Digital Cameras???

edited September 2008 in Internet & Media
I'm getting ready to buy one. What should i look out for??? (optical zoom/digital zoom?). Is an 8.0 really better than a 7.5 mp? I guess just the generic questions. PS... 250 is the max amount of money i want to put into it.
So, please don't tell me how the new Nikon is only a few K more..:crazy:

Comments

  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited September 2008
    I just went camera shopping with my sister today for her first college photography class. We tested quite a few and ended up walking out with the Fuji FinePix S1000. As a hobbyist photographer with an elitist attitude, I went in there thinking that anything less than a $500 starter dSLR camera was worthless, but I was humbled and surprised at how versatile the S1000 is. You can shoot in full manual mode like a "real camera" and the quality is very, very nice. 10mp should definitely cover your needs.
  • NomadNomad A Small Piece of Hell Icrontian
    edited September 2008
    Get a Leica point and shoot, the lens quality is astounding.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited September 2008
    Well yeah, but that puts you into starting at the $800 range....
  • HawkHawk Fla Icrontian
    edited September 2008
    I have a Fuji Finepix S5000.
    Been using it for a couple of years now with no complaints.
    I really like the SLR style cameras because they have the weight and feel of real of a professional camera.
    Only thing is it's getting older now with the lesser 3.1 MP.
    I'd like to get one with the higher MP's now.
    It's been a great camera though..
    Here's a Fuji FINEPIX S1000fd 10.0Mp SLR Styled Digital Camera and it's a great price for 10.0MP. Only $189.99 w/ free shipping.
  • airbornflghtairbornflght Houston, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2008
    Just a quick note on the MP thing, it is much better to get a 6mp camera with a better (bigger/ more preceise) sensor than a 10mp camera with a tiny, noisy sensor. You can print a 5x7 image at 300 dpi with a 3.15mp image. So keep that in mind.

    I think a 6 mp sensor with a good optical zoom is a much better choice than a high mp camera with noisy images and poor optical zoom.

    Don't look at digital zoom because you can do that in an image editing program if you need to. I personally turn off the digital zoom function. Optical zoom is what you want to look at but be careful.

    You really want to look at the starting focal point and ending focal point, otherwise you aren't getting a real idea. Because all the 6x or 8x number means is the (ending fp/beginning fp), so a camera that had a range of 20mm-100mm would have a optical zoom of 5x, where as a a camera with a range of 40mm-120mm would only have a zoom of 3x, but would in fact zoom further. So the 5x or 10x number really just tells you how wide the range is the lens is capable of.

    So what you need to decide is if you are going to be shooting most of your shots wide or from far away. If you are going to be zooming a look for a camera with a higher Telescopic focal point. Just food for thought.

    Also take care to look at the viewfinder type. There are three. Live view, Through the lens (TTL), and the old fashion seperate viewer. The later is the worse of the 3 because it introduces parallax to your shots. You won't find TTL on a point and shoot as far as I know, so if at all possible find a camera with a live view viewfinder. That is a tiny lcd inside the viewfinder so you see what the sensor sees. Though this isn't really important if you are just going to be looking at the main lcd while taking pictures.
  • HawkHawk Fla Icrontian
    edited September 2008
    Seems my link up there has expired.
    Newegg still has them for $189.99 and they also have an added deal..
    Free 2GB SD card & case kit w/ purchase which is limited time offer.
    Normal Focus Range Wide angle :Approx. 40cm/1.3 ft to infinity
    Telephoto: Approx. 1.5m/4.9 ft to infinity
    Macro Focus Range Wide Angle: Approx. 5cm/2.0 in to 3m/9.8
    Telephoto: Approx. 80cm/2.6 To 3m/9.8ft
    Super Macro: Approx 2cm /0.8 in. to 1m /3.3 ft
    Metering System>>> TTL 256-zones metering
    If I had the money, I'd jump all over this deal.
    I have looked at cameras, compared brands for quality/usability/multiple lens accessories/etc for a couple yrs now and Fujifilm makes a very good all around digital camera that feels/handles/works like a standard SLR camera.
    The price is just frosting on the cake.
    I have my own darkroom and have developed film for 15-20 yrs., until my digital camera purchase a few yrs back.
    I don't think you will ever be disappointed with this camera at that price or any other price up to $100.00 more.
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited September 2008
    While I love the SLR Style cameras (I have a kodak myself). It does depend on what kind of versatility you want out of your camera. If you want a camera that you can take along anywhere, takes decent enough pictures and is easy to use then you probably want to consider a point and click camera. You can get a good 7-8mp point and click now with 3x optical zoom for around $200. They take good pictures for normal situations. Their biggest draw of course is that they are small and compact which is often more useful.

