Best Low Budget Digital Camera ?

[blaze one]

I lost my memory card to my VERY old and outdated Kodak 1 mega pixel camera , So i am using that as my excuse to buy a new camera :rolleyes:
I am looking around at local electronic store web sites , and it is just making me more confused as to what is good , what is bad ... too many choices :Wow1: So i thought that some people here could recomend a good digi cam . I would like to keep the price under $300 usd . Just cause technology moves so fast , i don't wanna dump a load of cash into something i will replace in short time .

Uses for this camera , will just be general photography of vactions and events , no "professional" photography will be taken . Durability would be a nice asset , as would ease of use and OPTICAL ZOOM is a must . i have heard digi zoom is not as great .
Thanks for the help .

[flyingwil]

We have an older model Cannon Powershot A70, and the newer Poweshots like the A610/620 seem to be pretty comparable with the updates in technology... I think they are going around low $200's. All I can say is I like this camera, and still do not know how to use all of it's features.

I am not a camera guru, and just know what I have and what I like. I do like it for a cheap camera, and have not had any problems with it. I would definitely recommend a cannon.

Wil

[paulj]

In your price range there probably isn't a bad camera, especially if you stick with the major brands. While companies still come out with new models ever 6 mths, the market is relatively mature.

My favorite digital camera site is dpreview.com which has in depth reviews, lists of cameras, buying guides, and active forums (most organized by manufacturer). I've bought Canon (A40) and Pentax (43WR and DS); while I've been happy with each, I can't tell you what's best in the current market.

Leave room in your budget for batteries and memory cards. Think about how long you will be away from home and power sources, as that can guide your choice of battery type (proprietary rechargeable v. AA rechargeable or Lithium), and the amount of photo memory you need.

paulj

[cshontz]

I am by no means an expert, but I have had great experience with the Canon Powershot line of products. First I had a Canon Powershot G2, and now a Canon Powershot S80. I also agree with PaulJ that you'll have no trouble finding a good camera in your price range.

Great source for camera reviews:
http://www.dpreview.com

I think you'd be happy with any model from the Canon Powershot SD### line of cameras. They're good performing compact snap-shooters if their features meet your satisfaction. There are also plenty of excellent alternatives to Canon products. You should be able to find a camera that you'll be extremely happy with with relatively little research.

[Scott Brady]

I have had good luck with the Fuji S5000 (not sure what the current model is). Optics are always the key IMO and the Fuji has a 10x optical zoom at 2.8.

It will also take a filter.

[BajaTaco]

Here ya go...

Canon A520 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16830120168) for $177 incl. 3-day shipping.

Canon A520 review (http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/A520/A52A.HTM)

I have the predecessor to this camera (A85) and am very happy with it. The biggest advantage is that it's compact and highly portable which makes it easy to snap photos at any moment. The A520 seems to be an improvement over the 80-series with a 4X zoom, although it looks as if the lens is not quite as wide as the old one.

All of my 2005 adventures (http://bajataco.com/adventure.html) and many of 2004 were shot with this little camera and finished in a digital darkroom.

Some things I like about it:

uses AA batteries
uses SD/MMC memory (not proprietary)
AiAF focus system works great
Does very well with exposures/focus in low light
Good color - I really like the Canon processor, it bumps up the color/contrast a bit
has threaded lens body so can add adapters/filters - not often seen in this size/price range
Sepia & B/W optionsOh yea, great little photo stitch utility for pano shots too. EXAMPLE (http://bajataco.com/queencreek/queencreekpano-sm.jpg)

[datrupr]

I have a Canon Powershot A40 that is now about 5 years old, and I love this camera. It tkaes AA batteries, will shot B7W & Sepia, has 3X zoom and more features that I even use. It will also take filters and telephoto lenses, and it uses nonpreprietary memory cards. I think it is great and will buy another Canon digital camera when this one decides it is done working for me. I would recommend a Canon camera, and they have very good ones in the price range you are looking.

[blaze one]

thanks guys , that helps me out alot , it is always better to hear first hand what a product is like , sometimes i don't trust those online reviews because some sound as if they were written by the manufactuer .
And that is a good idea , about leaving room in my budget for memory and batteries too .
Thanks again , i let you know what i get , looks like it will the Canon .

