digital cameras

happygrump

Once more into the breach
May 21, 2004
820
0
0
Waterloo Region
I'll be in the market for a digital camera soon and wonder if fellow TERBites have any recommendations. My budget hovers around the $500 mark. I'd like a 3.2 megapixel with at least a 3x optical zoom.

Any suggestions?
 
Elph by canon. I paid $650 for a 4 mp, they are probably less than $500 by now.
 
megapixels are a myth ....... get the best quality lens and the best compression logarithms ......... don't buy Sony they use horrible firmware and bad compression ......... any Canon or Nikon ........ personally i prefer Canon products until i got the new D-70 SLR ......... for 699 u get a great 10 x optical and 3.2 mp with the Canon PS1 ......... takes better pictures the our 8 mp Sony with the cheaper PS 1 having more optical zoom at work .....
 
Tough to recommend without knowing what the primary use will be (for instance, if you plan on shooting action sports, you'd want a high optical zoom and fastest burst possible). But I've been very impressed with Canon...
 
Speedo makes a valid point...However, I picked up a Minolta DiMage X when it first came out, but now they have the Xi version..I love it, and its in your price range and it's a small camera with no pertruding parts ie) zoom is built inside the camera....also on a sidenote, you'll probably endup spending another 100 or so bux on a memory card, most cameras, esp. the Minolta come with small memory cards...isnt technology wonderful?
 
digital camera software...

...how about the software...any good ones out there? The olympus software that comes with the camera is not that good....cuz i can't email out the pix unless i buy the upgrade to the Pro version...

thanks
 
Whatever camera you decide on make sure you get the fastest memory you can get. The last time I checked "Ultra II" was the best compact flash. If you don't already know, the faster mem shortens the time between shots. I paid $20 more for 256mbs.
 
You talk sense, canucklehead.

Megapixels are neither necessary nor sufficient to take quality pictures. Unless you're going to be regularly printing poster size prints, 3MP is plenty. I also agree that Sony is not a great choice. Look at Canon, Oly, Fuji maybe.

I have a Oly 2100UZ (2mp) and a Canon S400 (4mp). Guess which one takes better pictures?

canucklehead said:
megapixels are a myth ....... get the best quality lens and the best compression logarithms ......... don't buy Sony they use horrible firmware and bad compression ......... any Canon or Nikon ........ personally i prefer Canon products until i got the new D-70 SLR ......... for 699 u get a great 10 x optical and 3.2 mp with the Canon PS1 ......... takes better pictures the our 8 mp Sony with the cheaper PS 1 having more optical zoom at work .....