Dyre Straits

I'm not going to spend a big loot of money on a digital camera. The one I've been using for the past 7 years or so has served me quite well. But, it IS, after all, SEVEN YEARS OLD! It's also only a 2.1 MP camera.

So, I've got a little bonus coming to me from my job and should be getting it in a short time. While we wait, I'd like to know what you guys -- and gals! -- think is the best digital camera under $200 US? It'll likely have to be at least 7 MP and I'd like it to have video capability.

Thanks up front for any and all replies!

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OldBuzzard

Take a look at the Kodak Z730. It's only 5 meg pix, but is a very nice piece of work.

They aren't making it any more, but I think that was mostly because it was so good for the $$ that it was cutting into the sales of their higher end cameras.

IF you go with a Kodak, be careful of their software. Make sure that you don't allow it to load when you boot because it wants to 'take over the world' graphics wise. The software is OK, as long as you use it for what you want and then exit it.

We have 2 of them. One bought when it was new for the wife, and just recently a refurbed one for me.

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When looking for a reason as to why things go wrong, never rule out sheer STUPIDITY

RoyBatty

I'm looking for some digital camera too and I intend to spend about the same money for it.
From my little research so far I like the Fujifilm FinePix F40fd, it is 8.1 MPix, with 30 FPS 640x480 video. I'm going to ask my father for his opinion - he is a photographer and owns a shop with these things.

Dyre Straits

The camera I've been using for 7 years or so is a Kodak DC3400. It has served me quite well. Due to such a good experience with it, I'm kind of inclined to stick with Kodak. The one I'm really interested in is the Z710.

Anyone with any experience with this one?

Otherwise, I've also been encouraged to consider the Canon X630.

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Tipstaff

X630? As far as I remember Canon only has the SD630 and the A630.

In any case, for about $100 more ($300) you could pickup the Canon PowerShot S3 IS (which would be the lowest I'd personally go), or you can even find the older S2 IS a bit cheaper, but for under that ($200) the PowerShot SD630 is a fine choice.

Sorry, btw. Ever since I bought the EOS 20D last year, working with the RebelXT, and using my business partners S2 IS (and even some older Canons), I'm kinda Canon biased these days. All of those cameras have been a joy to use, and as such I'd buy a Canon first before anything else.

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Dyre Straits

Yes, you're right. It's the A630 that I was talking about. It's about the same price as the Kodak right now. I also found out that the Kodak is only available via shipping. The Canon is in stock and can be picked up on my way to work.

I may just find out how well a Canon performs.

How are they on battery usage? I do already have several rechargable AA batteries and chargers. I'd be picking up a SD memory card, too.

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niceguyrichy

if you can still find it for sale the Minolta Dimage Z2 is a great camera for the price
that's what I take all my photos with, so a quick search in visions will show you what it can do.

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cozumel

Hey Dyre, would you be my guinea pig pls?

I'm also looking for a camera and would appreciate any feedback you have on whatever you get. From the advice that I got, I too was advised to go with the Canon Powershot.

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Tipstaff

Like most Canon cameras it uses 4xAA batteries, and usually you should get at least 450-500 shots on them. What I like about this camera (and the A640) is that it has a feature that was only available on their high end pro cameras, and that is that it has a multi point (9 infact) auto focus system. Also, the 2.5" LCD can be angle anyway you like, even pulled out to face the front of the camera (or turned around inside the camera to protect it).

I'm trying to remember which Canon camera my buddy has that uses a smart auto focus system. Say you are taking a group shot. All you have to do is point the camera, and it will automatically highlight and select all the heads of the people in the shot, and then use that as your focal point.That way everyone in the shot is in focus. I think it's the A630 and A640, but I can't recall for sure.

Oh, that reminds me. Don't forget to read up on whatever camera you are going to buy over on Steve's Digicams site (such as HERE for the A630).

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RoyBatty

It's called Face Detection, many new cameras have this feature nowadays.
From Canon A series only models with the Digic III processor have it - A570 IS and A560. At least that's what I found on their website.

