Shopping for a digital camera

[harpomx]

I was hoping to get some ideas from you all about which camera would be best for my work. I was looking for a pretty low-mid range camera, it doesn't have to do a whole lot of stuff, just take pictures. One thing I was hoping to get was a camera with a battery pack instead of taking 4 AA batteries. I was looking at the kodak DC215, and the HP215, both of those have around 1 MegaPixel and 2Xzoom, but both of these take AA batteries. Do only the high end cameras take their own battery packs? I assumed the battery packs last longer than AA batteries would, am I right?

Also, I need a flash card that holds over 200 medium res pictures. Will 64MB do?


Thanks!

 

[ultravox]

Although I've never tried, I have read and been told by many that AA batteries won't do the trick. They will give you about 6 pix per set of batteries and for the price you're better off buying the nimh batteries . I have seen the pics that a DC 215 take and they are quite all right.

 

[Czar]

Dont even bother with a 1mpix camera, go for 2mpix

 

[StageLeft]

I have an olympia megapixel camera that takes 4 AA batteries and believe me it takes way way more than 6 pics!

 

[perry]

My Canon S100 has a battery back, takes quite a few pictures. Haven't figured out how many, but more than enough to fill up the CF card. Takes pics at 1600x1200, 2x optical zoom. I like it.

 

[harpomx]

Czar
I don't need 2 megapixels. I'd rather save 300 bucks

Someone PM'ed me about the power backs you can hook onto your belt, they last longer than the AA's at least.
The only things I really need in the camera are the ability to take over 200 pics without access to a computer, and the ability to take a lot of pics before the power runs out. If I get the cheap DC215, with 64 or 96 MB flash, and the power back at overstock.com, I should be set.

Roughly how many mid-res pics will a 64MB card hold?

 

[Czar]

Ok, 1mpix is fine for you then.

I can take 99 pictures in 1200x950 on my Olympus3030z using a 32mb SM card, I guess a 64mb card could hold 198. That is HQ Compressed JPG. Using the max res 2000x1500 using uncompressed TIFF then I can take about 3 on the 32mb card Using lowest quality possible res 640x480 HQ compressed JPG I can take from 300-400 pictures on the 32mb card.

About the battery usage then its different, my camera is very very good compared to other digital cameras at preserving battery life. Still it wont last that long. I´d suggest you allways have spare batterys with you.

Right now I´m at work so I dont have the links to all the review sites I have, I´m sure some other users have them.

 

[Czar]

http://www.imaging-resource.com
http://www.steves-digicams.com/http://www.dpreview.com

Found some

 

[apoppin]

I am in the exact same situation as you. I didn't want to spend much over $170 for a 1+ megapixel camera and I did buy the HP215.

First of all the zoom is digital, not optical. Interchangeable closeup, telephoto and wide lens lenses are available ($15-40 each).

Secondly the AA batteries I use are rechargeable alkaline. NIMH rechargeable AA batteries are also available. They are less than $10 for a four-pack - buy 2 sets.

I get about 11 pictures with the 4 MB Flash Card included at highest resolution. You should get at least 150 HI-res pictures with the 64MB flash card.

Finally, for cheap, you get nice pictures.

 

[harpomx]

apoppin
Thanks for the info! I'm thinking about the Kodak DC215, which I think is similar to the HP215. What is the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom?

Also, where can you get nimh batteries? I still think I'd rather get that power pack that hooks on to your belt instead of AA Batteries.

Czar
Thanks for the links! Looks good.
The camera is for work, not for play, and I'll only be taking pictures of buildings, so that's why I don't need a high pixel count. I'll be taking pictures on the road, and I won't have constant access to power, and no computer access at all for 2-3 weeks. That's why I need lots of power stored, and lots of space in a flash card for pics.

 

[nickdakick]

<< and no computer access at all for 2-3 weeks >>


Any withdrawal symptoms ?

 

[apoppin]

AA NiMH batterys are available just about everywhere - Best Buy, Walmart, etc.. You'll need a NiMH recharger under $30. Unlike Alkaline rechargeables, which recharge only 10-20X, the NiMH batteries will recharge hundreds of time (and last longer). Think of it as a poor man's battery pack.

Optical zoom uses the lens for close-ups exactly the same as a non-digital camera. Digitl zoom isn't anywhere as nice. It's like using Photoshop to make a &quot;zoom&quot; picture.

 

[harpomx]

nickdakick
Ha ha, I don't start until February, and I'll keep a picture of my computer in my wallet in case I get lonely

digital zoom sounds like it really sucks! I forget if the Kodak DC215 has optical or digital - does anyone know? If it has digital, I'll have to forget about that one and look for one with 2X+ optical zoom. Any suggestions? I'm trying to stay under the $400 CDN range, because I also have to spend $100 for some sort of battery pak, and $200 for a 64MB card. Does the HP215 have optical?

 

[Czar]

Yeah digital zoom is pointless, you can just take the picture and then crop it. sorry but I dont know anything about that kodak camera

 

[apoppin]

Digital Zoom is suck.

If you still want zoom with the HP 215 just buy their optical zoom lens for (MSRP) of $39.95.

Let's see, I bought my HP for almost $170. Add $40 for the zoom lens, $45 for the 2 sets of AA NiMH batteries and charger and your're at $250. Add the flash card and you're about $400.

EDIT: Oops, CDN. I don't know the exchange rate. And I don't know about the Kodak, either. You might be able to get by with a 32MB flash card at medium resolution.