I know squat about digital cameras, except that my wife wants one for XMas.  Can anyone reccommend a model and a retailer?  She will use this mostly take pictures of the kids and family, but it does need at least a limited zoom.  I'd like to buy something that will last at least for a few years.

Thanks.

Hewlitt Packard Photosmart 435 from Wally World.

3.1 megapixel

5x digital zoom

takes movies with audio


Oh yes,  did I mention it is $150???

Edited to add:  It is well worth it to buy the 64 mb memory card for $50,  it holds about 90 pictures with set at the highest resolution.  Otherwise,  it will only hold about 20 pictures the way it comes from the factory.  It's your choice,  I bought the memory card because I will be taking this camera on vacation.  If I was just using it around the house the memory it came with would be fine.

Here is a picture taken with this exact camera....



[url="http://www.hunt101.com/?p=71238&c=500&z=1"][img]http://www.hunt101.com/img/071238.JPG[/img][/url]

i got a cheapo deluxe HP photosmart 320 for about 150 at circuit city about a year ago. takes pretty good pictures, but if you want zoom, GET OPTICAL, digital is complete ass.


heres a pic i took this summer in south padre island just so you can have an idea.

[img]http://members.cox.net/xoc5151/sunset01.JPG[/img]


oh by the way, this was medium quality, ut i cant find much of a difference between medium and high. also coms with a 30 second video shooter. very simple camera to operate

gunner, nice rottie, heres mine hard at work(same camera)

[img]http://members.cox.net/xoc5151/rebel1.JPG[/img]

I have an older version of what is basically now the Canon S45.  It is awesome, but probably a lot more camera than what you want.

Best Buy has it for $399 – see: [url]www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051826100329&skuId=5303977&type=product[/url].  No doubt you could get it cheaper on the Internet.  But again, it is much more than simply a point and shoot camera!!

For really good reviews of digital cameras, see:  [url]www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html[/url].

I just bought a Kodak Easy Share 3.1 magapixel at Wal-Mart for $197.93.

It has 3X optical Zoom and 3.3 digital.

Get the most optical zoom you can for the amount of money you want to spend even at the expense of megapixels.  A 2mp with 3X optical zoom takes better pictures(using zoom) than a 3mp with 3X digital zoom.

Don't be too tempted to get more than 3 mp.  That's enough to take great pictures up to  about 13"X17".  If you are not going to print posters, you are only wasting memory space with higher  mp's.  For just posting on the computer, 2mp is considered plenty.

Whatever you get, be sure to get some rechargeable batteries.  These digital cameras use them up fast.

Eddited to add:
The internal 16mb of memory holds 17 high quality (the lower the quality the more it holds with four quality levels) photos or 1 minute of video with sound.

With a 128mb memory card (about $65) it holds 131 high quality (350 good quality) photos or 9 minutes of video with sound.

Check out Dell.
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productlisting.aspx?c=us&l=en&cs=19&category_id=5106

They have a sale on digital cameras (10% off). I'm looking at the the Sony P-92 5 megapixal for a Christmas present. Combined with the sale and the mail in rebate, cost will be < $300 plus free shipping.

I have Sony's 3 megapixel version and the the thing works great.

Canon is usually a really good value for the $$$ spent.

see if epinions.com has anything.. or check amaon for customer reviews.

Nikon cool pix may pique your interest too.

I have an Olympus Stylus Digital Camera (3.2 mega pixel) and swear by it..It takes great pictures, its water resistant and otherwise bulletproof. I spent five months in Iraq with the camera in my cammie cargo pocket and it never failed me.....
Here's the link:

[url]http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/cpg_product_lobbypage.asp?l=1&p=16&bc=27&product=902[/url]

[shameless self promotion]

My wife is a Minolta dealer.

If you are interested, she has models from $250 to $899. NIB with factory warrenty. (beware if "graymarket" deals)

E-mail me for details if you are interested.

Thanks.

[/shameless self promotion]

I'm using a Nikon CoolPix 4300 (4.0 megapixel) that takes some amazing pictures, and has good zoom capability.  It uses compact flash cards, which have really come down in price recently, with 256 meg cards for less than $80!  And that will hold an entire vacations worth of pics.

If you like I can email you a full size, full resolution pic, so you can see the difference.  I was really impressed the first time I held my photos up against some of my buddies pics with a lesser digital camera, the quality of the image was vastly better.  

Prices have dropped a bit since I got mine; I found this one for $295, which is about $80 less than I paid.  [url=http://store.yahoo.com/wellsdigital/25507.html]Smoking deal!![/url]


Here's a link to the review that site Q3131A posted below did.  [url]http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/nikon/coolpix4300-review/index.html[/url]

I have the Fujifilm S5000.  It is the SLR style.  GREAT DIGITAL CAMERA.  3.1 MP, 22X Zoom, Movies, Auto-bracketing....ect....

[url]http://www.dpreview.com/[/url]

Some cameras.