Zardon

Recommending the "best" digital camera in that price range is quite difficult as everyone has different styling demands as well as needs for specific mm ranges.

Do your own research then if possible go to a local camera store and have a look at them in person. makes all the difference, rather than ordering blindly online.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/ (ignore the hideous webdesign, the content is brilliant)

http://www.dpreview.com/ (one of the best sites for digital photography)

Even if you don't buy from the camera store it means you are going there armed with knowledge from those sites, then you can play around with a few, see if you like the weight, size, optics. then go home and get the best deal online ! Don't be too focused on the MP rating either Dyre, its a common myth that "bigger is better", its certainly not always the case, you want the best optics (take for example the nikon D100, its has a low MP rating but the pictures are amazing with a good lens .. obviously this is an SLR, however it rings true right down through all the ranges).

(Incidentally I wouldnt personally touch a Kodak, they are not the same company they were 7 years ago trust me, id go with canon if possible Dyre - although im more into the SLR's rather than this price range so im sure makers like fuji put in a good showing).

Dyre Straits

Well, the suspense is over for me.

I did opt to get the Canon A630 today and picked it up at Circuit City. The US over the counter price there is $229. So, that's right in the range of the price I wanted to spend. I also picked up a dual pack of 1 GB memory cards for it. They had those there for $29.99 which comes to $15 each...not a bad price.

I've played and played with this camera ever since I picked it up and am AMAZED at some of the shots I'm getting. It has a HOST of different settings that I'm still figuring out. BUT, I've got the main basics under control.

AND, this one DOES have the FACE setting you guys were mentioning.

So far, there are only TWO things I'm not thrilled about:

1. The location of the memory card. You have to open the battery compartment to insert/remove it. That's about as .... unsophisticated .... as I can think of. I'm using to pushing a little switch on the bottom of my Kodak and having the card pop out for retrieval. At least the camera has to be upside down to get to either the batteries or the m.c. so that the batteries don't go flying every which way.

2. I haven't found a 'force flash' setting yet. BUT, I'm sure it has one. Or at least SHOULD! A few of my shots were taken inside with some bright sunlight coming in the windows behind the subject/s. So far, I've only found Auto Flash and No Flash. I'll need a 'Force Flash' for settings like that or they'll come out too dark.

I'll post up some shots very soon. Just got home from work and only got the files downloaded to the 'puter a few moments ago.

Something else I've played a lot with is the Video. Driving down the road, inside the store, etc. It does a real good job on the videos, too. This was one big thing that the user reviews turned me off from the Kodak. They were saying that the camera motor was so loud it was being heard throughout the videos. That's no good at all!

Well, I'm off to do some uploading of images now. Check back soon.

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Dyre Straits

Photos:

The following thumbnails are hosted on ImageShack. When you first click the image it will open and be reduced to the size of your browser window. To see the full size you need to click on the image a second time.

This first image is a shot I took of the gas station out in front of the Kroger next to where I work. The setting of the camera is on AUTO only. If you zoom into the Kroger sign out there it will be very blurry:



This next one was set for the Landscape and you can zoom in and actually read the prices of the gas...at least what's showing of the prices.



EDIT: I'm not sure what's going on with Imageshack with the above two photos. No matter how I try to upload them, they are only being uploaded at 800x600 with no zooming. I can't recall using anything different other than switching from Auto to Landscape on the camera. ???


The next one shows what I'm talking about with the bright sunlight behind. I couldn't locate a force flash setting:




A nice sunset was developing....I couldn't resist.







Have fun.

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Tipstaff

Trying to remember it correctly, but in the menu there should be 2 settings that deal with the flash (both of these are under the Rec. Menu): Flash Sync, which allows you to control when the flash goes off (being before the shutter opens, or just after it), and Flash Adjust. The latter one should have 2 settings: Automatic or Manual. Along with that you can also adjust the flash's exposure rate under the FUNC menu. Oh, and there's also Slow Synchro setting (on/off) under the Rec. Menu which will slow the shutter speed (which I think is to the flash rate.. can't remember exactly).

