What do I want in a digital camera?

Larry_OHF · 03-09-2003, 04:12 PM

I am ready to get a digital camera, but need ideas as to what I should be getting. A few people have told me to make sure it can use more than one battery type, like I have seen some use AA and Lithiums. Some are rechargeable. I am told that it is best to have one that can accept a power cord to plug into the wall so that when I am downloading the images onto the PC, I am not using batteries, but my home's power so that the batteries can be reserved for picture taking. I already know that 2.0 MPixels are required, and more than that is really not needed for simple pictures that are non-professional,,,but if I can get a good deal on one, then so be it. I also know something about digital zoom and real zoom. It appears to me that I do not care about digital zoom. I do not care for video-playback. I just want pictures. I will be looking for a huge memory stick as well.

Price...I know that the good cameras will not be under $300.00, and I cannot go over $450.00.

Mouse · 03-09-2003, 04:29 PM

Have a look at the range of Olympus cameras. I got one myself a year ago, and it's simplicity itself to use. It's only 1.3 Mp, but it does have a 3x optical zoom which was a big plus for me. You'll probably be able to get something around the 3 Mp range for your budget.

My advice would be to browse a few review sites and then go for a reputable on-line retailer.

Sir Krustin · 03-09-2003, 05:41 PM

Make sure the camera doesn't use proprietary technology - this ups the price on any accessories considerably.

Sony is famous for having proprietary memory sticks.

Animal · 03-09-2003, 07:10 PM

There's a lot out there. Pick up a buyers guide for them somewhere.
I can give you some insight on my own experience.

Get as much optical zoom as possible, but stay away from digital zoom. Digital Zoom reduces picture quality.
Recharable batteries and a AC adapter are a must. Digital cameras and the use of the LCD really chews up power.
Look at some more advanced features such as being able to manually select exposure etc... You might not want them now, but in a few months you may.
I've got a 64MB compact flash in my 2.31 Mega Pixel camera and I find I get about 65 shots at max resolution, about 1MB per shot. Good memory is a must if you want decent recovery time in between pictures.
Red eye reduction ability is great, although you can fix that with a good image app. The further the flash is away from the lens, the less chance of red eye.

I guess the biggest factor in all of that is the zoom, since most camera's can't take different lenses, you're stuck with just one. I've got a 3X optical, but I wish I had 6 or more. I have 2X digital, but like I said, it reduces picture quality really badly.

Larry_OHF · 03-09-2003, 08:57 PM

All of this sounds great, and I appreciate the help. One question. I have been looking at Olympus cameras today, since my wife has decided that she wants the Olympus name brand. All of them have digital zoom as well as optical zoom. I keep hearing the negative of the digital zoom feature and want to know ...Does the Digital Zoom have to be used? Is it optional, or will the camera use it's resources the way it is programmed to?

Cloudbringer · 03-09-2003, 09:01 PM

Great thread! I'd been wondering the same thing, Larry!

Cyril Darkcloud · 03-10-2003, 12:24 AM

Larry,

Digital zoom should never have to be used. It is an option along with other options to choose in taking a shot. Pay no attention to digital zoom values in looking at a camera as it is effectively little more than a glorified cropping function.

In looking for a camera today settle for nothing less than 2 megapixels in resolution, which will allow for 5"X7" prints. If you can afford it, go for a 3 megapixel camera which will give you up to an 8"X10" print pretty reliably.

From experience I've found that power adapters are not a feature to look for -- you're better off spending a few bucks on a card reader which acts like an extra drive for your computer for photo transfer. This saves the hassle of having to plug the camera into an outlet and into the computer -- you just take your memory card and insert it into the reader. Go for either smart cards or compact flash cards for storage as these are fairly common. Prices on both card formats have come down to very reasonable levels.

You want at least 3X optical zoom and may want to make sure that the camera also has an optical view finder -- this is an especially important feature on a starter camera.

