TE BLOG

Dec 07, 2006

Camera Questions

My husband and I will be purchasing a new digital camera as a Christmas gift to each other. I need your help! I am technically challenged and have no idea what makes a good camera. What brand do you like best? What are essential features or features of your camera that you love? What is a good amount of megapixels? Do we need any specific accessories to go with the camera? Where do you suggest buying a camera (Best Buy, Target, the internet, other store)? Anything else I should know? If you think you can help (even in the smallest way) please leave a comment or shoot me an email! When we finally purchase a new camera I will be putting together a listing of your suggestions as well as a product review on the camera we chose. TIA for your help!

  • Kadee

    It doesn’t get any cuter than this 🙂

  • Anonymous

    All of your creations are amazing!! Great job. I was curious to know what was in you mommy survival kit. I have a friend who is having a baby in a few weeks and would love to make her one. Thanks

  • Tammy

    Hi. I have a Casio Exilim. And can I just say that I LOVE it !!! You can get them in 4, 5 , 6 and 10 megapixels. I bought mine from dell.com. But you can get them almost anywhere now.The screen is so large and that is the first thing that drew me to it. It has video capibility- which is great. The best thing about it is that it is SO user friendly. VERY easy to use. Plus it is small enough & so lightweight you can carry it in your purse w/ no problem. It takes rechargeable batteries…good thing is though , the battery life is so long. I end up running out of room on my SD card before the battery even runs out. I love it and cant say enough good things about it. I talked my mom and my best friend into getting one too. They love theirs also.
    Good luck !
    Tam

  • Anonymous

    Check out http://www.pcworld.com. They have reviews and pricing on where to find what you are looking for at the best price. I’ve used that site to purchase my film and digital cameras. Good luck!

  • Anonymous

    After a lot of research (www.dpreview does a great job explaining things), I just purchased a Canon S3IS It has 12X OPTICAL Zoom and 6.0 Megapixels. I wasn’t ready to upgrade to a SLR, but wanted more than a point and shoot camera. I’m terrible about forgeting to take my camera or if I have it, getting too involved and forgeting to take pictures! I also wanted AA batteries (rechargeable) and a fast shutter. This one is compact in size and easy to use, plus can go to video mode if desired. If you want a SLR, Canon Rebel XT and Nikon D50 are the two that I hear highly recommended… Price on sale for the Canon S3IS is around $350-$380…Best Buy will price match and I earned credits with my Rewards card.

    Good luck.
    Connie

  • Kelli

    I was told by other scrapbook enthusiasts and camera pros to buy a camera made by a camera company…fuji does great film,Canon does great cameras, etc. I like Canon. I’m a firm “you get what you pay for”. And buy the most expensive camera you can afford. I spent more than our budget allowed. But I will have this camera for years. It’s a Canon S2 IS. It has 5 mega pixels, which I want because I plan on blowing pictures up to outrageous sizes, not needed if you never plan on going bigger than 4×6. It also has 12 optical zoom, and 4 times digital, but that’s not important. If you want more zoom, make sure it’s larger optical, digital makes the quality of the pictures drop.
    It has video mode, and burst mode so I can take a zillion pictures in a second. The salesman at one store thought this was a waste of money, I specifically wanted the camera for this, and many other features. My old camera had major shutter lag and I would get the kids starting to jump and then after the jump, now I can get 12 pictures of them in the middle of the jump. And the camera has build in image stablization.
    I am more of a beginner, but I am a sponge for camera info. Try photographyreview.com or cameracourage.com.
    It comes with a 16 mb card which is next to useless. Costco has decent prices on 1 and 2 G cards. Depending on the camera you get, you may not be able to handle a larger card like that so check it out before you buy it.
    Buy better batteries, camera specific ones. And get 2 sets. I wore out the batteries that come with the camera just going through the manual and trying everything out.
    The down side to this camera is that it is larger and doesn’t fit in a pocket or most purses. And if it does, the cap can get knocked off fairly easy. And if you plan on using the zoom, get a tripod.
    I found Digital Photography for Dummies by Julia King(?) to be a huge help. Costco had it, I think that’s who wrote it. There are more than one Dummies out there but the one written by a female is better than the other.
    And get extended warranty. I didn’t want to spend the money but it covered cleaning and repairs already.
    Good luck.

