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| Thread ID: 57488 | 2005-05-04 01:55:00 | Buying a Digital Camera | Raewyn (946) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 351912 | 2005-05-04 02:45:00 | I like this model XG4519 from DSE (http://www.dse.co.nz) You can team it up with a dock that it sits on to keep the batteries charged, and one button to transfer the images to the computer, no mucking around with cables. | Rob99 (151) | ||
| 351913 | 2005-05-04 02:49:00 | I guess this is what I'm finding confusing - the same specifications but different prices? :confused: Kodak CX7300 3.2 megapixel 3X Digital Zoom 16MB Internal Memory $180.00 Canon Powershot A400 3.2 megapixel 3.2X Digital Zoom 16MB SD Memory Card $330.00 The complete feature set may explain the massive difference in price. The Canon takes very good quality photos, has video with audio, and like Nomad says has a fully manual settings option which will let you extend the camera even further. It also comes with some funky software. I would recommend it above the Kodak any day. |
vinref (6194) | ||
| 351914 | 2005-05-04 02:53:00 | WOW - lots to learn! Thank you all so much for your help, I think I'll get the Canon Powershot A75. :) | Raewyn (946) | ||
| 351915 | 2005-05-04 02:57:00 | Just not to confuse stuff. The A75 has manual settings. The A400 does not. It has 3 modes of metering which is sort of manual but it does not have any real manual modes. But this is a smaller trendy cam. The only quearm I have with the A400 is its a 45mm lens. Not that wide for holidays scenic photo. The A75 has a 35mm abouts lens. Most cams are about the 35/37mm range at the widest setting, few have 24mm or 28mm. The A75 has auto settings or semi auto too. Its not a photog geeky camera ;) |
Nomad (952) | ||
| 351916 | 2005-05-04 03:04:00 | Ignore "digital zoom" as a criterion . It's not a feature . The only use for digital zoom is for examining parts of a shot on the LCD screen after it has been taken . Optical zoom moves lens elements to make the image bigger or smaller on the sensor, with no reduction in resolution . Digital zoom "enlarges" (by duplicating) or "reduces" (by tossing) pixels . So X2 digital zoom gives 1/4 the resolution . X3 gives 1/9 . That Kodak is a digital Box Brownie . It has 16MB memory, with no reference to a removable memory card . The Canon has a card, so you can get a bigger one . You will want a bigger memory . Have a look in Dick Smith's . They have a good range to look at . You should get a good one for $300 . The models are superseded so often that they are always on special . ;) 3 MB or so is fine . |
Graham L (2) | ||
| 351917 | 2005-05-04 03:07:00 | IMHO the biggest problem with compact digitals is the time they can take to get focus and exposure sorted in poor light ie you push the button and wait. 3 or 4 MP are plenty but some makers have concentrated on resolution rather than performance. Setting the camera manually can overcome that. PS the Kodak should take SD cards |
PaulD (232) | ||
| 351918 | 2005-05-04 03:16:00 | WOW - lots to learn! Thank you all so much for your help, I think I'll get the Canon Powershot A75. :) Try to haggle a bigger CF memory card out of them, as well as a set (4) of rechargeable batteries with a charger. Don't get sucked in into buying the "faster" CF cards (x8). Almost all digital compacts cannot utilise anything faster than 4x. A card-reader is useful too, but if you run XP or Mac then you can plug the camera straight in. |
vinref (6194) | ||
| 351919 | 2005-05-04 07:27:00 | There is nothing wrong with the kodak 7300 per se. It does exactly what it it was intended to in that its a point and shoot camera. Nothing fancy to worry about in prefocussing other any other adjustment. Aim and shoot.Sure its plasticy but its built solidly enough. The picture quality is very good. Good skin tones and colours, not over saturated and Reasonable sharpness. Perfectly acceptable for the purposes you describe and very hard to take a crappy shot. It is expandable with sd or multimedia cards to any size up to one gig and a dock is a waste of money when you can buy an sd card reader for 20 bucks. The canon a75 is a far superior camera in every way, it takes superb pics and is priced accordingly. It is also a run out model and has been superseded a long time ago by the Canon A 85. Digicams are flooding the market at the moment and the A75 will lose a hell of a lot more in value in the next six months than the kodak will. Learn on something cheap would be my advice. You will probably find it does everything you could want if, it doesn't sell it and move up. 6 months from now if the dollar stays high there will be some real bargins coming along in the 3-4 megapixel range. This is from some one who has tried the 7300 extensively and who owns 3 casio exilims, one kodak, 2 fuji, 2 aiptek digital camers and one intel (I have a camera fetish :blush:) |
the highlander (245) | ||
| 351920 | 2005-05-04 09:08:00 | WOW - lots to learn! Thank you all so much for your help, I think I'll get the Canon Powershot A75. :) One thing I should mention from my past experience. I have owned a Kodak 1.3 Megapixel camera and a Digitrex 2.1 Megapixel camera in the past. The 1.3 camera cost about $350 and came with 16 meg of memory. No way of adding more. The 2.1 came with 16 Meg memory but would take a CF card and also cost about $350. Neither camera had optical zoom. This was some time back and probably worth the money at the time. However I outgrew both cameras and wanted more. I would suggest that you get the best camera your budget can go to. Unfortunately or fortunately prices keep going down but will you wait? The camera I bought about 14 months ago cost a bit over $2000. Still working fine and is currently at about $1400. Do I need another one? NO! 8 Megapixels and 7X optical zoom. Now I know that you wanted one to Email things and that was it. I just wanted you to think about what you might grow in to. Our 35mm film camera is still here and still usable but we don't use it any more. Try and suss out one that has about 3.2 - 4.0 megapixels, 3x or more Optical Zoom. USB output. Takes CF cards or other media like the IBM 1 Gig microdrive. A/V Output to a TV set can be useful as well. I note that the Canon A75 is now a discontinued product but that should not matter. You will get enough help here. Just my thoughts on the matter. |
AMD1 (6552) | ||
| 351921 | 2005-05-04 11:37:00 | "Try and suss out one that has about 3.2 - 4.0 megapixels, 3x or more Optical Zoom. USB output. Takes CF cards or other media like the IBM 1 Gig microdrive." What camera Made in the last 3 years doesn't have usb output ? Why would you suggest a 1 gig microdrive (a wonderous piece of miniature technology that it is) for a camera. They are madly power hungry compared to a 1 gig compact flash or sd digital cards and also more expensive. What amateur photographer is going to fill up a 1 gig card with 3 or 4 megapixel shots without investing in 4 sets of nimh batteries and a charger ? |
the highlander (245) | ||
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