Many cameras will offer some neat bells and whistles like the ability to capture short video clips. This is nice, but personally I tend to choose picture quality over extras. If you can get info on how a camera performs in different lighting conditions do so.

File format is another option to consider. Some cameras, most Kodaks for example, offer only compressed output. This means that your pictures are all in jpeg format which allows you to get more pictures on the card but is also a little lossy. Other cameras allow you to take shots in uncompressed format such as tif. You get very few pictures per card this way, but for shots you really want to keep this is a nice feature.

Digital Camera Resource is a pretty good site to browse for camera informations.

Felix The Assassin · 03-10-2003, 11:53 AM

I can give you two examples, hopefully the terms can help you.

Camera 1. 5 yr old Kodak, 1.2 MP. Prints nice up to 3x5. No digital zoom, and only 2x optical. Good for just snap shots. Use's readily and cheaply available CF compact flash card. Uses either recharge or AA batts.
Very good durability, and a decent rig for the $. Kodak has two new models out this year, 1 is a 3+ MP, and in your price range with decent features.

Camera 2. Brand new (already 300 + pics, and 5 mini clips) Sony CD Mavica 400, 4 MP. Prints beautiful up to 20 X 30. Has 3x optical, and 2x digital zoom. Uses readily and cheaply available mini cds, remove from camera, place in PC CD drive. I love it. It is a little slow, but it can do anything that I want it to do. I just had 7 pictures printed at the local digi-kiosk. Cost 2.88 Euro, or about $3.00. They are better than the 35mm snap shooter I own, and the depth is brillant. Uses large battery, with built in time keeper. Spare batt is $49.95.

One must keep in mind, a digi-cam is not a film camera. It will never duplicate or capture what you want it to. But for snap shots, e-mails and what not, it is good.
Digital zoom should only be used for precise point blank subject. Not for a snap shot. Optical zoom, is equilivant to a normal zoom lens on a SLR camera.

Get one that has universal battery type, and readily available memory. You always want to drain a recharge batt as low as possible before re-applying power to it. I used to drop the batts, if they were over 1/4 charged, and plug into the wall for transfer.

Get a card reader for whatever type of memory the camera uses. It's even faster than USB camera hook-up.

I would read the latest Digi-cam reviews. I hate to say this, but the Olympus was kinda weak in color recreation when I was researching last Sept-Oct.

Good Luck
Felix

Larry_OHF · 03-16-2003, 05:11 PM

With the help that you all provided, as well as alot of reading and studying on my part at other websites...I have chosen and have purchased the Olympus C-4000. It is a 4 Megapixel. I also grabbed a 128MB card, carrying case, card reader, and Monster brand rechargeable batteries. The camera itself was $450 at Circuit City. Best Buy didn't even have it in stock yet. This price was equal to the Olympus 8x Optical zoom, 3Mpixel. I didn't need all that zooming.

I am quite pleased with it, but learning how to use it is freaking tough!

the mighty stamar · 03-17-2003, 12:36 AM

I was going to throw in that Olympus is a great brand for camera eqipment. I have had one for years with no problems.

And Canon is a bad brand for camera equipment.

03-09-2003, 04:12 PM	#1
Larry_OHF Ironworks Moderator Join Date: March 1, 2001 Location: Midlands, South Carolina Age: 48 Posts: 14,759	I am ready to get a digital camera, but need ideas as to what I should be getting. A few people have told me to make sure it can use more than one battery type, like I have seen some use AA and Lithiums. Some are rechargeable. I am told that it is best to have one that can accept a power cord to plug into the wall so that when I am downloading the images onto the PC, I am not using batteries, but my home's power so that the batteries can be reserved for picture taking. I already know that 2.0 MPixels are required, and more than that is really not needed for simple pictures that are non-professional,,,but if I can get a good deal on one, then so be it. I also know something about digital zoom and real zoom. It appears to me that I do not care about digital zoom. I do not care for video-playback. I just want pictures. I will be looking for a huge memory stick as well. Price...I know that the good cameras will not be under $300.00, and I cannot go over $450.00. __________________

