Help appreciated

[mcjlmb]

Budget

$100 or less, of course the lower the better.

Size

Size really doesn't matter, I suppose smaller is better, but its really no big deal.

Features

I really don't know that much at all about digital camera features, please read below to try to get a better idea of what I'm looking for.

General Usage

What I mainly want this camera for is taking pictures of graffiti. I really like graffiti art, murals, etc and last summer when I went to Montrea/Quebec City I got a lot of great pictures, but it was annoying having to keep getting more film, plus that camera is my parents' and anyway it seems to be lost now. I'm not obsessed with image quality, I just want it to look decent enough to appreciate the art. A zoom feature would be nice, since sometimes it's hard to get right next to graffiti (rooftops, etc), but not if it would greatly sacrifice image quality. I suppose that a large majority of the time I would be using it while standing still, and of course most of what I'm taking pictures of will be still. A good flash would be ideal. I know my budget doesn't allow much to work with, but any suggestions would be quite helpful.

Miscellaneous

I don't care about brands, I just want what's best for my needs. I haven't looked myself that much, so I don't have any models already picked out.

[ryanbrancel]

be sure to check
http://www.dcresource.com/buyersguide/

the canon powershot A models are good in the below $150 price range.

go here: http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_attrib.php/page_id=48
and enter a "price range" on the bottom left shared border for help on finding the current models that won't break the bank. I'd recommend a price range of $85 - $150 or something like that. Anything below $85 is not worth a purchase.

for example the Powershot A430 is ~$125 with good reviews:
http://www.pricegrabber.com/p__Canon_PowerShot_A430_Digital_Camera,__17657009
or possibly the Nikon Coolpix L4 or Olympus FE115 would be good cameras.

[DonSchap]

Post removed... point made... sorry for being struck funny after wildly filling the many camera manufacturer's coffers for the past 30 years. :(

Excuse me, while I look for the free cameras... :rolleyes: (Where is that box of CJ?)

Vich: Thanks for reminding me just how serious these postings are. God-forbid any levity being shared, here. In fact: "TGIF"! I won't apologize for laughing... it's far too infrequent these days. :(

[mcjlmb]

Thanks ryan for pointing me in the right direction.

And don, why did you feel the need to add a completely useless and trollish comment? Please re-read my post and realize that I gave very, very few parameters about quality. I didn't say I wanted a great camera for $100, I said that's my budget, please help me find the best for the money and my needs. I really don't care if you can throw around 600 bucks or something on a camera. That's great, photography's your hobby, whatever. But that's not me, so why make fun of me for something so stupid as having a different economic situation and interests?

Anyway, if anyone else has some more specific suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.

[Vich]

Thanks ryan for pointing me in the right direction.

And don, why did you feel the need to add a completely useless and trollish comment? Please re-read my post and realize that I gave very, very few parameters about quality. I didn't say I wanted a great camera for $100, I said that's my budget, please help me find the best for the money and my needs. I really don't care if you can throw around 600 bucks or something on a camera. That's great, photography's your hobby, whatever. But that's not me, so why make fun of me for something so stupid as having a different economic situation and interests?

Anyway, if anyone else has some more specific suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.
Ditto.:mad: DonSchap. You should edit your post with the following:

"Post removed as being a childish ... and I hope appologies are accepted". :o :o :o

To the OP: I just got my mom a Canon Powershot A610 (actually; Canon gave it to her to replace her old A60 that was recalled) and she loves it. Very nice images.

Look at the review page - the lowest pricing is displayed there:
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/cameraList.php
The Kodaks go as low as $88.

One thing; besides image quality, you should consider how long it takes to actually take the shot. Its really a pain when you hold the "click" button but nothing happens for about 5 seconds. I know Canon has been improving their processor speeds so maybe the new Canon 430 (from $122) would fit your needs.

Also; sometimes the cheapos don't have rechargable batteries. You can end up spending a lot on consumer batteries, plus the rechargables last about 4 times longer. Of course, you can buy AA rechargables with a charger, but that'll up your cost about $25.

Lastly; even 3MP gives you very nice quality photos. The higher MegaPixel offerings are, in some respects, hype. In fact, sometimes they sacrafice quality for that coveted "8MP" label. If you don't plan to print them often (mainly just for EMAIL), then 3MP will be too big and you'll wind up setting it lower anyway.

Sorry can't help further. I haven't personally investigated the cheapos, but I suspect the quality is pretty good these days. :)

[timmciglobal]

A430 got a decent review at steves-digicams.com

I'd suggest buydig.com as retailer, 125.99.

Go to newegg.com for the memory card.

Tim

[belle_phoebe]

they have several digitals under $100, some with 4x zoom and up to 5MP. Also, I saw that beachcamera.com has a Kodak Easyshare under $100. The best thing to do is to check out some of the vendors listed on any camera review (it doesn't matter which one you pull up). Do a search by price and see what you can come up with. There are some good deals to be had. Good luck, and don't let that nasty post ruin your view of this site. I discovered it last week and found it to be a goldmine of information, especially since I am not particularly knowledgable on this subject. I've found most people to be very helpful and friendly.
Good Luck:)

[leweeoh]

If you figure out which camera you want, do some searching on Ebay, as there are often great deals there... espcially if you can find a bundle or something (comes with a memory card.. case.. things like that..). Be sure the seller has at least 1000+ positive feedback, though.

[mcjlmb]

Cool, thanks guys for all the help. I think I just gotta buckle down and do some research myself. I was hoping for a simple answer, but I shoulda known better than that. But all your advice was very helpful, thanks again.

[DonSchap]

a bag of CJ... maybe we'll just get lucky. ;) No charge for the humor... the comedy club was closed.

[mcjlmb]

okay dude cool