Camera Advice

Okay since I can NOT live without a digital camera I need some advice. Oh and I will be buying it through WalMart since Mike works there and I get the employee discount so I've been looking at their website. This page specifically....

http://www.walmart.com/search/browse...atNavId=597467

- I want to spend at maximum about $100 dollars.

- I want a camera that will take decent close up pictures (for the snakes mostly). It doesn't have to be professional grade, just a decent clear picture.

- How many megapixels is the minimum that will do (most in that price range seem to be 5 or 6)?

- Do you need both digital and optical zoom? I'm not quite sure why some have it and some don't and what the benefits of having both are.

- WalMart carries HP, Samsung, Polaroid and Kodak in their major brand names that I recognize in this price range. Any of them preferred over others as far as a good reliable camera?

- I know I want one that will have memory cards. I am assuming when it says "internal memory" that is all the camera will do and there's no slot for extra memory cards? Is this a correct assumption since the others says "supports SD memory cards"?

- If I buy a bright pink digital camera will my husband have a fit???? (hahahahahahahaha had to toss that one in!)

Thanks for any feedback guys and gals. :)

For a decent camera, look towards spending closer to 200$. (anything less I think is crap) You want a large pixel, 7-8 is really good. I have used the kodak Easyshare (not sure exactly which one), and it has a large pixel, decent closeup, and really an all around good camera for its price. I would recommend that one for ease of use and probably best deal for your dollar. Digital zoom doesnt actually zoom in closer to the object, it's zooming in closer to the (pixel) if that makes sense, and it will lose quality quickly, but it is something nice to have.

Try and get a camera with a macro zoom on it, macro is how we get all those sweet closeups! You can buy a macro lens which is the best quality, I just dont think you'll need it for your use.

And yes, you will want one that says it supports SD memory cards if you like to take a lot of pictures like I do. You can usually buy a 2 gig card on ebay for like 15$.

Thats really all I know about cameras! Hope that helps some. ;)
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=6023120

I would highly recommend Fuji FinePics S700. I love this camera and it takes stunning macros as well as great landscapes and portraits. You could also feasably get more lenses for it down the road. I got mine at Walmart also. Mark has the older model that is just as good but it has a smaller viewing screen. Here's a macro I took out in the woods without really even trying to get it good..

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...oforleaves.jpg

Hey Jo,

I bought my first digital camera about 6 years ago. It was a Sony Cybershot with 2.0 megapixels. I only paid about $199. Keep in mind this was years ago. Doesn't sound like much of a camera, but I used it for 5 years and I did get compliments on my photos. Digital zoom is preferred over optical zoom. And no matter what camera you purchase, one of the most important things to remember is when you are taking pics, make sure you hold still while taking the photo, have ample lighting, and use the auto focus.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rapture

Digital zoom is preferred over optical zoom..

---

That is very true. Definately something to keep in mind no matter what brand you decide to go with!

One thing I like about the Fuji (not sure how others work) is that it snaps the pic right away. some cameras I have tried take a second or two, and the moment could be over with. I could not tolerate that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by frankykeno

Okay since I can NOT live without a digital camera I need some advice. Oh and I will be buying it through WalMart since Mike works there and I get the employee discount so I've been looking at their website. This page specifically....

http://www.walmart.com/search/browse...atNavId=597467

- I want to spend at maximum about $100 dollars.

- I want a camera that will take decent close up pictures (for the snakes mostly). It doesn't have to be professional grade, just a decent clear picture.

- How many megapixels is the minimum that will do (most in that price range seem to be 5 or 6)?

- Do you need both digital and optical zoom? I'm not quite sure why some have it and some don't and what the benefits of having both are.

- WalMart carries HP, Samsung, Polaroid and Kodak in their major brand names that I recognize in this price range. Any of them preferred over others as far as a good reliable camera?

- I know I want one that will have memory cards. I am assuming when it says "internal memory" that is all the camera will do and there's no slot for extra memory cards? Is this a correct assumption since the others says "supports SD memory cards"?

- If I buy a bright pink digital camera will my husband have a fit???? (hahahahahahahaha had to toss that one in!)

Thanks for any feedback guys and gals. :)

---

Ok since this is what I do for a living (manufacture electronics) I will give you some pointers...I would look for retail priced camera between $150 and $200 (with your discount it would be less).

The # of megapixels is a marketing gimick (and really only comes into play when you try and take large pictures (ie. a normal 35mm 4x6 is about 3 megapixels) so a 5 or 6mp camera means you can get the same picture quality of a 35mm film camera but at about 8x10 size...make sense?) The mega pixels also help when you want to zoom in on a part of a picture and blow it up (say you want to zoom in on one in a large picture). In short, if you mainly are going to use the camera to post pics to the internet or print 4x6 images the numbers of mega pixels won't really matter.

Get the best optical zoom you can (in most cases this will be 3x). Digital zoom is nice but really will kill the pic quality (personally I never use it...it is that bad)

Brands - insider note - there are only 5 camera manufactures in the world (chinese, sony, nikon, canon, samsung (though they are new)). Polaroid and Kodak don't exist as companies any longer it is just a name on a chinese camera (same with HP, Sanyo and numerous others) - now this is not to say the camera are junk but don't think the name has anything to do with quality. I own 2 sony's and a canon (love all of them) - so personally I would lean toward one o these. Samsung has gotten very good reviews but I don't have any personal experience with them.