BTW, the only modes you can't adjust the flash are Auto, Scene (or SCN), and movie.

Last thing.. and I hate to say this.. but there's also a slight possibilty that the A630 doesn't have the Flash Adjust setting. I know it's there with the A640 though, but I can't say for certain about the A630. If not then you're best bet would be to grab an external flash (sucks, I know).

Edit: oh, there is one way that might work. There should be 2 buttons right above the main dial. The one you want is the top left one that has the crooked arrow to the right of it. That's the flash button. Each time you press it it will cycle through three modes: Auto, On, or Off (and it works if you have Red Eye Reduction on too). However, I don't think it's permanent though (which is where setting it in the Rec. Menu comes in).

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Dyre Straits

OK...

I did get the Force Flash option figured out. And, you're partially right about the AUTO setting.

While set to AUTO the flash can ONLY be made to use AUTO flash or NO flash. The Forced Flash option does come up in the other modes.

Now, on this one, that button you refer to...next to the "flash" symbol....isn't used for the Flash. It's to setup the Exposure level. If I push that button I get an option to brighten or darken the image. The flash option on this one is controlled by pressing the topmost portion of the large round ring on the back.

But, I still don't like that the memory card is located where it is.

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ChaosMinionX

I have a Nikon D80 DSLR for when I need to take really good tripod shots of something or anything of an important matter that I want to look good.

For most computer shots and on fly taking shots at parties and whatnot I use a Pentax Optio M20, its a 7MP camera with good lil set of features. Only drawback I can think of is it only has an LCD and no viewfinder but hey for the price I dont think you can beat it.

Heres a link

http://www.pentaximaging.com/product...section--optio

And a review by a Digital Photography site....

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0608/06082102pentaxm20.asp


Its about 150-200$ depending on where you look.

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BWX

Was going to start a similar thread.. since you already got a camera, I guess it wouldn't be taking over the thread asking what would be the best camera up to around 300 bucks in price?

The only thing I really need is one that takes an SD card (I already have one 1GIG card). Seems Canons are nice, but are there others brands in the 300+ $$ price range wort considering or should I stick to Canon? Which Canon models should I look at? Problem is I really don't know enough about cameras to do my own (thorough) research in the time I have- I need to buy one quick, going to Yellowstone soon.
Any suggestions should also help anyone else looking for cameras that reads this, I know this thread helped me out a lot already. I am currently checking out reviews at C-net, and checking out those sites mentioned earlier in this thread.





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EDIT
Hey here is something interesting.. I was doing a little research on "SDHC" cards. I guess anyone looking for a camera and wanting to buy large memory cards should be interested in this- (below).. That will make a difference in camera choice I guess.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Digital_card#SDHC
[COLOR="Red"]A new SD format, SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity), allows capacities in excess of 2GB (4GB to 32GB)[8]. SDHC uses the same form factor as SD, but the SD 2.0 standard in SDHC uses a different memory addressing method (sector addressing vs byte addressing[9]). SDHC cards only work in SDHC compatible devices, but standard SD cards work in both SD and SDHC devices. The SDHC trademark is licensed to ensure compatibility.[10]

SDHC cards have SD Speed Class Ratings defined by the SD Association. The SD Speed Class Ratings specify the following minimum sustained write speed onto empty SDHC cards:

Class 2: 2 MB/s
Class 4: 4 MB/s
Class 6: 6 MB/s
As of April 2007, examples of devices which support the SDHC format include:

Photo / video
Recent models of Canon PowerShot, Casio Exilim, and Panasonic Lumix digital cameras
The Nikon D40 and Nikon D80, and the Pentax K10D digital SLRs as well as ROM updates for other Pentax models
Audio
Cowon D2 audio player
Edirol R-09 Solid State Digital Audio Recorder (Firmware 1.10)
Readers
SanDisk MicroMate compact USB SD adapter
YE Data YD-8V08 internal floppy disk drive + 18-in-one internal USB memory card reader/writer
One Laptop Per Child XO laptops
Other devices
The Palm Treo 680
The High_Tech_Computer P3600
Several Garmin GPS devices such as the Zumo

SD and SDHC compatibility issues
As of early 2007, the simultaneous availability of non-standard 4GB SD and 4GB SDHC cards, and incompatibilities between SD and SDHC have caused confusion among various consumers looking to buy memory devices.