[url]http://www.officemax.com/max/solutions/product/prodBlock.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&expansionOID=-536906213&prodBlockOID=537126162[/url]

[url]http://www.officemax.com/max/solutions/product/prodBlock.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&expansionOID=-536906213&prodBlockOID=537102710[/url]

[url]http://www.officemax.com/max/solutions/product/prodBlock.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&expansionOID=-536906213&prodBlockOID=537090427[/url]

[url]http://www.officemax.com/max/solutions/product/prodBlock.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&expansionOID=-536906213&prodBlockOID=537125342[/url]

[url]http://www.officemax.com/max/solutions/product/prodBlock.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&expansionOID=-536906213&prodBlockOID=537138595[/url]

[url]http://www.officemax.com/max/solutions/product/prodBlock.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&expansionOID=-536906213&prodBlockOID=537008596[/url]

Here are some OM coupons:
[url]http://www.computerlandcentral.com/index.php?tc=803191365[/url]

Should have a $50 off $250 next week.

Beware if buying online.  There are A LOT of places selling grey market cameras.

All I have to say is, whatever you buy, "Don't drop it"!!!!


I just scrapped out a Canon Digital Elph, they don't bounce too well. [:|]

The recommendations here are pretty good. If you are just getting something to save family memories through pictures, don't get anything super complicated or expensive. 3.2 megapixal is the price point right now and is good enough for printing decent pictures. Heck 2.1 megapixel is even good enough if you dont print over 5x7 size pictures and who does? Just make sure it has otical zoom of about 2.5-3x minimum.

Printing out picts on a ink jet is slow and expensive anyway. It's nicer to use the picture kiosks at the stores or over the internet and is not expensive for good quality pictures.

If it's overly complicated to use (like a pro level camera), your wife will end up taking a bunch of crappy pictures on an expensive camera. Just get a point and shoot type.

The only things I would suggest are an extra rechargeable battery (cause they all go through batteries like water)and at least two decent sized memory cards (~128-256meg). Also get a external USB memory as it is much more easy and convenient to upload to the PC using them than it is to hook up the camera to the PC. Some cameras like the Kodaks come with good docking units in lieu of needing an external reader.

If you take a lot of indoor picts under poor lighting (and you will) you can get an add-on flash base that adds ambient light to poor light shots for about $50 bucks. Most point and shoot digital cameras dont have a flash adaptor and the built in flashes tend to be pretty weak. The add-on base flash units work with a little sensor that detects when your camera's flash goes off and flashes itself at the same time and really helps out on those "kids playing in the closet" shots.

Make sure you get a CDROM burner to save all the pictures you take and DONT delete any pictures no matter how crappy they are. When you get old and grey, you wont care about the quality over "having" the pictures to see and remember. You can edit many bad pictures to be printable with the right software. Half the fun about seeing older pictures is remembering why the shot was bad.

I was in the same boat.  I wanted a digital camera but didn't know what to get.
What makes it even harder is that every camera is described differently, so it makes compareson very difficult.

Basicaly I am buying a 1 better modle of a camera a friend has.  I have seen what it does and how the pictures come out and liked it.

Next week I'm buying a Canon A70. The price at Wallmart is $289 but basicaly stays at $300 everywhere.
I don't know all of the stats on it but it is a 3.2 megapixle and also has video with sound. It comes with a 16MB card but the 256 is just over $80 at Wallmart.
It gives you 3minuets of video with the 16mb card. It should be even better with the 256 card in it.


BISHOP

I have the same one and agree. It is a very nice digi cam.

I've got a 3mp Sony that I really like...but the weather-resistant Olympus (stylus) looks pretty cool.

Bought a Canon Power Shot S400 Digital Elph about eight months ago at Best Buy. It is a 4 megapixel camera that cost $499.

I believe I overspent on the camera, but I wanted a good macro and zoom lens, which this has. The only drawback is the slight delay between pushing the button and the shutter actually opening, a flaw I believe is inherent in all digital cameras.

It takes excellent photos and three-minute video clips. A few days ago I dropped it from a distance of about waist-high onto a concrete floor. I dreaded picking it up! There was a nice small dimple in one corner of the metal body. I pushed the power button and it came on. Took a quick photo to see if it still worked, and it does. Whew!

I like to carry my camera everywhere I go. It is compact and fits comfortably in my pocket, but I am always worried about dropping it or leaving it laying somewhere. For that reason, I too am looking for a less expensive digital  camera for concealed carry.

Panzer Out

Model 2001 SAR1 and Bushmaster/RRA M4gery
[img]http://community.webshots.com/s/image1/5/13/89/103651389LjkDEz_ph.jpg[/img]

I have a Sony Cyber Shot 3.2 MP that takes great pics.

SG

i bought the same camera back in june

here are a couple of pics using the "macro focus" mode i made while playing around with it the day i got it (note, these are about 1 meg each)


[url]http://home.wi.rr.com/antigov/IMG_0431.JPG[/url]


[url]http://home.wi.rr.com/antigov/IMG_0432.JPG[/url]

my reccomendation is for the canon powershot a70 or a80(4mp swivel screen)

WARNING: DIGITAL ZOOM IS A GIMICK

look for 3x optical or better, and anything 3.2mp or higher will be FINE.

imho anything from canon, fuji, olympus, or nikon will be fine.

also check out the kodak 6490 digicam... lotsa zoom with a decent price.