[paulj]

I find the most use thing about reviews on places like dpreview is their detailed look at the controls, and menus. They also have sample images, though with my limited experience it is hard to see the differences that they talk about. http://www.steves-digicams.com is another good source of reviews.

The latest successor to the Canon A40, the A95 may be out of your price range, the next-to-latest, the A85 might well be in your range. http://forums.powershot-a.com/ is forum for Canon cameras, especially the A series.

A good camera in this range will have 3x optical zoom. I'm not sure what the pixles are up to now, at least 4. There are lots of 7's out there now, though I'm not sure about the price range.

There are also 10x zoom cameras, however you really should get image stabilization with that. It is too hard to hold a camera still enough at that zoom, without some sort of aid.

These smaller point and shoot cameras have a couple weak points:

- low light capabilities are limited. To fit in a small body, the lense has to be small, with limited light gathering capability. The sensor size is also small. It is also hard to hold a small camera still due to its low mass. So blurred images due to camera movement are a common complaint with small cameras. Consider getting some sort of in expensive tripod, clamp or other support.

- difficulty in using filters. In many landscape shots, there is a big difference in brightness between the sky and the ground. Exposing to get one right can leave the other either washed out, or too dark. A way around that is to use a filter, either a polarizing filter which darkens blue sky, or a gradient one that is darker in the upper half. Most point-n-shots lack a way of mounting such filters. Canon sells an adapter for the A series.

paulj

[pangaea]

I bought my wife a Powershot for Xmas last year, and she and I have both been really happy with it. The nice thing is that I use a 20D, and the interface and controls are very similar across the Canon line. Thats a definite benefit if you think that you might someday move up to an SLR.

My only complaint is that it uses AA batteries. It seems like running that LCD screen eats up batteries pretty quickly. The upside is that its convenient to be able to get new batteries at any gas station/ grociery store, etc. The downside is that we've gone through a pretty fair number of batteries to feed that camera.

[Scott Brady]

Try the new 2500mah AA rechargeable from Energizer. Sweet batteries :)

[BajaTaco]

My only complaint is that it uses AA batteries... The downside is that we've gone through a pretty fair number of batteries to feed that camera.

I am using the Panasonic 2300 mAh NiMH AA batteries from Costco with my Powershot A85 and have had excellent performance. I haven't done a formal test of the batteries, but I know I have shot well over 400mb using flash, LCD screen, and reviewing photos and the batteries were still going strong when I got home and put them back in the charger. On the recent Baja trip, I had one set of these batteries in the camera for almost nine days, shooting on 7 of those days before they died. I shot about 410mb incl. LCD, LCD review, flash, and movies/audio.

[blaze one]

I found the Canon A520 for $306 after taxes , CANADIAN FUNDS , But how many pics can you take with the "stock" 16mb memory card ? , I think i will get a 40mb card to go with it .
I also have a concern with using AA's , but it is nice that if I am at the beach for the day , i don't have to wait for it to charge if it goes dead in the middle of the day . I can just pop in some new batteries .

[datrupr]

It depends on how you have you picture settings set up. The lower the quality the more pictures you can get. Mine came with an 8mb card and on medium setting I could get about 72 pics on it. I upgraded to a 64mb and switch to high quality and I can still get about 120 pics on that card and about 20 on my original 8mb card.

[blaze one]

ok thanks , i think the 16mb will do , i will just have to see for myself . I tend to take alot of pictures , then go back later and delete them if i think they are not worth keeping .

[durango_60]

After losing two digitals to dirt, mud, water etc. I just bought a Pentax WPi 6.0. It is waterproof and mudproof so I think it will make it through my(or more importantly my aspiring photagrapher stuck in a 3 year old body) lifestyle a little better.

[paulj]

After losing two digitals to dirt, mud, water etc. I just bought a Pentax WPi 6.0.

I have an earlier water resistant Pentax, the 43wr, and have been quite happy with it. While it has the problems of a small camera that I discussed earlier, it certainly is a handy take any where camera. For a case I use a simple nylon coin pouch, and can slip camera and case in a jacket or pants pocket. I like the fact that the lens does not project out when in use.

paulj

[blaze one]

I am not too worried about damaging the camera , I think i will keep the old
1mp Kodak for times i think i may drop it , like when i am fishing in the rain and lean over the boat to take a pic of the fish in the water , SPLOOOSH ! , I have seen it happen , and since this old Dinasour of a camera only cost me $20 it not as bad as loosing a $300 camera .Thanks for the help .

