Digital cameras

[nebula]

I don't like the way they are setup for point and shoot. It just feels unnatural to me.. and the quality of the image wasn't so good compared with other companies in my option but I haven't touched a Nikon point and shoot in about 3 years. If you are looking for a Digital SLR then I would recommend it then, they have good picture quality.

OK, that's useful info, and I'm glad you mentioned it . . . but what I was meaning in my question was what is "Digital SLR"? I do not understand the lingo.

[nebula]

What do you want to use this for Neb?

General use, I guess.

My film camera is a small PHD camera ("push here, dummy"), but with a zoom lens (not a major zoom, but it does make more distant object slightly bigger) and a few special features (flash control, landscape, etc.).

So I guess I just need something that's fairly similar.

[Guest LadyC]

i would highly recommend going to best buy, sam's club, walmart or somewhere else that allows you to actually pick them up and hold them. find one that is in your price range and that FEELS good in your hands. some cameras are just flat and awkward. some are supposedly ergonomic, and may very well be for someone with the right sized hand!

i like canon brand. in fact, last year (when money was good) i spent over $350 for the camera of my dreams, which turned out really to be almost TOO much camera for me. i was looking for one with lots of optical zoom so that when i go camping in the mountains of utah each year with the church, i could really get some good close-ups of wildlife. but... as luck would have it, the economy took a downward turn and i haven't been able to afford the gas to get up to mountaintop since i got the camera.

if you're not needing lots of zoom capability though, you should be able to pick up a really decent camera for around 150 or less...

what is your price range?

[OneLight]

What do you want to use this for Neb?

General use, I guess.

My film camera is a small PHD camera ("push here, dummy"), but with a zoom lens (not a major zoom, but it does make more distant object slightly bigger) and a few special features (flash control, landscape, etc.).

So I guess I just need something that's fairly similar.

Then you should consider a simple point and shoot style. They are pretty good for every day shots, some are also good a actions shots where shutter speed and stabilization is important. Everything is automatically done by the camera.

SLR is an acronym for Single Lens Reflex. These types of cameras are designed to give more control to the photographer where you have a range of different lenses you can change to get a desired effect . They are a lot more complicated, but give you a much wider range of choices concerning the outcome of the photograph. SLR bodies can also be attached to telescopes for those beautiful shots you keep giving us ... something to consider if you are near an observatory.

[OneLight]

I use my camera for action shots while climbing. I choose this one, Canon PowerShot S3. Not only are they great for what I do, but also for any other type of point and shoot shots I can think of. The basic ability to hold it one handed was a major selling point for me with its side grip capability. It also has the capacity of creating digital movies, the ability to upgrade the memory card and the ability to change certain effects electronically with a "macro" capability for taking real close up shots, like a caterpillar on a leaf.

It is important to know what you will be using your camera for and get one that is best suited for that purpose. My camera would be too much for what you presently need.

[nebula]

what is your price range?

Like I said - inexpensive without being cheap.

$150 would be pushing it.

[OneLight]

what is your price range?

Like I said - inexpensive without being cheap.

$150 would be pushing it.

Again, start here to get a feel of what is out there before you go to the stores ... know what you are looking for and don't be sold by an inexperienced sales person. These prices start at $79.99

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/categor...&sort=price

[StartingToday]

If you have a Best Buy close by they usually run some pretty good deals on their digital cameras. I've heard the Kodak EasyShares are pretty good, but I haven't priced them.

[Blien]

As OneLight mentioned Digital SLR cameras are for more professional use. They have a ton of features and you can switch their lenses with larger or smaller ones. The people who use SLR's are ameture photographers, news photographers, sport photographers, nature photographers, family portrait photorgraphers.

For everyday use just get a point and shoot kind. Saves you money and a lot of time in tinkering with the features.

[Guest yod]

One of these days, I need to get myself a digital camera.

Well, for my income - they're expensive!

So I want an inexpensive camera that isn't cheap.

Any digital camera savvy people around who can point me in some specific directions to look into?

Someone mentioned Nikon - I believe it was the Coolpix. But as I look on the website there are too many to choose from.

I got a 10.3 megapixels Kodak camera at WalMart for $120 that is fantastic! They have some Sanyo 9 megapixels that are pretty good for $90 that I got for my wife and they are pretty good, too.

I had sworn to never buy another Kodak because their return policy isn't very good and they seem to be more fragile than the average camera. I've had 2 of them stop working in the past for no apparent reason and Kodak only repaired one of them.

All that aside, I got this recent one about 6 months ago and the pics it takes are far beyond any semi-pro camera I've ever had. The editing software is the secret though...it will bring out colors (especially green) like nothing before did.