What to look for in a digital camera?

Rossinm · Jan 30th, 2003, 19:04

As I prepare to leave in six weeks, one of the most frustrating things for me right now is trying to figure out which digital camera to invest in. I am currently in the market for a digital camera and I can spend between $400 and $550 USD on it. All of the megapix stuff and different ways of storing media are quite baffling to me. A salesperson a while back had tried to talk me out of the Olympus Camedia I liked by implying that the batteries would kill me. I am taking my laptop with me as I travel so I will be able to download pretty often so that is not too much of a factor. What I want is a decent, reliable, camera that takes near professional looking pictures. Any advice?

vistet · Jan 30th, 2003, 23:14

The optical quality depends on
*the lens
*the resolution and color depth (i.e. the number of pixels and colors)
*the quality of the chip esp. how it handles slanted light
*the degree of file compression

With your budget and demands you shuld opt for for a 3-4 MP camera with 2-3 x optical zoom (digital "zoom" sux) that will store in an uncompressed or low-compressed mode (like TIFF or RAW). In this range most cameras will produce adequate results for the web ; prints require a lot more. It is very difficult to tell how the nice picture on the screen will come out (i.e. detoriate) as a printout. Take some sample pictures in the store even if it means you have to buy a small memory card and view and print them at home.

With a USB card reader you should probably be able save your pictures on CDs in better equipped net khanas ( I just made that word up , chai khana means tea house) if your laptop doesn´t have a burner. It probably wont be easy trying to hook up your laptop directly to their network , even though I have seen it done.

Batteries : with the quirks of the Indian power supply it is a bonus if the camera can take standard batteries (a surge protector for the laptop is a must).

picklepak · Jan 31st, 2003, 05:20

I've travelled for more than 12 months with a digital camera (half of the time also with a laptop) through India and Southeast Asia... in my opinion, the single most important feature is overall quality. And buy a good, small camera case. Here's why: I can't even think of how many times I've dropped it, or it has rolled out of my rucksack, or been stuck at the top of the bus, or someone sat on it when they sat on my bag. I have an Olympus Camedia C-3030Z that I bought about three years ago and it has only failed me once... and then it seemed to heal itself.

Nowadays the cameras are very small. Portablility isn't an issue.

Consider what type of memory cards you want to have. The new "standard" seems to be SD (secure digital) card. All Olympus cameras that I know of use SmartMedia (the very thin cards with contacts on one side). I like them because they are extremely durable. I've even heard about people washing their clothes with one of these cards in their pocket and it still works.

I'd recommend that you take an external card reader along with you. They're very small and very useful to back up your pictures and have a CD burnt. It's amazing how you find locals with CD-burners in some of the weirdest places...

picklepak · Jan 31st, 2003, 05:23

Oh yeah, one more quick thing about batteries. Don't buy ANY digital camera without buying some good quality rechargeable NiMH batteries. They quite literally last about three times as long as the best alkalines out there (Duracell, Energizer) because the voltage stays almost constant through the batteries entire useful life.

I bought expensive Olympus brand 1600mAh batteries but there are many good brands out there.

Don't even THINK about using disposable Indian batteries in your camera. You'll get approximately one or two photos in your camera (with the LCD screen on) before the battery dies. Take your new rechargables and your charger with you.

steven_ber · Sep 21st, 2003, 13:37

Would a 2 million pixel camera be adeqate if only taking photo's for the web? (not to be printed out).

As 2 million pixel camera's are 'out of date' they are so cheap, I saw a small one (8x8x2cm) for £150 ($220) and was wondering about it's limitations.

Could someone provide a link to some photo's taken with a medium quality 2 million pixel camera?

Thanks.

vistet · Sep 21st, 2003, 14:04

These are from (and by) the webstore in my town where I bought my camera. Note the beatiful parking lot. (Nikon Coolpix 2100)

#1

# 2

Edit : got link #3 wrong for some reason. All pics (and an opportunity to pratise Swedish) on this page

dreamsyndicate · Sep 21st, 2003, 14:10

Steven,

""if only taking photo's for the web""

2- megapixels would be big enough i think, for my pc a 1600 x 1200 pixel-picture means using scroll-bars .
However, if using 'cropping' , it might be nice to have more pixels .

