BOOF HEAD WITH CAMERAS

Daza,

Canon 350D is the camera that I use. Takes a good photo, easy to use and can be set on auto or manual.

I also grew up with the Box Brownie. Takes a good photo, easy to use and is set on manual.

Wayne

G'day Daza,
How much do you want to spend??

For Value for Money, I reckon it's hard to go past the Fujifilm Finepix range...
There are several models, so you can find one to suit just about any budget:)

FWIW, the first photos I took were taken with Mum's old Box Brownie around 50 years ago... said camera is now in my possession, and still works!!.. (haven't tried to buy a film for it lately, though;-))...

Regards,
Ed. C

Hey DAZA

My wife has a Olympus Camedia c-725,It has 3 mega pixels and 8x optical zoom.

I have a Fuji 3500 it has 4 mega pixels and 6x optical zoom, these are to be easy to use and were about $350 each.

We now have a Cannon 400 D SLR with a 18 to 55 mm lens and a 75 to 300mm lens.

The new camera is great and takes fantastic photo's, The camera lenses and 2 gig card was about $ 1800 and worth every cent.

The top 2 are great for happy snaps and the other 1 we use for promotional photo's.

Cheers Steve.

Daza, depends on what you are prepared to spend, and on what you want to do with the camera. We have used a 5Meg Panasonic FZ20 for a few years and been very pleased with it. With a x12 optical zoom range, the antishake lens, and capable of focussing down to a couple of inches, it handles every challenge we've pointed it at. It's current big brother the 10Meg FZ50 will cost $700+.

John

I have had a Fuji Finepix A210 for several years.

Likes
Good quality photos
uses 2XAA batteries. If you forget to charge you can buy some at the local shop.
Linking to computer is automatic at camera end

dislikes
Slow to warm up
Slow to take photo after shutter pressed
3x zoom is really not enough
Too thick to put in pocket
The best pocket compact at the moment IMHO is the Panasonic with 10xzoom which costs about $540.
When you talk of SLR typre cameras you are really talking a different ballgame, as you need a lot of commitment to lug them around, but of course the do give better shots and have multi megapixels.
BUT I find I only ever use 1Meg as the files are too big to email otherwise and 1 meg will be sharp on A4, and who regularly blows up more than that anyway?.
Regards
Philip A

Now listen ere ya BOOFHEAD , if an old prick like me can use a Sony then surely you can ,

Got me doubts about that Wayne bloke though, we didn't see any spring changin' photo's...........

Doug

The models keep changing so rapidly, that anything you are recommended is probably already obsolete!!
Apart from the obvious lens quality, a couple of things worth considering are the ISO capabilities of the sensor. Many quote capability of 400 ISO, only to give a pretty grainy performance at that setting. I use a Fiji Finepix F10 (now obsolete) but it does 1600 ISO (the later version does 3200 ISO). What this means is that at 800 ISO, the pic is still pretty good quality. I sometimes use the natural light rather than flash, and this sensitivity of the CCD is worth it.
The other thing I miss is a proper viewfinder (rather than relying on the LCD screen, which is difficult to see in bright daylight). Sadly, most pocket cameras have dropped this option.
Of course, an SLR digital will give you all you need, both with sensitivity and viewfinder.
Check out this website (one of many) which does reviews:
camera reviews
cheers
Gerry

6 megapixels will give 35 mil quality. After that you want to be thinking of very large prints and a new large hard drive if you gonna keep them all. Even 6 will fill up a lot of space.

My old and was expensive 2 meg Canon has served faithfully even if some of the pics needed that extra couple of megs for quality snaps. Not much chop for blowups but.

Stick with a good brand name from them what have always been in the photo business and read all the reviews on the net.

Owen

Gooday,
Have just purchased an OLYMPUS SP55OUZ, a ripper, only been about a few weeks, 7 megapixels, about the best Zoom on the market for a compact, 18times (yes 18) ,Optical + 5 X digital. Get a brochure, they claim photos on it are taken by this camera, that's what sold me. Is simple to use on auto, has heaps of features I will never use. Cost between $7-800 depending where you get it. Got mine at duty free on way back form NZ last week.
Cheers Boroma604.

If all you are after is a happy snap camera then you don't need to spend big bucks, most if not all the entry level cameras will do the job , but there are a few out now with facial recognition so they would be perfect for happy snaps of the family.

Will the person who stole my Box Brownie please return it.

