Digi Cam for Christmas

What price is that? Depending on the day, Dell has the Canon A40 for ~$225, give or take $25...

Based on my own experience with the A20, reviews of the A40, and some playtime with other cameras in various stores, I'd say that the PowerShot A40 is the best in its class. Go for it!

Escher

I just bought a Leica Digilux 1.

It raises your sex apple by approx. 80% it's so cool.

It also takes the best photos of 4.0MP camera I have ever seen.

OH. MY. GOD.

... it is sexy.

[quote]Originally posted by Harald:
<strong>I just bought a Leica Digilux 1.

It raises your sex apple by approx. 80% it's so cool.

It also takes the best photos of 4.0MP camera I have ever seen.

OH. MY. GOD.

... it is sexy.</strong><hr></blockquote>

If any camera raises your sex appeal by 80% then I wonder what your sex appeal started out as. Do you look like Wierd Al or something? And if you really have "sex apple" I do not know what that is nor do I want it.

Seriously though, the Leica Digilux 1 is a cool camera though it is SLIGHTLY of the price range since it cost like 800 dollars! :eek:

If you like the A40 you should also look at the Canon s200 or s230. They have fewer features but are much smaller (and I think cooler) plus the s230 takes at 3.2 megapixels.

The label on the outside says Leica, but the labels on the inside say Panasonic...

I aways pick Kodak's cameras because they use regular AA batteries. And those NiMH based rechargeable batteries are very cheap and wildly available.

I hate those proprietary ones like those on SONY's , Canon's cameras. Expensive. Don't last long....... can you imagine when you are taking shots outdoor and realize the batteries are drained?

At least with those camera that are using regular AA batteries I can grab some from convenient stores.

I think the A40 uses regular AA battaries.
The S200 and S230 do not

[quote]Originally posted by Leonis:
<strong>At least with those camera that are using regular AA batteries I can grab some from convenient stores.</strong><hr></blockquote>

But you really wouldn't want to. Regular alkalines don't output the necessary 1.2 volts continuously as they get used up, so they're useless in digital cameras after a short while. With my old camera with persistent autofocus, alkalines would drain after taking a dozen or so photos with the flash.

On the otherhand, you can shoot a hundred photos on a single charge with the Canon lithium rechargeables. Just buy an extra and get in the habit of recharging them. That's not so hard.

Many Olympus and Fuji cameras use AA batteries too.

[quote]Originally posted by Eugene:
<strong>

But you really wouldn't want to. Regular alkalines don't output the necessary 1.2 volts continuously as they get used up, so they're useless in digital cameras after a short while. With my old camera with persistent autofocus, alkalines would drain after taking a dozen or so photos with the flash.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Did you read I mentioned NiMH based recharagable batteries? Those 1800mAH ones last for four hours when fully charged (on my Kodak DX4900, use two 'AA' batteries) or two hours on continuous use.

I have 16 of this batteries and they costs me less than 50 bucks CDN vs 80 CDN for ONE Sony/Canon proprietary last-for-one-hour Lithum-ion battery

I never said I use Alkaline batteries. They don't cut it unless in emergency cases

[ 11-27-2002: Message edited by: Leonis ]</p>

My Sony digicam works fine with double A'sor the rechargeable, VERY long lasting battery that I purchased with it in the accessory kit. My battery often outlasts my friend's, he's got a Canon S330 (very sexy camera, btw). I recommend Sony and Canon widely, both have great cameras, it's hard to go wrong when you pick the features that suit you.

My brother's Sony Cybershot camera (the one with the very long lens) uses the proprietary battery and it last for only 1 hour :eek:

Nobody's mentioned the Nikon Coolpix cameras yet... They're excellent cameras and there are enough Coolpix models to span most price ranges. I personally have a Fuji Finepix S602, which you can find for $500-$600. The Finepix cameras are also very good.

[quote]Originally posted by Leonis:
<strong>My brother's Sony Cybershot camera (the one with the very long lens) uses the proprietary battery and it last for only 1 hour :eek: </strong><hr></blockquote>

Oh, the F707? The big SLR one? I don't know about what it uses, that is a little higher-end than mine. He must just have the standard/regular battery it comes with, and for the charge to just last 1 hour.. he must be doing a lot of shooting, with flash even. If the Sony F707 only lasts him an hour, I doubt any other comparable digital SLR with the standard battery is going to last him much longer, to tell you the truth.

Just because someone you know has experienced something with one product of one line of one brand name, it doesn't mean that every product that company sells has that same issue, and everyone will experience it.

I'm glad you said what the case really was, that you know someone with the F707 and his battery only lasts him about an hour of use, because that's a little different than condemning all of the Sony batteries. Honestly, Sony makes great digitals, and with adequate battery for your usage patterns, most people have great experiences with them. I probably sound like some Sony-addicted weirdo, but I'm not.. I just know myself and plenty of other people who are satisfied with their Sony digitals. I mean, I sold the things. I'm just trying to say, don't discount all Sonys, just because of one person's secondhand experience with battery life. Same for Canon or Olympus or Fuji or whatever.

my sony dsc-s75 has never let me down on in terms of battery life. if you dont need 10x zoom, then there is no reason to buy the F-707 (long lens barrel). the s75 takes really nice pictures. it has manual settings too, not that i know how to use them, but just in case i ever learn. i have never, not even for a nanosecond, regretted buying this camera. you dont have to buy it, but i like it so much that i never miss an opportunity to give it credit where credit is due.

