Recommend me a digital camera

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blade52x

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Tired of using my cell phone camera which can't even capture clear images at 640x480. So I'm looking to buy a digital camera, but I want something that has good value. I'm not an expert on what exactly to get being that I've never looked into these before, so I need some recommendations.

Try and keep it under $200 - as a poor college student that's already more than I should be spending on it.
 
Just find a Canon in your price range at a nearby retailer. Can't really go wrong nowadays with a digital camera. Just remember that optical zoom doesn't degrade image quality like digital zoom. 5x optical zoom is good for a camera under 200.

Cheaper cameras have batteries you buy separately. Maybe you can find good ones cheap? More flexible for recharging in a pinch. More expensive cameras~$200? have battery packs which are like $30-50 to replace after a couple years.

I work at a retailer so I don't want to sell you on anything. :)

If you have more specifics the recommendation can be narrowed down.
 
If you look around, you could find a 5-7 megapixel camera with 3x-4x optical zoom for as low as $100 (give or take). Check the clearance stocks at some electronics stores, or, if you're really strapped for cash, check eBay or the FS/FT forums here.

I agree with hophead that Canon makes good cameras, but so do Nikon, Sony, Pentax, Panasonic... even HP, Kodak, and Polaroid have digital cameras available. Since you're looking for a point-and-shoot, think about what features you want most and conduct your search with those features in mind.

For example, the Canon SD1000, one of the newest (and most popular) point-and-shoot cameras available, can now be found for around $200 (plus shipping/taxes)... but you can also find the Polaroid i739, which has some of the same major features as the SD1000 (7 megapixels, 3x optical zoom, 2.5" LCD screen, VGA video recording and playback), for around $100. The photo quality won't be as good as the SD1000 (the SD1000 has more options and features to play with), but it would still be leagues above what your camera phone could produce (and with more features/options to use than what your phone would have).

So, for the same price as one SD1000 camera, you could get the i739, a 2GB SD card (you can find these on sale -- often -- for around $25-$35), and a cheap camera bag... and you would still have some cash left over. And these are deals from Circuit City -- imagine what you could find if you also searched elsewhere.

(DISCLAIMER: I have the SD1000, and have never even heard of the i739 before I conducted this search for you. That said, if you want a cheap, yet effective camera, there are few "bad" options. If you want a name-brand quality without the name-brand price, however, you may want to look for a refurbished model or a camera on clearance.)
 
Here are my suggestions (increasing order of "quality", that is No. 1 = lower end).

(1) Nikon CoolPix L10

(2) Nikon CoolPix L11

(3) Canon PowerShot A560 - I use this one. This is NOT a pocket type camera (unless you have a large pocket to carry it).

(4) Panasonic DMC LZ6 - Will not fit in trouser pockets. Will take VERY GOOD pictures.

(5) Panasonic DMS FX-10. May be the best. Little smaller than No. 4 above (I guess).

Note: I am a photographer (and I do not own any of these). I have used Nos. 2 & 3 in this list, but I recommend No. 5. When you buy a camera, pay attention to the lens rather than the number of megapixels (anything above 4MP should be OK). Do not by a $sub 200 Sony.

PM me if you need more info.
 
Check out dpreview.com for some reviews and their side-by-side comparison tool.

Personally, I like Canon and Nikon cameras.
 
I'm a HUGE fan of the Fuji Finepix F20. It's cheap and has an ISO rating as high as 2000. It's gives superb skin tone reproduction.

All the F-series are fantastic in low light situations giving you most the realistic reproductions.

Also, they have a FAST startup time and ok speed in autofocus.
 
I'm going to recommend the Canon SD1000... as I mentioned before, its retail price has now dropped to $200. I'm also a fan of the Pentax Optio series, having used them before.
 
Thanks for the replies!

I'll do a bit more research, and wait for some more feedback. Not in any rush but I would like to get one soon, but I've been so busy lately I haven't had time to look in depth.
 
I would probably recommend a Fuji Finepix S700. Very comfortable, and takes nice shots. Has a 10x optical zoom. I'm sad that after i bought it, the S800 came out.
 
I love the nikon coolpix line, along with the Canon ELPH's (SD850 in particular).
 
Go with a Canon powershot model. I've owned 3 since the S230 model. Now I have an SD550 that I let everyone in the family use. They have a great depth of focus and the ability to blur backgrounds better (if you desire) than some other brands I have tried. They're compact, built quite sturdy, and can take really nice pictures.

The main problem I find is the flash lighting which, though is very powerful for a compact camera, is not great enough to compensate for dim settings (like parties and banquets). Either turn up the ISO's, reposition/find a better lit location, or buy an adapter and an external flash source, or a combination of these. Though many point and shoot cameras will have a tough time doing justice in dark/ very dim environments.

I have since moved onto a Canon XTI DSLR camera. I'm a poor college student too but a simple part-time job can help buy some nice toys/work tools. =] Good luck.
 
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