  • Anonymous

    I just recently purchased a Canon Digital Elf. My hubby and I bought it just before we left for our honeymoon in Sept. We got it a Best Buy.

    I’m not a technigeek so I cannot provide all the details. What I can tell you is that I love the pics we’ve taken with it. It’s easy to carry around because it’s small. It has the biggest screen on the back I’ve ever seen. It’s been pretty easy to download our pics to our computer. I have no complaints.

  • Anonymous

    I have a sony cybershot 5.1 dsc w-5 I am sur ethat they have improved but I love it
    liz stamper from UT

  • Greta

    i have a canon rebel and i love it….

    my smaller camera that i have is also a canon….i have 10 megapixels with the big one and 5 megapixels with the smaller

  • Shelli

    We have a Sony Cybershot that we love. It has 3.3 megapixels. This is adequate for us—-y6ou can also set the definition of most digitals to take higher quality photos than others. This is helpful when you want to enlarge, the more mega pixels make photos clearer. I don’t know if there is a point where it doesn’t really matter anymore, good may be good enough. The more mega pixels, the higher the price tag. Unless you are a wedding photographer, it is porbably not important that you get TONS. Also, Best Buy has awesome service plans that you can buy. They are always worth the money. If it breaks, they fix it period. If they can’t, they replace it, and if they no longer make your camera , you upgrade with your purchase price. (details may have changed since I got our 3 years ago—ask!). Zoom is another factor I wish I had more of…..we have 3x. GET MORE! Best wishes!

  • Anonymous

    My husband just bought me a Canon S3. It has 6 megapixels and a 12x optical zoom. I LOVE IT! It takes fabulous pictures and the zoom is incredible. I always missed out on those great shots because I couldn’t get close enough. I love close-ups and pictures of my children’s faces…not a lot of other distractions in the pictures. This camera is fabulous! I have had a Canon SureShot for years with a 2x zoom and 2 megapixels and I had always been happy with the pictures from that camera…UNTIL I got this one! I highly recommend it. It’s easy to use. You can set it up to think for you or you can manually set things…it does amazing things!

    Definitely get rechargeable batteries. Definitely buy a bigger memory than what comes with any camera. Depending on your resolution of your pictures, you may only get 8 photos on the memory it comes with.

    We got our camera at Best Buy. They are very knowledgeable and will help you get all the “trimmings” you need for your new camera.

    Lisa

  • Elizabeth P.

    Plenty of rechargeable batteries and a charger for them are absolutely essential to me. My camera goes through them so fast, but I’ve got about 6 pairs of batteries charged and kept in the camera bag so I can always have a fresh pair when a picture op comes up. 🙂

  • Anonymous

    Just purchased a CanonS3IS and so far like it A LOT. It has 12X OPTICAL ZOOM (digital is default)6.0 Megapixels. this thing can ‘sing’! 🙂 I asked the guy at Best Buy which camera he owned or would like to own and he went straight to this one. And, it wasn’t the most expensive camera by far. I just took photos of my niece’s b.ball game and even on really simple sports setting using the digital zoom it did quite well! I can’t imagine what it can do on optical zoom and with more advanced settings. HTH Blessings in Christ Jesus, Vanessa

  • Kathy D

    I have a Canon A95 that is 2 (maybe 3?) years old. I researched it to death, Consumer Reports, online gurus, etc.

    MegaPixels – go with 5 or more, then you have room to edit later.

    What type of batteries & estimated battery life are ISSUES. I chose mine based on LONG battery life, and the fact that it takes AA type (I use rechargeable, but, in an emergency, I could JUST BUY BATTERIES).

    Shutter delay – the time between pushing the button and the shot actually snapping. BIG issue if you photograph kids or pets.

    Memory card – get the biggest one you can afford (I got 1 GB, never come close to maxing it out).

    I found the best deal at Amazon the year I bought mine.

    Happy shopping!!

