Digital Camera

[Phantom]

I recently have been thinking of buying a digital camera but don\'t want to spend lots of money and be stuck with a piece of junk. I\'m willing to spend around $100-$300, anyone have a specific camera they can recommend? Thanks [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img].

[Bruce]

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I recently have been thinking of buying a digital camera but don\'t want to spend lots of money and be stuck with a piece of junk. I\'m willing to spend around $100-$300, anyone have a specific camera they can recommend? Thanks [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img].

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I just bought an HP Photosmart 850 which is a great camera (4.1 megapixel, 8X optical zoom), but costs nearly $500. I really wanted that specific camera after reading an article about it, but I saw something pretty spiffy at Circuit City near my home while I was looking. $299. gets you a Kodak 3.1 megapixel, 3X optical zoom and they throw in a free case, battery and charger. For your price range, I would grab that.

Bruce

[MAL224610]

I currently am using a Kodak CX4200 that I bought for 149$. its 2 megapixel with no optical zoom, but has digital zoom......if you are in the 100-300$ range this is a good choice(4230 has optical zoom)....2 megapixel can produce 4 x 7 photo quality, and with adobe photoshop 7 and the fractal format enlarger(I can get you the exact name later) you can enlarge and maintain quality.

Next step up is Olympus C5050-zoom quality lens, great photos 5 megapixel around 500-650$.

Sony DSC-F717 carl zeiss lens, optical zoom and thread for teleconverters, 5 mega pixel, sharp good pics....799$(I think the photos are overly sharpened tho)

Fuji S602 Zoom price online showing around 600$
3.12 Super CCD is actually a dual sensor res comes out around 6 megapixel, 6x optical zoom, great photoquality.

Nikon Coolpix 5700 (can\'t go wrong with a nikon) photo quality absolutely astonishing 35mm - 280 mm lens with threads, 8x optical zoom, with 4x digital (see dpreview.com photo gallery superior camera for macro photography)
800-1000$ 5 megapixel, lots of manual controls so that you can grow into a more pro camera if you like....


Can\'t go wrong with Canon Powershot series cameras either
5 megapixel powershot S50 3x optical zoom 500$ - 600$ excellent quality snapshots

Higher up....I\'m trying to find a way to get 3 grand to get a Canon EOS-10D Digital SLR with some Canon EF lenses...the reason? 6 megapixel, interchangeable lens(I\'m big into super wide angle, landscape, macro, and telephoto so this really helps), Compact Flash, excellent photoquality, and all lenses are useable on both the 8000$ EOS-1Ds(dream camera), and all film cams as well...

No matter what you buy, get Adobe Photoshop 7, and Elements.....The greatest tool is the Unsharp mask(for sharpening a soft photo), and the healing brush(photo touch up.)

That is a list of cams I have looked at and liked....definately check out everything at www.dcviews.com and www.dpreview.com (dpreview has sample galleries....seriously check them out before you decide)

If you have any questions let me know.

Mike

[MAL224610]

Minolta dimage f100 (running near 300$-400$ worth the extra cash, good lens, great shots, compact).

as well as Nikon coolpix series cameras

[Phantom]

I think I will wait a little longer then so I can save up some more money for a higher quality camera. By next month I will be able to afford a camera in the $500 - $800 range, When I buy things. I always do it in excess (I find that if I buy something higher quality than I need at the time, it always pays off later on) and I always was a picture buff anyways, maybe then I will be able to take pictures of the all the perfect 10\'s I hang around with [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]. I will check out the site\'s you listed for information (I think Elana will have to wait a little longer for those pics [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]), Thanks for your help [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img].

Phantom.

[MAL224610]

what kind of photography do you do, or will be doing? and if you think 800 is excessive check out my dream camera

Canon EOS-1Ds ....11 megapixel CMOS sensor, full frame(same size as 35 mm so there is no focal multiplier(focal multiplier increases the mm of lens so a 2x focal multiplier makes a 35 mm lens equivalent to a 70 mm lens...which bites for wide angle....)... Raw format, utilizes capture one dSLR from Phase one(maker of a 22 megapixel back for medium format hasselblad cameras(total price 26,000$ visualize my tongue hanging out on this one)....not to mention that the body is a magnesium alloy, utilizes all Canon EOS EF format lenses, and speedlite with hotshoe....photo quality is stunning and professional....but for 8000$ you only get a body....for 1500$ you get the Canon EOS-10D and lenses, which is why I am shoot for this first so that I can take the lenses and use them on the 8000$ 1Ds when cash permits.....its the extreme....but more is soon to come

I cannot for the life of me remember who coined the technology but it is called wavefront coding.....the lens intentional blurs the image to an intermediate image, then with a DSP sharpens it perfectly....resulting in an endless depth of field(crystal clarity) right now the license is to Carl Zeiss Lenses, and to Olympus for Endoscopic cameras(which could alude to olympus 4/3 digital cameras having this technology)....there is always new technology coming out, so in this case it almost pays not to go to excessive, unless 8000$ is pocket change...in which case...bawlls to the walls

[Phantom]

Well i\'ll be taking lots of pictures of females, I will be going to florida this summer and there\'s gonna be lots of half naked chicks running around in bikini\'s [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img].But I also want to take up a hobby in photography, proabably taking pictures of landscapes, sun rises ect.. I just want a all-round high quality, durable, portable camera with lots of features and a battery with a moderate life span. Thats what i\'m aiming for, and I will pay s reasonable amount to purchase it [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img].

[MAL224610]

Then I would save as much as you can, and shoot for a nikon coolpix 5700, you can\'t go wrong with it...look at the photos on dpreview...the are jaw dropping.....its the next best thing to a digtal SLR....it has tons of spiffy advanced features that you can grow into....controlling shutterspeed, iso(same thing as film speed), aperature , white balance(some for special effects)....excellent nikkor lens...seriously 8x optical and 4x digital = 32x zoom, great for telephoto....and the macro mode is phenom.....the only thing better that I have seen on a dSLR is the canon EOS system macro lens set....and those range into the 1000$ price range for a lens alone....The kodak is doing the trick for me, I do landscape, macro, people, architecture, and abstract....I want to get into action buy I need the faster shutter speeds, and control over shutter in order to capture a fast moving target....I recomend the research, purchasing a digital camera is like buying a car....don\'t get the gremlin, get the ferrari(or at least something close to it)..

[tallmacky]

$500-$800 hell you could buy a high quality digital camcorder for that amount.