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View Full Version : What kind of inexpensive digital camera do you suggest?



Wasatch Rebel
08-25-2005, 05:05 AM
By inexpensive, I mean $200 or less. I want something that actually takes the picture right when you press the button, instead of waiting half a second. I'd also like the burst feature. I'm thinking a 3.1 megapixel will do me for now. I can get ten percent off at Radio Shack because my son-in-law works there.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

DickHead
08-25-2005, 07:54 AM
Olympus D545
$179 at Best buy
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7022376&type=product&productCategoryId=pcmcat31100050033&id=1099394286987
http://images.bestbuy.com/BestBuy_US/images/products/7022/7022376_ra.jpg
http://images.bestbuy.com/BestBuy_US/images/products/7022/7022376_ba.jpg
Mine takes decent pictures. These have been edited and resized already.

http://uutah.com/forum/files/p8170010.jpg


http://uutah.com/forum/files/8-10-05_4.jpg


http://uutah.com/forum/files/8-10-05_7.jpg


Don't forget to budget in a memory card. Go as big as you possibly can afford. You won't regret it.[/img]

rockgremlin
08-25-2005, 10:09 AM
I second the advice on the memory card. I use a 4 Gig card in my digicam, and I love it! I spent an entire 4 day weekend shooting photos in Yellowstone, and never even approached half capacity on the card. No need to worry about deleting images in order to make room for more pictures, or running out of memory. :2thumbs:

Sombeech
08-25-2005, 12:21 PM
I use a 4 Gig card in my digicam, and I love it!

That's huge! That would be nice to take a ton of pictures. You'd run out of batteries before you ran out of space.

I've got a Canon PowerShot A510. 3.2 MP, video mode, microphone, all the good stuff. It comes with a 16 MB card, but I bought a 256 MB for about $40.

It was under $200 at WalMart, and I love it. In fact, I think it was about $180. It's small enough to fit in a front pocket.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona510/

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/CanonA510/Images/3q-001.jpg


Here's a photo taken by it, and it's been reduced to 30%...

Wasatch Rebel
08-28-2005, 06:32 AM
Olympus D545


So the D545 doesn't have any kind of delay from the time you press the button until the picture is taken? My daughter has an Olympus digital that waits nearly half a second from the time you press the button until the picture is taken. I don't want a camera that does that. Your pictures look great!

Shane

Wasatch Rebel
08-28-2005, 06:38 AM
I've got a Canon PowerShot A510. 3.2 MP, video mode, microphone, all the good stuff. It comes with a 16 MB card, but I bought a 256 MB for about $40.



Sombeech, I ask the same question--is there any kind of delay between the time you press the button and the when the picture is taken?

Shane

DickHead
08-28-2005, 08:47 AM
Olympus D545


So the D545 doesn't have any kind of delay from the time you press the button until the picture is taken? My daughter has an Olympus digital that waits nearly half a second from the time you press the button until the picture is taken. I don't want a camera that does that. Your pictures look great!

Shane

They almost all do. The way around this is to hold the shutter open by pressing the button halfway and holding it. Takes a gentle touch but is pretty easy to do. You won't find instant pictures until you get into much more expensive cameras. My wife's 5.0mp Sony cost $400 and it has a longer delay than my D545.

Sombeech
08-28-2005, 07:03 PM
Yeah, that half second delay can really ruin some great potential shots.

Like JamisJockey says, most of the cameras now will have you hold the button in half way, then when you complete the "push", it will take the shot instantly.

This delay is only an autofocus function. I think you can turn this off, so whatever is in the frame, is there whether it's focused or not.

But you can get instant shots if you start out by holding the button half way, and it will notify you when it's in focus.

price1869
08-29-2005, 10:30 AM
I just bought the hp photosmart M22. I bought it because it says it's weather proof, although not submersible. It's a 4 megapixel res, has no optical zoom, and is very small. Another great feature of this camera is that it has hardly any moving parts, and none that are motorized. The flash was sufficent for what we were doing.

After doing Spry canyon and Imlay, I must say that I am very impressed. The only thing that sucked what the battery life, and that may have been a problem with the camera being constantly wet. This camera held up under some major abuse. Sand and Water for hours. I'd recommend it. plan on spending about $150. Not too shabby.

All the pictures from the TR - Spry post in the canyoneering forum are from this camera. I'll be posting a tr for imlay. all of the photos in that will be from this camera as well.

accadacca
08-29-2005, 11:16 AM
I spent an entire 4 day weekend shooting photos in Yellowstone, and never even approached half capacity on the card.Where are the pictures and TR's??????? :popcorn: I saw a few in your photo blog, but none to speak of on the board??? WTF gives........ :naughty:

Wasatch Rebel
08-29-2005, 12:59 PM
They almost all do. The way around this is to hold the shutter open by pressing the button halfway and holding it. Takes a gentle touch but is pretty easy to do. You won't find instant pictures until you get into much more expensive cameras. My wife's 5.0mp Sony cost $400 and it has a longer delay than my D545.

That's good to know--heck with my manual SLR 35mm, I'm spending a few seconds focusing anyway, so I don't think a short delay will make much of a difference in the long run.

Shane