[ 11-27-2002: Message edited by: mac's girl ]</p>

i got the sony dsc-s85 (had to do mac's girl one better ) and love it....took photos of my daughter in a play and didn't use flash to keep the stage lighting...used it many many times and always run out of space on my 128 mb card before the battery goes....can see the photos <a href="http://homepage.mac.com/gavinmcc" target="_blank">here</a> g

I'll toss in another plug for the Fuji line.

Back when I was shopping for a digi-cam I was pretty sure that I'd get a Nikon, but instantly fell in love with the 4700 when someone asked me to teach them to use the one that they'd purchased for themselves.

Fuji has cameras in every price tier, and they use standard rechargeable AA batteries. (I spit on Sony for being so proprietary!). The camera's interface is easy to learn and it fits nicely in one hand.

One note:
I bought my camera as a grey-market product, which means that I bought a camera from a compnay selling products intended for another country. It meant that I saved about $200 over other resellers, but if I'd had to send it for a warranteed repair that the manufacturer would have likely refused to honor the warranty because the serial # would inform them that I'd purchased a camera meant for another market. See, they charge American Consumers a premium to help offset the costs of potential warranteed repairs. So, you can save money buying grey market...but if something goes ka-flooey on the machine you're going to PAY to have it repaired.

Good luck!

D

I've been eyeing the Coolpix 5700. Does anyone have any stories to tell about it?

Bad news to Fuji's camera......their new cameras use a proprietary storage card call xcard or something like that...........that means they are EXPENSIVE

The Canon A40 is a great camera for the money. Unlike many similarly priced cameras, the A40 is solid, and will withstand the wear and tear of daily usage.

All "mid-range" cameras have their flaws, but I love the Canon A20 and A40. They are great cameras for their price. Here's a review for your perusal:

<a href="http://www.steves-digicams.com/2002_reviews/a40.html" target="_blank">http://www.steves-digicams.com/2002_reviews/a40.html</a>

Digital cameras are a whole new world of costs vs benefits. I recently purchased that Canon S45 which I believe is the best camera avaliable that is under $500 US. There are downsides to buying an inexpensive camera so my suggestion would be to save a little more and go for a camera that you can grow into.

Things to look at and consider:

Batteries and more importantly battery life.

Media Used.

Size

Features (can you control the apeture and shutter speed? ISO? these are often overlooked features)

Zoom (digital zoom is garbage( I strongly recommend getting a camera with at least 3x optical zoom. If you can't get in close to frame the shot correctly you will need to have some zoom.

And finally megapixels. I'd say 3 is more than adequate but 4 is better.

Most importantly what are you going to use the photos for? And what are you going to take pictures of?

Invaluable resources:

<a href="http://www.imaging-resource.com<a href="http://www.imaging-resource.com" target="_blank">Imaging" target="_blank">www.imaging-resource.com[URL=http://www.imaging-resource.com]Imaging</a> Resource</a>

<a href="http://www.dcresource.com" target="_blank">DC Resource</a>

<a href="http://www.dpreview.com" target="_blank">DP Review</a>

<a href="http://www.stevesdigicams.com" target="_blank">Steves Digicams</a>

Check out these resources and go from there. Any questions I'm more than willing to help.

Dave in Japan

P.S. The S45 should be released in the US around the 10th of December.

Also: Check out the links to Daves Picks at Imaging resource. (No I'm not that Dave...)

[quote]Originally posted by bunge:
<strong>I've been eyeing the Coolpix 5700. Does anyone have any stories to tell about it?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Steve's Digicams is a site that comprehensively reviews digital cameras. The link for the Nikon 5700 is <a href="http://www.steves-digicams.com/2002_reviews/nikon5700.html" target="_blank">here</a>.
...

[quote]Originally posted by Leonis:
I aways pick Kodak's cameras because they use regular AA batteries. And those NiMH based rechargeable batteries are very cheap and wildly available.
I hate those proprietary ones like those on SONY's , Canon's cameras. Expensive. Don't last long....... can you imagine when you are taking shots outdoor and realize the batteries are drained?
At least with those camera that are using regular AA batteries I can grab some from convenient stores.<hr></blockquote>

But your post does make it sound like you use AA batteries.

Personally, I use the Canon PowerShot S30 (3.1megapixel) and I love it. takes great pics and is not too badly priced. Plus it comes with a charger for your battery.

[quote]Originally posted by Aphelion:
<strong>

Steve's Digicams is a site that comprehensively reviews digital cameras. The link for the Nikon 5700 is <a href="http://www.steves-digicams.com/2002_reviews/nikon5700.html" target="_blank">here</a>.
...</strong><hr></blockquote>

Thanks (although the link didn't work I did follow through to the site.) I have read this and a few other really comprehensive reviews and that's what made me think about the camera in the first place. I'm kinda wondering if anyone here is using one, or has used one in comparison with some other models, and has any practical advice.

