I know this has probably been asked a thousand times, and I'm sorry if I'm being redundant, but I need digicam suggestions. I've always been a strictly film person, but it's impossible to take my Canon with me *everywhere* because it's so big and heavy...and I tend to find awesome shots on the occasions it's not with me. So I'm finally going to do what I thought I'd never do....and buy a digital camera! ::gasp:: I'm looking for something small and light, that's easy to take anywhere. I know you gotta spend alot to get something good, but I don't have alot to spend. So, it doesn't have to take amazing pictures, but decent ones. What do you suggest?
Well, it's hard to say without knowing the exact budget, but here's some thoughts for finding a good camera at a reasonable price:
- Used equipment (ie try ebay)
- Closeout gear (do some research to see what Nikon/Canon/Olympus/Kodak/etc models have recently been replaced)
- Costco (I've seen good ~$300 cameras there)
And never, ever forget to check DP Review before you buy so you have a good diea about what to expect from the camera.Re: new cameras, I'm fond of Nikons, personally. One of my coworkers recently got the 4300 and it's quite impressive; the 3100 might fall more within your budget, however. I own an old 775 (2.1MP) that really does a good job, given its limitations.
And watch out for Memory Stick cameras- 512MB CF cards are pretty cheap these days, but Memory Sticks seem to be more pricey.
- Photographer
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Yup, I'm totally lost. I'd read alot of recommendations for the 775 a while back...and got all excited when I saw I could get it for just under $200 on eBay, so I was set on that. But after reading the reviews on that dp review site you mentioned...most of them were bad. So...hmm. Maybe not. The 4500 I'm sure I couldn't afford right now. Possibly the 3100. The only thing I question...these coolpix cameras...they're tiny and plastic. I've never liked plastic cameras because that usually means that they're cheap crap. And a small camera is what I am looking for, but I didn't know they were *that* tiny. Can something that small really take good pictures? :)
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How about the Canon A60? That seems to have alot of good reviews and it looks affordable. Anyone ever messed with that?
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Also, it has a waterproof housing available for it fairly cheap, so that's another plus if you want to take pictures in water or rain or other adverse conditions (sand and dirt, etc.)
- Contumelious
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i've heard some of the negative reviews of the coolpix 775 too, and to a certain extent some of the things are true. If you want to see some pictures taken with that camera, you can look at any of the pics i've taken.. all the pics i've put on this site are taken with the coolpix 775. Overall though, I've been very happy with the 775, and would recommend it to anyone.. pros:
small - you can take it anywhere (it went with me on my honeymoon to hawaii, to disneyworld, and to countless other places. It fits into your pocket and you forget its there. affordable - you can get one for less than $200 on ebay nikon quality good image quality on most shots. cons:
plastic body - maybe not as solidly built as you would like, but I have never had problems in 1 1/2 years of owning this camera. it has stood up... problems with darker images, and some vignetting on some shots.
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I guess it depends on your expectations. For an inexpensive portable point-and-shoot, the 775 is great. For serious photography, it's not so great, mostly because you don't have much control over the settings. Resolution wise, you can get decent 8x10 prints if you shoot at high res/ low compression settings.
My 775 goes everywhere with me, so I'll never miss a shot. The battery lasts forever (I kid you not- I recharge it maybe once a month, and it's not even the Nikon brand), and I have used it as a snorkeling camera with an ewa-marine case. It can also take a plastic adapter for filters (and even lenses).
Here's some photos I've taken with the 775.
Tyd has done really amazing work with the 775- after a look at her site, you won't doubt that a small plastic camera can take fantastic photos.
To be honest, in the sub-$300 range you're not too likely to find a metal-bodied camera. I haven't had any problems with the casing of the 775, and it's hardly treated well (most often it's at the bottom of my purse, under keys and sunglasses, among the inescapable grains of sand). Oh yes, and I've dropped it on occasion, with no noticeable ill effects.
And just in case you were wondering, I do treat my 5700 much better than the 775 :)
- Photographer
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I owned that camera, and it's great for a small inexpensive point-and-shoot camera. But the lack of control over exposure eventually drove me to buy a new digital camera (the coolpix 5000, which has slightly more control, though I wish it had more). Ideally I'd recommend a digital SLR for optimal control, but not many have a budget for that. :)
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Visit the "Digital Photography Review" site @ @http://www.dpreview.com/ and decide for yourself. There are plenty of models and types to choose from.
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Personnally, I suggest a Canon Powershot camera.
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http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/home.html
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