All cameras support some type of memory card. Unless you have other devices that use a particular type I wouldn't worry what type you get (SD is the most common, but all are about the same price and work just the same)

Some featurers that are nice to have - face recognizition (makes the camera focus on faces for better pictures that don't have the skin washed out), fast saving (the time it takes to take a picture save it to memory and be ready to take another - chinese brands are horrid at take forever - a fast camera means you can take back to back pics quicker - real benefit with snakes), out to TV (nice for sharing pics on the big screen), macro (this is what allows very up close pics - like those cool head shots we see), view finder (the little hole you look through - a lot of folks are getting away from these (people just want to look at the LCD display) but when it is windy, you are moving, the snake is moving,etc. the viewfinder really helps to stablize the image so the picture looks better.

Hope this helps...if you have any other specific questions let me know.

Sean

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rapture

Digital zoom is preferred over optical zoom. .

---

I disagree. Digital zoom is an electronic zoom (meaning it zooms on the pixel element not the image) so you have less pixels to use meaning a less sharp picture. Optical zoom uses the lenes to focus and zoom in/out meaning all the pixels on the element are available to record the image (which means a sharper image with more pixels to work with when you start cropping and increasing the size).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rapture

Hey Jo,
Digital zoom is preferred over optical zoom.

---

Ummm. no. Digitial zoom is NOT preferred over optical zoom. Optical zoom actually moves the physical components to change the focal length.
Digital zoom just uses software to zoom in on the area of pixels you've chosen, losing quality.
http://www.1888articles.com/optical-...0c1sn8b73.html

Sorry guys, I must have gotten myself confused somewhere along the lines of which type of zoom is which!

One thing I would recommend you even though you plan on buying from Walmart check whatever camera you might be interested in on Amazon.com , you will find very useful customer reviews on most products, I know it helped me a lot picking my camera.

jo, of the cameras that you listed.


i like the nikon L 10 the best.

nikon has decent cams, 5 megs is plenty, min focus range of 15".

you only need to think about optical zoom, digital zoom is worthless.

that cam a basic tripod(15 bucks) and some bright lights will do wonders.



vaughn

good luck camera hunting.. obviously given the name of my bearded dragons (canon and nikon) im a huge camera junkie! i actually currently have a canon rebel xti with a few different lens i use. my camera isnt what your looking for but i love the canon brand. mine was $880 with one lens but it was the BEST investment ive ever made. i do alot of photography (not just our pets and kids) so i could warrant the purchase. good luck with what you choose.. photography is a great thing!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kavmon

jo, of the cameras that you listed.


i like the nikon L 10 the best.

nikon has decent cams, 5 megs is plenty, min focus range of 15".

you only need to think about optical zoom, digital zoom is worthless.

that cam a basic tripod(15 bucks) and some bright lights will do wonders.



vaughn

---

The only comment I would add to this is to check the reviews on this camera they aren't very good. With common complaints of slow to process, slow flash and poor picture quality. I think CNET gave it 6 out of 10.

Thanks everyone. While I'd love to spend far more on a camera the facts are that the budget will allow only as much as I stated and not a penny more. I need to work within that to find the camera that is the best bang for the buck so to speak. It can be passed on down to one of our kids when we get something better but for now it'll be better than what I have, which is a lovely and quite dead camera.

Thanks Vaughn for having a look at that link. I'll check that camera you suggested out when I'm next in the store. :)

I looked at cameras at Walmart yesterday (wife wants a new one too) and given your price range I liked this one the best


http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=5633184

It was $119 but assume with your discount would get you were you wanted to be.

It has great reviews, macro (for close up pics), fast flash, face recogniztion, 7 mega pixels and 3x optical zoom

Hope this helps,
Sean

That looks perfect Sean...thanks so much! I saved that link and I think that's the one we'll go with, seems like a good amount of camera for that price doesn't it. Mike was just telling me this morning that his store is featuring some sort of "lighting kit" with a background and lighting set ups included for photos. I'm going to try to find it on their online store or go have a look at it. It retails for around $49.00

If you find, it - will you post a link, Joanna?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by frankykeno

Mike was just telling me this morning that his store is featuring some sort of "lighting kit" with a background and lighting set ups included for photos. I'm going to try to find it on their online store or go have a look at it. It retails for around $49.00

---

I tried to look and couldn't find it on the site...but I do remember seeing it at the store (if I am thinking of the same thing - like a light box correct?). My only impression of the one at the store was that it seemed cheap. I think there was a thread about how to build one that you could pry do cheaper than buying the one at the store...again only if I am thinking about the same thing you are. :)

I think the one your talking about is like those pop up laundry basket things. Its basically a wire frame covered with some cloth that can fold up when your done with it. I have seen some nice ones in photography magazines, but not at wally world.
[edit]
Of course in my thread, you can build a way cooler light box for nearly the same price! *tootin my own horn* :D

Sure will Robin! I can't find it on the WalMart site either so I'll ask Mike to just hit the sales floor tonight and get me a product name, description, etc. where I can look it up then I can post a link either to WalMart or the manufacturer's site. It might not be anything worth buying but I figure it's worth checking out for us photographically challenged folks. :)

Well I never did locate it on the Walmart site so here's another link to this tent thing. It retails at Walmart much cheaper though.

http://www.newworldvideodirect.com/p...productid=1572

Jo, I know it's a bit above what you wanted to spend but I can't say enough good things about this camera.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=7730941

It's got amazing macro for such a compact, face recognition and 7 megapixels. I love mine, LOVE mine, in fact, if I could have it's babies I would.

Thanks for the link. That does look like a great camera for the price. I'm going out today to just pick up a cheapo digital as that's all the budget this month will allow and I want something to document the snake breeding starting in a week or so here.

Once Christmas is over and my budget recovers from that annual disaster, I think I'll just pass this camera I buy today down to one of my kids and get something better. For now, something will be better than nothing. :)