Digital cameras - whats good value

Hi Captain,
Have a look at the Finepix by FUJI range they are an amature's dream easy to use and up to 5 megapixel when required. Yes they are adjustable for the Megapixel. Take great shots when in auto mode with the flash used when the camera thinks it's required however they take an xd card. However if you have a lap top then you down load and organise the pics as you go. I do this as the memory (mine) is not as good as the cameras. Also they are not too hard on batteries, I have ben using recharge batts for about three yrs on all my small elecs and have gone back to the normal duracell as they last well and the recharge do not. Also I have been in the hot regions around 40 to 50 deg C mark and the recharge batts die in the heat.
As lap tops are quite cheap at the moment I would suggest that if you do not have one then get one as they have a lot more uses when travlin than you think.

Hi Captain, I did the same a couple of months ago, and after a long research on reviews and articles, and test with my mates cameras, I bought a canon Ixus 430. Its a bit out of your budget (if u shop around u can get for about $580), but it will make you happy. Light, compact dimensions, quite long battery life (dedicated rechargeable lithium battery), quick shoot, burst shoot ( the capacity to shoot up to five pics per second, to get that magic but fast moment...), AVI movie capable with audio, 4 megapixels, big CCD (what makes the pics detailed), it uses Compact Flash cards, it has many good manual settings plus a reliable totally auto mode, very user friendly,good x3 optical zoom(total x11 with the digital one), sharp 118000 pixel LCD screen, always visible. Ah, last thing: it makes unbelievable crisp, natural pictures. U can check here to have more info: www.dpreview.com/reviews/read_opinions.asp?prodkey=canon_s410
(it says Canon 410, but that's the USA name of our 430). I know the price is a bit higher than u are looking for, but it worths the sacrifice; beside, the new version (Ixus Digital 40) it's just out on the market, so with a bit of patience u will see the 430 price dropping down soon soon....hope this can help your choice, have a good day, bye

I've seen some really good prices in Retravision catelogues and Harvey Norman. Even specialist camera shops would be worth, and you may get a bit more advice to help you choose than by purchasing from a non-specialist store.

Choice magazine (if you're not a member - do check it out at your library) did tests on the medium price range in their October magazine. The models in the shops are generally one bigger and better than those in the test, but it will give you a guide. That's how rapidly they are changing. Well worth a look at Choice before you buy. You can also go to www.choiceextra.com.au, where you can "buy" reports. Most have a shutter delay of around ½ a second - this is shown in the chart in the magazine. Makes it hard getting baby pictures - but at least you can take a quick succession of shots and just delete the worst ones.

My very cheap BenQ "point and shoot" 1.3 mp has achieved some brilliant shots - but i am looking to upgrade evntually. I will choose one with the extra big veiwing screen so i can see it! Trouble is - unlike buying real estate - these cameras just keep coming out with more for less $s - so i'm not buying quite yet. I will also choose one with good lens and optical zoom, and plent y of memory for travelling.

i got the missus an Optio 555

great little Camera

has a good optical zoom capabilities also...and very small camera but bit more than your budget....but have a look .....maybe they might convince you to be allowed to be "sold up"

Captain

There is currently a run out on Olympus C725 model.
Its 3.3megapixel and 8x Optical zoom.
Pretty hard to beat for value!

Might be hard to find by now. Try some online camera stores!

cheers

Captain,
we went through this dilemma two years ago, bought a 2 meg pixel Panasonic, it's a good camera and has taken some great shots, us being very basic users. My only gripe with it is the delay between the button and the "save", as you mentioned. We are now looking to upgrade our video cam, so we're going through it all again!

The thing is to have a really good look around and compare the ones you are interested in. I then compare "specs" on the internet to make a short list, by doing the homework away from the salesman you can make your mind up unbiased.

Definitely shop around for the best prices, I don't know about WA, but the retailers here, like Harvey, Retra, etc will slice the price to get the sale!
Hope this helps and good luck! Let us know what you end up with!

If you wasnt to compare them and see whats available, go to the web site

http://www.dpreview.com/

Prices in Us dollars though. Good selection page, put in pixels, zoom etc.