I saved every penny of my pocket money for weeks to buy that sucker.

For a Digital baby, I'd get something with 5mp and 10x Optical zoom. Make sure it has lithium rechargeables or 4 AA cells so you will get 500 or so shots before the battery dies. Get a 256Mb card and you will have sufficient space, but they are cheap now so it's not a budget buster to go bigger.

Daza

Look at the quality of the lens. Most well known brand names use quality German lenses.

Big mega pixels aren't essential for holiday snaps. My first digital was a tiny and cheap BenQ 1.3 mega pixels, and i can show the pictures on a 19" monitor with perfect clarity. Present cameras are 5 and 6 mp, and can make big enlargements, or crop a small feature in a photo and bring it to full size with clarity.

Optical zoom is useful - most have 3 X as standard.

Get one that takes standard sized rechargeable batteries - eg AA. Most of our electronics stuff uses AA or AAA, with the cameras using AA, and i have a small battery charger which charges both sizes.

Get one that you can readily buy memory cards with around 1 GB capacity, and buy a few. Imagine the climb to the top of a mountain with fantastic views, then running out of memory in you camera.

Then go out and practice with your new camera - costs you next to nothing to do a run of snaps and look at them on your computer until you learn what works best for you. Have fun and lots of it.

We have a Canon S3 IS. You can just point and shoot, or there's heaps of different things you can do if you want, plus it has a 12X zoom. Currently under $500 in most places. The pictures are great.

Check out these sites for reviews:

www.dpreview.com/

www.imaging-resource.com/

Cheers,

Mark.

If you want to pay for the postage, you can have my kodak 2mp DC280 great starting digital camera, comes with all the cables ect plus two memory cards. I reckon $10 would cover postage. Member message me if you are interested.

Cheers Stefan

You can always guarantee on these forums, as soon as somebody asks for advice for a good easy to use camera, people will say BUY A DIGITAL SLR!!! COS I HAVE ONE!!
Don't buy a digital SLR, unless your serious about photography and going to buy some good (expensive) lenses.

Have a look at the Panasonic TZ3 and Ricoh Caplio R6, both are pocket sized cameras with large optical zooms with a 28mm wide, 7 megapixel. The Panasonic uses a Leica lens.

I have a digital camera, know (-ish, always learning) how to use it, and have even had some pics published in magazines. But after this lot (above), even I'm confused.
First up, make a value judgement on the type of pics you want to shoot. Keeping in mind that all pics shot on didgital cameras can be emailed and shared on the net.
Happy Snaps for the album - couple of hundred dollars . Go for highest megapixels and a brand name - Fujipix is good baseline. Usually small handy little cameras that can easily slip into your pocket. They can produce some great shots. Frankly, this sounds to be what you're looking for. You can have a heap of fun and produce some amazing results with PhotoShop programmes on you computer.

But if you want to take your photography further ..let's say:
Amatuer with intent ..to enter comps and maybe join a camera club, or Semi Pro, try and sell some pics ..Digital/SLR - $1300+ ..I recommended Canon 400D in an earlier reply ..Ricoh is also well respected.

Pro cameras start at $3-4k+ for camera body alone (ie: Canon 5D) then $1-2 K + for lenses. Only consider top Camera brand names.

It's a bit like buying your first computer, caravan or 4WD. You've gotta decide what you really want to do with it, then get the sales guy to convince you that his product will do the job.
The guy on this link uses a canon 5D with pro lenses - he's a very talented amatuer
who's only been into photography for a couple of years. Watch for his exhibition comming at the Sydney State Library. www.folkeandersen.com/

I have a digital camera, know (-ish, always learning) how to use it, and have even had some pics published in magazines. But after this lot (above), even I'm confused.
First up, make a value judgement on the type of pics you want to shoot. Keeping in mind that all pics shot on digital cameras can be emailed and shared on the net.
Happy Snaps for the album - couple of hundred dollars will buy you a camera that you'll love. Go for highest megapixels and a brand name - Fujipix is good baseline. Usually small handy little cameras that can easily slip into your pocket. They can produce some great shots. Frankly, this sounds to be what you're looking for. To extend your photograhy experience, you can also have a heap of fun and produce some amazing results with PhotoShop programmes on you computer. (Adobe Photshop Elements, I think around $100, you'll be amazed at what you can produce from ordinary shots)

But if you want to take your photography further ..let's say:
Amateur with intent ..to enter comps and maybe join a camera club, or Semi Pro, try and sell some pics ..Digital/SLR - $1300+ ..I recommended Canon 400D in an earlier reply ..Ricoh is also well respected.

