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Need a new camera.


fendermallot

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My wife is looking to get a new camera. We'd like something small that takes good pictures and maybe video too. We're on a bit of a budget (under $200?). Does anyone have any suggestions? I can look at webpages and read company rhetoric til I'm blue in the face but I'd rather hear personal opinions on models.

 

Thanks guys

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I've been a long time fan of the Canon Powershot A series cameras. They take AA batteries and they allow some creativity with manual, aperture and shutter priority. Well at least they did. I just looked at the latest models in these lines and they seem to have eliminated manual, aperture and shutter priority settings. Bummer!

 

Still the A series Powershots that I've owned take great pictures so I have no reason to believe that the new ones are any different. They also take a pretty good beating. I'm pretty hard on them and they've lasted several years each.

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i never had anything but Olympus cameras, from small ones to SLR

currently i have the Olympus F360, and goes for about $150,

takes pictures underwater too with the proper casing, you don't need the expensive one, just an Underwater Waterproof Housing Case for $30

 

the features on it are extensive, its very easy to use and the quality of the pictures are amazing, records movies too

 

 

http://www.camera-catalog.com/digitalcamer.../olympus_fe-360

 

http://shopper.cnet.com/digital-cameras/ol...9-33227039.html

 

here's a couple of examples of close-ups

 

aug27132.jpg

 

009.jpg

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I've been a long time fan of the Canon Powershot A series cameras. They take AA batteries and they allow some creativity with manual, aperture and shutter priority. Well at least they did. I just looked at the latest models in these lines and they seem to have eliminated manual, aperture and shutter priority settings. Bummer!

 

Still the A series Powershots that I've owned take great pictures so I have no reason to believe that the new ones are any different. They also take a pretty good beating. I'm pretty hard on them and they've lasted several years each.

 

That is funny, because that was almost the same camera I thought of when I saw this thread. The PowerShot SD940 looks great to me. Teeny tiny, but has a big screen, HD video, etc. The Canon site says it goes for $250, but I'm sure you can find it for cheaper. The PowerShot A series looks good, too.

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I'll make that 3 votes for the Powershot A series. I've got a Powershot A540 that pretty much stays in my geocaching pack and it hasn't failed me yet.

I'll make that 4 votes.

 

I own an A series, 3 SD series, and two xxD series DSLR. The A series is what I grab when I need casual photos. I find the SD series too small for my hands.

 

There's a D10 available - waterproof and dustproof. But more expensive (just under $300).

 

Note that the latest models (A3000, A3100) uses LiIon batteries, not AA.

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This must be the "Powershot party" :blink: A few years ago I bought a Powershot S5IS and the thing is awesome! It's more $$'s than you are budgeting for, but just so you know there's a good Powershot for nearly every price point!

 

Hey you other Powershot users.. have you heard or tried CHDK?? It's a "free & safe hack" that works with most powershots, enabling them to do stuff like RAW photography!! Also time lapse, motion detection, TONS of overrides to factory settings.. it'll blow your mind! Exclusive to Canon's Powershots!!

 

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK

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OK I'll break ranks and suggest the Fuji FinePix cameras. I've owned several and they all took great pictures.

 

Fuji is one brand I won't be touching. My last 2 were finepix cameras and they both broke or quit working all together. Thanks for the suggestions though.

 

I like the looks of the Olympus posted above, but everyone seems to like the powershots... we'll have to take a look around.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions so far!

 

edit: My wife just informed me that my sister picked up a new camera on the cheap. Here's what she got. It looks very nice and the reviews are favorable.

 

GE A1050

Edited by fendermallot
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OK, now here is the other aspect to consider: Internally rechargeable Li-Ion battery pack or AA (expendable or rechargeable externally).

 

Now my take is this:

1. GPSr: I use Internally rechargeable Li-Ion battery pack exclusively,

2. Camera: I will give my wife only devices powered by AAs.

 

Same with my daughter's previous camera, internal, flat rechargeable battery pack.

And half the time when she wanted a spur of the moment snapshot, it was charge depleted.

So, when it came time for a new one, no question it was an AA model.

 

The Canon Powershots come in both varieties.

The others may, I just don't know it as a fact.

 

'nuff said - over and out.