John C

Check out.
http://www.exploroz.com/Forum/View.asp?ForumQID=16525

Amazing, I was just going to post another to add to this thread asking if people have any more to add since Im buying in next few weeks

http://www.dirtcheapcameras.com.au is where I got my last one
http://ccccamerahouse.com.au/store/index.asp is also cheap.

Captain, couple more things to consider.
I find just about any LCD screen is pretty useless in bright sunlight. Find a camera that gives you all the info you need through the viewfinder (that's how all cameras where used until recently anyway) and just use the LCD to review, or in low light. Turning the LCD off will also save your batteries.
I also find I need to use my reading glasses to read the tiny screen, whereas I can use my Canon SLR just fine without them. PITA to have to carry them all the time.

I have a Pentax Optio S3, $198 from BigW. Great camera for happy snaps (3.2MP, 3xOptical) and so small it drops in your pocket or in the console no probs, but I have the same issue with the LCD. Unfortunately this camera doesn't show all details in the viewfinder so I still have to use the LCD to check focus etc. I'll know what to look for next time.

I've got a Fuji S3000. 3.2mp, and 10X Optical zoom.

Thats been ungraded to the S3500. 4mp but dropped to 6X Zoom.

I know a few guys with the Fuji S5000 and really happy with those , and they have also been upgraded to the S5500.

Haven't heard of anyone unhappy with their Fuji product.

I wouldn't touch the lower end Kodaks with a barge pole. Their medium/topend stuff is pretty good , but their point and shoot cameras leave a bit to be desired in my opinion.

Just got a Fuji Finepix S 3500. 6 x optical zoom; 4 mill pixels; XD card; pict bridge; 4 flash modes, timer, playback, whitebalance, etc, etc. Also has a mode called quality which is about resolution

v easy to use. takes alkaline or Ni-MH rechargeable batteries. Has manual/movie/scene position/auto mode dial, so you can use it like a traditional camera. I have noticed in very bright outdoor light it is easier to use the view finder to compose a shot, rather than the LCD screen.

good value- paid $ 399 - after moving up from a nil optical zoom 2 mp kodak. I regard myself as a novice.

cheers

IMHO harvey Norman etc are not/don't attempt to be the cheapest. I went to a genuine camera shop - got discounts on all the peripherals as well.

HI Captain,

I'm in the business of upgrading my wonderful Canon A70, it has been SO good that I have fallen in love with photography and am going for the Canon Pro1, which is not what you are looking for. However, I can't recommend the Canons enough. The menu is intuitive, and they use very good lenses. I have rechargeable AA batteries, with a 12volt charger, as well as 240volt so I can recharge the batteries when we are travelling, and it takes literally hundreds of pictures before I need to charge them again. Canon cameras still take CF cards, though I'm told that all the cameras are heading towards SD cards. I would advise using a specialist camera shop, as I have found that the prices are cheaper than at places like Harvey Norman, and you can usually bargain them into giving a camera bag etc with the camera. Get a god camera bag too, so that you camera is properly protected from dust and water.
So my recommendation would be a Canon A80 (I think that is the latest model) - fabulous cameras!
Happy snapping while you're travelling
Anni

Kodak have got a very nice 5mp 10x optical zoom number..it's a great little camera..only trick...only 32mb on board memory so you get stung for quite expensive cf cards.. but that goes for all the larger mp camera's in that catagory...Beware very small camera's ..heaps get lost ..If you are also in the market for a phone Nokia have released a 5mp camera phone..where will it end..

PV
Kiwi Down Under

Hi Captain,

Happy to provide some input on a subject I can contribute to. (After getting all of the help on other subjects.)

Stick to a manufacturer that makes cameras and visual equipment. Avoid manufacturers that do all, as they tend to have some fundamental problems. By this, I mean CANON are exellent and IMO pick of the bunch. FinePix are good also.

Avoid makes like HP where it's just another product they don't know much about. My brother has a HP and has had no end of trouble, plus he chews batteries like nothing else.

I use, sell and recommend the Canon IXUS for general use. They are small, sturdy, take excellent pictures, have great battery life, a good LCD screen and use CF memory, which I like. The Canon's with the DIGIC processor are excellent.

I would also avoid cameras with a dock. I know people say they are easy, BUT they are a major point of failure. Also, avoid cameras that charge the battery when IN the camera. This leaves your camera open to spikes and also means you can't use it when you are charging it. I have a Canon IXUSII among others and it has a very good Li-Ion removable battery. I have a second battery and the camera comes with a separate charging unit. Takes about 60 minutes to fully charge and about a month to drain.

