Looking to purchase a digital camera for the family for Xmas.  I have $400-500 to spend.  Since you guys post tons of digital photos, thought that you could help me out with some recommendations.  Any input is appreciated.  Thanks

Kevin

Olympus D-510.  $399  I love mine!

I'm also in the market.  All research I've done so far points to the Cannon G2 or the Cannon S40.  Does anyone have any experience with either of these?  They are a little on the expensive side(the G2 retails for $899), but I have found some better deals on the net.  Speaking of which, has anyone done business with "Broadway Camera" located in NY, they have the G2 listed for $639.

I have a Olympus C-3000 for sale, used once, and put back. Works fine, all original packing, and all software and cables are still in factory sealed bags. Was given as a gift, but I already have a Sony Mavica.

Looking for a pre-ban Bushmaster 16 inch upper for trade, but willing to sell for $400.

E-mail me if you want specs and pictures of the camera.

Av.

Rabbit, in that price range (the G2) I would reccommend the Sony DSC F707.  It's $999, but it is worth every penny.  Has infrared filters, a Carl Zeiss 5X optical zoom lense (10X digital) and can take three-shot burst photos for action shots.  Also takes movies (in night vision, yet).  It takes the best damn digital camera pics I have ever seen.

g2 is awsome camera , but to pricey for me,  ive have 2 kodaks the newest is the 4800 if you look you can find them for about 399.00 look at staples office supply  ,, best for the money, for a 3.3 mpix, zoom, low light, and lens acc.

I've been quite pleased with the Canon S100.  It's a very good point'n'shoot camera, and has good enough resolution and color quality to make fixing photos in gimp/photoshop/etc. worthwhile.  I think the latest iteration is the S110.  It has rechargable 680maH Li-ion batteries that last a while (digital cameras run through batteries like mad).  With the right combo of coupons and some shopping, you could probably get one < $425

See also: http://www.dpreview.com/

-Bill

Minolta S304

Specs and pics here-[url]http://www.steves-digicams.com/2001_reviews/s304.html[/url]

High res(3.3 Mpixels), compact size, 4x optical(not digital)zoom, autofocus or manual, 60 seconds of video recording capability, uses readily available Compact Flash memory, and too many other sweet features to list. Go read the spec sheet.

Costs about $400, depending on where you buy it-hint, go to buydig.com to get one.

Juggernaut

and i thought i would pick up a  hp-315 with xtra memory for $199 or a fuji 2300 with xtra memory for $189.
both take nice pics, figured to have money left over for guns/ammo.

If I'm good, Santa sez he might give me a [b]Nikon CoolPix 775[/b] for Christmas.

Try www.cnet.com for comparison of features and pricing.

I also have a Canon S100. I bought it because it is so small. You can find the S110 cheaper and with more features. My old camera was too big and I wouldn't take it with me because of size.

As was mentioned above, beware of online vendors. The ones that will screw you seem to be concentrated in NY. When I ordered my camera it was at a great price. The way they screwed me was by charging me extra for the battery and charger that are already in the package from the factory! They will also screw you on the shipping.

Check out [url]www.steves-digicams.com[/url] to find the right camera and then check out [url]www.dealtime.com[/url] for good prices. Be sure to look at the store ratings at Dealtime as it will tell you alot about the vendors.

I gotta go with the Canon S110 as well.  I have the older S10 and this thing is like half the size.  Ads this weekend at most stores has them for $399.  Almost tempted to replace the S10 as you truly can put this one in your pocket.

BTW, Costco has 128mb flash memory cards for 60 bucks right now.  With the 2.1 megapixles maxed out it give appx. 241 pictures and at normal email size pictures it maxes out at 999.  Great for if you are going on vacation.

I have a Sony DSC-75 3.3 megapixels, I love it.

Be sure to get the memory stick reader if you get the Sony, it loads your pictures into the computer faster.

Make sure whatever you get your camera it has a US warrantee. If you purchase a extended warrantee make sure it is factory authorized.

Also ask if the camera is in stock and if it is a demo or new, also ask what comes in the box. I bought my camera from Wolf Camera, I have no regrets. Have fun

Nikon Coolpix 995

I love mine, works great for point and shoot. And has TONS of manual features when you feel like getting creative. Right now you can get the camera for around $650 but Nikon is offering a $100 rebate, so $550.

As stated before, make sure you research the online retailer before you buy. There are many companies that sell gray market cameras, and try to screw you by pressuring you buy overpriced accessories.

I had a pleasant experience with [url]http://www.zerodelivery.com[/url]

Just got a Canon S-30, which I would highly recommend.  However, it costs a bit more than you’re looking to spend.  It goes for $599 at Best Buy, which is the list price.  It’s just hit the market, which accounts for the absence of any discount.  Actually I got it there with a 10% off certificate, so it was $540 plus tax out the door.  

B&H Photo has it for $579.  They are the only mail order/internet outfit I’d even consider dealing with.  With rare exception, the other outfits WILL rip you off.

