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View Full Version : 2-year old Sony DSC-P71 or new Canon A510?


ybutterfly
04-10-2005, 02:57 PM
hi everyone-

we're having trouble deciding between two cameras... your feedback would be VERY helpful! here are the details:

CAMERA 1:
a 2-year old Sony DSC-P71. excellent condition, hasn't had any problems. the seller (local, not ebay) is asking $125, plus $25 for a 128 MB memory card. reviews are very positive for this camera, though when we tested it, it REALLY seemed to oversaturate reds (something i read about). my partner looked positively pink in an indoor flash situation!
*does this seem like a good price?
*is it possible to get >128MB card for this camera?
*we would still buy the extra batteries and battery charger, so it would really be another $25 = $175

CAMERA 2:
a brand new Canon A510. only $199, but once we add tax, 4-year warranty ($40), and more memory (we can buy 512 MB for $45), and battery charger ($25), it ends up being $350.

we are students on a tight budget, but we'd be willing to outlay $350 for something excellent and lasting, if it is worth the cost. what we're trying to figure out is whether the difference in the age of camera, extra optical zoon in the A510 (4x vs. 3x), and anything else (but we don't know what) is worth the $175 difference in price.

we DON'T need to print huge, so the 3 megapixel issue isn't that big a deal. for important photography moments, i'll go back to my SLR (non-digital). we mostly need the camera for taking good-quality fun pictures we can send to family, put up on the web, print out selectively to create photo albums. both indoor and outdoor photos. manual controls are nice but not strictly necessary; however SOME degree of choice (pre-packaged settings, for example) is important. i care enough about image quality to be bothered by extremely over-processed color, but i'm not bothered by slight enhancements.

given this, we would really value your advice in choosing between the two cameras. if you have a different recommendation that fits into this price range, we'd be happy to hear it too! (we could also buy a 3-month used Kodak LS743 for $150, but i have read enough complaints about it that i got scared away).

thanks muchly!!
peace,
yael

Balrog
04-10-2005, 03:37 PM
Considering the speed with which technology is advancing these days, I'd highly recommend you go with the A510 .. it's got full manual controls, better battery life, better performance (faster focusing/etc), a more usable interface, etc ... I'm pretty sure you'd find the extra cost worth it.

Jerry98
04-10-2005, 06:57 PM
Personally I would pay a little extra and get the Canon 510. If I remember correctly it has a slightly bigger LCD which can be helpful (at least in my case). 4X zoom is a plus too. Some have reported problems with red eye but the software can help that.

ybutterfly
04-11-2005, 07:38 AM
we did go for the canon a510! the allure of something shiny and new was too much to resist! :)

thanks so much for your advice.
peace,
yael

Balrog
04-11-2005, 01:31 PM
No problem. :)