Digital Cameras - any recommendations?

[Bobblehead]

My wife has requested a new camera before we head to the Mayan Riviera. Preferable something light enough that it won't be a bother on vacation. Niether of us know enough about cameras to worry about the higher end SLR, but I also want somethnign that takes decent pictures.

Our current camera is a Canon A-40, but I did something and it always says it is shaking now. And since there are now 7 MP cameras for less than I paid for it, we're willing to upgrade.

Anybody have any good places to go?

I'm thinking in the $400-$500 range.

I have been considering this, anyone have any insight on this camera?

[White Doors]

I'd go with a brand name camera. We're really happy with our Olympus. Nikon make some nice Point and shoot one's too and Canon are good as well.

[RougeUnderoos]

I'm unhappy with my low-end Olympus. It's a piece of crap.

[lazy_programmer]

I usually check out The Camera Store, they have very competitive prices and good service (If you don't care about service, you might be able to find cheaper prices with a sale at one of the big box stores). Honesty, if you just want to a small camera, and just point and shoot and not worry about any manual adjustments, any of the Cannon A series or Nikon Coolpix series in your desired price range will do. If you're printing mainly 4X6 and 5X7 you won't be able to tell a difference b/w 5-8 Mega-pixels. In fact, there is a good case to be made that the 7-8 mega-pixel sensors just create more noise and therefore reduce image quality.

-Paul

[photon]

http://www.dpreview.com/

Great camera review site.

[Mango]

http://www.dcresource.com/

Another good source. Check out some of the Panasonic cameras. The Lumix series is especially good. They feature image stabilization and offer a higher optical zoom. They also run on SD cards.

If you are looking for a camera with a longer warranty, a Nikon would be the way to go. They offer 2 year warranties and they too run on SD cards.

Sony and Panasonic cameras seem to have the best lenses on the market. The only down side of Sony is buying proprietary cards.

Megapixels aren't overly important unless you see yourself blowing up the photos or cropping photos and blowing up the cropped section. Also, if someone is trying to sell you on a good digital zoom, don't bother. You should only worry about the optical zoom.

I hope you find a camera that suits your needs.

The Canon SD550 is a great compact size camera. It is small, has a large LCD screen, and runs on SD memory. The battery life is strong. If you are looking for camera without manual features, this camera is a great selection. With that said, the SD550 is a little bit older. You might want to consider the Canon SD630 or SD700. They are similar to the SD550 but feature larger LCD screens.

[FurnaceFace]

I get rather passionate about digicam discussions so I'll try and tone it down.

Questions:
Did you like your Canon? Is it missing any features you want?
Do you print your shots or just post them to a web site?
If you print, do you print really big enlargements?

Don't fall into the megapixel trap. I'm with Paul on this one, for the vast majority of us, 4-5 megapixels is more than enough. Tossing pics up to a web site or printing anything under 8x12 and a 4mp camera is more than enough. I'd spend my money on a camera with a quality lens and with features you'll use.

My cameras are 3mp (Olympus and Minolta) and I get extremely good shots with them, especially the Olympus. I have enlarged prints up to 30x20 with little noticable hit in quality. The difference is the lens is very good on the Olympus so the shots are very clear. The Oly I have is a bit bigger than what you're looking for though.

If you liked your Canon then buy the same model. It'll be inexpensive, you know how it works, and you've likely invested in a CF card for it. Iif you snorkel or dive look at the cost of an underwater housing. They typically run for about the same price but you might be able to get it and another A40 for what you want to spend. Or, use the money you save on an excursion to Chichen Itza while on your trip.

Besides The Camera Store, visit Saneal and Vistek just to get some other ideas of what's out there. For price comparisons go to www.henrys.com. They are out of Ontario but you'll get an idea of cost. Also check ebay as there are camera stores which sell new items on there for less cost than in store. I bought my Minolta and underwater housing through ebay.

[FurnaceFace]

I second the sites Photon and Mango posted.