    Kathy

  • Sue

    HI taylor,
    A few years ago I went to an SU Regional and sat with a couple of ladies for lunch. One of the ladies had a Kodak Easyshare DX6490. I played with it and knew within a few minutes that this was the camera for me. I could look at it and know what to do with it, how it works etc. I bought one right after that and still love it. I bought mine at Staples. I see in their current flyer they have the next generation Kodak Easyshare Z612 which is new and improved.
    6.1 Megapixels
    12x Optical Zoom lens featuring image stabilization
    2.5 LCD
    SD/MMC Memory
    32MB Memory card.
    In Canada it costs $379.92 (about $200 less than I paid)so it would be less down there.
    I LOVE LOVE LOVE my camera. One of my sons has one now and the other one is lookiing at getting one for Christmas.
    I have the recharging dock that sits beside my computer and make downloading soooo easy.
    I use Picasa for my photos..free from Google…all the basic for managing your pictures.
    If you have any questions just ask!
    Sue

  • Susan Liles (susiestampalot)

    Taylor,
    I am sooo jealous!! My SLR (not digital) just broke and I took it to Wolf Camera. Of course I HAD to look at the digital SLR’s!!! The one I picked out to drool over was a Sony Alpha. It’s brand new on the market. Has 10.2 MP and you can purchase extra lenses for amazing zoomed in pictures (It happens to take the lenses that I already have, so you may want to ask about that if you have an SLR already). One of the best features the guy said it had was a stabilizer within the body of the camera to cut out shakiness of your hand. Most digital SLR’s have that within the lenses, so if your lens does not have that feature, you are out of luck! Check out the link to Wolf Camera and Sony’s site about this camera–I think you might be drooling, too!!
    https://www.wolfcamera.com/product/542083746.htm?bct=t1134
    Oh and if you buy from them (I guess you would have to have a local store–we’re in TX), you get $240 worth of free classes to learn how to use it and all about its features!!! I SO want this camera—still trying to convince Eric that it’s a NEED and not a WANT!! Any advice on that? teehee.
    sus (by the way, my mom, Linda Bien, was one of the winners of the Whipper Snapper Contest–YAY!!–She’s 65 years old and is super happy!!)

  • Diane McVey

    I just bought a Canon Power Shot SD700 IS Digital Elph. It is awesome! The IS means it has image stabilization, which is really helpful…it also has a macro mode, for closeups of flowers, butterflies, etc…very clear and nice pictures. I had a good digital camera, but wanted one to put in my purse so I would have it with me all the time! I did quite a bit of research and read lots of reviews before buying it. I also got a Canon photo printer that does not require a computer to print the photos. Mine came from Amazon.com, they have good prices, and you can read reviews there. I agree you should do research to find the best fit for your needs! I hope you find the perfect camera.

  • Anonymous

    Love your blog.

    Since you seem to be in Pasadena, the LA Times has ads for camera stores and their prices are competitive. Staff is also knowledgeable.

    We have a Canon and really like it.

  • mav1126

    i have been through so many digital cameras…thank goodness for the service plan at Best Buy!

    after having about 4 point and shoots. i made the investment and went with a Nikon digital SLR D50 and i love it!

    it may be more of an investment but you can add so many extras down the road…

    you can get great shots with a 6 or 7 megapixel camera.

    digital zoom …Means NOTHING

    make sure what ever camera you have the flash is on the bigger side…

    and most important… research who makes the lens.. key factor in buying a camera

    i have used both types of batteries
    AA and lithium. i prefer AA becasue you can buy them anywhere if they die on you…

    got to http://www.dpreview.com
    you can great info hear!

    Hope this helps

  • Laura

    Here’s some GREAT info for shopping for digital cameras. My dad checked out consumer reports and other sources for info before picking out my digital camera, and he got the best one for the price range that he was looking at. I love my camera! It’s a Canon Powershot A620 and is the best one that I have ever tried.

