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Digital Camera Suggestions - $500 Budget

post #1 of 66
3/29/04 at 8:29pm
Thread Starter 
The Canon PowerShot S400 Digital ELPH is looking good, and if I decide on getting that, I'm probably going to wait for the S410 upgrade that comes out in late April. $500 also has to cover memory, and I'm aiming towards either 256MB or 512MB. My parents may help out with the memory, so $600 would probably be max, but I'm going for $500 to be safe. Any suggestions?
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post #2 of 66
3/29/04 at 8:56pm
The Nikon Coolpix 5700 now has a $150 rebate. It is a 5 megapixel camera with a 8x zoom. Very nice camera. We just ordered one for work. You can get it for $664 at Buydig.com with no tax or shipping.
After rebate that's $514. A great price for a great camera.
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post #3 of 66
3/29/04 at 10:09pm
I just got the S400 new from Amazon for <$320. 256MB is what, $50? I picked up a 512MB for a little over $100, so ~$500 covered camera, CF card, leather case and extra Canon battery.

Amazing little toy, I've only begun to dabble with it, but I'm very pleased so far.
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post #4 of 66
3/29/04 at 10:17pm
Just picked up a Sony DSC-T1 for < $450. Memory will put you just north of your budget (damn Sony's prices) but you can't beat the performance of such a small camera.
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post #5 of 66
3/30/04 at 2:44am
I just picked up the Canon A80 from Amazon for 324.00 (see the "Deals" section of HTF). Add 256MB for ~50.00 and you are way under budget for a great camera.

Check DPReview.Com
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post #6 of 66
3/30/04 at 5:30am
Got my wife the Nikon Coolpix 4300 and a 128 Mb CF card for right at $350 after rebates. It is a sweet 4MP camera.
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post #7 of 66
3/30/04 at 5:32am
What is important to you other than cost?

I just picked up a Panasonic FZ10 which MSRPs for $600, so you should be able to find it cheaper. The keypoints for this camera is:

4.0 Megapixel
12X Optical Zoom
Image Stablization
Full manual settings
SD Memory
Proprietary Rechargeable Li-ion battery
Larger than most models
No RAW picture quality mode
Strengths are towards outdoor photogrphy

The main thing for high zoom cameras is if you don't have image stabilization, a lot of pictures will end up blurry due to camera shake. Not a whole lot of cameras right now have image stablization. Canon just came out with a 3.0 MP one, but it's gotten some bad reviews for image quality. Minolta makes one that is more expensive, and maybe some older models have it.

There's also the older Panasonic FZ1 or FZ2, which is a 2.0 MP version with the same lens. The FZ2 is actually just a firmware upgraded version of the FZ1 to add manual controls and some other stuff. Some guys have the firmware online that you can use to upgrade the FZ1.

Anyways, you really need to give more information on what you want the camera for, size requirements, MPixel requirements, zoom requirements, etc.
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post #8 of 66
3/30/04 at 5:38am
Thread Starter 
I'm looking for a pocket-sized point-and-shoot with at least 3X zoom, and I think 4MP is good enough for me. This will be used indoors and outdoors. Image stabilization would be nice, but not necessary.
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post #9 of 66
3/30/04 at 7:32am
Canon A80
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post #10 of 66
3/30/04 at 1:29pm
I 2nd the 5700 nikon
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post #11 of 66
3/30/04 at 4:50pm
The upcoming Sony DSC-W1 (out in May) looks to be a great camera in the $400 price range. Here's a link:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/pr/so...004_w1_pr.html

What's nice about the W1 is that it's about the same size as the very good Canon S### and SD### Elph cameras but there's a lot more flexibility with shutter priority/appeture priority and other modes. Plus the 2.5" LCD is a lot bigger than the Canon's 1.5".

The T1 is a smaller camera but there are some issues. Plus it uses the Memory Stick Duo which is more expensive on a $ per MB basis. Plus the 512MB size in the Duo cannot be found anywhere.

IMHO I would only wait for the S410 over the S400 if they've made the camera quicker.
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post #12 of 66
3/31/04 at 7:24am
Here's a link to a Czech site that has some good photos of the Sony DCS-W1 from a recent convention.

http://www.grafika.cz/art/df/sony_W1.html

Note that the camera uses AA and not some expensize proprietary battery.
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post #13 of 66
3/31/04 at 4:05pm
The Olympus 5060 will stomp all of the cameras recommended so far.
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post #14 of 66
3/31/04 at 4:09pm
Thread Starter 
Steve's Digicams gave it a rave review, and who knows, I may be able to stretch my budget a bit further. How much did you get it for, Drew?
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post #15 of 66
4/1/04 at 5:27am
I got my wife a Canon Digital Elph 2 megapixel last year and we love it. The most important things on any camera, digital or film, are the optics, and Canon does a good job with that. Plus the small size is perfect for my wife who can slip the camrea in her purse. For more critical photography I pull out my old AE-1 Program SLR.
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post #16 of 66
4/2/04 at 12:09pm
I just got the Canon S410 last week. It is an awesome camera. The images are outstanding, and you won't find a better mini digital camera. Canon makes great lenses so you won't go wrong with any canon. The question is, do you want something you can stick in your pocket or do you not care? I wanted something I could take with me anywhere I went, with 3x zoom and rechargeable batteries.

