more and image stabilization.

Also take a look of the reviews from dpreview.com. Generally, any camera on their Highly Recommended list is good.

Answer 6

Some things to look for is the start up time (how long it takes to turn on and take the picture) you could miss a picture. that just happened. It is always good to see different cameras have different storage Like jpg. or fax. or tiff format. it all depends on what you pref fer. Jpg is great for simple photos like 4X6 where Fax or tiff are better for 8X10 or larger.

Answer 7

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