7.2 MegaPixel Digimax S730

[mickey's]

I've been looking at this http://www.ecost.com/detail.aspx?edp=36824052 . I want to be able to take videos with sound too and done really want to spend more than 220 after a SD card and the rechargable battery.It says that it charges when you lug into your computer but does that only apply to the rechargable battery? Does anyone have any suggestions?

[David Metsky]

Something like the Canon A550 or the Panasonic LZ6 would fit the bill and I think they are more competent cameras.

Charging through the USB port would only work with rechargeable batteries, but I've never used a camera that had that feature. I'd prefer to use a separate charger designed for NiMH batteries since I don't often travel with my laptop.

[mickey's]

Im going to college in the fall and I make alot of video's with my buddies. I'm probobly going to get a 2-4 GB memory card and rechargable batteries for no matter what camera I get because I dont want to deal with having to constantly buy new batteries.

But is the s730 a good camera and a good price for $124.99?

[David Metsky]

But is the s730 a good camera and a good price for $124.99?
I don't know. I've never used any Samsungs and haven't seen many reviews. In general, they don't seem to have the image quality of the more popular name brands. Have you found any reviews on the net that include video samples?

-dave-

[mickey's]

That canon A550 seems better than the samsung because of peoples reviews on how the videos might be blurry.

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_a550-review/

that is the A550 review but it only has 8 minutes of taping so hopefully that will be enough. Do you know anything bad about Kingston 2GB Secure Digital Memory Card? And does the rechargable batteries brand matter for the camera?

[David Metsky]

This cameras is restricted to 1G file sizes. At full video resolution, that means roughly 8-9 minutes in a single take. You can keep shooting after a few seconds. But the video files are very large, you'll want to process them in the computer with Windows Movie Maker or one of many free packages out there to reduce the size.

Memory cards are all pretty much the same, except for price. I'd get a 60x card, take a look at NewEgg.com for the best current deals. A good set of 2500+ mAh batteries will be fine. Some people here have a preference for Enloops, I have PowerMax.

-dave-