jac566
02-01-2007, 03:03 PM
I have always used a 35mm point-and-shoot (Nikon Lite Touch 150) but now want a digital camera for my trip to Europe later this year. I spent hours browsing this website and now I'm just overwhelmed due to the huge number of choices. I tend to take 20-30 pictures per day on my vacations so I get a lot of use out of my cameras and want one that fits my needs (or exceeds them) as best as possible.
Budget
* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.
Under or around $500 would be nice but I'm willing to pay whatever it takes to get what I'm looking for.
Size
* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
Some digital cameras are just too small. I don't want a camera that looks like it was made for a child. I want a camera that I can get a good grip on without being too large.
Features
How many megapixels will suffice for you?
At least 6.
* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)
My regular 35mm Nikon just doesn't have enough zoom for me so I'd have to say at least 6x, maybe more (the more the better). I don't really understand how much better 6x is than 4x in terms of what my pictures would look like with each.
* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
10. No question. It's the most important feature.
Do you care for manual controls?
I have never used manual controls before so I do not know.
General Usage
* What will you generally use the camera for?
Vacations, both indoor and outdoor shots of architecture, museums, landscapes, wildlife, the ocean, mountains.
* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
I'd like to have the ability to do so but most of my prints will be 4x6.
Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
About 33% indoors, some low lighting
Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Some action shots mainly from moving vehicles such as cars, trains, trollys, cruise ships. Maybe some whales and dolphins in the ocean.
Miscellaneous
Are there particular brands you like or hate?
No preference.
Are there particular models you already have in mind?
I tried to pick a few but I was overwhelmed.
(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
Definitely optical image stabilization. Not sure what else I might need. An easy to use camera is a plus.
I live in Charlotte, NC so if anyone knows a place or a person who would be good at helping me learn to use my camera once I buy it, I'd appreciate it. I'm not very good at electronics and things of that nature.
Thank you in advance for any advice you might have to offer.
Budget
* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.
Under or around $500 would be nice but I'm willing to pay whatever it takes to get what I'm looking for.
Size
* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
Some digital cameras are just too small. I don't want a camera that looks like it was made for a child. I want a camera that I can get a good grip on without being too large.
Features
How many megapixels will suffice for you?
At least 6.
* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)
My regular 35mm Nikon just doesn't have enough zoom for me so I'd have to say at least 6x, maybe more (the more the better). I don't really understand how much better 6x is than 4x in terms of what my pictures would look like with each.
* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
10. No question. It's the most important feature.
Do you care for manual controls?
I have never used manual controls before so I do not know.
General Usage
* What will you generally use the camera for?
Vacations, both indoor and outdoor shots of architecture, museums, landscapes, wildlife, the ocean, mountains.
* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
I'd like to have the ability to do so but most of my prints will be 4x6.
Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
About 33% indoors, some low lighting
Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Some action shots mainly from moving vehicles such as cars, trains, trollys, cruise ships. Maybe some whales and dolphins in the ocean.
Miscellaneous
Are there particular brands you like or hate?
No preference.
Are there particular models you already have in mind?
I tried to pick a few but I was overwhelmed.
(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
Definitely optical image stabilization. Not sure what else I might need. An easy to use camera is a plus.
I live in Charlotte, NC so if anyone knows a place or a person who would be good at helping me learn to use my camera once I buy it, I'd appreciate it. I'm not very good at electronics and things of that nature.
Thank you in advance for any advice you might have to offer.