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what digital camera should i buy?

Looking for a cheap point-and-shoot digital still camera.

Right now I'm thinking Pentax Optio 330:
Size of a deck of cigs
3x optical zoom
3.34 megapixel CCD
A whole bunch of features (aperture, shutterspeed, whitebalanc etc...)

What would you guys suggest?
NOTE: Advice based on experience particularly appreciated.

we once had a Sony MCV-something......... it's an awsome cam...... lots of cool and fun features, and it saves the pics on floppy disks on .JPG files so it's very convinient........ but only 30 pics per disk...
now we have an HP Photosmart 715...... even better.... works on flash memory cards with a USB output, can function as a webcam (I think.....), and the pics it takes are HUGE and in supirior quality...

I know they're both expensive.... but if you wanna get something durable, reliable, and that has supirior quality pics, I recommend HP and Sony......

I bougt myself last year the Olympus C2100 UZ,

it has got:

10x !!! optical zoom
2.1 megapixel

and lots op other features,
made almost 500 pics and i love this thing

from the olympus site:

Super-sharp 10x optical zoom
Besides the bright F2.8 high-resolution lens (which offers zoom performance equivalent to 38 - 380 mm on a 35 mm camera) and optical image stabilisation system, the C-2100 Ultra Zoom is also equipped with an electronic viewfinder. As with a conventional SLR camera, it displays the exact image that will be captured. A choice of three different exposure metering systems, auto bracketing and exposure compensation are included to guarantee high-quality results. In addition, this All-In-One digital camera incorporates a USB interface, A/V connection as well as a contact for the optional FL-40 external flash unit. Naturally, the C-2100 Ultra Zoom not only allows for great zoom photography, it also records QuickTime movies with sound plus shots in sepia or black and white.


you schould check the olympus site (www.olympus.com)and read some reviews and tests about the cameras.

Good Luck,

GreetZ RubDub

thanks for the advice dudes. I'll definitely give those a look.

hey!

well, i am looking to buy a canon s330. I did try it out at ritz, and imo, it makes great phtos! i cant help you much more, but i use dpreview, link at the bottom

btw, ill be checking this thread once in a while too..i also need a cam

www.dpreview.com

phasefour

Either a Cannon on Fuji

I find the olympus menus very confusing

but the Olympus Camedia C3000 takes great pics..dunno a price, ive just seen pics, asked and its what it was.

quote:

Originally posted by PhaseFour hey! well, i am looking to buy a canon s330. I did try it out at ritz, and imo, it makes great phtos! i cant help you much more, but i use dpreview, link at the bottom btw, ill be checking this thread once in a while too..i also need a cam www.dpreview.com phasefour

dpreview is indeed a good site, I've been refferring to it ever since i started looking at cameras the reviews are particularly helpful.
The s330 does look pretty good, but I join the reviewer at dpr in asking why they didn't chuck a 3 megapixel ccd in there.
The reason I'm thinking of buying a the Pentax is that, while it may not be at the top of the 3 megapixel, 3x zoom, category, it seems unbeatable at the price. I found a couple of e-stores that sell it at around the low four-hundreds, minus the Pentax $100 rebate.
You just can't get another tiny, 3 megapixel, 3x optical zoom camera for under 330 bucks.

My Recommendation: Canon Powershot S30 or S40

Here are some of the pics I've taken with a S30:

Toronto: Dusk



Dawn




I would go with a Nikon Coolpix 5000 (i think). 5.25 MP If I had the money.

photography alliance?

nice pix 2 players! I will give the canons a look. The Nikon coolpix 885, now also seems like a viable option for my price range - It got generally higher ratings than the optio at dpreview, and has the benefit of two optional attachable lenses (telephoto and wide angle) and several filters on its threaded permanent lens.

BTW: Is there a TA photography alliance, perhaps there should be.

there is no such thing
but I wish there was a design/photo/art etc area

oh well

i am bumping this thread...

my parents said they would get me one for x-mas and asked what i want. but i don't know. i want something small but with good features. can someone please suggest? i saw a casio QVr4 that was small but it has only 2 MP? (whatever that means) and my dad said that isn't as good as it could be.

any help is appreciated.

Re: what digital camera should i buy?

quote:

Originally posted by astroboy Looking for a cheap point-and-shoot digital still camera. Right now I'm thinking Pentax Optio 330: Size of a deck of cigs 3x optical zoom 3.34 megapixel CCD A whole bunch of features (aperture, shutterspeed, whitebalanc etc...) What would you guys suggest? NOTE: Advice based on experience particularly appreciated.

here was another thread about the same thing. Steve8 has a lot of knowledge about this. I would listen to him.

I have a Canon S30, I am VERY happy with it. The only thing is that is it easy to 'smear' images.

I would recommend to look at them first hand and decide which one YOU like best. I mean, make clear that you know what is important to you:

-size
-resolution
-movie making ability
-storage device
etc.

I can also recommend www.xonio.com if you can read german.