I also agree with Mango about the Panasonic cameras. The Leica lens on them is outstanding.

[BlackEleven]

Originally Posted by Mango

http://www.dcresource.com/

Another good source. Check out some of the Panasonic cameras. The Lumix series is especially good. They feature imagine stabilization and offer a higher optical zoom. They also run on SD cards.

I'll second this. I have a Panasonic DMC-FZ5 (from the Lumix series). I did quite a bit of research before I bought it and I'm routinely impressed with how well the pictures turn out. I'd recommend it, for sure.

[Bobblehead]

Excellent advice.

I can't think of anything that is 'missing' off of our current camera. I had read digital zoom means jack, so I only worry about optical zoom.
We use pictures for all purposes. The nice ones we print off, and size them to fit the photo paper. My wife loves to be able to change the 'artwork' on the walls for the cost of the photo paper/ink.

I plan to stay away from Sony, primarily because of their proprietary memory, but also due to other corporate policies.

I'll definitely check out the places people have mentioned, as well as any more advice people give.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

The Canon SD series is awesome from a portability point of view. You should be able to get some of the older models (SD300, SD400, SD500) for fairly cheap. Not a lot of manual adjustments if that's a big deal for you.

Just get a screen protector for it, most of these new 2.5" LCD's don't take kindly to being jammed into pockets.

[Regulator75]

http://www.steves-digicams.com/

http://www.steves-digicams.com/best_cameras.html

[MRCboicgy]

I have a Kodak 5.0 MP, the pictures aren't the best quality, but here's the kicker for me, I have a dock for it to charge in, and the charge lasts me about a day of taking pics, etc, but I have run out on trips and such--what I like, and will look for in any camera I buy from here on out is that when my battery dies I just threw 2 AA batteries in it, those E2 energizers or whatever. That's a handy thing to be able to do and since you could even put a couple alakaline (ugh) batteries in for a second if you need it, or buy a lithium battery pack--just something to look for as it makes the camera heavier and more bulky too.

[Mango]

Originally Posted by fotze

Why don't they say digital zoom - 1,000,000 times. What a useless feature that every camera touts. If you have a computer you can digitally zoom to one pixel.

Exactly. It's a completely useless spec. Digital zoom is such poor quality, especially when objects are moving.

[photon]

Originally Posted by fotze

Why don't they say digital zoom - 1,000,000 times. What a useless feature that every camera touts. If you have a computer you can digitally zoom to one pixel.

Lol, I don't know how many times I've said that to people and just got a dumb look.

[IceandFlamesFan]

I've had experience with HP Photosmart and Fuji.
No complaints from either one.
I know Future Shop has some on sale right now so you won't have to spend as much as originally planned.

[Bobblehead]

After the current Future Shop thread, it would have to be one heck of a deal.

[Fozzie_DeBear]

We just did a sh*tload of research and the Canon A-series cameras seem to be excellent value. We picked a A520 up on Ebay for $230 it has 4mp (you rarely need any more than that) and it has 4 times optical zoom. The newer Canons have a faster start-up and less shutter lag which is excellent but not worth an extra $200 (to me). Also the ability to mess around with shutter and aperture are nice to have.

For excellent reviews

www.dpreview.com
www.stevesdigicams.com

[Fuzzy McGillicuddy]

What kind of camera user are you? Do you want a camera that has default settings that take out the guess work? Or are you looking for something that you can manage the settings yourself?

The best advice I got before I purchased a dig-cam was: stick with a camera maker that has a good track record (Canon, Nikon, Pentax etc). The lens is the most important feature.

I purchased a Canon Powershot a couple of years ago. It's a great camera.

BTW, I purchased it at Futureshop. I even dropped the camera and cracked the LCD screen. F/S replaced it for free, even though I had no extended warranty ... no questions asked.

[BerubeHater]

I have had two Casio digital camera's. My current one is the 7MP and I love it. The videos it takes are also very good. The only reason I am on my second is that the first one got stolen.