Which Digital Camera?

[Bane]

Hi people!

Well, thinking of buying a digital camera for my girlfriend for Xmas but, I have absolutely no idea what to buy.

It'll be used for normal activities (holidays, pics of niece, etc).

I know she wants one with a good optical zoom.

Erm...Think that's the important stuff?

Oh, and only want to spend about

 

[Apache]

Resolution - anything over 5 Mega pixels should be fine printed @ A4. There are higher resolution available - but they use up more space on your hard drive

Optical zoom - look for 4/5X. Bigger are available but the cameras tend to be more money and 'professional' models with big lenses stuck on the front.

Digital zoom - doesn't count - just makes things bigger and blurry!

Memory card - SD most common

Battery - can eat standard AA's. Some come with a Li-Ion rechargeable and they last longer. But you are stuffed if it goes flat when you are on holiday

Avoid Vivitar - had no end of problems with mine.

If you are likely to do any close ups most have a 'macro' mode - but not all

Check what comes with the camera - often you don't get the memory card or a case and you may need to allow for these in your budget

 

[kme]

Well - my main camera is a canon, digital SLR.....

Awesome kit, but a bit over the top for your requirements, methinks.

I`ve got a second, underwater digital that I use when out in tropical, reef infested waterB-)

I`d look at the best make you can afford in the "creative compact" range - Canon (Ixus), Nikon (Coolpix), or Pentax (Optio) nare all pretty good

The Ixus may be a bit expensive, unless you can find a deal - maybe the Powershot - A580 perhaps?

The Coolpix is likely to be the P50. I think it is better than the L18, for roughly the same cost.......

Don`t know that much about the Pentax - but one of my colleagues says hes really chuffed with his.

HTH

KME

 

[Bane]

Thank you very much guys.

Very helpful.

Just reminded me KME to look for a camera that has/accepts an underwater housing.

That was a mistake I made on my last purchase. Couldn't find one!

 

[kme]

Regarding underwater camera....

I bought, off the net, a (sorry, Apache) Vivitar 6200w

erm....Awesome. Been in the red sea for hours on end, out in the desert, bashed about in a local "bus" in Kenya; and still produces excellent shots.

Biggest advantage for me: built in AWB for underwater <15ft, and >15ft

 

[Apache]

My first vivitar never took a picture. Just wouldn't work. Sent back.

Replacement worked ok for ~6mths than all my pictures were very red. Sent abroad for repair (seem to think Canada?). Came back just the same.

Ate batteries. Seriously 15 pics to a recharge on 2 1500mah rechargeable batteries!

Wouldn't touch with a bargepole, and then just to nudge it into a canal

Love my little Konika Minolta (before they went bust)

 

[kme]

Odd - polar opposite

Lasts for 2-300 shots underwater, many with flash (2 x 2200mAH AA)

Closest to a problem was sticking shutter button on the waterproof outer.

My own fault - careless when cleaning the salt off

WD40 is good, though.

(Canon is better - but I`m not taking that little darling near the water - she can`t swim)

 

[Mr Sworld]

I've just got a Sony ericsson C905 as I don't want to haul my Fuji S7000 when I'm off on the mountain bike or hiking.

As a phone that takes a great 8.1MP picture, enables you to 'geo-tag' it (uses the in-built GPS to give the co-ordinates of the shot taken) and enables that photo to be uploaded to a blog site it's a miracle of modern technology!

 

[a1]

How much Please Mr S? (If you don't mind me asking?) and we see some sample pics off of it - when and if you get a spare 5 minutes, Please Mate?

 

[ABC Technical]

My wife swears by the Panasonic cameras.

 

[a1]

My wife swears by the Panasonic cameras.

Well, take the missus over to the "Olympus" cameras instead then, perhaps she won't swear then, Nige.

 

[ABC Technical]

Lol, I have an old Olympus & they are extremely rugged little cameras.

The wife ribs me about it coz it's an advantix not a digital one.

 

[a1]

Bless.

 

[MR DIAZ]

I currently have a Sony Cyber-shot 10.1 mega pixel DSC-N2

Which is a year and a bit old

I

 

[ABC Technical]

I was looking at these the other week, they have come down in price an awful lot.

How many pics can it take with & without the smartcard/SD card?

 

[Tazmanracer]

I bought the Samsung L210 a few months ago for the Mrs,

nice piece of kit, 10.2 Mpixels nice big screen and easy to use,

for just over

 

[a2]

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5591222/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CPhotography%7C10198049/c_2/2%7Ccat_10198049%7CDigital+cameras%7C10198098.htm

What about something like this?

or this one.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5590058/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CPhotography%7C10198049/c_2/2%7Ccat_10198049%7CDigital+cameras%7C10198098.htm