If resizing the picture, to 800x600 or 1024x768 to see it properly on a website, or in an email, it doesn't matter that much .

My personal opinion : i'm ok with 2 megapixel for publishing on the web, or e-mails ,
here are some links to decide whether you need 2 mega-pixels or more :

How many mega-pixels do i need ?
megapixels explained
Resolution - Making sense of the numbers game

Test of camera's with links to pictures :

http://www.dcresource.com/

http://www.imaging-resource.com/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/

http://www.best-digital-cameras-reviews.com/
http://www.megapixel.net/

Digital camera forums :
Steve's forum
dpreview forum

photo-forum

bijapuri · Sep 21st, 2003, 14:20

I vote 3 megapixel
not that much more money, no hassles with everything up to and including 8.6-11 inch prints

I've had the same camera in both ratings, 3 is better

steven_ber · Sep 22nd, 2003, 09:47

Thanks

I will let you know what I decide to get, I guess my first photo will be of my cat, I'm sure there is a post about pets somewhere on this site.

wonderwomanusa · Sep 22nd, 2003, 10:18

Steven, it's too bad you are not here; I was just looking at an ad for a 200mp camera with a printer, cables and software for $129. Maybe you can order it online ... target.com

Cats make very convenient camera subjects. There is a thread about "who takes care of your pets" that would be appropriate...

Amit · Sep 22nd, 2003, 12:42

big fat lenses always make cameras look good! a digital slr would be 'bestest'!!

IndyBoy · Sep 22nd, 2003, 18:03

All my photos are taken with a Canon A20 2megapixel camera. If you are taking for the web, a sub-1 megapixel camera will be fine, as no-one will bother downloading anything much more than that. My pictures print out extremely well, even at A4 size (i'm not sure if A4 is universal, so by that I mean the longest side is 12 inches, or 30cm).
I don't believe that if you are printing at "normal" photo print size, that a normal inkjet printer would show the detail contained in some of my photos. I guess it will depend on the individual camera. Mine appears to give results that are suited to my "style!".

I suppose my advice would be: anything in the range 2 to 4 MP, with 3+ optical zoom (essential), taking AA batteries (as you might not allways have power?) will be fine. Just try it out in the shop before you buy.

dreamsyndicate · Sep 22nd, 2003, 22:45

Quote:

with 3+ optical zoom (essential)

Quote:

(digital "zoom" sux)

Absolutely agree :
Ignore the "digital zoom " , it's optical you want !

Yatri · Sep 23rd, 2003, 03:46

The Olympus Camedia 720 goes cheap and is available for around 300€ here.... I am goin to get it as I think it's a good choice: 8x optical Zoom (forget about the digital) and 3 Megapixels - more than enough for the web and enough to print A4. I am a bit concerned about the 'triggering time' (I mean the half second or so which is between triggering and when the photo actually is taken). Has anyone used the C-7xx?

indiamike · Sep 23rd, 2003, 06:42

Steven, have you bought one yet?

All this technical stuff, if I had to do it again, and I will be soon. I will be looking for something that's just easy to use. Seriously I just want something to point and click.

How long have I had this broken down Olympus (that barely works now) about two years. And damn if I have the thing figured out.
Most men cannot sit through an instruction manual, it's just part of our caveman mentality, and the manual becomes part of the clutter of the 'magazines in the bathroom' if you know what I mean.

So as I go shopping again I am going to try them out and if I cannot figure it out in five minutes I will pass.

Yatri, since I have an older Camedia, I think what you may be referring to is the focus. If your not using auto focus (it eats batteries like crazy) you hold down the button for a second or two to focus and then snap.

Needless to say my Camedia was not rugged enough to survive India and now works only when it wants to.

