What digital camera will satisfy my needs?

[GoldenBear]

I want a camera that supports a 2.1 megapixel resolution, has zoom feature (4x digital zoom), LCD screen, and is compact.

 

[loup garou]

I think you just described the Canon S100 (digital Elph), although compact is an understatement.

 

[tontod]

I would look for a camera that has good optical zoom rather than digital zoom. Digital zoom is nothing but taking a picture in photoshop and blowing it up. Picture quality will suffer this way.

 

[loup garou]

Yeah, what tontod said. Digital zoom is a gimmick. The S100 has a 2x optical & a 4x digital zoom. The S300 has a 4x optical zoom (or 3x? I forgot) and some other improvements, but I don't think it's worth the added $$$.

 

[vi edit]

Olympus 460-R should do ya. Not sure on megapixel, but it has an 8 meg flash card, 3x optical zoom, LCD screen, and is small and fairly resileint.

I've got it's little brother the 340-R. Olympus makes a damn nice digital camera.

 

[loup garou]

vi's suggestion is great, too. I really think Olympus makes the best consumer digicams (*waits for Nikon zealots to attack*). The only drawback is they're not the smallest, and they eat through batteries like a mofo, at least the first and second gen ones I owned did (D220L & D600L).

 

[GoldenBear]

Hmm, okay..I also forgot to add WELL PRICED.

How much can I look at spending on these?

 

[RichieZ]

Olympus is the best! C3000Z forever!

 

[Czar]

Canon Ixus, a guy I work with has one, I´m very impressed. I own a Olympus 3030z which is a 3.3mpix camera and I find it rather bulky. The Ixus is fantastic.

 

[loup garou]

Lowest on Pricewatch for the s100 is $408 + 19.95 FedEx shipping from buydig.com. I'm amazed, because I got mine the day it came out last year and only spent $475 shipped for the camera and a case. Holding it's value pretty darn well!

BTW, the Ixus is the S100 (that's what it's called everywhere but NA)

 

[vi edit]

Olympus D-490

For sale here for $342.

 

[loup garou]

Also, there's a clearance on the Oly 460 at B&M Targets. Nice camera, but only 1.3 MP, if that really concerns you (I don't understand people's obsessions with MP ratings...color reproduction and sharpness are much more important *now that we have such hi-res cams*, especially if you're not printing them out).

 

[yakko]

<< What digital camera will satisfy my needs? >>

I think your needs would be better satisfied by a chick.

 

[RichieZ]

My friend has the S20. Its alrite but you hafta buy the stupid cannon batteries and there is almost no grip. I dunno, its a little bigger than the s100 but I find the s20 is already too too small.

 

[IcemanJer]

LOL @ yakko

 

[randomlinh]

canon s100/300 are nice, but high in price.

don't get the d490, get the d510 instead (if you go this route), same thing w/ USB basically

And like everyone else said, ignore anything that says &quot;digital zoom.&quot;

I personally want the new Minolta one.. heh.. CF and AA batteries, the combo i'm looking for. ahh.. 7x optical (ok, 10x would be nice, but canon's is too expensive and proprietary battery, and the olympus uses SM ).

 

[Doggiedog]

I have a Canon S100 and I really like it. The size is it's biggest selling point. I can put the camera in a jeans pocket and not notice it. But it is only for STILL pictures. It is terrible for action pictures. The cycle time on it is about a second so if you are taking an action picture, you'll have to press the button a second before the target is in the frame or else you'll miss it. Another negative is the shutter is only 1/30 when using the flash so you'll get lots of blurry pics with the flash.

The S300 has a 3X zoom with 10 sec motion video. I don't think it is that much different from the S100.

Not sure but there are definitely other cameras out there on the market that have better cycle times however you'll be pressed to find one as small as the S100.

Edit: Also, try to get a camera that uses Compact Flash vs Smart Media, if future higher density flash modules come out, your camera will be able to handle it with CF but not SM.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

Make sure to check out the soon-to-come Nikon 775, which includes a TINY size (just a bit larger, but lighter, than the S100), 2.1 MP, 3x optical zoom, quality Nikon optics, and includes a LiIon battery and charger for a whopping $365 or so, if you know where to shop (in my case, NECX Direct with the help of a readily-available online coupon). This camera seems tough to beat for the money.

 

[JohnnyKnoxville]

<< Hmm, okay..I also forgot to add WELL PRICED.
>>


Make yourself a pinhole camera...empty crackerjack box and some foil