Digital cameras?

[4pygmies]

I'm really fed up with not being able to do anything with my camera so I'm thinking of getting a new one for Christmas (may as well get something I want from OH..) and I would like a scanner too. BUT I am a techno moron and know nothing about them. Has anyone got any recommendations? I have this horror of walking into a techie superstore and making a right wally of myself......I need help!


PS Haven't got noodles of cash either so can't get really pricy ones.

[Deleted]

I can't help you 4P sorry, my OH bought our camera tax free when he was in America - I just use it.

Our Canon scanner is quite old but still does it's job well. ;D

You can now buy all in one printer, scanner and copier

[Plocket]

I have a Canon Ixus 430 which I absolutely love! It has 4.0 mega pixels (not too bad) but also does 3 minute video clips with sound. The screen is adequate and it's easy to use.

I would recommend that you write a list of what you want from your camera, and then go and see what's on offer at your local camera shop and somewhere like Comet - they will be desperate to sell you something but DON'T BUY FROM THEM!!!!! Make a note of the camera you like, then shop online. We got mine from Amazon. I would suggest you get one with at least 3.0 mega pixels if you want decent pictures and don't get one that uses normal household batteries - they run out so quickly especially if you use the flash. Get a camera that has a rechargable lithium battery. Make sure you get a battery and a memory card with the camera when you buy it, and the appropriate charging equipment - it should all come as part of the package though. You might want to get a bigger memory card, and a spare battery too.

Does that help at all? ;D

[Cheerypeabrain]

Hiya sweetie...ours was from Argos, Samsung Digimax 7 megapixels. Cost around £120 with extra memory...got it in the sale in the spring. It does nice close-ups and I love it. Even I can use it with relative ease...and I have an aversion to gadgets!
Scanners aren't too dear are they? you could prolly pick one up at Tescos...ours came with the 'pooter. ;D

[Deleted]

4P

It all depends on what you want from the camera. It's nice to have lots of pixels but if you haven't got a decent lens, it's probably not worth worrying about that too much.

I got a Canon Powershot S2 in the summer and I love it. 5 megapixels but also a bl**dy good lens. It's got lots of functionality, loads of zoom (12x optical, 4x digital), macro and super macro functions but can also be used as a point and shoot if you so desire. It also has video facility and I bought a 1MB memory card for it so I get about 7 or 8 minutes of video time on it.

It was £250 but well worth it. As for a scanner, you can pick up a reasonable one for £50 or less from most places.

I'd definitely buy online though. I got my camera through PC World Business and it was £100 cheaper than I could find it locally.

Let us know what you decide upon. I'll look forward to seeing the results in due course (including a decent picture of you.......!)

FA x

[andy]

www.pricerunner.co.uk/photography/digital-cameras/ is always worth a look....they give reviews too.

Or you could always look for a decent 2nd hand one on ebay

[Juliet]

Hi 4P,

You might find this site helpful: www.imaging-resource.com/ - if you click on Dave's Picks in the left-hand menu you can find recommended cameras by price, among other things (if you can convert from American dollars, that is!). You can also click on Find the Best Camera for You, which ask you lots of questions about what you want from a camera & then makes suggestions.

When you are buying, Amazon is a lot cheaper than High Street shops, & also has customer reviews. You could also look at www.rankhour.com/index.php, www.purelygadgets.co.uk/, and www.w2w.com/index_home.asp - I bought my camera from the first & accessories from the others & they all seemed to have good deals.

If you don't know much about cameras I'd suggest going for a make you've heard of (eg Canon, Olympus, Nikon) - cheaper makes might be a good bargain, but on the other hand they might not! When I was buying, Obelixx recommended I look for a camera with an optical viewfinder, which I thought was good advice - am glad I took it as it's not always possible to see the picture on the screen if it's sunny.

[Juliet]

PS I got a Canon Powershot S70 which I would recommend if you could find one, but they don't make them any more & the replacement is more expensive & got less good reviews.

[4pygmies]

Thanks everyone - at least I vaguely know what to look for now! I definitely want one with a rechargeable battery (didn't know they existed - what a numpty), and I would love to be able to take some of the lovely close ups you all post on the Gallery thread. You've all been very helpful - now I shall trawl through all the sites and see what's what. Cheers!

[Chuckles]

Just to confuse you even more 4p.......I've got a Fuji Finepix F401 out of date now but a good liitle camera got it from www.buyacamera.co.uk/ . Wish mine had a better zoom. Good luck in your search

[Juliet]

Hi 4P - some more general advice for you -

If you want to be able to take good close-ups make sure you get a camera with a macro button! This was my priority when I was looking & the review site I posted recommends cameras which are good at macro photography & also lets you compare shots by different cameras, which I found useful.

The more mega-pixels the clearer the photo generally, but if you're just wanting to post photos online & maybe print out normal sized pics 4mp should be ample - if you want to be able to do bigger prints get more mega pixels.

If you want to take telephoto shots of things at a distance go for a camera with good optical zoom. Digital zoom also makes things closer but they get more blurred, so it's not as useful. If you want to take lots of pictures of birds at the bottom of your garden, you want something like 12x optical zoom - but just for the odd "getting something a bit closer" 3 or 4x is sufficient. And the higher the zoom the more likely the camera is to shake when you use it (some cameras with big zoom lenses have anti-shake software, but most expect you to use a tripod to keep the camera steady).

If you're getting a camera with rechargeable batteries (which is definitely a good idea) make sure it also comes with its own battery charger - some of them don't.

Also, not all digital cameras come with their own case - so you might want to make sure you can find a case which is compatible when you're buying (I think all the sales sites I mentioned sell them).