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View Full Version : overwhelmed with choices. suggestions?


Sequoia225
08-08-2006, 10:40 PM
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Budget

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.

up to 400

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?

Had a Sony W1 before would not like to be much bigger than that. Have tried a couple ultra compact and some of the buttons are very small for my fingers. some zoom levers are small too.

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?

6 fine but would go higher if other features important to me fall on those cameras.

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)

Standard

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)

9 or 10

Do you care for manual controls?

would like them and get myself to learn how to use them better
General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?

snapshots everywhere from indoor events with friends to outdoor camping trips, some landscape during this. Found on my old Sony W1 I used the video feature a lot so will like a good video mode as well.

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?

Would like to print an occasional print I like if possible up to 8X 10 I guess

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?

Fair amount


Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?

Occasionally

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?

No but tend to like Sony just cause I loved the W1 camera and Canon and Kodak and Fuji strike something in me that makes me look to them first


Are there particular models you already have in mind?

Not really. models Ive seen here (a fuji and a Canon that is rated great on this site) I dont see in local stores like Best Buy. confused at what is the newest and if Im seeing the newest stuff here or at Best buy in general. I feel unsure that Sony has made a camera as good as the W1 since some of their review here dont pan out as good as Canon and Fujy cameras.


(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)

Weather proof is something I want to consider but would buy separate camera for that if it meant sacraficing anything else important to me. I guess this means low priority overall but a thought. Good movie mode is important to me.


Thank you for anyone that makes suggestions here
Dave
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bascom
08-09-2006, 12:08 PM
models Ive seen here (a fuji and a Canon that is rated great on this site) I dont see in local stores like Best Buy. confused at what is the newest and if Im seeing the newest stuff here or at Best buy in general. I feel unsure that Sony has made a camera as good as the W1 since some of their review here dont pan out as good as Canon and Fujy cameras.
Which Fuji and Canon model are you talking about? I think these are the best for < $400:

Canon A610/A620 or A540/A700
Fuji F20/F30
Sony W50

Sequoia225
08-13-2006, 05:29 PM
Was talking about the Fuji F30 and the Canon A620. not finding them in stores like Best Buy and Target. (I know Target is not the best place to find them perhaps).

Thanks for the suggestions.

jdhu
08-13-2006, 06:16 PM
Interesting, seems like a lot of people are deciding between the F30 and A620..

I have an f30, a friend has the A620..both are nice cameras, but the F30 feels sleeker to me, looks better...better LCD resolution too I believe..

As far as picture quality...the F30 is just awesome, and simple to use..very intuitive

sjseto
08-13-2006, 06:56 PM
Was talking about the Fuji F30 and the Canon A620. not finding them in stores like Best Buy and Target. (I know Target is not the best place to find them perhaps).

Try a camera store, rather than an electronics store. Camera stores tend to stock stuff that appeals more to photographers.

Stephanie

ben7337
08-13-2006, 07:40 PM
what are some name of camera stores that are spread over the USA?

oh and btw the Canon A620 is getting old and a replacement is coming out soon. many people are expecting for it to be announced this month. I would estimate 1-2 weeks it will be announced then it might be able to compete with the F30 so maybe you should wait and just see the specs and price on it before deciding. you can wait 7-14 days right?

sjseto
08-13-2006, 09:29 PM
what are some name of camera stores that are spread over the USA?

I don't know about camera store chains in the USA, but don't limit yourself to chains. Some of the best products and most knowledgeable people are found in independent camera stores. If I already know what I want I don't mind ordering online (I got my F30 from Henry's (http://www.henrys.com/)), but if I'm shopping, I find that I usually have the best experiences with the independents. Check the Yellow Pages or local newspaper ads.

Stephanie