The following compatibility issues between SD and SDHC cards and devices can arise:

Devices that do not specifically support SDHC do not recognize SDHC memory cards.
Some manufacturers have produced 4GB SD cards that conform to neither the SD2.0/SDHC spec nor existing SD devices[11].[/COLOR]



Hmmm........

PowerShot SD40
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_.../sd40.html#buy


PowerShot SD700 IS
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/sd700.html

One has a lot more optical zoom and image stabilization, other has less zoom, but SDHC card compatibility. Both compact- Tough choice.


---- edit edit edit-----
Damn... who to believe? steve's digicam lists SD40 under "best cameras" (under ultra compact), C-net says this:
And gives it a 6.6.

That SD 700 IS looks nice.

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Dyre Straits

BWX, I really read through almost ALL the user reviews as I was checking C-Net and also PC World. Then, when I narrowed down the ones I would seriously consider, I checked the retailer sites. Circuit City, Best Buy, MicroCenter, etc. Even those sites have user reviews.

The SD 700 IS DOES, indeed, look really nice. But, it was out of my price range at the moment and I, too, like you, needed a camera in a hurry.

So far, I'm quite pleased with the A630. But, I'd hate to give it a full recommendation since I only got it 12 hours ago.

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Tipstaff

Don't forget too that the Powershot SD700 IS is listed 5th on the list of being one of the "Best" Ultra Compact cameras.

Shit.. never thought I'd ever say "Best and Ultra Compact" in the same sentence. (now I need to wash my hands)

As I mentioned earlier, for $300, take a look at the S3 IS. It may be almost a year old, and it may be only a 6MP camera, but it outclasses anything in it's... er.. um... class. After that it'd be the Powershot A640, however the only differences between it and the A630 is that the A630 is an 8MP camera, while the A640 is a 10MP camera, and the A630 doesn't have the remote capture control. This means that you can't hookup the A630 to a PC, and control the cameras functions from it (such as taking a photo remotely.. which is perfect for stills, as well as then dumping photos directly to the PC instead of the SD card, manually picking specific focus points, shutter speeds, taking quick consecutive shots of various exposures to later create an HDR shot.. that sort of thing).

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PangingJr

myself never own a compact digital camera yet, still have a couple of very old but very good Nikon's 35 mm film cameras but the kids and their mom have gotten themself 2 exactly same spec but different model names, Cannon digital IXY 900 IS and IXUS 850 IS, i personnaly think that it's very good for compact size camera.
however, i has a kid that often comes by around my house and he has a photography class in his school he told me his favorite compact digital camera was Panasonic LX2, his teacher and friends are also like this model.

and as i haven't checked the prices but i just suspected that they might cost more than your budget, so i'm sorry if they do.

BWX

My IP got banned from DH again... (overactive firewall)- so I couldn't respond for quite a few hours.:-/


Anyway- I would actually like something in between a teeny-tiny camera and a brick of a camera. The main problem is taking it on the airplane.. and walking around with it when not taking pictures.

Can they X-ray a camera at the airport w/o causing problems with it? Not really sure I want to risk the baggage handlers "checking" for illegal stuff, finding the camera, and having it disappear. The smaller it is the more likely I will be able to put it in the carry-on bag on the plane. What do people usually do with their cameras when flying? Also during hikes in the park and whatnot a smaller camera seems like it would be much easier to deal with.