Jan 30th, 2003, 23:14	#2
vistet Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Umeå , Sweden Posts: 1,716	Re: What to look for in a digital camera? The optical quality depends on the lens the resolution and color depth (i.e. the number of pixels and colors) the quality of the chip esp. how it handles slanted light the degree of file compression With your budget and demands you shuld opt for for a 3-4 MP camera with 2-3 x optical zoom (digital "zoom" sux) that will store in an uncompressed or low-compressed mode (like TIFF or RAW). In this range most cameras will produce adequate results for the web ; prints require a lot more. It is very difficult to tell how the nice picture on the screen will come out (i.e. detoriate) as a printout. Take some sample pictures in the store even if it means you have to buy a small memory card and view and print them at home. With a USB card reader you should probably be able save your pictures on CDs in better equipped net khanas ( I just made that word up , chai khana means tea house) if your laptop doesn´t have a burner. It probably wont be easy trying to hook up your laptop directly to their network , even though I have seen it done. Batteries : with the quirks of the Indian power supply it is a bonus if the camera can take standard batteries (a surge protector for the laptop is a must).

Sep 21st, 2003, 14:10	#7
dreamsyndicate 100 % head-wobble Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Belgium Posts: 139	Steven, ""if only taking photo's for the web"" 2- megapixels would be big enough i think, for my pc a 1600 x 1200 pixel-picture means using scroll-bars . However, if using 'cropping' , it might be nice to have more pixels . If resizing the picture, to 800x600 or 1024x768 to see it properly on a website, or in an email, it doesn't matter that much . My personal opinion : i'm ok with 2 megapixel for publishing on the web, or e-mails , here are some links to decide whether you need 2 mega-pixels or more : How many mega-pixels do i need ? megapixels explained Resolution - Making sense of the numbers game Test of camera's with links to pictures : http://www.dcresource.com/ http://www.imaging-resource.com/ http://www.steves-digicams.com/ http://www.best-digital-cameras-reviews.com/ http://www.megapixel.net/ Digital camera forums : Steve's forum dpreview forum photo-forum Last edited by dreamsyndicate : Sep 21st, 2003 at 19:49.

Sep 21st, 2003, 14:20	#8
bijapuri laid traps for troubadours Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Priustan Posts: 2,601	I vote 3 megapixel not that much more money, no hassles with everything up to and including 8.6-11 inch prints I've had the same camera in both ratings, 3 is better __________________ Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. Barack Obama lookit me!!!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bijapuri/ Utube fuzzy logic: http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bijapuri&p =r

Sep 22nd, 2003, 09:47	#9
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: London, England. Posts: 8,919	Thanks I will let you know what I decide to get, I guess my first photo will be of my cat, I'm sure there is a post about pets somewhere on this site. __________________ . How to get helpful replies to your transport/Itinerary questions. Train information.

Sep 22nd, 2003, 10:18	#10
wonderwomanusa Maha Guru Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Northern California Posts: 3,243	Steven, it's too bad you are not here; I was just looking at an ad for a 200mp camera with a printer, cables and software for $129. Maybe you can order it online ... target.com Cats make very convenient camera subjects. There is a thread about "who takes care of your pets" that would be appropriate... __________________ The map is not the territory. --Alfred Korzybski

Jan 30th, 2003, 19:04	#1
Rossinm Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 42	What to look for in a digital camera? As I prepare to leave in six weeks, one of the most frustrating things for me right now is trying to figure out which digital camera to invest in. I am currently in the market for a digital camera and I can spend between $400 and $550 USD on it. All of the megapix stuff and different ways of storing media are quite baffling to me. A salesperson a while back had tried to talk me out of the Olympus Camedia I liked by implying that the batteries would kill me. I am taking my laptop with me as I travel so I will be able to download pretty often so that is not too much of a factor. What I want is a decent, reliable, camera that takes near professional looking pictures. Any advice?

Jan 31st, 2003, 05:20	#3
picklepak Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 274	I've travelled for more than 12 months with a digital camera (half of the time also with a laptop) through India and Southeast Asia... in my opinion, the single most important feature is overall quality. And buy a good, small camera case. Here's why: I can't even think of how many times I've dropped it, or it has rolled out of my rucksack, or been stuck at the top of the bus, or someone sat on it when they sat on my bag. I have an Olympus Camedia C-3030Z that I bought about three years ago and it has only failed me once... and then it seemed to heal itself. Nowadays the cameras are very small. Portablility isn't an issue. Consider what type of memory cards you want to have. The new "standard" seems to be SD (secure digital) card. All Olympus cameras that I know of use SmartMedia (the very thin cards with contacts on one side). I like them because they are extremely durable. I've even heard about people washing their clothes with one of these cards in their pocket and it still works. I'd recommend that you take an external card reader along with you. They're very small and very useful to back up your pictures and have a CD burnt. It's amazing how you find locals with CD-burners in some of the weirdest places...

