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OT!!! digital camera yet again

Smokin' Todd
Smokin' Todd Posts: 1,104
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I know this has been posted many times( and i know very annoying)but at this point I have no where else to go since some here are gurus on digital cameras. I read reviews on internet but just do not understand the "language" and cannot pinpoint what's best for me.
Rather then replies please email me what's best for me to purchase.
I have been using an olympus d-390(2.0 MP) and was very happy with it- it did take good pics and mostly for posting pics. Since it only works when it wants to, I feel its time to upgrade. Im looking for something easy to use- mostly posting pics in day or night(with auto flash)- and under $100(well under if possible).
Please email me with @ usaalways@gmail.com
Thanx!

Comments

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    todd.

    buy last year's close out model. seriously. fuji makes quick and easy digitals that travel well and you don't need an ansel adams appreciation class to learn how to use. most all now will have auto flash, auto focus, even short video capability.

    i bought one a year ago that needed to be cheap so that it could bang around at the bottom of a briefcase for 90% of the time and still work when i needed it to. and yet, fast forward, now it's what i take all of my pics with, frankly.

    if you aren't a serious photgrapher, you don't need to get spendy. i think 189 would give you something very serviceable, and you won't miss it when you lose it.

    don't worry about the "size queen" mega pixel race, either. traditional film had MILLIONS of "pixels" per inch. digital cameras aren't even close, and yet there's no difference (virtually) until you enlarge them to 24x36 inches. i don't imagine that's in the plan, right? i produce digital art commercially, and i'll tell you right now, most people can't tell the difference between 75 dpi (printed) and 400 dpi...
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Smokin' Todd
    Smokin' Todd Posts: 1,104
    $189 is still out of my range for a digital camera believe or not:)
    I was thinking, and did alot of websearch, on just getting another Olympus D-390, but too many refurbished and "i dont know if it works" kinda moved me away.
    It's funny how a camera to post pics makes a meal more enjoyable- like tonght I cant post about my sirloin because my camera wont take pics in the dark, and not as excited about eating the meal as I would if I were able to post photos!
    ST
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    I do agree with stike to a point. The fuji is a very good camera, so is the pentax and many others.

    Go to a good quality photo store and tell them your price range. Ask them what is available. Look at those cameras. Decide on 1 or 2 cameras and begin your shopping if price is your main concern. Once you find a price you like go back to the store and ask them again what is the best price they will go on the camera you are wanting. There are always sales & deals going on. Or you could buy used. But like referbished, used also has its risks.

    Qutoe "most people can't tell the difference between 75 dpi (printed) and 400 dpi"

    Viewing a picture on the computer screen that is pretty much correct. One would be hard pressed to tell the difference.

    That is not the case at all when printing. For a rough example, if you remember newspaper pictures a while back which you can see a lot of dots in the picture, that would be apx 75 to 100 dpi over the entire picture. National Geographic picures are apx 300 to 400 dpi.

    If you have an inkjet or laser printer. Find a picture and save it for printing in two resolutions. 75 dpi and 400 dpi. Print each picture out at 5 X 7 size. Look at the difference and you will see the huge difference.

    Most current laser printers now print at 300 to 1200 dpi some are boasting much higher resolution. If a 75 dpi picture would be acceptable the printers wouldn't start out at 300 dpi and go up from there.

    If the pictures you want to take are for screen viewing only, don't pay too much attention to all this dpi, ppi, pix jargon.

    If there is any picuture you take that you want to print out later, you had better take a very hard look and what you are going to buy.

    GG
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    well let's not split hairs then!. buy any name brand you can for the $100. :)
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Wingnut
    Wingnut Posts: 2
    Yeah, I'm new here, but this is my 2c.

    General:
    Keep in mind that most in this price range are snap shot style, so you won't get a ton of features. I would recommend looking for the following.

    Memory: Find ones that use SD for micro SD chips. I would stay away from xD as while they are good, they are a bit more expensive due to royalty fees. I would stay away from Sony as memory stick is too expensive. SD is an good standards and will port to many devices.