[+ d]

i HIGHLY recommend the Canon Powershot s60 (http://steves-digicams.pgpartner.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=2844837)/s70 (http://steves-digicams.pgpartner.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=3894471)/s80 (http://steves-digicams.pgpartner.com/search_getprod.php/masterid=11292711) (pick your price range).

the (in my mind) absolutely vital feature of this series is a wide angle lens. i bought the S70 (before the S80 came out) because it was the most compact wide angle lens camera out there.

once you go wide, you won't go back. be careful, many of the compact/subcompact cameras actually have a less than 35mm equiv lens!

[blaze one]

I double check the lense on the a520 , what would be the advantages of a wide angle lense ?

[paulj]

A wide angle lens gives you a wider view, which is often nice when taking landscapes. Most digital cameras, especially in this point n shoot category, have a panorama mode, which helps you take a series of side by side images. Later on the computer you use a program (provided with the camera) to stich these together into a wider (or taller) image. In ways this is a substitute for a true wide angle, in some ways it is better.

With 35mm film, 'normal' lens length is 45-50 mm, which gives background to foreground proportions that you normally see. 35 mm is mild wide, 25 mm or so is wide or lower is wide.

To judge how wide a digital camera's lens is, you have to adjust the actually range (typically 5.5 - 16mm, for 3x zoom) for the sensor size. Some reviews and product manuals give you a 35mm equivalent.

The numbers I see on dpreview for the A520 are 35mm equivalent at the wide end, 140 mm at the tele end. Looking at other Canon offerings, this appears to be typical. A few get down to 28mm equivalent.
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/

For a given zoom range, you are trading off the wide view against the tele view. The S80 has a 28-100mm range. Read the reviews of the S80 and A520, and look at the sample pictures, and decide for yourself which lens range best meets your needs.

paulj

[cshontz]

I just got my S80 over the holidays and I'm still enthralled by it. Its more megapixels than I need, but the wide angle was one of the key selling points for me. I'm excited for summer, so I can spend more time outside with it. I got it from Dell for around $420.

Although I can recommend the S80, I'm not sure that its what you're looking for, blaze. It might have more bells and whistles than you want. In any case, I just thought I'd throw it out there. :)

Here is a recent picture I took. Considering how close I was standing to the Avalanche, I was pleased that the wide angle lens allowed me to fit the entire vehicle within the frame.

http://static.flickr.com/40/100471850_7cbc116f56_b.jpg

[+ d]

i've found the wide angle to be the most useful in two types of situations, the first one is beautifully demonstrated above by chris' avalanche shot... when you want to get as close as possible to an object and capture it in its entirety. the other is when you want to photograph a scene or object in a confined space...i never could have photographed the reclining Buddha if it weren't for my 28mm wide angle.

kodak has a new camera (http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/kodak/v570-review/index.shtml) with two lenses a 23mm wide! and a 39-117mm zoom...very interesting...i don't have a lot of love for kodak devices, but i like the concept.

[Westy]

For those interested in possibly getting a new camera, you are welcome to contact me. My friend and I run an electronics business on the side and we carry Canon's, among other brands and all the accessories, and most any other electronic product you can think of, mobile, audio, video, etc.

edit - We dont really advertise, or promote much, its just a low key side business and for the most part we've just been helping out friends and family with deals. Certain products are priced alot more competitive than others and sometimes you can find better deals online from other vendors.

E-mail me @ brian.westfall@cox.net with any inquires, just mention you are from here, and let me know what you have in mind and I will see what we have and try to help you out.

Brian

[BajaTaco]

kodak has a new camera (http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/kodak/v570-review/index.shtml) with two lenses ...

That is really sweet!

Brian, thanks for extending the offer to us here at ExPo, we appreciate it!

[Westy]

No problem. Glad to help out fellow 4wheelers.

btw - the picture taken with the S80 is VERY impressive I must say.

[blaze one]

Thanks for the advice and recomendations , I just purchased a Canon A520 camera , I have not even finished reading the instruction booklet yet , and i already know i will be happy with this .
Thanks again .