The S-30 is a 3.3-megapixal camera.  It is almost identical to the Canon S-40 mentioned by Rabbit9 in his post, except that the S-40 is a 4-megapixal camera and costs $200 more.  They both come with the same instruction book.  The difference isn’t worth the cost IMHO, plus the 4-megapixal photos are just too big anyway.  

The S-30 has the same electronic “engine” as the really excellent 4-megapixal Canon G-2.  Admittedly the G-2 has a better lens (f2.0 I think), stronger flash, an external flash shoe and longer lasting battery.  However, the S-30 has a smaller clamshell design and is much more portable that a G-2.  It’s also about $300 cheaper than the G-2.

The S-30 comes with a 16MB Compact Flash card, which is too small.  So I bought a 128MB card for $80.  I also had trouble getting my computer to interface with the S-30 and wound up having to upgrade from Windows 98 to Windows XP – another $100!!  However, I’m sure that was a computer, not camera, problem.

The S-30 is a bit weak in the macro (closeup) mode.  It takes great photos of gun parts and such, but if you’re looking to take good photos of really small items like stamps or coins, it may not be the way to go.

If you’re interested in the S-30, check these two reviews (one is of the S-40, which again is very similar):

[url]www.dpreview.com/reviews/canons40/[/url]

[url]steves-digicams.com/2001_reviews/canon_s30.html[/url]

One warning about the S-30, it has an overwhelming number of features that are more suited to a really serious amateur photographer.  You can ignore them by shooting in auto mode - but a less sophisticated camera might be all you need, and a bit cheaper.

Wal-Mart online has some pretty darn good prices on memory cards -

SmartMedia - [url]http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product_listing.gsp?cat=63987&dept=5426&path=0:5426:3959:63985:63987&bti=0&sb=61[/url]

CompactFlash - [url]http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product_listing.gsp?cat=63986&dept=5426&path=0:5426:3959:63985:63986&bti=0&sb=61[/url]

Sony Mavica CD-200, CD-300 or CD-1000
CD-200 lists at $900.00, i got mine NIW on Ebay for $500.00
it writes onto mini-CDs, magnetic memory is OUT! memory sticks are not compatible with all media.

Rabbit9, i went to Broadway Camera years ago, the set up i saw was made out to be something it wasn't in their add, i left it alone and walked away. i think that place is more of a tourist-trap, selling reconditioned or stolen items.

Hey Fatty, thanks for the advice on Broadway.  I looked @ the Sony Mavica but decided against it;  the mini-cd doesn't let you delete unwanted photos, which I consider a major plus for digital.  You can get the rewritable mini-cd's, but I hear that you lose resolution when you copy over.

I got the Sony MVC-75
it was under $400
It takes 3.5" floppy disks, no sofware or USP crap to mess with.
Everybodies PC takes floppies.

I wish it had better resolution, but it's good enough for this:
[url]http://wsphotofews.excite.com/037/BW/Uo/tt/hb71883.jpg[/url]

I bought the Canon S-300 Elph digital. It is VERY small and has some great features. Macro pictures leave a little to be desired, but overall it is a great camera. It costs more, but I wanted something that would fit in my pocket and this is pretty much the smallest you can buy. I researched Dig cameras a lot and found that most Canons are recommended. I like mine. BE VERY CAREFUL buying on the net. There are some real characters out there selling dig. cameras, they look like regular companies, but they try to screw you or have bad customer service. I ordered from [url]http://www.buydig.com/[/url] because they had great prices and had good reviews. Check out [url]www.cnet.com[/url] for camera reviews. Also check out [url]www.epinions.com[/url] Good luck in your choice!

Can any of tell me how the following Digital cameras perform and how these prices are?

Fuji Finepix 1400 Zoom Digital 1.3MP  $209

Fuji MX1200 1.3MP                     $159

Polaroid PDC 1300 1.3MP               $149

Polaroid Digital W/ MP3               $129

RCA CDS 1005                          $64

Samsung Digimax 800K                  $99

JVC 3.34MP CCD Digital Still Camera   $529

Also, Can you guys tell me what an APS camera kit/set is?

Thanks, Alex

Sony Mavica FD-88 it does 1.3 mega pixel pics and lets you pic 3 levels of size and 2 diff qual standards so you can put anywhere from 8 up to 40 some odd. It makes incredible life like color pics and it also does color video for up to 1 min with sound and stores it on a floppy disk in MPG format so you can just put the disk in the comp and there it is and you can delete un wanted pics as you go and you can even do disk copy if you are out and about and want to share pics with someone. I got mine at Comp USA for under $400.

APS probably means Advanced Photo System, which is a film system developed by Kodak a few years ago to correct supposed problems with 35MM film.  It also goes under the name Advantix, or something like that.  The film cartridges are slightly smaller than a 35MM cartridge.

It was supposed to be the film of the future, but wasn’t.

