Camera Recommendations, anyone?

[kimmiek]

Well, it's time to buy a new camera and I need to hurry because Chewie is 4mo and growing fast! Can anyone recommend a great camera that has good picture quality..crisp, clear and bright pictures...but isn't over $200?

[KitKatJam]

I got the fujifilm fine pix camera a805 the bundle (at walmart) its a couple dollars short of $100.00 it takes video and pictures, but you have to buy a memory card to go with it because it only holds one 16 second video or 4 pictures, or a combination of pictures and a very short video. I take at least a couple pictures/videos a day and I haven't had to charge the batteries yet. And I've had the camera for almost a month now.

Some of the pictures I took with it

http://www.petpop.com/pictures/236801210563746_la.jpg

http://www.petpop.com/pictures/238631210809935_la.jpg

http://www.petpop.com/pictures/238641210809954_la.jpg

[shirlblack]

I just bought a Nikon Coolpix S210 at Circuit City. It takes both video and still pictures plus it came with a lithium battery, memory card and carrying case for $170. It went on sale the next day so I took my receipt in and got $30 back. It's 8.0 and the pictures are great.

[RowdysMom]

Here is a site that will help you - a camera review site where you can look at the reviews of almost every camera made.

Steve's Digicams - Main Menu

And from the same site, here are the reviews for the best cameras in each category

Steve's Digicams - The "Best" Digicams


A friend of mine has the Fujifilm finepix 700. I believe it is at Walmart for about $150. I went to Hawaii with her and her pictures were great! I have a Sony cybershot (pocket size camera) and my pictures were great too, but because hers had a more powerful zoom, she took better pictures from a farther distance.

My husband and I just bought a Fujifilm finepix 8100 because it has an 18X zoom - we want to take better landscape and wildlife photos. I think the type of camera you buy, depends on the kind of pix you want to take.

I love my Sony Cybershot because I can carry it in my purse, get it out quickly and take almost any pic I want. But the new Fujifilm will take better distance pictures.

Also, I will not own a camera that does not use regular AA batterier. Our previous Nikon (which took great pix, I might add) used only a rechargeable lithium battery and I was caught twice with a dead battery while on vacation. The first time I had left the backup battery in the hotel - yes, my fault, but if I were using AA batteries, I could have stopped in any convenience store and got new ones. The second time the rechargeable battery would not charge, so I was stuck with only one battery. I spent the rest of the vacation worrying that it would go dead at an inopportune time.

So, when we bought the Sony and the Fujifilm, they had to use regular AA batteries. You can buy rechargeable AA batteries that last longer, but in a pinch you can use regular off the shelf AA batteries.

Hope the links help you make your decision.

[Hansch99]

I consider myself a digital camera enthusiast, and I'll give you two pieces of advice.

First, If staying within your budget is more important than getting clear pictures of your dog, then in my opinion, the best deal by far in digital cameras is the Canon A570IS:

Amazon.com: Canon PowerShot A570IS 7.1MP Digital...
It sells for about $150 online, and it takes really great pictures. The camera has a large LCD screen and an optically-stabilized lens that will help you take low-light pictures without a flash (although it won't freeze a moving dog). This camera will take great pictures, especially in good lighting conditions and where the dog is not moving too much. It is a point-and-shoot camera, meaning it has a flash and lens built in, and is pretty small.

My second piece of advice: if getting better pictures of your dog is more important than staying within your budget, you really really really should consider getting a digital SLR. A digital SLR has the following benefits over a point-and-shoot camera:

1. The imaging sensor is bigger, which gives you low-light pictures with less grain and noise.
2. The focusing is faster for better action shots, and you can hold the shutter to take a burst of shots to make sure you capture the right moment.
3. As your skills develop, you can get different lenses for different situations that will make your pictures really stand out.
4. You will be able to avoid using a flash, and therefore avoid getting those dreadful "puppy eye" photos that make your dog look possessed.

A digital SLR like the Canon Digital Rebel XT will cost you about $450 with a lens:
Amazon.com: Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital... I know that this over twice your budget. But take it from someone who has bought three point-and-shoot cameras trying to find one that could capture dogs best: a digital SLR is the only camera truly well-equiped to capture all the moments you'll want to remember.

The Rebel XT is a really good deal in digital SLRs. The Nikon D40 is another really good deal, and you can get the camera plus two lenses for about $450 (I just happen to prefer Canons, so I included a link to the Rebel XT).

Here are a couple examples of pictures I took of my dog, Buster, last night using a digital SLR, which, because of the low light, I KNOW I could not have caught with a point-and-shoot:

[piptickle]

I've got 2, one is 8mega pixels and was an expensive gift, but I can't use the thing and the pics turn out rubbish! The other is a kodak easy share only 4 mega pixels but its fab! Great pics and really easy to use! I don't how much it would be in US but here in UK they're about £50.00 new approx $100.00!!!

[sheilajom]

I have the Canon powershot and it's the best camera ever! I've had a lot of cameras and this one is best hands down. It also takes great video with sound and is youtube compatible (saves all videos in youtube format). I love this camera!

[wemple2]

Thanks for sharing your ideas...I also am in desperate need of a camera. I don't own one, that's one reason for not posting pictures of Winston...and he's such a pretty boy, I'd like to be able to show him off a little bit...so this may very well be my next purchase...and I have no idea what to even look for in a camera...