Edited by Team CowboyPapa
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For a point and shoot I'll vote for the Canon Powershot line. I have an SD1100 that lives in a small pouch on my belt and is pretty much always with me. It's been dropped a couple of times and been through some minor rain and still performs well. A friend of mine recently bought the SD1200 - it has improved video and also seems to be a nice little camera. Prior to that I owned an A series and it was great - some water snuck in and corroded the battery compartment beyond repair.

 

One thing to look for - make sure whatever camera you get can use SD cards. They've become the industry standard. Sony pushes their (proprietary) memory stick cards and a couple of others use the xD cards. Lithium-ion battery packs work well in small P&S cameras, mine goes for days b/t charges.

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I highly recommend this site for camera research - http://steves-digicams.com/

 

I've used it extensively in the past, and have been more than satisfied with the 2 canon powershots (yup, another vote) that I've ended up with as a result.

 

I just bought my wife a powershot A1100 IS based on the reviews there, and she's gotten some fantastic pictures with it in the short time she's had it. Highly recommended for the under 200$ category.

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I highly recommend this site for camera research - http://steves-digicams.com/

 

I've used it extensively in the past, and have been more than satisfied with the 2 canon powershots (yup, another vote) that I've ended up with as a result.

 

I just bought my wife a powershot A1100 IS based on the reviews there, and she's gotten some fantastic pictures with it in the short time she's had it. Highly recommended for the under 200$ category.

 

Hm, I haven't seen that site before. :blink: I've always used dpreview.com

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I've always used dpreview.com

dpreview seems to be more focused (ahem) on DSLRs. They do review the occasional P&S but their coverage is far from comprehensive (at least, the last time I checked, a year or two ago).

 

I've wondered about using one of those flash based mini camcorder (Flip, Mino, similar) as a geocaching "black box". Just velcro it on to my backpack's strap, set to a lower resolution, turn it on, and go caching. Not willing to sink $100+ to see how seasick it will make me to view the videos...

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This must be the "Powershot party" <_< A few years ago I bought a Powershot S5IS and the thing is awesome! It's more $$'s than you are budgeting for, but just so you know there's a good Powershot for nearly every price point!

 

Hey you other Powershot users.. have you heard or tried CHDK?? It's a "free & safe hack" that works with most powershots, enabling them to do stuff like RAW photography!! Also time lapse, motion detection, TONS of overrides to factory settings.. it'll blow your mind! Exclusive to Canon's Powershots!!

 

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK

 

+1 for the Powershots. I love 'em! Enjoy using them so much we have one SD800 IS for each member of the family and they live in purses, pockets, fanny packs and purses so they're always available. Take DSLR quality photos with point and shoot simplicity. Give it a shot, lol.

 

N

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I bought my kids Nikon Coolpix cameras. They use AA batteries, they take decent pictures, and they are not that expensive. We had to replace one only because we got sand in the lens and it wouldn't open anymore otherwise they have been pretty durable for my 12 and 10 year old daughters.

 

forgot to mention that they take video also...

Edited by ao318
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We just got a Canon PowerShot SD780IS 12.1 MP camera.

 

It's very tiny so it can easily fit in a woman's purse or in your pocket and you won't even notice it's there. We got it to replace a larger camera that I got tired of lugging around.

 

I used to only get cameras powered by AA batteries because I didn't want to mess with a "special" battery, but right after getting this camera I ordered three extra batteries off ebay for a dirt cheap price. Now we don't ever worry about not having a charged battery for the camera so it's not a problem.

 

It costs right around $200.

 

We love it so far.

Edited by GrnXnham
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well, contrary to my recommendations, my wife bought a camera while I was at work tonight. The GE A1050. It was sub $100 and my sister has one so she got to play with it before hand. It apparently has really good reviews, but my opinion is you always get what you pay for... We'll see how it works out in the long run.

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For a small point and shoot I'm using a PowerShot A1000IS. It's a 10MP camera with stabilized lens. Takes pretty decent video also. I think I paid a little under $150.00 for it.

You mentioned this camera in a previous thread. I checked into it and compared it to the others and liked what I saw. It is a P & S, but has some control capabilities. It also has a view-finder - a deal breaker for me. Although LCD screens are much better now, I really dislike using them in bright sunlight.

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