You want at least a 3 megapixel camera, I have a Sony Cybershot, it is 4.1 megapixel , it is a great camera, and very small. only about $800.
Do not get the 1 to 2 megapixal cameras, you will be disappoimnted, they are good for only a 3x5 shot, nothing bigger

Olympus Camedia C-700!  The smallest 10X Optical Zoom Camera you can get!  Awesome zoom, and great features.  Can be bought for around $450!

What's the deal with those cameras that are "directly imported" without the US warranty? They're sometimes 20% cheaper.

Hey Matt,
The gray market cameras are mostly fine, the problem is they don't come with a US warranty card so if you have a problem you are f-ed.  Plus you are not sure exactly where it is coming from with some of the smaller retailers. (refurb, etc.)

Not worth the 20% IMHO.

Steve, thanks. It sounded too good to be true. I really need a camera now that the baby is here.

Hmm...

1911 or digital camera?
1911 or digital camera?
1911 or digital camera?
1911 or digital camera?
1911 or digital camera?
1911 or digital camera?
1911 or digital camera?

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh........... [>(]

Avlon01 you have e-mail I am interested in your camera.

Get both.  You can get a good 2.1 megapixel camera for pretty cheap now.  Don't worry about more pixles unless you are planning on doing blow ups.  I shoot almost all my pictures on low res anyhow so I can email and post them.  I even print the low res ones up to 5x7 and they look fine for family and friends, just wouldn't want to enter any contests with them.  

Actually the hard part is gonna be finding a cheap decent 1911.

Plus, a gun with a baby in the house?  Tsk, Tsk.

Yeah, that's my problem. I set my sights too high. he he I kinda like that LEGP 1911 and I heard so many raves about the Canon G2 and that new Sony 707 with that great lens, I'm dying to get one of those two.

Man, I need cheaper hobbies.

Just to make things more difficult for you, Circuit City is currently offering one year no interest financing on digital cameras costing $299 and up. I believe the offer runs through the 15th. They have the Canon G2 for $899. Nice Camera. They also have the G1 on sale for $649.  

I'm considering getting a digital camera myself.  Can you still get printed pictures developed at film developers(like Walgreens) from a digital camera?  I've wondered about this because to me, when you want to show someone pictures, it's just easier to hand them one, than to say, "go over to your computer(if they even have one) and see this picture."

Bought my Canon Elf S110 at Circuit City for $399. It is a great little camera. Emphasis on the word "little". Much improved (added features) version of the fantastic S100.

Canon was running a promotion and got a rebate for a free LiIon battery, 16 Meg card, and carry bag (about $70 worth of accessories). I don't know if they are still running that offer though.

It is a great camera though and brushed metal. Looks and feels very classy.

Anyone have one of these? Was thinking about getting my mother one cause she can never figure out how to download stuff onto the computer from a camera.

It uses floppys or 120MB superdisks!

[url]http://www.prodcat.panasonic.com/shop/templates/square_template.asp?ModelId=9655&show_all=false&product_exists=True&active=1&ModelNo=PV-SD5000[/url]

Hey Ratters, do you know how to spot a gray market device?  Just got a smokin deal on a NIB Sony DCR PC110 and would like to know if it's a gray market cam.

Hey guys, really appreciate all the good info on the digital cameras.  I was seriously thinking about getting the Cannon G2, but took 199's advice and bought the S30.  It really is a great camera, and will do everything I will ever require.  Besides...$300 buys a lot of ammo! [;D]

Thanks for all the advice guys.  I went with the Olympus C-3020 Zoom.  I got it at buydig for a rather good price, so I'm happy.  Once again thanks for the advice.

Kevin

Xsquid,

I'm not Ratters, but if your NIB PC110 had a U.S. warranty in the box, that's a good sign.  On the other hand, if you see anything that indicates that it wasn't intended for the U.S. market (paperwork or packaging not in U.S. English, non-U.S. standard electrical plug on charger, charger designed for 220V rather than 110V, etc.) than that's bad.  Also, while I'm not sure if it is technically considered "gray market" - you may have purchased a U.S. product from a non-authorized distributor - which could also make getting warranty service a little difficult.  I understand that factory authorized distributors sometimes unload excess inventory to non-authorized vendors.

What he said. [:)]  US Warranty card will be the main thing though.  I used to really be into the photo thing and many dealers will tell you that they have gray market items for cheaper in the ads.  

Just check out for the camera stores in SF where you can pick up a Nikkon or a Cannon for a great price. [;)]

What you do is up upload your shots to one of those on-line photo hosting sites such as [url]www.ofoto.com[/url], which is owned by Kodak, and they will print the pictures you want and mail them to whomever your choose. The only problem with this setup is you need a fast connection because some of those images are quite large.

Photopoint has the same deal as does webshots.com

Focuscamera.com has the G2 for $768.95. Not bad. I bought my spotting scope from them and the only problem was shipping was a little high.

Anyway, I like that Sony DSC F707 because of the lens and all the file formats it offers. The G2 is JPEG only (I think). But it looks like the Sony will be somewhat more expensive.

Maybe I should sell an AR and get the Olympus E10? Yeah, right...