It looks good, but they're expensive. It's a bit of an investment.

I am also looking into getting a A40 for christmas, but i'm worried that its successor is on the horizon. The A40 has been out for 9+months now. Does anyone know if Canon is planning on updating the A40 anytime soon?

Edit: the A40 was announced on Feb. 22/2002

[ 12-08-2002: Message edited by: Cosmo ]</p>

as one poster mentioned. check out dpreview.com

it is essentially the best source to check reviews on digital cameras. Also tons of rumors about upcoming digi cams. Make sure you check out the forums for first hand experiences on the camera you are looking to buy.

another thing you want to consider is driver support in OS X (if that is your main OS).

I have a Canon G2 that takes beautiful pictures. I also sometimes use the movie feature, but can't seem to get them unto OS X. I have to use my PC and the canon software to get them unto my Mac. pretty lame, but I don't use the movie feature that often. iPhoto may not support the newer digi cams, but just get a USB card reader and you should be fine.

From my experience you can't really go wrong with Canon or Nikon. depending on how you figure on printing your images, I would recommend at least a 3 MP camera (4 if you can afford it). You will get excellent 4x6 photos and will most likely be able to blow them up to 8x10 with slight color/sharpness dithering.

check out dpreview.com it is a little overwhelming at first, but you will be glad that you did, because not all cams are made the same and you want to choose one that is right for you.

[ 12-09-2002: Message edited by: trowa ]</p>

I just bought the GF a Canon A 40 from Dell's website for $224 shipped.

Cameras are 10% off plus free shipping and no tax. (I'm in CA.) The camera lists at 249 on Dell's site. I read the reviews and decided on this one over the Nikon CoolPix 2000.

current digital cameras are about to become obsolete.

<a href="http://foveon.com" target="_blank">Foveon X3 technology</a>

triple the colour fidelity and effective resolution of any CCD chip camera. read more and see sample images in <a href="http://discover.com/dec_02/featphoto.html" target="_blank">Discover magazine Dec 2002</a>

only one manufacturer this year (Sigma, $1800)
but a flood of licensees online for 2003

from the article

[quote]Digital cameras have relied on image sensors that can't do what color film does: record all three primary colors of light at each point in the image. Instead, each light-sensitive point in the sensor measures just one colorblue, green, or redand complicated software in the camera calculates the missing colors. Foveon's breakthrough X3 chip solves the problem with a three-layer design that captures red, blue, and green light at each point. To demonstrate quality differences, the monarch butterfly on this page was photographed with three cameras: an $1,800 Sigma SD9 with an X3 chip; a $300 Nikon Coolpix 2500; and a $2,300 Nikon 35 mm F5 film camera. Insets show magnified detail from each camera's image.
<hr></blockquote>

the article also notes the impressive record of inventor Carver Mead - VLSI, touchpads, digital ears, now eyes... Midas might suit him better

dunno if your purchase plans are slowed now.
just fyi and a chance to avoid new year's regret if MWSF brings a Foveon iCam from Steve

edit: image url fixed

[ 12-18-2002: Message edited by: curiousuburb ]</p>

[quote]Originally posted by TOOL:
<strong>
But your post does make it sound like you use AA batteries.
</strong>
<hr></blockquote>

AA refers to the size/shape of the battery. You can get a few different types of battery technology in the AA size.

In your price range, I just bought the Olympus D550 last week, and it's a very nice 3MP camera.

That said, I returned that camera today, because yesterday, I saw this one: the Olympus C50.
<a href="http://www.steves-digicams.com/2002_reviews/c50.html" target="_blank">http://www.steves-digicams.com/2002_reviews/c50.html</a>
This is my new/current lust object, available @ Costco for $570 US. Yes, it's more than twice as much money - but it's much more than twice as much camera!

Certain things, it pays great dividends to overbuy, not underbuy, and cameras are one such; I've had several top-shelf SLRs, including Canon & Nikon, but Olympus makes first-rate, rugged, high-utility cameras too.

I, too, dream of a high-grade Foveon-powered camera, but they can't make enough to meet demand, and they're selling for (IIRC) 8-10,000 USD. Don't expect Apple to do w/ such cameras what they did w/ the superdrive - not anytime in the next 5-10 years, anyway!

Just saw a <a href="http://www.sharpelectronics.com/products/ModelLanding/0,1058,1006,00.html" target="_blank">Sharp 4MP</a> digital camera for $299 at Fry's. Seems to be a great deal. (Resolution vs. price) Camera Prices are dropping. And moreso after christmas.

[quote]Originally posted by Leonis:
<strong>Bad news to Fuji's camera......their new cameras use a proprietary storage card call xcard or something like that...........that means they are EXPENSIVE </strong><hr></blockquote>

Well... just to add to this, my Fuji Finepix S602 (which is a fairly new camera) uses both Compactflash type 1 and 2, AND Smartmedia - at the same time. There's one CF2 slot (takes CF 1 and 2 including IBM Microdrive) and one Smartmedia slot, and you can load them both up at the same time.

the consumer electronics show is coming in January...I am waiting till then....