[url]www.dpreview.com[/url]

Is a web site dedicated to the digital camera better than any other I've ever run across.

My current favorites are the Olympus Ultra Zooms with their 10x lens.

I looked at that one, but finally went with the Minolta Dimage Z1.
[img]http://www.dpreview.com/news/0308/minolta/dimagez1-inhand02-001.jpg[/img]
[url]http://www.dpreview.com/news/0308/03080703dimagez1.asp[/url]

I bought it from this place:
[url]http://www.digitalfotoclub.com/sc/main_item.asp?id=964589034&rf=pg&dfdate=12_05_2003[/url]
It should be here tomorrow.

They are 9+ on reseller ratings. I paid under $315 delivered.
[url]http://www.resellerratings.com/seller2889.html[/url]

Fuji Finepix 700 is the hottest thing out there now for a pocket sized camera.
Fast on start up.  
Large LCD display.
Flying off the shelves in gadgetland (Japan).

That said, I believe most people don't need more than 3 megapixels.  So to keep your costs down, you may want to go for a 3 Megapixel camera.  

I tried out a demo of the Fuji and prefer it over an Olympus 5 Megapixel.

[url]http://www.fujifilm.com/JSP/fuji/epartners/digitalComparisonGuide.jsp[/url]

The Canon A70 is a pretty good camera and is easy to use.  3x optical, macro, video with sound, has cheap memory cards.   Uses 4 AAs; alkalines, nicads or NiMAh batteries (so no problem if you need batteries in an emergency).  BTW, battery life is incredible with this camera.  Bundled with editing software (software is OK but not great).  About $300: add $30 for two sets of NiMah batteries & charger, and $30-$50 for more memory, and you are good to go!

I just got one for my wife a few weeks ago.  I got the Canon Power Shot A300.  It is a very small but easy to handle and easy to use camera.  I did a lot of research on www.dpreview.com and www.steves-digicams.com and the Canon had what we wanted.

Pros:
Small
Uses x2 AA batteries
Easy to use
Excellent photo quality
Uses CF cards which are durable easy to find and the cheapest MB/Price of all media cards
Good price $190.00
Very good multi-point autofocus system (good crisp and clean focus)

Cons:
Digital zoom only (I was really against digital zoom because of other cameras that I have used but after trying this one I do not have any regrets)
x2 AA batteries Drains batteries pretty fast so you should get the high capacity rechargables

I think this is an excellent camera for the average user.  Good photos and easy to use.  I have a Canon 35mm SLR camera and lenses.  Depending on the Christmas bonus situation I may get the Canon 10D which is a Digital SLR body.  Then we will a have a small easy use camera and a very nice 6.3M pixel camera with interchangable lenses.  With this camera setup and a good printer you can print 19 x 13 inch photos that are suitable to hang on the wall.  

So many hobbies so little time.

Well Imposter, did you get a digital camera?

Yes, I ordered the Canon A70.  There was some excellent advice here on what to look for (3 + megapixels, 3x + optical zoom).  Compared to some other cameras in the same range, the Canon had longer battery life and makes movies with sound.  The cheapest I found it online was $260, but there have apparently been some QC problems and from personal experience I know that Canon customer service is a joke.  So I bought it at waltmart.com for $270.  I had to pay sales tax on top of that but shipping was only $2, and I can take it back the local Wal-Mart if it is defective.

Thanks for all the advice guys.

Get a Canon.  Great pictures, very easy to use software. I've got one, my son's got one, they are a great value. Even a 2 megapixel will shoot crystal clear pictures.

I just got my wife the Canon A70.  We decided on that one because of it's good reviews and the fact that you can use it in a fully auto mode (wife mode), fully manual mode or any increment in between (my modes).  (I was a photography buff earlier in life.)  The battery life is also rated as one of the highest.  I paid $280 (incl. s&h) for mine from B&H Photo out of NY.  Haven't played with it much since it is technically an X-mas present.  From the little I have played, I'm very pleased.

Kent

Thanks to the responses here, I too,
just bought my wife the Canon A70 for
Christmas. She has been using my Canon
S330 a lot this past year.

Went to the local WalMart. Price there was
$298.97. Their website price was only $267.66.

I asked the guy at Wally World about the
difference. He seemed disinterested, So I
bought it online.
Thanks for all the input. It does seem the
3.0-3.2 mpxl is what the makers are pushing
this year. At least it seems those are the cameras featuring the deepest price cuts.

I have the same camera. It takes great pictures. Get optical though.

full sized photo from a70...

[url=http://000buck.d2g.com/edwards03/img_1053.jpg]A-10[/url]

Just bought a Koday EasyShare DX4530 from Wally World.  Very nice camera.  3x optical zoom, 5.0 MP's so even with the 3x optical zoom in use you still get very high res pictures.  We've taken some excellent shots of the kids that are just plain outstanding, printed them up on the HP Photosmart printer and they are pretty much indistinguishable from regular film prints shot with a commercial grade SLR or high quality point and shoot.

Takes short quicktime films with sound as well. About 300 bucks.