Re: i am bumping this thread...

quote:

Originally posted by butterfly can someone please suggest? i saw a casio QVr4 that was small but it has only 2 MP? (whatever that means)

MP = megapixel

this means how many individual 'spots' the camera can scan for a single image. If you camera has more MP, it will produce a sharper image, since it can 'approximate' the object more clearly.

think of this:

say you have four squares. Each square can be eitehr black or white. One of these squares would be a pixel. If you try to paint the image of a circle in these four pixel (which can only be fully black or fully white), no matter what you do, u will get a rectangle.

If you had 8 or 16 or 1 million squares, which would all be smaller, to draw that circle, it would have much smoother, and round, edges!

I have an olympus C300Z, it takes awesome pictures, check out this one of my cat:



it's 3MP, so it takes huge and detailed pictures, here is one i shrunk down to 640x480 from the original resolution of 1484x768

click the pic for the fullsize version, 56kers beware:


here's a review on it

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/spe...s/oly_c300z.asp

I find the menu easy to use, although i have never used any other cameras.. the lenses are made by olympus, who also made the lense on the hubble space telescope, so it must be good.

I love my camera, but i paid almost $800 Canadian for it, including software, 128Mb of memory, tax and shit.

i like the cat!
look how small the pupils are!


i love taking pictures....infact....if i had a very good video camera...i would be taping my whole life.....

my dad has a nikon cool pix 5700
5 megapixels but it's a bit too expensive for you i think
it's a semi-proffensial camera, nice photo's

quote:

Originally posted by arj1o1 my dad has a nikon cool pix 5700 5 megapixels but it's a bit too expensive for you i think it's a semi-proffensial camera, nice photo's

i want GOOD pics (though i think 4 MPs will do) but what i really want is a SMALL camera.

If you want it small + quality, Olympus c-50z all the way... Excellent 5MP CCD camera..

If you want it a bit larger + quality, Cannon S40 / S45.. But it's a q1 year and a half model..

If you don't mind the size and want cannonn quality, don't be afraid to pay 100$ over the S45 for the G2 or G3....

If you want some non-standard features, go for the Fuji f602z.. It can act as a webcam etc, but it's only a 3 MP...

Finally, if you want add-ons, go for one of those big Sonys with their Karl Zeiss lens...


Best site for cameras:
http://www.dpreview.com

Second best:
http://www.dcresource.com/

Third Best:
http://www.imaging-resource.com


hope that helps you..

About MP: 4 MB has only 100 or so effective diagonal pixels more over the 3 MP, same about the 5... MP doesn't quite means quality (although more pixels == more information to store == more potential accuracy)... If you're on budjet, the Cannon S30 will make you a kickass photos, even though it's 3MP..


But screw the cheap cameras... I want a fooking Cannon EOS-1DS... 11 MP box professional box of wonders... At a low low price of only 9000 USD...

quote:

Originally posted by k.k.d. About MP: 4 MB has only 100 or so effective diagonal pixels more over the 3 MP, same about the 5... MP doesn't quite means quality (although more pixels == more information to store == more potential accuracy)... If you're on budjet, the Cannon S30 will make you a kickass photos, even though it's 3MP.. But screw the cheap cameras... I want a fooking Cannon EOS-1DS... 11 MP box professional box of wonders... At a low low price of only 9000 USD...

one of the problems is that some manufacturers advertise 5MP or 7MP, which are 'interpolated'.. sony had a 7MP camera, that had a hardware resotuion of 4 or 5 MP, yet interpolated it to 7 MP..

quote:

one of the problems is that some manufacturers advertise 5MP or 7MP, which are 'interpolated'.. sony had a 7MP camera, that had a hardware resotuion of 4 or 5 MP, yet interpolated it to 7 MP..

They used to, but not anymore.. Basically, it started with Fuji releasing their f6800 back two years ago, which was a 3 MP CCD camera that would algorithmically process the image to 6 MP... Back then, they took some flaming for their marketing approach (though 6800 was a godly camera back then), and stopped advertising their max capacity...

Basically, be sure to check out "effective" resolution of a camera, and you'll be fine...

thanks guys! these sites are really helpful.

After going througha small financial crisis I am once again in the market for a digital still camera. I'm looking for an ultra-compact with 3-4 MP and at least 2x (preferably 3x) optical zoom.
Here are the one's I am thinking about (please feel free to add to the list):

Pentax Optio 330 or 430
Canon Ixus V3 (also known as s230)
Olympus D-40Z (also known as C-40Z)
Konica KD-400Z

BTW - Thanks to everyone for their helpful advice.

Of the gang, Olympus c40z (aka d40z) is the smallest, and (imho) the nicest... Though the picture quality is far from Canon's offerings..

I'm not quite sure about the s230, but if my memory serves me right, this camera has very limited manual controls... So yeah... avoid. Not sure about picture quality of this one either, though it should be good, since canon leses are kinda godly..

The other two are not familiar models for me, but probably for a reason

Kodak CX4230 2MP Digital Camera

Thats all I have to say. Me and my buddies all have one, never had a problem, sharing pictures like there is no tomorrow, faster, clearer, and better quality pictures then the 2000$+ ones the yearbook company I work for has. It is so incredibly good for your value. Battery life is about 4 hours of being continuesly on, can hold up to 400 pictures at (damn I can't remember the resolution) but it's a lot bigger then 1024x768. Best of all, it is pretty cheap!

Thats my two cents. I think too many people spend too much on these cameras.

Caleb

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