Digital Camera

[Joyce Lee]

I'm thinking of getting a digital camera. Do you have any brand and model to recommend? Thanks.

Joyce

[Jessica Sant]

I really like my HP 945. It's got 5.3 MegaPixels and an 8x optical zoom.


But what kind of camera do you want?? something like this one? Or more of a point + shoot thing?

HP just came out with the R707. It's got a 5.1 MP + 3x optical zoom. (They've also got less expensive versions with the same zoom and lower MPs)


I'd just make sure you get at least 3 MP and a 3x optical zoom (digital zoom is really just the same as cropping the picture). I'd be worried if you got something less than that..... that the camera would be outdated pretty soon.

[ gah... edited the links... bad Jess ]
[ November 01, 2004: Message edited by: Jessica Sant ]

[Michael Matola]

(Is Dharmendra your husband, Jess?)

[Balaji Loganathan]

Originally posted by Michael Matola:
(Is Dharmendra your husband, Jess?)

Good catch

[peter wooster]

Originally posted by Joyce Lee:
I'm thinking of getting a digital camera. Do you have any brand and model to recommend? Thanks.

Joyce

We have a cheap 2 megapixel Kodak, its a point & shoot and does a really nice job. For serious photography I use a Nikon F80 with the 28-105mm F3.5-4.5 lens, and a Nikon FM, they still use film.

A friend of mine recently got a Nikon D70, it's just a digital version of the F80 and it's great, especially if you put that good lens on it instead of the garbage it comes bundled with. The best part is that it shares lenses with the F80 and FM. At present you have to multiply your lense sizes by approximately 1.5 since the CCD is not full 35 mm size. A camera with a full sized CCD costs like a small car.

Unfortunately all digital SLR's are still grossly overpriced, the D70 costs 3 times the price of the F80. I'll wait a year or so until the full sized 35mm CCD's get reasonable before spending that much money on a camera.

My advice - get the 2 meg point and shoot. It won't cost much and it will fit in your pocket or purse.

[peter wooster]

Originally posted by Jessica Sant:
I'd just make sure you get at least 3 MP and a 3x optical zoom (digital zoom is really just the same as cropping the picture). I'd be worried if you got something less than that..... that the camera would be outdated pretty soon.

Any digital camera will be obsolete within a year, even that $8,000US 10MP Canon DSLR. That's why I suggest the 2MP P&S with 3x optical zoom. The 3x optical zoom is a necessity, especially with a low res camera.

[Joyce Lee]

Many thanks for the recommendations and tips! After some research, I think a digital camera with 3MP and 3X optical zoom will meet my need. I'm considering this model: Canon PowerShot SD200. What do you think?

[Sania Marsh]

This is my camera:

http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com/fuji-finepix-s3000-reviews.html

I bought it because it was too cute.

Actually, mine looks like this:

[ October 31, 2004: Message edited by: Rita Moore ]

[Sania Marsh]

Originally posted by Joyce Lee:
Many thanks for the recommendations and tips! After some research, I think a digital camera with 3MP and 3X optical zoom will meet my need. I'm considering this model: Canon PowerShot SD200. What do you think?

My friend owns that one.. Never heard complains

[Stan James]

I'm a little disappointed with my Point & Shoot Kodak. I miss some of the advanced abilities from my 35mm SLR days. Right now two things bug me: the image contains more than the viewfinder so I chop things off in the viewfinder to compensate, and all digital cameras have some delay that makes it hard to get any action shots, like kids plyaing or monster trucks flying through the air.

[peter wooster]

Originally posted by Stan James:
I'm a little disappointed with my Point & Shoot Kodak. I miss some of the advanced abilities from my 35mm SLR days. Right now two things bug me: the image contains more than the viewfinder so I chop things off in the viewfinder to compensate, and all digital cameras have some delay that makes it hard to get any action shots, like kids plyaing or monster trucks flying through the air.

I find all P&S cameras disappointing when compared to my SLRs. The delay in digital P&S is very annoying, that was the first thing I tried on the D70. It doesn't have any more delay than the F80. But even SLR's suffer a delay when compared to older technologies and simpler cameras since the mirror must flip up.

I don't find the cropping a problem since I always assume viewfinders and processing labs change that and with digital, I tend to re-crop on the computer for most things. I always leave lots of room around the subject.

On the choice between 3MP and 2MP, its starting to look like you can't even get the 2MPs new anymore, so my recommendation will change to 3MP and 3x optical zoom.

The Canon products are good, but I wouldn't buy one, I have a wonderful 20 year old Canon AE1, it still works. But they changed the lens mount when they went to autofucus, leaving all my lenses useless on newer Canons. At that point I switched to Nikon for serious use. Canon reminds me a bit of M$, or is the other way around.

[Joyce Lee]

I noticed the FujiFilm digital cameras are quite small in size like the model: FinePix F440 / F450. But couldn't find a similar size with 3MP.

When buying a P&S digital camera, which features are most important to you? Besides the resolution (in megapixels), optical zoom and camera design, would you also consider the aperture size, shutter speed, digital zoom, type of media storage and type of battery as mentioned here? Thanks.

[R K Singh]

Originally posted by Michael Matola:
(Is Dharmendra your husband, Jess?)

did I miss something ??

[Helen Thomas]

I'm not making any *snap* decisions (pun intended) until I've really tried my mobile camera out. People don't pose well for mobile cams so I'll have to try it out on new or really old architectural buildings or sundials/clocks round London.

[chanakya khatri]

i got Casio Exilim EX-Z50 and HP R707.

Both are equally good, Looks wise CASIO is more sexy. function wise they both match each other...maybe HP is little easier to use and got few c00l functions Like adapting light and Image Advice, chckout steve's Reviews before you decide on buying new Digi cam.

[Ashok Mash]

Smaller the camera, more the chance that you will have it with you when a photo opportunity comes along.

Pick your choice from dpreview: View by rating

Personally, I love my Sony 717, but its slightly dated and I would aim something like a Nikon D70 for my next camera.

[Ellen Zhao]

Originally posted by Helen Thomas:
People don't pose well for mobile cams

why? I only pose when there is no visible lens around me

And, are there any cams that are immobile?


na gut, glad too see you all again after a long hibernating through summer and autumn.
[ November 03, 2004: Message edited by: Ellen Zhao ]