First time digital camera shopper

[AluminumStudios]

I'm in the market for a digital camera for the first time. I've read some reveiws, looked at sample pictures and am leaning towards the Fuji E500 which I saw on NewEgg for $169

I'm looking for:
- around 4 megapixels or better
- 3x or better optical zoom
- point & click use but some manual adjustment features too
- A camera that doesn't over sharpen pictures or have noticable JPEG artifacts. Some digital camera's pictures obviously look "digital", I want something that looks a bit smoother and natural (the Fuji's seemed to do well here.)
- The ability to record movies with sound (I don't plan on doing this much but want the ability, movie resolution and such isn't too much of a concern as long as it can do it.)
- AA batteries so I can easily replace them if I'm traveling or get rechargables
- moderate size, I don't want ultra tiny but I don't want large and awkward either (along with it's size it needs to be durable to handle a little travel and such.)

Starting out with no digital camera experience it's a tough decision. The Fuji E500 seems quite decent. I hear a lot of praise for Cannon - how is Cannon with respect to sharpness/compression artifacts?

EDIT: Here is a odd question - do any cameras support password protecting them so a stranger or someone who gets hold of your camera can't look through your pictures?

 

[TStep]

This place does alot of reviews

 

[AluminumStudios]

I saw that site but didn't look over it much because it didn't really look like it gave me much of a starting point for comparison. For someone who is new to digital cameras I just see ton's of reviews and don't know which ones to bother reading

 

[AluminumStudios]

Actually, those reviews seem pretty useful if I identify a camera I'm interested in first!

 

[Budmantom]

The Fuji looks like a nice camera but I don't like 2 things about it, it takes xD media and that is ultra expensive and my second gripe (I'm getting picky) it only takes 2 AA batteries not 4 and that will decrease the amount of pics you can take.

I have a Nikon 3700 that I bought for $137 and it takes great pics I also have a Minolta Z1 and it was replaced by the Z10 a bit bigger but you can't beat the 10x zoom. Both cameras are great for different reasons and they are both "only" 3MP and that hasn't been a problem yet.

Both of my cameras us SD cards and I picked them up for under $5 for 256mb card I also use rechargeable batteries and they are a great investment that you will want to purchase.


Good luck in your search.

Tom

 

[TStep]

I am not a digital camera guru by any means, but we have a run of the mill Kodak DX4530 (5mp) that is a generation old and my wife who is photography illiterate can take suprisingly good photos (everything set to auto).

Incandescent lighting is a bit of a challange as is the flash, but with a little practice you will soon find the limitations. Uses CR2A?? battery or AA as a backup which was a priority for us not to have extra special batteries on hand. Also very compact. Lens quality is so-so, but decent enough. Optical zoom is 3x (digital zoom means nothing in reviews) so some telephoto capability there. Software program decent as well. I think it sells now for around $200 (we paid about $270ish when it first came out).

I'm sure there are better models out now for the same $$$, but as a baseline start for you, we are very pleased with the DX4530. It is not a professionals camera, but it suits the average user very well.

 

[pm]

Steve's Digicam's is a very good resource. I also like DPReview.Com.

Still, none of them give a lot of advice. Personally, if I were to give my advice it would be to go to Best Buy, Circuit City, Ritz Camera, etc. and let the salesperson walk you through them. Once you see a few that you like, go to these websites and look through them online.

It's really hard to go wrong with any main brands of digital cameras nowadays. Even the brands that used to be a little on the iffy side have gotten much better recerntly. Still, if you see the word "interpolation" usually in the context of "10MP resolution achieved through interpolation" steer clear of the camera.

About the only thing worth mentioning is, if you are looking for good prices on cameras online, check the reseller with www.resellerratings.com. There are quite a few scam camera companies out there.

 

[AluminumStudios]

FYI - I bought a Canon A85. I found out that they were recently discontinued but Kmart still had one in stock. It was at the upper end of my price range, so I didn't want to go with it's sucessor the A520 which costs about $50 more.

I'm quite happy with it so far!