Pro cameras start at $3-4k+ for camera body alone (ie: Canon 5D) then $1-2 K ++ for lenses. Only consider top Camera brand names.

It's a bit like buying your first computer, caravan or 4WD. You've gotta decide what you really want to do with it, then get the sales guy to convince you that his product will do the job.
The guy on this link .. www.folkeandersen.com .. uses a Canon 5D with pro lenses - he's a very talented amateur who's only been into photography for a couple of years. His site is worth lookign through. also, watch for his exhibition coming at the Sydney State Library.

I've already posted above but I recently went through the camera buying process 6 months ago. I read every review I could, on the Internet (such as links I stated before), magazines and IT sections in newspapers. I wanted to make sure my hard earned cash wasn't going to be wasted and me disappointed.

The Canon brand continually came up as excellent cameras, usually at the top of their respective categories. I wanted a good zoom but couldn't afford a SLR so I went for the model above with 12X zoom. Since then newer models have came out in other brands and this camera still rates at the top.

Some family members were also after a new camera so I suggested they check out some Canons. My mother-in-law got the Canon A710 IS, 7MP, 6X zoom and she's impressed with the great pictures it takes. She didn't want a bigger model like mine and this was a happy medium between zoom and camera size. The sister-in-law bought the same camera and she's equally impressed.

If I were to buy one for point & shoot only, I'd get one of their IXUS models, which will fit into pockets no worries.

No I don't work for Canon, I'm a teacher!

There's certainly good cameras in other brands, just do your research and be confident the one you're buying does the job you want for the quality and price you're happy with.

Cheers,

Mark.

Probably the big question is P&S (Point and Shoot) or DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex). Both have fully auto functions however the DSLR also has manual functions which can be used more effectively for better shots when you get the hang of things. If you are happy with snaps P&S is the way to go however if you are like me who has taken much more of an interest in photography in recent years a DSLR may be the better way to go. I moved from P&S to DSLR 5 years ago and have upgraded twice since then. When you have decided on the type of camera a site like
Digital Photography Review
will allow you to compare cameras and make a decision.

Daza - Stefan has made an excellent offer. Kodak are very easy to use, and 2 mp will give you adequate clarity for travel and family snaps. They are an ideal first digital camera. When you wear that one out, you will know what features you want in your next camera. Also, as someone also brought up, with a higher mega pixel camera, you will most likely use less size and pixels. Low mega pixel cameras are more than adequate for normal sized photos, and you fill up your memory too fast if using a 6 or 7 or so mega pixel camera on maximum mps for all your snaps.

hi DAZZA, we have a canon ixus60. its a 6 mp, easy to use, point and shoot. wife loves it as it fits in her handbag and can be grabbed easily for shots of our baby daughter. i think they are about $300-$350 now. also you can get the ixus65 and 70, which are 6.5 mp and 7mp

would recommend to anyone!

I have a Canon A60 (now obsolete). El Cheapo. Cost about $300 a few years back. It has taken thousands of pics which I download to my laptop when travelling. Last year while trying to negotiate some rocks in the Calvert Ranges I dropped it. It fell about 3 metres and bounched down a gully and in to a small crevasse. I retrieved it with difficulty. For a whole day it squawked and complained and wound itself backwards and forwards and then it settled down and is still taking good 2 megapixel pics. The missus has a Sony at around the same price with 4 mexapixels.

So if you are not into specialised photography, the cheap ones do just as well and are simple to use. But buy a brand name real camera and not a computer companby manufactured one.

Cheers

Just bought a Panasonic (Lumix) DMC-TZ2, 6mp, 10x zoom (down to 28mm, the main reason I bought it, and the zoom goes to 13.8x with lower than 6mp res). Paid $590 inc card, very happy.

Rich

We started out with a Canon Powershot A75 about 3 years ago. Now outdated.3MP and 3 zoom. Takes beautiful photos. Felt the need for a bigger zoom so bought a Fuji Fine Pix s6500fd around the $500.00 mark. 6MP and 10 optical zoom, and face recognition. A great toy. SWMBO now uses the Canon and I the Fuji.We don't need 2 cameras, but I don't need 7 fishing rods either !! If I miss something, she'll nab it. Learen all the cameras facilities. You'll get far better shots. Enjoy.