03-09-2003, 04:29 PM	#2
Mouse Ironworks Moderator Join Date: March 1, 2001 Location: Scotland Posts: 2,788	Have a look at the range of Olympus cameras. I got one myself a year ago, and it's simplicity itself to use. It's only 1.3 Mp, but it does have a 3x optical zoom which was a big plus for me. You'll probably be able to get something around the 3 Mp range for your budget. My advice would be to browse a few review sites and then go for a reputable on-line retailer. __________________ Regards Mouse (Occasional crooner and all round friendly Scottish rodent)

03-09-2003, 05:41 PM	#3
Sir Krustin Symbol of Cyric Join Date: September 15, 2002 Location: Peterborough, ON, CANADA Age: 60 Posts: 1,394	Make sure the camera doesn't use proprietary technology - this ups the price on any accessories considerably. Sony is famous for having proprietary memory sticks. __________________ If I say \"Eject!\" and you say \"Huh?\" - you\'ll be talking to yourself! - Maj. Bannister, <b>Steel Tiger</b>

03-09-2003, 07:10 PM	#4
Animal Gold Dragon Join Date: March 29, 2002 Location: Canada Age: 51 Posts: 2,534	There's a lot out there. Pick up a buyers guide for them somewhere. I can give you some insight on my own experience. Get as much optical zoom as possible, but stay away from digital zoom. Digital Zoom reduces picture quality. Recharable batteries and a AC adapter are a must. Digital cameras and the use of the LCD really chews up power. Look at some more advanced features such as being able to manually select exposure etc... You might not want them now, but in a few months you may. I've got a 64MB compact flash in my 2.31 Mega Pixel camera and I find I get about 65 shots at max resolution, about 1MB per shot. Good memory is a must if you want decent recovery time in between pictures. Red eye reduction ability is great, although you can fix that with a good image app. The further the flash is away from the lens, the less chance of red eye. I guess the biggest factor in all of that is the zoom, since most camera's can't take different lenses, you're stuck with just one. I've got a 3X optical, but I wish I had 6 or more. I have 2X digital, but like I said, it reduces picture quality really badly. __________________ It\'s all fun and games until somebody loses an eye...then it becomes a sport.<br /> [img]\"http://members.shaw.ca/mtholdings/bsmeter.gif\" alt=\" - \" />

03-09-2003, 08:57 PM	#5
Larry_OHF Ironworks Moderator Join Date: March 1, 2001 Location: Midlands, South Carolina Age: 48 Posts: 14,759	All of this sounds great, and I appreciate the help. One question. I have been looking at Olympus cameras today, since my wife has decided that she wants the Olympus name brand. All of them have digital zoom as well as optical zoom. I keep hearing the negative of the digital zoom feature and want to know ...Does the Digital Zoom have to be used? Is it optional, or will the camera use it's resources the way it is programmed to? __________________

03-09-2003, 09:01 PM	#6
Cloudbringer Ironworks Moderator Join Date: March 1, 2001 Location: Upstate NY USA Posts: 19,737	Great thread! I'd been wondering the same thing, Larry! __________________ "Don't take life for granted." Animal (may he rest in peace)