[Kodak]

I have an 8mp blue Olympus that I got from Walmart, it's smaller and takes nice pictures. I have a Larger 8.1 Kodak Z812 which I love to death and I use it mostly for my website and web photos and video. Good luck on your search.

[MrYorkiecrazy]

Originally Posted by RowdysMom

Here is a site that will help you - a camera review site where you can look at the reviews of almost every camera made.

Steve's Digicams - Main Menu

And from the same site, here are the reviews for the best cameras in each category

Steve's Digicams - The "Best" Digicams ...

My two cents (if that)
Step one - Research all the available features in digital cameras and understand them.
Step Two - Decide which ones are important to you and which ones are definitely not important. Features cost money.
Step Three - Research the cameras that have the features you're interested in.
Step four - Narrow your choices down to three, maybe four cameras.
Step Five - Read reviews on only those cameras.

And finally, consider your needs in portability, durability, and abuse.

[scrapindee]

Also, go to the largest camera store around and handle the cameras. Sometimes the buttons aren't in the right places for your fingers and hands.

Sometimes the shutter button isn't easily accessible. Sometimes there is no viewfinder--difficult to see a LED screen in the sun.

I like the Rebel XSI--with a 28-75 zoom lens--great speed for puppy pictures.

[tigerelsker]

I love my Nikon coolpix. It's small, so it fits in my purse, and it's easy to use. It also takes great pics & videos. I have 4 video's on youtube all from this camera.

I had a Digital SLR, it was great, it was expensive, and I never wanted to take it anywhere because it was kinda big & bulky.

What I did is this:
1. check the sunday paper ads, look for the deals.
2. Go to Amazon.com, search for those models and read the user reviews.
3. go to circuitcity.com they also have user reviews.
4. go to bestbuy.com they have user reviews.
(this way you have a wide range of views for the same product, usually covers any pros & cons the camera might have)
5. once you've narrowed down to a few models, search via google for some prices. this will give you an idea of the range the exact same camera will go for on the net.

[kimmiek]

Wow! What an awesome turn out! I didn't think this thread would get many responses since it was kinda off topic. Thanks so much for the suggestions. Everyone's tips are excellent I always try to research my big purchases as much as I can ahead of time and what better place to start than with people that actually have the product. Thanks again, guys!

[morningsting]

Originally Posted by Hansch99

I consider myself a digital camera enthusiast, and I'll give you two pieces of advice.

First, If staying within your budget is more important than getting clear pictures of your dog, then in my opinion, the best deal by far in digital cameras is the Canon A570IS:

Amazon.com: Canon PowerShot A570IS 7.1MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom: Camera & Photo

It sells for about $150 online, and it takes really great pictures. The camera has a large LCD screen and an optically-stabilized lens that will help you take low-light pictures without a flash (although it won't freeze a moving dog). This camera will take great pictures, especially in good lighting conditions and where the dog is not moving too much. It is a point-and-shoot camera, meaning it has a flash and lens built in, and is pretty small.

My second piece of advice: if getting better pictures of your dog is more important than staying within your budget, you really really really should consider getting a digital SLR. A digital SLR has the following benefits over a point-and-shoot camera:

1. The imaging sensor is bigger, which gives you low-light pictures with less grain and noise.
2. The focusing is faster for better action shots, and you can hold the shutter to take a burst of shots to make sure you capture the right moment.
3. As your skills develop, you can get different lenses for different situations that will make your pictures really stand out.
4. You will be able to avoid using a flash, and therefore avoid getting those dreadful "puppy eye" photos that make your dog look possessed.

A digital SLR like the Canon Digital Rebel XT will cost you about $450 with a lens:
Amazon.com: Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 Lens (Black): Camera & Photo
I know that this over twice your budget. But take it from someone who has bought three point-and-shoot cameras trying to find one that could capture dogs best: a digital SLR is the only camera truly well-equiped to capture all the moments you'll want to remember.

The Rebel XT is a really good deal in digital SLRs. The Nikon D40 is another really good deal, and you can get the camera plus two lenses for about $450 (I just happen to prefer Canons, so I included a link to the Rebel XT).

Here are a couple examples of pictures I took of my dog, Buster, last night using a digital SLR, which, because of the low light, I KNOW I could not have caught with a point-and-shoot:

I quite agree! I'm in school at Academy of Art University online to be a photographer&I use the Canon Digital SLR EOS Rebel XTi&it is an AMAZING camera!!! So much better than my Fujifilm point&shoot.

-Amy

[RowdysMom]

Originally Posted by morningsting

I quite agree! I'm in school at Academy of Art University online to be a photographer&I use the Canon Digital SLR EOS Rebel XTi&it is an AMAZING camera!!! So much better than my Fujifilm point&shoot.

-Amy

I'm sure you are right, but you see, this camera is far too expensive for my budget, it does way more than I really need it to do, it is more complicated than I am comfortable with (I'm NOT in school for photography), it uses lithium rechargeable batteries, and it does not have the zoom power that I need. Thus, even though it is the perfect camera for you, it is not the perfect camera for me and it is a bit disconcerting for you to say it is far better than any Fujifilm point and shoot. I actually don't have a Fujifilm point and shoot, but if I did and I liked it, I might take offense at your statement. Of course it is better because it costs much much more and has more quality features.

Lots of people use cameras for lots of different purposes and have lots of different budgets. I think that was the point of this thread, to help the OP make the decision about the camera that works best for her. At least that is the way it started out.