Best Digital Camera For Under $500 ?? (1 Viewer)

[Chuck C]

I'm a huge newbie when it comes to digital cameras. However, I know that they can connect via USB and the higher the megapixel rating, the better. So what's up? is $500 not enough?
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Chuck
Chuckster's HT Equipment List
The Dorm Room Theater

 

[Eric Samonte]

Do a check at CNET hardware to get an idea on prices. Also, kinda determine how much megapixel ud need. A real nice site to begin is the photographyreview.com. They have links to various other sites with pro reviews as well as in house consumer reviews.
I got a Kodak DC4800 a few months back for just about $350. Its a 3.1 megapixel cam and it does its job and then some.
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Eric Samonte
Dito sa Pilipinas..may Hom Tiyeter rin kami!

 

[Kimmo Jaskari]

I've always liked the Canon digital cameras myself. The Digital IXUS models (not sure what they are called in the US offhand) are small and take great pictures.
Two more site suggestions:
http://www.dpreview.com
http://www.imaging-resource.com
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/Kimmo

 

[Chuck C]

Okay, Chuck needs some more help here. How bout the Olympus 3020z?

 

[CarlDJr]

Try here:
http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/C3020/C32A.HTM

 

[Duncan Barth]

What are you going to use the camera for? It makes a *big* difference as to what will best meet your needs.
$500 should be fine, assuming you don't want anything really fancy. Remember to budget for a memory card for your digital camera, some sort of case to carry it around in, and if you get serious, a tripod.
I second the advice to go to www.dpreview.com. Good, in-depth reviews of just about everything on the market.
Note that higher megapixels does not automatically equate to better quality. Read up on
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/counting1.htm
for more information on that topic.
If you just want people to post what they have and whether they like it or not, this is what i use:
I've got a canon powershot s30, which I got for under $500.
I like it. Its 3MP, and has a fairly decent 3x zoom lens. It connects to the computer via USB. There are manual controls for focus/shutter/apeture/white balance/etc, which is nice. Of course, its got a bunch of full auto modes as well, but, as with all cameras, sometimes you just have tricky light to deal with and the more control you have, the better. Its pretty compact; I essentially use it as a point & shoot for snapshots... I have a SLR kit for more 'serious' photography. Though, even then I bring along the S30 with me: its got a histogram feature thats invaluable in figuring out if a shot is exposed properly.

 

[Aaron D]

I will also be delving into this world of digital cameras soon (and don't know anything so I will peruse the sites listed above asap).
The Sony Mavica MVC-CD200 looks pretty cool. CDr/rw storage and decent resolution.
Any opinions on this or any other cameras?
A

 

[Chuck C]

Ok, now I want to get a really cheap dig. camera. Something that'll capture pictures of my friends while at college so that I may put them online, pics for ebay, and other small-time, frequent use. Looking to spend $100-170. ebay anyone?

 

[Steve_Ch]

I have an Olympus 460Z for a couple years just for those kind of light use purpose. As I just brought myself an Oly 2100, my 460Z is on the block. You can have it for $150 plus shipping. It's very lightly used, I will send it in it's retial box with original software CD, mint condition user manual and whatever that came with it, also throw in a set of new alkaline AA (you really need to get yourself a set of rechargeables) and a mint nice carry case. The "Strong Number" fair price for this camera is $133. Email me if interested.

 

[Thomas Newton]

$500 is enough to buy a 35mm SLR, but it is just entry level for a digital camera outfit. You can expect to get
* 2 to 3 megapixel resolution
* 3x optical zoom (optical zoom is much better than digital zoom; digital zoom cuts into effective resolution)
* point-and-shoot camera with direct ("red-eye") flash
* a LCD screen and (usually) an optical rangefinder
* a smallish (8MB - 16MB) memory card
in a $300 to $500 camera. A decent-size flash card (64 MB to 128 MB) and a set of NiMH rechargeable batteries (if the camera doesn't have its own rechargeables) should be considered necessities. Throw in a little extra if you want a carrying case or a USB flash card reader.
Some cameras just above your price range have special features like 8-10x zoom lenses, or "fast" lenses (f-stop numbers below f/4 across their entire range) that do a better job of gathering light (a plus for shooting in low light).
The site www.dpreview.com has a lot of reviews of digital cameras -- including some reviews of cameras in your price range.

 

[Steve_Ch]

The Oly 2100U is available at CompUSA for $499 new (I brought mine new at EBay for $450 a few months ago), it has:

1. 2.1 M pixel

2. 10x optical zoom

3, Electronic stablizer

4. Auto exposure, aperture priority or shutter priority

5. center weighed as well as spot metering (and auto of course).

6. Macro

7. Takes Quicktime movies

8. A set of Olympus rechargeable (NiHM) and Oly Charger

9. USB cable for loading

...

 

[Andre F]

I bought my Wife the Nikon Coolpix 2500 a few months and we love it. Check out our family web site for examples of pictures,here.
-Andre F

 

[Darren Lewis]

I just bought a Nikon Coolpix 775 which is a great little camera. Not as good as my Canon SLR of course, but ideal for my needs.
A separate viewfinder is a must as the LCD screens can be hard to see in bright light.

 

[Scott McC.]

I got a Canon powershot S-40, very nice, .8 mpixels more then the S-30, with lots of manual options, lens could be crisper, and it isn't near pro quality, but for $500 on buy.com it's a damn good camera

 

[Chuck C]

Thanks for all the replies, but if you guys read into this thread, you'd realize that I'm broke and need a cheapo dig. cam!!!

Steve_Ch, we'll talk

 

[Thomas Newton]

How about a cheap film camera, and a photo shop that will scan low-resolution copies of your photos onto floppies or the Internet at the time that you develop the film?