  • Anonymous

    Hi Taylor,
    I’ve had a Canon 70S for 2 1/2 years and I still love it! It has 7 megs which I find useful if I want to zoom and crop a small portion of a large picture, it is still very clear. I would reccomend a high megapixel camera for that reason. Also, Costco has such a good return policy for everthing, I would purchase it there. If it ever broke or stopped working properly for any reason, as long as you have the original packaging, they will take it back. Even without a receipt! I love that store!! ( My son is on his 3rd ipod from there, no questions asked, just a smile and “thank you for shopping here, sorry for the inconvenience”).
    Good luck!

  • Anonymous

    My hubby and I just purchased a new digital last week. I needed something with a larger screen so I could actually SEE what I was taking a picture of!!
    Living in the NYC metro area (I live in northern NJ), there’s plenty of stores to choose from. But, we went to P.C.Richards as we’ve always been treated fairly by them and the staff has been so helpful and knowledgeable. (First thing to look for!) The salesman we spoke with highly recommended both Sony and Canon. Since my last camera was a Canon, that’s what we went with. He also explained that the higher the megapixels, the clearer the picture will be when you enlarge it! Don’t plan on doing that too often, so a higher megapixel wasn’t necessary…but we did end up with a 7.1. He recommended at least 5. I was also looking for something easy to use, small and that all-important large screen…..and didn’t want to spend a fortune. Oh, and I also wanted “Image Stabilization,” which is a new feature offered on some of the newest auto-focus cameras….this is perfect for taking pictures of my kids at their sporting event. We purchased a Canon Power Shot SD800IS and I’m loving it!
    Good luck…..let us know how you do!

  • Sherri (sherristampsalot)

    We’ve had at least 2 Hewlett Packards… I *would not* recommend those. We now have a simple little Kodak and it’s been wonderful so far. I’m also technically challenged so that’s about all I have to offer! Ü

  • Anonymous

    oh, I hope everyone answers here- I am looking to buy a digital camera as well! mnhyrkas at SCS

  • imchatty (Denise)

    I h ave a Sony Cyber Shot (DSC-H1)with a 12X Optical zoom and 5.1 Mega pixels. I love my camera as it has steady shot which helps with blurry pics, built in flash, the capability to take 15 consecutive pics for action shots,rechargable batteries and a charger. It also has video capabilities and an LCD screen for viewing and editing the pics. I did purchase a larger memory card as the internal memory doesn’t hold many pics. Hope this helps.

  • Julie

    Taylor,
    We just bought ourselves a camera for Christmas! We did weeks of research. We used an additional review site (www.dcresource.com ) full of great info as well as the one previously mentioned. We settled on a Fuji s6500fd. I LOVE it. I have some picts posted on my blog… (https://purdumplace.blogspot.com/) as well as a link to the camera info on the “Our Cutie” post. We also looked around for the best price. the best buy we could find that was not a scam was at Buydig.com. HTH Can’t wait to see what you get.

  • Anonymous

    You want 4 or 5 megapixels, more than that is unnecessary unless you intend to make poster-sized prints. Look for a 10x optical zoom, as another poster said. If you really don’t know much about them, you might want to go to a specialty camera store & ask questions. They will ask you how you want to use it & help you decide what is a good fit. Once you know what you want, you can compare at Best Buy or elsewhere.

    Chris

    PS Love your blog – I lurk quite often!

  • The Heartfelt Greetings Girl

    Hi Taylor–my one bit of advice is make sure you buy rechargable batteries….these digital cameras eat normal batteries for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You’d be spending a FORTUNE on regular batteries if that’s what you used. Some cameras also have chargers, and that’s great too. Also, you can never go wrong with a Canon. I recently purchased a Canon A620, and it’s so easy to use and takes great pics!

  • Anonymous

    I have a Fuji. I love it but it’s big, size wise. It takes great pictures, but doesn’t fit in my purse. It uses regular AA batteries and I get the kind for high-tech devices. One thing I was told when I was looking is if you need ‘special’ batteries, you may not know how long they have been on the shelf before you buy them.

    One big suggestion is to check out Consumer Reports magazine. If you go to the library, in the back of each issue it gives a listing of all the items they have rated and which month to find it in. Check out what CR says; I did this and am quite happy. It will help you decide what is important to you and what may not be so important.