    I love my slr style camera, it's bigger, has a good weight and feel to it and takes excellent pictures, especially if I'm doing sceneria or long distance shots because of it's 10x optical zoom. However, it's big, won't fit in my pocket, it's not very handy to always take along with me, I have to worry about banging it etc....

    So with that in mind I'm going to be picking up a simple point and click in the near future. Just a nice small camera that I can take with me to have when I need it. Not a big camera that I have to plan on taking around with me.
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited September 2008
    As always, dpreview.com is your best source for data.
    You really need to decide how you will use it. If you want to take great portraits and scenery shots then get a SLR-like style. They are easy to hold and very stable.
    There are great cameras from Panasonic Lumix, Fujifilm Finepix, and don't forget Kodak (these have some of the best lenses available). Look for a zoom that is at least 400mm.
    If you are looking to take pics of friends and carry it every where then you want an ultra compact, less than 150g. There are a hundred of these out there.
    Do you like watersports? look at the waterproof Olympus.
    Look for features that are worth something to you.

    The above advice was very good, longer zoom is worth more than megapixles.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited September 2008
    What is the budget? I think it would be best if you give a max figure and we find the best camera - quality output - for the price.

    Nomad. +5 Leica makes the best lenses in the business, for decades now. (if you can afford it)

    Concerning resolution: A high resolution capability doesn't count for much if the lens quality doesn't match it. A large blowup of a crappy image is just a large, crappy image. High resolution is important if you plan on printing very large pictures and want high quality.
  • edited September 2008
    Leonardo wrote:
    What is the budget? I think it would be best if you give a max figure and we find the best camera - quality output - for the price.

    Nomad. +5 Leica makes the best lenses in the business, for decades now. (if you can afford it)

    Concerning resolution: A high resolution capability doesn't count for much if the lens quality doesn't match it. A large blowup of a crappy image is just a large, crappy image. High resolution is important if you plan on printing very large pictures and want high quality.

    I'm looking at spending 250 quid or less. I'll probably do some shopping this weekend.
  • NomadNomad A Small Piece of Hell Icrontian
    edited September 2008
    Well yeah, but that puts you into starting at the $800 range....

    No, $300-$500. $100-$200 if you buy refurbished. Just get the C-Lux models.
  • edited September 2008
    Nomad wrote:
    No, $300-$500. $100-$200 if you buy refurbished. Just get the C-Lux models.

    The reason i'm buying it is because i'm going to Cancun next January. I also go to alot of drag race events in the summer and taking the film off is a pain in the butt. That and i don't own anything but a disposable camera. It's high time i got off my booty and actually invested a little fundage in some of my hobbies, i suppose. So, i'm guessing i need something that will take a wide shot of Aztec pyramids and still be able to zoom in on the hot chicks boobs across the track from 100 yds. away??;)
    One more question: Everyone here has basically said to buy the camera with the higher rated sensor.. How would i look for the sensors rating?? For instance, say i went to Best Buy....What would i look for (on the camera, in the literature, hear from the salesman) to let me know if it was worth it's salt. What's a good starting point? (MP rating has nothing to do with the sensor...correct?)
Sign In or Register to comment.