Which 2 mp brand is good?

[jason_au]

Hello, I am thinking of buy a 2 mp digital camera for my family as

christmas gift. I am looking for a good photo and email good photo. I

have narrowed to 2, which are Canon Powershot A60 and Nikon Coolpix

2100. I have been told by salesperson that both are very good. I have

compared both and seem that Canon Powershot A60 is better than Nikon

Coolpix 2100. Am I wrong? If you suggest other than these digital

cameras, let me know so that I could check on it. Any feedback would

be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[jamiew]

I consider the A60/A70/A80 the bestcurrent cameras in their class.

[pns digicam]

The Olympus C-2040 is great- fantastic optics, fast lens (f/1.8), good controls. Must

be quite inexpensive on EBay now. Any of the Olympus D-series cameras are good as

well.

[jason_au]

Thank you very much for replying to this thread. Happy Holidays to you.

[vinniehirt]

I own a Coolpix 2100. I like it because it is small, it will fit in my pocket easily, and has much better macro abilities. The Canons do let you control more things, like shutter speed etc. It all depends on what's important to you. If you need something small and/or something with very good macro capabilities then go with the 2100. If you want a little more exposure control, then go with the A60.

[joe_zammarelli]

I have a Canon A60 and an Olympus D-560 Zoom. The A60 gives more control and great battery life, but the picture quality isn't all that spectacular (though most are acceptable) and the lens cover iris is VERY flimsy. The Oly has no real manual controls and I get fewer good pix, but the good ones are far superior to the A60's. And I think it's more than just a difference between 2mp and 3mp. The A60 takes more good pix from the standpoint of exposure and focus, but the D-560 takes more superior pix. With the A60, I'll get 125 out of 150 pix with only one or two really nice ones. With the Oly, I'll get only 100 out of 150, but one or two will be flat out gorgeous.

 

Having said that, it depends on what you're shooting. I do a lot of nature work. If you're doing the friends and family thing, the Oly has the edge. I get more good pix without all the fussing around using the Oly in these situations.

 

Also the Oly's plastic slide cover is more robust and the camera slides into a pocket more easily. But the A60 uses CompactFlash cards and they are cheaper than xD cards the Oly uses and you WILL want a bigger card. Along the same line, the CompactFlash PCMCIA apadtor is $10, the xD adaptor is $40, if you happen to have a computer without a USB jack as most older PCs don't. Lastly, do you want more buttons and menus to fuss with? Do you want to "play photographer?"

 

Bottom line: I use the A60 out in the woods or when I need more controls in weird lighting situations, but carry the D-560 everywhere else because it's handier and takes great pix.

 

One last thing to consider is the power source. I'd never own a camera that didn't take AAs. With AAs you can always find replacements if your main batteries die and Lithium or NiMH AAs are cheaper than the proprietary kind most camera manufacturers require.

[jason_au]

Hello. Thank you very much for your great feedback. After I read, thought and compared, I decided to choose A60. Once again, thank you.