I have finally decided to buy a Digital Camera. Suggestions? | FerrariChat

I have finally decided to buy a Digital Camera. Suggestions?

Discussion in 'Creative Arts' started by TimN88, May 9, 2004.

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  1. TimN88

    TimN88 F1 Veteran

    Jun 12, 2001
    5,045
    Northeast
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    Tim
    Last year i started a thread asking questions about digital cameras. I think the model i want is the Canon powershot S50. There are good reviews for it on www.dpreview.com (a great digital photograpy site). Does anyone have one of these or know anything about it? I am looking at a compact model, however the S50 is not small for a compact camera, and it is a bit on the expensive side ($450 from staples). The reason i want a small one is because i will be toting it all around europe and the czech republic for three months this fall. Are there any other models i should be looking at?
    My other question is about flash cards. People are advertising 256+ mb cards. Are these really necessary or would the included 32mb one be fine?
    Thanks in advance
     
  2. dherman76

    dherman76 Formula Junior
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    Feb 25, 2004
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    Darren Herman
  3. LAfun2

    LAfun2 Three Time F1 World Champ

    Oct 31, 2003
    39,248
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    Tim,

    I am in the same boat as you. I have been waiting about 1.5 years to get one. I settled on the Sony T1 for its super sleek style, but the reviews weren't superb. Thus I decided on Canon Elph S500, you should look into that. Great camera. :)
     
  4. jordan747_400

    jordan747_400 F1 Veteran
    Lifetime Rossa

    Dec 9, 2002
    6,928
    Houston, TX
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    Jordan
    Im very happy with my camera. It is on the cheaper side, takes great pictures and pretty good quality videos, and is relatively small...You can fit it into your pocket if you dont mind a bit of a bulge :)

    I use the Sony 3.2 Megapixel Cybershot.
     
  5. mighty

    mighty Karting

    Nov 2, 2003
    231
    canon s50, it's not too expensive (i got it for $400 and i'm sure you can get a better deal on ebay) and it's worth the money. Not too big either, i have no trouble carrying it with me.
     
  6. Jdubbya

    Jdubbya The $10 Trillion Man
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    Dec 28, 2003
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    Do yourself a favor and shop around before buying one. I saved almost a hundred bucks! I bought a FujiFilm 3800 about two years ago, getting a bit outdated now, and rather on the large side, but takes good pics and is easy to use. Check out some of the comparison sites like Bizrate.com. Good luck with your search!
     
  7. Z0RR0

    Z0RR0 F1 Rookie

    Apr 11, 2004
    3,470
    Montreal, Canada
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    Julien
    My experience with digital cameras (keep in mind, I'm just a casual user, not a pro).

    Get as much warranty as you can, no matter the cost.

    Memory : with a 2.1 MP, and a 256Mb card, we can store 400 pictures. During a 2 week holiday, I snapped 250 pics (just to give you an idea). If you don't have access to a computer on a regular basis, it's a must. 32Mb is fine if you can have a puter easily available.

    Get as much warranty as you can, no matter the cost.

    Batteries : this is just a matter of opinion, but I find the AA battery-powered cameras more convenient. A set of rechargeable batteries will last for a while, and when you have no juice, any store will have standard batteries.

    Get as much warranty as you can, no matter the cost.

    Definition : I feel 2.1 is adequate (gets you 1600x1200 pictures). Don't get fooled by more MP is better, though. No matter what camera you buy, ask to take and compare pics by yourself. I had a Canon S10, then an A40, and a friend has a Kodak, 3.2MP or something. The Kodak pics are fuzzy at full resolution, very bad definition. Colors are quite bland. In contrast, my A40 is only 1600x1200, but is more precise, although it requires lots of light to reproduce the colors with some "wow". The S10 is the oldest, and was twice as much (900cdn$ vs 400-450), and it showed. The pictures had a great definition, and awesome colors right out of the box. All cameras I've tested are horrible for low light shots. BTW, bland colors or light are easily fixed through Photoshop.

    Get as much warranty as you can, no matter the cost.

    The film feature is a nice one. It puts out decent quality footage.

    Get as much warranty as you can, no matter the cost.

    Zoom. Optical is the only way to go. Don't get fooled by digital zoom or whateva, it's crap. They just enlarge your picture, and you end up seeing pixels. Stupid. 2x optical zoom isn't enough. 3x is barely fine.

    Get as much warranty as you can, no matter the cost.

    Most of these cameras are very fragile. I'm a motocross/atv/snowmobile/4x4 rider/driver, and my camera is only taken out of the pouch for the picture. But I ruined the S10 within a year, and the A40 has already been in for repairs twice in 6 months or so. They are very touchy, and can cost big $$$ to repair. Don't expect it to last 10 years like our parent's cameras.

    Did I mention you should get all the warranty you can?
     
  8. Viper 10

    Viper 10 Formula Junior

    Nov 16, 2003
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    Manhattan Beach, CA
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    Brad Chang
    I'm seriously looking at getting a Canon 10-D so I can use my SLR lenses. I miss using filters and other photo accessories.
     
  9. dfratini

    dfratini Karting
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    Dec 31, 2003
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    Daniel Fratini
    I am now on my 5th digital [gotta love those mega pixels!]. I woudl highly recommend the Canon Power Shot s500. It is compact but with up to 5 MP, the images are stunning.

    Good battery life and with memory cards as cheap as $40 for 256 [at Costco] you can take several spare cards with you.
     
  10. TimN88

    TimN88 F1 Veteran

    Jun 12, 2001
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    Tim
    Thanks for all the advice. I am going to broaden my search to include the S500, along with the S50. Both are about the same price (i have seen $400-450 online) but with the S500 you give up some features (which i would probably never use anyway) in return for a smaller size, which is something that im interested in. One thing that both of these have is optical zoom. Digital zoom isnt so great from what i hear, but im not a professional photographer.
     
  11. dfratini

    dfratini Karting
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    Dec 31, 2003
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    Daniel Fratini
    Tim,

    The issue with a digital zoom was always that the camera software would extropolate the zoomed image from the original, cbase on the manufacturer's code. This was particularly problematic with earlier cameras [1 - 3 MP]. However, with the 5 MP you have such a high density resolution to start with that you do not give up a great deal amount of image quality when you use the digital zoom.
     
  12. rob lay

    rob lay Administrator
    Staff Member Admin Miami 2018 Owner

    Dec 1, 2000
    59,406
    Southlake, TX
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    Rob Lay
    I've been so happy with my T-1 for $450. It's funny, but every event I've been to with it we're surrounded by great cars and everyone is in awe of the camera. 5 megapixel and smaller than a card deck.

    Takes great pics...

    http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showpost.php?p=220892&postcount=35

    Only problem at all is you have to be very still or it comes out blurry as a couple of the last photos. It has an auto mode that adjusts to the conditions, you go half way down and the green light blinks and goes solid when ready.
     

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