That S3 IS looks sweet, but the size would be a pretty big hassle compared to a smaller sized camera. Having one that would slip into your pocket and still take nice pics would be really cool.. but I am sure you would be sacrificing ease of use and whatnot. Ahh.. decisions decisions. At least I'm pretty sure I want to stick with the Canon line, they seem pretty nice overall.
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edit- I just discovered there is a lot more content at Steve's, like the sample photos and movie samples from the cameras. That will make my decision a LOT easier. That really is a great website.. I missed a lot of it before, probably due to me being in a hurry and poor site layout.

The A640 is looking nice.

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procupine14

pretty sure that x-rays dont bother the cameras that are digital at all from my experience
however, certain types of x-ray machines in international airports (especially in europe)
have been known to cause problems with camera film in *gasp* non-digital cameras
apparantely the x-rays tend to make certain kinds of film that already have been used/pictures taken, to either distort the pictures or on a rare occaision wipe them completely clean

Dyre Straits

BWX: The guy who writes the TechnoBuddy column in the newspaper is a professional photographer as well. He recently answered a reader's question just like you asked. Check out his answer here:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/c...a/07/0415.html

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BWX

Nice find.. That sounds about right. Nice to know X-rays won't damage it.

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Tipstaff

My business partner just pointed out a camera of interest: the Canon A570 IS (I totally missed this one). You should be able to find it for around $300. It's smaller than the A630/A640 (way smaller than the S3 IS), the LCD is permanent (so you can't move it around), runs on 2-AA batteries, uses the new Digic III image processing, and has image stablization just like the S3 IS (hence the IS in A570 IS... LOL!).

Personally, if I was chosing one, I'd pickup the S3 IS since it's a more "kinda-sorta" semi professional camera. Even though it is using the older Digic II processing, and is a 6MP camera, it still beats a lot of other cameras out there that boast way higher MP counts and features. However, I might consider the A570 IS now that I've seen the specs, and if I needed a more compact camera.

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RoyBatty

I have my new camera too, it is FinePix F40fd. I know it doesn't have many manual settings, but it perfectly fits my (non-existent) photography experience

BWX

Yeah that A570 IS has a nice mix of features.. I was researching this all day yesterday but couldn't decide. The A570 IS is nice but I really like the rechargeable lithium batteries that the ultra compacts (SD 700 IS) have. I guess I could just get some nice NiMH batteries and a small charger too- that would probably be cheaper than buying a second canon Lithium battery which I would most definitely do if I got that SD 700.



Oh, check this out- about the A570 IS-
"Cons: was very surprised that there no battery indicator."
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16830120194

That's weird.. I read the review and didn't see Steve say anything about there being no battery indicator, but I also did not see a battery indicator in the shots he took of all the menus. Strange.

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BWX

Well I got one finally. I got an ultra compact mainly because it is being used for a vacation and that will be very convenient. I like the larger ones too, and the picture quality they have more than anything, but this one does really good too. Maybe some other time I will use this as my second camera or let my wife use it and get a larger more capable one too.

So this is what I picked up-
Canon PowerShot SD800 IS -- Silver 7.1 MP Digital Camera -- 1/2.5" CCD 2.5" 207K LCD --- 3.8X Optical Zoom 4X Digital Zoom - Retail
(it has a wide angle lens) It came with a free crucial 2GB SD card (not sure of speed)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16830120083
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/co...&modelid=14227
http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/sd800.html


Then I got 2 faster 2GB SD cards - going to give one to my mom..
Capacity 2GB -- Speed 150X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820163158


And this tiny camera bag--
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16830997915



Before I bought the camera I found extra lithium ion batteries that are 1400 mAh (stock ones are 1120) for about 16 bucks so I got two of those.
https://www.bluenook.com/product_detail.asp?pid=444


I'm all set!

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Tipstaff

Nice. Did you end up paying Neweggs price, or did you get it some place else?

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BWX

Yeah I just bought it there at NewEgg, mainly because I trust them and they have a very liberal return policy. I could have saved a few bucks at a few other places, but I also got one free 2GB card and bought other stuff there too so I saved on shipping and paid no tax. I can't wait to get out and take some pics with it.. Yellowstone pics are going to be great I am sure. :-)

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