    I went to my local camera shop (not a chain, just a good small store) and asked lots of questions and held a lot of cameras to get the feel for what I like. If I had to do it over, I’d pick something smaller, but for now mine is great.

    Good luck!
    Becky

  • Amy

    My husband and I found this site useful when we were looking for a digital camera:

    https://www.dpreview.com/

    So much depends on what you want to be able to do with it…but hopefully this is a start.

    Amy

  • Donna (Rubber Stamp Nut)

    I have a Kodak EasyShareDX6490. It has 4.0 megapixels and 10x optical zoom. I love it! I’m sure they don’t make it any more, but I saw one the other day – another Kodak EasyShare – and this one had 6.0 megapixels and 12x optical zoom. I would not hestitate to buy another Kodak. It is very user-friendly. Good luck to you!

  • Anonymous

    We have a Panasonic/Lumix (dmc-fz5) and it’s awesome! I’d recommend at least a 5 megapixel camera with a 10x zoom. Some cameras can take videos, so that’s an option to consider, however, videos will take up a lot of space on your memory card so make sure you have sufficient space! Kodak makes a great digital camera that’s user friendly. I prefer a lithium battery so you don’t have to carry a bunch of rechargable AA batteries around. The only additional items I’ve bought is a spare lithium battery, and a bigger memory card.
    Good luck!
    Debbie

  • Anonymous

    Hi Taylor, we have a Olympus (D-560 ZOOM)and really like it. It does go through a battery charge really fast, but uses AA. We usually use the rechargable kind but it is nice if you are in a bind to get AA’s. The reason I choose this camera is the fact it has a macro feature for taking close up photos. It is only a 3.2 Megapixel so a little slow, but has a 10X zoom which is nice. We have had it for about 6 years and really like it. Good luck, where ever you buy one it is nice to check out Amazon and read the reviews of the different one. Some of the reviews are for the brand and not the individual camera. I see from the comments that Susan also likes her Olympus.I still drag my film camera with just because of the battery issue. Old fashioned I am in several ways.
    Sandy from NE Wisconsin

  • Anonymous

    Hey Taylor,

    We have a Fuji Finepix that we really like and takes great pictures. It has 4 or 5 megapixels (I don’t remember). We found that when you’re shopping and comparing, the cameras are not all that different overall and a lot of it comes down to personal preference in the look and feel of the camera (that’s what the people at Best Buy said anyway…and we agree). You’ll want a memory storage card (probably 1 gig or 528 Megabytes). Cameras come with limited storage capacity (maybe 30 pics or so). Don’t freak out too much. Most of the cameras out there take great pictures. We had a good experience buying at Best Buy. We have rechargeable batteries, which work well…just always make sure both sets are charged. Oh, and don’t forget the case! (We bought an accessory pack with a case, rechargeable batteries, and something else…I don’t remember right now).

    Heidi

  • Heather

    Our Kodak has 10x optical zoom, 5 megapixel, and can be fully manual or fully automatic. It also does video clips with sound.

    There are 2 different kinds of zoom – Optical or Digital. Digital is quite common, but when you zoom in, the picture gets fuzzy and distorted. Optical zoom is better, because its a ‘true zoom’ and your picture stays crisp and clear.

    You can also look for a camera that takes the same kind of storage as your other digital things – for example mine use a removable SD card, the same as my MP3 player. So I always have a ‘spare’.

    My camera battery is a lithium rechargeable so it lasts long. BUT if it looses its charge and you dont have a back up, its not as easy to buy as good ole AA’s.

    Hope this all makes sense! It all comes down to what you prefer!

    Heather

  • Susan

    We have an Olympus and it’s 5 years old, but takes AWESOME pictures. The thing that’s different about our camera is that it has a 10x optical zoom. Most cameras have 3 or 4x. That means you can zoom in WAY closer, something that’s important to us!

    Susan

  • Anonymous

    You might search the forums as SCS there’s been lots of discussion on the merits of various digital cameras. Sorry I can’t help more, I’m technically challenged as well!

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