As a general tip too, if you half press the "shoot" button, the camera will make it's calibrations and prepare to take the photo. Then you can press the button the rest of the way when you are ready (subject smiling for example) and it will IMMEDIATELY take the photo.

Good luck. Please by all means let me know if you have any specific questions and I'd be more than happy to help out. Have received some great advice from this site and more than happy to contribute.

Cheers,

Smocky.

Captain

I searched high and low for months before making my decision on a KODAK DX6490.

Absolutley brilliant. Easy to use, large LCD, 10 x optical zoom, point and shoot.

They also have a quality lens (Schneider Kreuznach Variogon)

Just make sure you check them out before making a choice.

They were over a Grand when new 18 months ago but have now been superseeded. Ebay offers these run out models with a dock station and 256 meg card (thats around 400pics) for around $680

I know thats a bit more than you wanted to spend but you won't be disappointed.

There is better quality V value for money on the market in my opinion.

cheers

BTW, this is the cheapest online place I've found to buy cameras. Also lists the specs of various models making comparisons easier.
Also has heaps of other gear.....

Centre.net

John

300-500 is quite a range however CF cards do limit it quite a bit. the best you going to get is the canon range and fuji finepix. they have the best white balance and easy of controls. Shop around for the CF compaitbility because most of the smaller ones are now Xd cards due to smaller size.

Dont be taken in by Kodak print share thing they have going. Kodak imaging software in the camera isnt the best and the optics are quite substandard with the kodak lens......the screiderlens are a lot better.

Canon are are very good though main stream. Make sure the camera has pictbridge software and connection so you can print on all the new printers.Though I dont own a canon I have used a lot amd they are one of my favourites for simple good looking true to life picture 90% of the time.

Fuji what can I say the camera's feel a lttle cheeply made but the quality of the lens and software are fantastic. They are a lot better than kodak and olyimpus.
They do need some imput sometimes to get the best shot and playing with the manual setting....or the scene dial. however you will enjoy the camera's .
Not quite to canon's standard of quality but cheeper in price.

nikon cool pics have some great products but as far as I now now at that range run the CF cards.

my pic of a good camera ricoh capio rx 3 meg 3.6 opitcal zoom $299 at camera house right now on special { normal price 499} great camera i own the earlier RR30 as my general one and out performs one grand cameras. however it takes SD cards..... so no good for you.

Go to a good camera shop and ask to see phots they have taken with the camera than grab one you self for an hour and take some shots. the only way to work out what you like.

few pointers.......
digital zoom dosnt work....its not a feature.
get a camera pictbridge ready
3meg is good for normal photos
5 meg are good forA4 size shots.
1 meg is good for web work.
160 * vidoe is useless. buy a cam corder.

buy 2 smaller mem cards than 1 large one.Just in case one gets corrupted you wont lose all your shots.

shadow

Captain,

I had the problem of not being able to take multipule pics rapidly with my camera as I had it set to the best quality (usually around 2200x1700). This would take over a full sec to save the pic to the memory card.

I then spoke to a friend who used to be a professional photographer and he said that if I reduced the quality setting to average (1024 x 768) then they would be ok for quality and also would save much quicker.

Did this and now I can take 4 to 5 shots per sec and get the shot I want and the camera will just stop shooting until the pics had been copied to the mem card.

So I would suggest that you look for something that has good optical zoom (at least 3x and above) and average Megapixel (3 and above). You should find what you are looking for at most good camera stores and then look on the net for the best price.

Tony N.

I bought a 4 megapixel camera off ebay recently for under $200. Shares some components from brand name cameras. If you know what you are looking for and what is a good price it may be an option for you. Mine will be a junker for the glovebox and at that price will not be prescious about its treatment. Its an option!! Cheers

If i am a good girl, Santa is going to bring me an Olympus mju410 it has an all weather resistant metal body, with extra seals etc so dust and light mists of water cannot penetrate it. it is compact. has 4 mgp has a bit of a movie feature as well. it is small and compact enough has optical zoom also which is a big plus, and from living on a property it can take a bit of a beating etc by being in dust etc. just my two bobs worth. and you can pick one up on ebay from $300 upwards or about $499 at Camera House.

