Digital Camera Question

[DODI]

Does anyone have an opinion/recommendation for a digital camera under $250? I may get one for Christmas and, as usual, I don't know much about them. The Canon Powershot A60 looks promising. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Once again, thanks.

[SoCalDem]

1. Canon cameras are very good..

The technology is so sophisticated now, that even the inexpensive ones are great

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. We love our Sony cybershot, which is now available for $199.

I use it for my work and we also use it for family stuff. It's 3.2 megapixels and we get really sharp pictures off of it. It doesn't seem to suck battery life like the Kodak we had, and it is extremely user friendly. Good luck in your shopping.

Laura

[Lefta Dissenter]

4. MEEE TOOOOOO

I love the Sony, and it uses the same memory sticks that we had for the video camera, so it works out great.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. I don't think...

there are actually any bad ones any more. The technology is pretty mature, and on the lower end you care about battery life, connectivity, and pixels.

Given a choice, though, I would trade an optical zoom for a few more megapixels if I had to. Digital zooming is useless-- the same as major cropping.

[Deja Q]

5. Agreed, also...

A digital camera should be 3 Megapixels, minimum unless you're using it for e-mail and web site purposes only, in which case 3 or less is just fine.

[Philostopher]

6. Mom bought me an Olympus a few years back.

Of course, it's old technology -- only 1.5 megapixel -- but you could get a 2 or 3 MP camera for less than she paid for it back then. Personally, I like the Olympus controls -- pretty intuitive and simple.

Mr. Nownow bought his mother a Fuji last Christmas, and it's like launching the space shuttle just to take a picture with it (and the interface program is too complex for her, as well). I don't necessarily say the Olympus is the best, but ease of use is always a big consideration -- make sure you go look at them, pick them up and see if the controls are clearly marked and make sense to you.

One model may be easier for one person to use than another, but some of them just seem awfully complex, to me, and I've been taking pictures with analog SLR cameras for nearly 20 years now.

[geniph]

7. I have a strong preference

for cameras made by manufacturers who primarily make cameras, as opposed to those who primarily make other electronics. I think the optics and color reproduction is better. Thus, I lean toward cameras made by Nikon, Kodak, Olympus, and Minolta. It's been my experience with Sony cameras that the color reproduction could stand to be better. The less expensive Kodak cameras feel cheap. The Nikon and Olympus cameras are solidly made, have good optics, and are easy to operate. I don't have much experience with Fuji cameras, but Consumer Reports just rated digital cameras, and they thought quite highly of the Finepix A205 and A210.

I have an Olympus myself, so I'm somewhat biased. But I also like that the cameras with better optics can use regular photographic filters (with an adapter). There's no way to get those really stunning picture-postcard type landscapes without a polarizing filter!

If I could afford it, I'd love to get one of the 5MP Nikons that's an SLR-digital hybrid. But they run about $3500 - just a TEENSY bit out of my budget (like about $3200 out of it).

[GOPisEvil]

8. I have a Fuji FinePix F401. I really like it.

It takes high quality pictures and is quite simple to use.

[bif]

10. Canon just came out with an affordable digital SLR

I think it's in the $800 range which is not bad.

[geniph]

11. It's amazing how much the price has come down on digital

cameras in the last five years. The technology is really starting to mature. Makes it possible for everyone to email photoshopped pictures of the Shrub! :D Ah, democracy! :D

[bif]

9. Check this site out

http://www.cnet.com

I checked it out for reviews and shopped there too. I saved close to $200 on my camera. It's an Olympus and I love it. It's a C5050 but is a tad out of your price range.

[Bake]

12. I just got a Fujifilm A210 for $199 at Circuit City

3.2 megapixels, 3X zoom, all the usual bells and whistles. It takes great pictures and was $50+ cheaper than the rest of the models in the 3.2 megapixel category.

Bake