However, there is no advantage to getting the s410 over the s400 as the only real difference is the direct print feature which allows you to hook the camera up to select canon printers directly. No use to me. Get the s400 online and save $100.
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post #17 of 66
4/2/04 at 1:44pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
I just got the Canon S410 last week. It is an awesome camera. The images are outstanding, and you won't find a better mini digital camera. Canon makes great lenses so you won't go wrong with any canon. The question is, do you want something you can stick in your pocket or do you not care?
I want something I can stick in my pocket.

Quote:
However, there is no advantage to getting the s410 over the s400 as the only real difference is the direct print feature which allows you to hook the camera up to select canon printers directly. No use to me. Get the s400 online and save $100.
Then why don't you return it and get the S400 and save $100 yourself? Amazon has the S410 going for $399 and the S400 for $349, did you find a reliable place that has it for cheaper?
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post #18 of 66
5/3/04 at 1:45pm
Thread Starter 
I've almost come to a decision, and now I need your help again. I can't decide between the Canon A80 and the S410. Can anyone steer me in either direction?
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post #19 of 66
5/3/04 at 4:19pm
Thomas,

I could be wrong, but I think the A80 offers more manual modes over the S410. I am not familiar with the S410 at all, but my brother owns the A80 and absolutley loves it. It takes great shots, has almost unlimited functionallity, and is fairly light despite being larger in dimensions than the S410. For the record, I own a Canon 2MP camera (the A40) from a couple of years ago. I find the A80 to be quite a good jump in quality over my older A40.

Hope this all helps.
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post #20 of 66
5/3/04 at 5:01pm
I own the S400 and I chose it over the A80 for the size. I am more of a point and shoot type guy, but the S400 does provide quite a bit of manual adjustments if you want more control. In the end, I felt the A80 slightly edged the S400 in picture quality, but with Automatic point and shoot I couldn't really see a difference, so I went with the S400 mainly because it was more portable. I honestly don't think you could go wrong with either. I am a big fan of Canon's optics.
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post #21 of 66
5/3/04 at 8:18pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the help, Brandon and Jed! I think I'll be going with the S410, because I'm a point and shoot guy, and I want the most portable camera possible with what I want.
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post #22 of 66
5/4/04 at 8:15am
Not trying to confuse you but here are some good reviews of the new Sony DSC-W1:

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/so...ew/index.shtml

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2004_reviews/w1.html
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post #23 of 66
5/4/04 at 1:35pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks a lot, Dave! I would consider that if I wasn't going to Taiwan for two and a half months in a couple weeks, but unfortunately, it's not going to be released until June. Perhaps I'll get the S410 now, sell it when I get back, and then get the DSC-W1.
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post #24 of 66
5/4/04 at 3:59pm
I wish that you had a bit more budget to work with. I would recomend getting the Canon Rebel Digital. That way your camera can grow with your needs if you need a new lens 15mm-1200mm you can get one. It doesnt have to be a canon. there are many other co. that make lenses for the canon as well as flashes

check it out here

http://www.canoneos.com/digitalrebel/digital/index.html
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post #25 of 66
5/4/04 at 6:18pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the thought, Mark, but I'm not interested in a SLR right now. I just want a portable point-and-shoot.
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post #26 of 66
5/5/04 at 4:46am
Thread Starter 
Does this camera kit seem like a good deal?

http://buydig.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=CNACKD4
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post #27 of 66
5/5/04 at 6:05am
Thomas: let me throw one more choice into the mix:

The Minolta Dimage G500 is a 5MP digicam, very versatile, great low-light capabilities, and ultra-compact with a rugged all metal case. Considered by many critics to be among the best in its class. And with the G600 hitting the market this month, look for added savings on this one. Minolta is a true innovator in photography; I use their film equipment exclusively.

Do yourself a favor and check it out.
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post #28 of 66
5/5/04 at 6:53am
I'm not sure about that kit, the battery looks like a 3rd party mfr, while the Canon brand is $42 on Amazon. The Canon brand case only runs ~$8-11 (it's very compact with no space for extra CF card or battery, but those are easy enough to carry in a pocket) 512MB CF cards can be had at Costco for <$80.

Enjoy your camera, I'm still amazed with my S400.
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post #29 of 66
5/5/04 at 8:32am
Quote:
Thanks for the thought, Mark, but I'm not interested in a SLR right now. I just want a portable point-and-shoot.



The Rebel can be set as a simple point and shoot IE the "green square" mode It sets the shutter speed and apature for you.
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post #30 of 66
5/5/04 at 9:01am
Ah, but can you put a Digital Rebel in your pocket?

The only misgiving I have over most point-and-shoot digital cameras is the god-awful slow focusing (half a second or more!). Any of the new ones fix this flaw?

I love how quickly I can take pictures with my D.Rebel - and it can take four pictures in one second! But it's rather bulky...
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