Hi All,

Thanks for the fantastic response. I will check out all the mentioned cameras on the net and see what I come up with.

Once again, thanks to all who took the time to reply, it shows what a great forum this is, not only for 4WD things either!

Cheers

Captain

sorry I'm late but one important factor. Some cameras have internal plastic lenses to get the price down. Some like the Optio 555 still have glass lenses all the way. How does this affect things? A 3megapixel camera with good lenses can give a better shot than a 5 megapixel with plastic lenses. Pays to ask at the counter.

Hi Captain,

I agree with Andrew's comments re the Kodak DX6490. I bought one a few months ago & it is great - it comes with lots of recommendations.

You will find the 10 optical zoom very useful. As far as I am aware it is still a current model - it's just that Kodak have brought outr a similiar model at around the $900 mark. I have seen the 4mp model around just over $500.

Willy

Hi Captain,

Long time no email.

Some food for thought. Many of the low to mid range compact digital cameras are powered by AA batteries. High capacity Nickel Metal Hydride rechargable batteries are available in AA sizes. Keep this in mind and the range of cameras that will suit your needs is much wider.

You can also use the rechargeables for other power hungry purposes, like hand held GPS units.

I'll message you.

Gee, I must be in the minority

I have a Canon A80 and I like it, BUT!
Not impressed with Red Eye when using the flash at night.
(Yes, I have the Red Eye function turned on)

My Canon EOS SLR 35mm camera eats the digital in this area.

Hi Captain,
I have just bought the Canon A85 recently and I have been researching digital cameras for quite a while.
The Canon A85 is just fantastic, the Canon A70 is their biggest selling camera in Canons 75 year history and the A85 is the the 4MG equivelant.

By the way 4MG cameras are equal to 35mm cameras as far as reproduction qualities go.

The Canon A85 takes any sort of AA battery and the NIMH 2300ma rechargeables are fantastic.

Hope this helps,

Dave.

Captain

Give Skip a call, he will look after you.

Clive

Does anybody know if the 'pre-digital' Nikon lenses will fit a Nikon digital camera. I have an Nikon F70 film camera with a heap of lenses and it would be great if I could just buy a Nikon Digital body.

This subscribes to the Nikon legend that any lense made since 1947 will fit any Nikon camera made since then - with a minor loss of function in some cases.

Bilbo

Captain,

Plenty of responses...pick me, pick me!!!

Wife has a Sony DSC-W1, 5 meg, 3X zoom, cost >$700 few months back, now About $550 in Brissy last week.

Have an "old" Kodak DX3600, 2.2 meg, which is very basic, but am surprised with images, blown up to A4. Wouldn't win a competition, but good for record.

Personal choice at moment is either new Kodak, w/- 10x Zoom and 5 meg( about $840), or Olympus C-770, w/- 10X zoom and 4 meg(about $750). Pentax SLR film camera, is heading into storage soon, I'd say.

Feel the ability to be carried around in one's pocket, for "once-in-a-lifetime" shots, is one of the Digi cameras great points.

Happy buying,

Hooroo...

yeah guys, my 2 cents worth -

Just get the biggest lens you can afford and the biggest OPTICAL zoom you can afford.

have had the Kodak DX6490 for a year now and Love it. 10X optical zoom on a large lens to start with gives excellent results. SD cards can be had for around $80 for 512 and $130 for 1 gig. The camera goes for $599 in Brisbane at the mo, with the 5megapixell version going for about $900. Very large lcd display, excellent longevity from battery (used all day out at Palm Valley and no where near flat), quality of photos excellent.

You know the funniest thing?

By the time you have read all the recommendations, from start to finish, and have a look at the original post date, there have probably been 3 new models released onto the market, and about one third of the recommendations have now been made obsolete!!!

Well, I am probably exaggerating a little, but...... buy ANY monthly camera magazine, and see how many new models rock up in a month. Like about 6, which is about 1 1/2 @ week!

I have stayed away from giving my recommendation, as I am new to the digital field, and my needs are different from yours. I bought Tracy a 5 MP init a couple of months ago, and it gets a hammering..... very happy with it. I think that pretty much most of the units you will see in the shops will be of equal spec & value.

Cheers

Wolfie