Deciding on a camera

[mariesa_combs]

I'm wanting to purchase a digital camera for my boyfriend for

Christmas. I've done some reading on different features/etc but I

still feel clueless on what would be a good buy. He mentioned that

he wanted 4 megapixels. I should also mention that he doesn't have

much, if any, experience with photography. I'm looking in the $400

price range. Any suggestions?

 

Mariesa

[majid]

All the 4MP digicams in your price range are very similar. The main differences

between models are (in no particular order):

<ul>

<li>The quality of the optics</li>

<li>The quality of the sensor</li>

<li>How much zoom range the camera has. If this is important to you, look at the

new Panasonic DMC-FZ10, which has a 12x zoom range, but it will likely exceed your

budget</li>

<li>How small the camera is. If this is important, have a look at the Canon S400 and

the Pentax Optio S4 (or the equivalent Casio Exilim EX-Z4U).</li>

<li>How much control it offers. the Canon S45 is an excellent choice for this</li>

<li>How rugged it is</li>

<li>What kind of memory device the camera uses (in my opinion, CompactFlash is

better than SD,

which is better than Memory Stick, which is better than xD)</li>

</ul>

<p>

A good resource is the <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/

compare.asp">DPReview buying guide</a>. I think the best value (from a quick

glance at <a href="www.bhphotovideo.com">B&H</a>) would be the Canon

S45.

[jespdj]

There are a number of articles on the web that give some guidelines about choosing a digital camera. For example, look at chapter 2, "Choosing a Digital Camera", on <a href="http://www.shortcourses.com">shortcourses.com</a> or the article on this website, <a href="http://www.photo.net/digital/cameras/choosing">Choosing a Digital Camera</a> - note that in that article there are a lot of links on the bottom to other websites.

<p>By the way, IMO the Canon S45 would be a great choice.

[navarra]

I've used an S40 for more than 1 year, and was really satisfied with it. I just made the jump to a 300d, but the s40 has all the manual settings so I could learn a lot of things before investing in something more expensive and harder to use. I think you won't regret buying the s45, but I don't really know the newer 4mpixel models so maybe there's better for the same price (but I doubt it).

 

Only thing, if your boyfriend wants to take macro pictures of small insects and things a Nikon would be better.

 

Simone

 

Simone

[og]

You may consider the new Canon A80. Very good value (in 4Mpix), easy to use and you can get a lot of control once you have more experience with photography.

 

Don't forget that your boyfriend will have to buy an additionnal battery kit (+charger if needed) and a memory card (128Mb or more) for about 100$ (or more).

[jon_austin]

$100 per megapixel is the going rate for new point & shoot digital cameras, so you're in the right price range.

 

Since your beau is relatively unexperienced in photography, I'd suggest you try to find a "journeyman" model that accomplishes the main purposes well (good quality images; moderate (3x) optical zoom range; most settings accessible from buttons and dials, not buried in LCD menus) and don't worry about the "creature features," such as video/audio capture, digital zoom, ultra (4x - 10x) optical zoom, etc.

 

PCMag.com has pages and pages of camera reviews, and might be worth a look, since it approaches the product category from a more consumer-oriented perspective, and suffers less of the specialty/elitist viewpoint of purely photographic sites:

 

http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,4148,5,00.asp

 

Scroll down to the "recent reviews" section of the page, focus on the Editor's Choice models first, and click on more>> to flip through the pages of product listings.

 

For the most in-depth and clearly written reviews I've found, check out Steve's Digicams:

 

http://www.steves-digicams.com/cameras_dig4.html

 

The above link goes directly to 4MP models only; perhaps not the most complete list of cameras available, but if any models you're interested in are reviewed here, you'll likely learn everything you ever wanted to know.

 

Good luck, and come back here if you have additional questions.

[chris1664876655]

I'm always pleasantly surprised when I'm checking out the DETAILS of a photo critique request that I really like and I see that it was taken with a Canon G series camera.

[klix]

Do check out the sites mentioned here. I do agree that the Canon S45 would be a good choice and is within your price range.

 

I use and also recommend is the HP 850, which uses AA batteries, unlike Canon, which uses proprietary batteries.

[river side]

<h2>Canon Powershot A70</h2>

 

I don't see any beginner needing more

[rogelio_martinez]

I've had an S40 for over a year and its a terrific camera. It sparked an interest in

photography. When I first got it I knew very little about manual photography, this

camera put me on the road to learning.

[phule]

River Side,

 

I've heard of some extreme shutter-lag on the A70, is this true (in your experience)?

[river side]

Rob, I do not have the A70.. but i have compared specs and when i went shopping it appeard to be THE BEST for the money for any novice.

 

I settled for the Canon Powershot A300 due to budgetary constraints but yes if i had the extra $100 to spend i'd have bought the A70.

 

Following are dpreview.com measurements for a production A70

 

Shutter Release LAG Using Viewfinder < 0.1 sec

Shutter Release LAG Using LCD Monitor 0.1 sec

Total LAG Wide angle 0.9 sec

Total LAG Telephoto 1.3 sec