Jan 31st, 2003, 05:23	#4
picklepak Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Calgary, Canada Posts: 274	Oh yeah, one more quick thing about batteries. Don't buy ANY digital camera without buying some good quality rechargeable NiMH batteries. They quite literally last about three times as long as the best alkalines out there (Duracell, Energizer) because the voltage stays almost constant through the batteries entire useful life. I bought expensive Olympus brand 1600mAh batteries but there are many good brands out there. Don't even THINK about using disposable Indian batteries in your camera. You'll get approximately one or two photos in your camera (with the LCD screen on) before the battery dies. Take your new rechargables and your charger with you.

Sep 21st, 2003, 13:37	#5
steven_ber Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: London, England. Posts: 8,919	Would a 2 million pixel camera be adeqate if only taking photo's for the web? (not to be printed out). As 2 million pixel camera's are 'out of date' they are so cheap, I saw a small one (8x8x2cm) for £150 ($220) and was wondering about it's limitations. Could someone provide a link to some photo's taken with a medium quality 2 million pixel camera? Thanks.

Sep 21st, 2003, 14:04	#6
vistet Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Umeå , Sweden Posts: 1,716	These are from (and by) the webstore in my town where I bought my camera. Note the beatiful parking lot. (Nikon Coolpix 2100) #1 # 2 Edit : got link #3 wrong for some reason. All pics (and an opportunity to pratise Swedish) on this page

Sep 22nd, 2003, 12:42	#11
Amit Senior Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Mumbai Posts: 112	big fat lenses always make cameras look good! a digital slr would be 'bestest'!!

Sep 22nd, 2003, 18:03	#12
IndyBoy Wandering fool Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: NE UK Posts: 146	All my photos are taken with a Canon A20 2megapixel camera. If you are taking for the web, a sub-1 megapixel camera will be fine, as no-one will bother downloading anything much more than that. My pictures print out extremely well, even at A4 size (i'm not sure if A4 is universal, so by that I mean the longest side is 12 inches, or 30cm). I don't believe that if you are printing at "normal" photo print size, that a normal inkjet printer would show the detail contained in some of my photos. I guess it will depend on the individual camera. Mine appears to give results that are suited to my "style!". I suppose my advice would be: anything in the range 2 to 4 MP, with 3+ optical zoom (essential), taking AA batteries (as you might not allways have power?) will be fine. Just try it out in the shop before you buy.

Sep 23rd, 2003, 03:46	#14
Yatri Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Bangalore Posts: 62	The Olympus Camedia 720 goes cheap and is available for around 300€ here.... I am goin to get it as I think it's a good choice: 8x optical Zoom (forget about the digital) and 3 Megapixels - more than enough for the web and enough to print A4. I am a bit concerned about the 'triggering time' (I mean the half second or so which is between triggering and when the photo actually is taken). Has anyone used the C-7xx?

Sep 23rd, 2003, 06:42	#15
indiamike Retired Admin Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: New Joisey for now Posts: 1,760	Steven, have you bought one yet? All this technical stuff, if I had to do it again, and I will be soon. I will be looking for something that's just easy to use. Seriously I just want something to point and click. How long have I had this broken down Olympus (that barely works now) about two years. And damn if I have the thing figured out. Most men cannot sit through an instruction manual, it's just part of our caveman mentality, and the manual becomes part of the clutter of the 'magazines in the bathroom' if you know what I mean. So as I go shopping again I am going to try them out and if I cannot figure it out in five minutes I will pass. Yatri, since I have an older Camedia, I think what you may be referring to is the focus. If your not using auto focus (it eats batteries like crazy) you hold down the button for a second or two to focus and then snap. Needless to say my Camedia was not rugged enough to survive India and now works only when it wants to.

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