03-10-2003, 12:24 AM	#7
Cyril Darkcloud Lord Soth Join Date: February 7, 2002 Location: New York Posts: 1,980	Larry, Digital zoom should never have to be used. It is an option along with other options to choose in taking a shot. Pay no attention to digital zoom values in looking at a camera as it is effectively little more than a glorified cropping function. In looking for a camera today settle for nothing less than 2 megapixels in resolution, which will allow for 5"X7" prints. If you can afford it, go for a 3 megapixel camera which will give you up to an 8"X10" print pretty reliably. From experience I've found that power adapters are not a feature to look for -- you're better off spending a few bucks on a card reader which acts like an extra drive for your computer for photo transfer. This saves the hassle of having to plug the camera into an outlet and into the computer -- you just take your memory card and insert it into the reader. Go for either smart cards or compact flash cards for storage as these are fairly common. Prices on both card formats have come down to very reasonable levels. You want at least 3X optical zoom and may want to make sure that the camera also has an optical view finder -- this is an especially important feature on a starter camera. Many cameras will offer some neat bells and whistles like the ability to capture short video clips. This is nice, but personally I tend to choose picture quality over extras. If you can get info on how a camera performs in different lighting conditions do so. File format is another option to consider. Some cameras, most Kodaks for example, offer only compressed output. This means that your pictures are all in jpeg format which allows you to get more pictures on the card but is also a little lossy. Other cameras allow you to take shots in uncompressed format such as tif. You get very few pictures per card this way, but for shots you really want to keep this is a nice feature. Digital Camera Resource is a pretty good site to browse for camera informations. __________________ One does not control the Wind. One enters it, feels its freedom. And moves.

03-10-2003, 11:53 AM	#8
Felix The Assassin The Dreadnoks Join Date: September 27, 2001 Location: Orlando, FL Age: 61 Posts: 3,608	I can give you two examples, hopefully the terms can help you. Camera 1. 5 yr old Kodak, 1.2 MP. Prints nice up to 3x5. No digital zoom, and only 2x optical. Good for just snap shots. Use's readily and cheaply available CF compact flash card. Uses either recharge or AA batts. Very good durability, and a decent rig for the $. Kodak has two new models out this year, 1 is a 3+ MP, and in your price range with decent features. Camera 2. Brand new (already 300 + pics, and 5 mini clips) Sony CD Mavica 400, 4 MP. Prints beautiful up to 20 X 30. Has 3x optical, and 2x digital zoom. Uses readily and cheaply available mini cds, remove from camera, place in PC CD drive. I love it. It is a little slow, but it can do anything that I want it to do. I just had 7 pictures printed at the local digi-kiosk. Cost 2.88 Euro, or about $3.00. They are better than the 35mm snap shooter I own, and the depth is brillant. Uses large battery, with built in time keeper. Spare batt is $49.95. One must keep in mind, a digi-cam is not a film camera. It will never duplicate or capture what you want it to. But for snap shots, e-mails and what not, it is good. Digital zoom should only be used for precise point blank subject. Not for a snap shot. Optical zoom, is equilivant to a normal zoom lens on a SLR camera. Get one that has universal battery type, and readily available memory. You always want to drain a recharge batt as low as possible before re-applying power to it. I used to drop the batts, if they were over 1/4 charged, and plug into the wall for transfer. Get a card reader for whatever type of memory the camera uses. It's even faster than USB camera hook-up. I would read the latest Digi-cam reviews. I hate to say this, but the Olympus was kinda weak in color recreation when I was researching last Sept-Oct. Good Luck Felix __________________ The Lizzie Palmer Tribute Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. John F. Kennedy 35th President of The United States The Last Shot Honor The Fallen Jesus died for our sins, and American Soldiers died for our freedom. If you don't stand behind our Soldiers, please feel free to stand in front of them.

03-16-2003, 05:11 PM	#9
Larry_OHF Ironworks Moderator Join Date: March 1, 2001 Location: Midlands, South Carolina Age: 48 Posts: 14,759	With the help that you all provided, as well as alot of reading and studying on my part at other websites...I have chosen and have purchased the Olympus C-4000. It is a 4 Megapixel. I also grabbed a 128MB card, carrying case, card reader, and Monster brand rechargeable batteries. The camera itself was $450 at Circuit City. Best Buy didn't even have it in stock yet. This price was equal to the Olympus 8x Optical zoom, 3Mpixel. I didn't need all that zooming. I am quite pleased with it, but learning how to use it is freaking tough! __________________

03-17-2003, 12:36 AM	#10
the mighty stamar Avatar Join Date: February 12, 2003 Location: hades Age: 53 Posts: 583	I was going to throw in that Olympus is a great brand for camera eqipment. I have had one for years with no problems. And Canon is a bad brand for camera equipment.

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