    LCD: Get the a good large screen. Make sure it is bright if you will use it outdoors. Sometimes a view finders is actually helpful because the Sun may wash out the screen, but this is getting to be a rare feature in point and shoots.

    Battery: If you will be traveling away from home with it, get one that uses regular batteries. Custom batts often last longer, but they cost more and you can't simply buy a charged one at Circle K if you need it. So if you are budget oriented, getting one that uses AA or AAA is not a bad idea.

    Megapixels: As other have said, don't get hung up on MP. These are often inflated through use of software anyway. For consumers, unless you are getting some no name brand, pretty much any of the big guys will be fine. The only thing I would say is to not go below 3, but that would be pretty hard unless you are buying a webcam or a kids cam.

    Bootup and Focus: Take a few test shots in the store. See how fast the zoom and autofocus works. Turn it off and see how fast it comes on. This may seem silly, but when you want to get that candid snapshot, seconds really do count.


    Buying:

    1. Go to Best Buy, Circuit City or what not. Take a look a the cameras in the $130 or so and below price range. Find two or three that you like. Take note of the brand and model number.

    2. Go online to find it much cheaper. I like to use both www.newegg.com and www.abesofmaine.com for this stuff. Look at what they have. They also often have the last run of the previous model. You can tell because the model number will often be close, but not exact as to what you saw in the store. If you are not too picky, funky colors such as hot pink or lime green can save you $20 or more.

    3. The other option is to go to some stores and look at their clearance areas. I got a good little Fuji for my son at Office Depot for about $65. Works like a champ for him and takes 5MP pictures.


    For other reviews that have a good 'bottom line' review check out http://www.dpreview.com and http://www.steves-digicams.com.

    Edit: Here are the near $100 cameras at New Egg. Both the Canon and Olympus would likely be good little cameras.
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    i have, in emergencies, printed stuff enlarged to 24x36 where it has an effective 75dpi on the paper. most people (not all) don't even realize it. i wouldn't do it for an heirloom family photo of course. but you really can't tell from a foot away, most times.

    i have a piece right now ( digital painting) hanging in a gallery at eye level. it's maybe 150dpi. doesn't suffer at all.

    Sportsillustrated prints many enlargements well below 300dpi. they are pretty pixelated sometimes, and yes, you can tell (if you are inclined to look). but you are right, aim for 300 dpi and you are fine.

    the "75dpi" thing is moot, though.
    i can't imagine there's a camera out there that would be that bad anyway, to yield only an 8x10 at 75dpi....
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    great comments, well thought out, good links, very helpful...

    just what are trying to do, give this place a little class?!?!?! :P :laugh:

    (welcome aboard!)
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Stike,

    You must be talking ppi not dpi then.

    I can't even imagine using and image taken on a 3 MP camera or less and print that picture out 24X36. It would look terrible to anyoneone. I would even think viewing it at a 20 to 40 foot distance it would look bad.

    With that said, the largest picture I have used is the Epson 3000 and have gotten fantastic results, but those original images were pretty darn big - not 300 or 400k or even less than 1M.

    Interesting conversation but moot with regard to ST.

    Kent
  • Hey - I'm the guy who posted to your earlier thread (months ago) that you should look at a Cannon SD1000. Really you should but.... I'll tell you what - email your info and I'll send you my Olympus D-390 for free! No kidding!

    Jon
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    a billboard is printed at about 15 dots per inch.

    the human eye is a wonderful thing. fills in all the cracks.

    as we both said, though, moot, even at $100 for a camera.

    but i'd bet you a hundred bucks, an image at 75 dpi from ten feet away is indistinguishable from one that is 300 dpi.

    i've had clients tell me that the 150dpi jpeg i sent won't suffice for their printing needs, and so i've upsized the same file to 400dp. they call back thanking profusely. the picture has no more detail. people get sucked in to the numbers game.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante