Need Digital Camera recommendation

[Joseph N. Myers]

My digital camera died and I need a new one. Any recommendation?

I will only be using it for pictures of wood, projects, cats, picnics and the likes. Will probably get extra memory but usually only take 10-15 pictures at a time. Would like at least 4.0 mp, some zoom, a good flash and a short time between "next shot delay". Would like to keep it around $250.

Thanks in advance.

Regards, Joe

[Chad Pater]

I'm far from an expert but I bought a Nikon Coolpix S1 for Christmas and like it a lot. I believe Jim B. has one that he travels with. It's super small, 5mp, large screen. Right now there is a $50 instant rebate. A large internet site (that rhymes with Ramazon) is selling it for $219.99! That is a steal in my opinion.
There is lots of options out there...this is only my personal experience.

[philip marcou]

My digital camera died and I need a new one. Any recommendation?

I will only be using it for pictures of wood, projects, cats, picnics and the likes. Will probably get extra memory but usually only take 10-15 pictures at a time. Would like at least 4.0 mp, some zoom, a good flash and a short time between "next shot delay". Would like to keep it around $250.

Thanks in advance.

Regards, Joe

Good luck with that. My intro to digital photography was a Konica Revio-the instruction manual drove me nuts, but I soldiered on untill I got some reliable advice and eneded up with an Olympus Cmedia C770- suits me much better.
I have lots of cat pictures-let us exchange one or two now and again.

[Glenn Clabo]

Joe,
Like tools there are a ton of opinions on camera equipment...I'm a Canon guy and I can recommend Canons...but I also know there are many...many other excellant names. I'd recommend checking out this site... http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/ AND most importantly going to a camera shop to actually hold one that you think you can afford.

[Doug Shepard]

To get some features you might like, you may end up with a cam around the 4MP range you mentioned. BUT - if you're primarily taking pics to email or post on the internet, you really dont need a 4MP or need to pay more for one. You SHOULD be throwing the vast majority of those pixels away when you use your picture editor to reduce resolution and resize the pic to something acceptable for emailing/posting. The only time you really need all that 4MB+ resolution is if you plan on printing photos in larger sizes. I've got an older Nikon Coolpix 950 that's a little over 2MP and still end up throwing away the vast majority of that resolution when editing pics for posting or emailing. Nothing wrong with getting a 4MP if you find some good deals but don't let marketing hype or specs convince you that you need all that resolution for the vast majority of stuff you're likely to use it for.

[W Craig Wilson]

At the insistence of SWMBO, we finally went digital at Christmas. I won (I think) part of the discussion by going for a camera with a little bit of manual control in addition to the full auto point & shoot mode. We bought a Cannon A520 and caught a couple of rebate deals bringing the price to just over $200. As Doug said - if all you're doing is small resolution pics for posting, you can go cheaper. But if there is any chance that you will want bigger prints (such as for kid & grandkid shots), invest in the 4-5 Mp range. By the way, I love the camera but I really must learn to keep my finger off of the flash window. This gizmo sure fits small in my meathooks!

[Jim Becker]

Although I prefer my Digital SLR (Nikon D70) for "serious photography", the Nikon S1 that Chad mentions, and I also own, is a fabulous camera. 5mp, metal case, auto lense cover, good battery life, etc. And at the current "in your pocket" cost...a great deal. Robert Tarr just found a deal that included an extra battery and a "really big" memory card for just over $300 with the instant rebate that Chad also mentions. More than half the pictures on our family photo site were taken with the S1 and you'd be hard pressed to see a whole lot of difference between them and those taken with my more expensive digital SLR once they have been "processed", etc. (Obviously, an SLR has a lot more adjustability as well as lense choices...and without the "shutter delay" that most consumer digi-cams have...but at a cost)

[Per Swenson]

While at the woodworking show in Edison,

I ran into Mr. Becker and his camera.

I was so intrigued with the camera, I decided

my Daughter needed one. Thanks Jim and a great

camera.

Per

[Wes Bischel]

Joe,

I would agree with some previous statements that a camera is a very personal decision - what works for one, is a frustration for another. With that said, check out this site http://www.steves-digicams.com/ as well as those already mentioned. Also, check the reviews on some of the online retailers like Amazon and Buy.com etc. once you have an idea which cameras you have narrowed your choice to.
We have an older Canon (S110 Powershot - very compact camera) that has served us well, but when we started looking into the newer Canons, we found they had a LCD screen failure problem that they were not standing behind under warranty. So we are on the search for a new brand/camera.

Good Luck!

FWIW,
Wes

[John Hart]

My Canon A300 Powershot has served me well. $210 most places. Good Luck.

[John Bailey]

Joe,

You can get a Pentax Optio WP for around $240. It's completely waterproof, I've used mine underwater to take upside down kayak pictures, very small, 6mp, and takes movie clips. I don't know a whole lot about cameras, but I can tell you my wife's state-of-the-art $2,000+ Cannon doesn't take much better pictures unless she takes time to set-up. Then, of course, it excells. Most of our pictures are taken with my camera because it's more convenient.

John

[tod evans]

i use an old sony that shoots onto floppys, if it ever dies i`ll be looking but not `till then...02 tod

[Dave Carey]

I bought a Nikon 7600 a little while ago and am happy with it. It's more than a little confusing shopping though. I found www.dpreview.com to be a help. Gives the technical details, a formal review and reviews by real users.

[Joseph N. Myers]

Thanks for all the information and recommendations.

Based on the recommendations, I decided to go with the Nikon S1 but when I went to buy it from Amazon, the $50 rebate was no longer available. Tried to order it anyway along with extra memory and warranty but never seemed to get it right, i.e., no discounts, extra S&H, etc.

Also tried the auction place but keep getting outbid.

And besides, I have had some bad experiences with both Amazon and the auction place. And I've had excellent luck with Sam's. So I pulled out the Consumer's Guide, headed for Sam's and got a Kodak Easy Share z700 with all the extras. Know I spent some extra money going this way but camera working out real well and feel real good about Sam's after sell service.

Boy, I thought that buying woodworking stuff was rough but nothing compared to cameras. Each brand must have 20 different models and there has to be 10 brands, etc, etc. And tons of different options. And if you get those options, more of a learning curve.

Again, thanks for all the help!

Regards, Joe

[John Bailey]

Joe,

Congrats on the new camera. I'm sure you're going to have a good time with it. Now, let's see some pictures.

John