Please help me decide which digital camera
 

Hi all,

This will be my first year going digital after years of using my little Olympus. I've narrowed my choice to 3 cameras and can't decide. The contenders are:
1) Canon SD 450
2) Canon SD500
3) Kodak V530

I'm a point and shoot kind of gal and am a little electronically challenged.
Please help

i bought the canon SD550 as a backup snapper when i don't want to lug the bigger one around. i believe it is very similar to the SD500.

i do not like it and it was a big disappointment. after about a day of use the thing is totally scratched up (and i had it in a pocket with nothing else). the lcd also scratches very easily and i since heard that it breaks very easily also. and finally, for a point and shoot, you would expect the red-eye reduction to work but it doesn't work at all. be prepared to spend hours fixing your pics in photoshop. i do not recommend this camera. take a look at casio...i regret paying the premium for the canon name when a casio probably would have been much better and cheaper.

Hi la,

Check reviews at http://www.steves-digicams.com/ and http://www.imaging-resource.com/INDEX.HTM

((I))

My daughter and several friends have the Canon SD450 and love it-matter of fact, I am on my way out to get one for myself today. The camera is small;delivers great pics and is easy for anyone. During Christmastime,the Target,Circuit City and Best Buy could not keep them in.

thanks both

I have looked at the reviews and that is how I narrowed the field. Still couldn't decide. Walk, I'll take a look at the casios see what I see.

I just went through this process, but I think I was looking for something a little more sophisticated than you are. I found this website to be very helpful as a starting point. One thing I wnt to point out is that if you are planning to use this as a travel camera in Europe you should probably think about getting a lens that has a 28mm equivalent the wide end. This will enable you to get more of those gorgeous buildings in your frame.

I don't have a particular model in mind, but when I upgrade my current digital I'll have two wants in mind for travel purposes:

1. User-friendliness, especially ease of access to the various shooting modes, an easily-morised way to turn of the LCD screen, which I rarely use. My Olympus is just OK in this department.

2. 10x optical zoom, so that I can take surreptitious shots of people withoiut (a) being in-your-face rude, (b) asking permission, which results in a pose on the subject's part.

I'm basically a point-and-click photographer, so an expensive digital SLR would be wasted on me. I do crop and otherwise play around with my shots using Adobe Photoshop Elements, so I want reasonable resolution, but 5-6 MP seems adequate.

I recently saw a Sony with what seemed like a 50 mm LCD screen, much better for reviewing and deleting shots.

Sorry, that should have read "easily-memorised". It's early in the morning here and I've only had my first cup of coffee.

If those are the choices, I stick with a Canon. If you can, get the SD550 instead of the SD500 where they improved on. I got the SD500 and within 3 months they released the SD550. I felt cheated, if I have known they were gonna come out with the newer one so soon I would have waited the 3 months. So far the camera is great for the size. Most compact cameras don't come with good flash but this one does the job.

Personally, I have five different Nikon cameras. I love them.

But, the Sony cameras are really good. I have a friend who uses one of these current cameras and the lens is so good. The photos are great, and I have batches of Nikons coming behind.

Give the Sony a good look before you move along.

Blackduff

Forgot to post the website link earlier. You start with what size camera you want. Then it has ranking based on compilations of all reviews with links to those reviews.


www.neocamera.com

I'm finding this thread very interesting as I'd like to buy a digital camera before our upcoming trip to Ireland. Thanks for starting it, laartista!

But I have to say that I'd be very leary of buying a Sony. We've had rotten luck with every single Sony product we've ever bought, including the computer I'm on right now. I really cannot imagine ever willingly buying anything else made by Sony.

I bought a Sony. Lol, the p200, oh I hope I have not made a mistake. It got really good reviews on 3 different camera sites.

laartista -

I too was looking for a camera for my upcoming trip and my own enjoyment and discovery. I ended up buying a canon a520. It has point and shoot capabilities, 4x zoom, and 4mxp. You really don't need more mxp unless you are planning to print large photos; but you pay more for the megapixel number - just something to keep in mind.

I am very happy with the camera, and the directions are very easy to follow - just a matter of familiarization.

good luck!

Second the motion on Teaberry's Canon 520...we love it..easy to use, and with 4 mxp, plenty for oyr needs..the zoom works well also. Broke it in with over 500 shots in Romania in October..only chose to erase 15!!...I took along my Nikkon SLR for backup but on next trip in April, will leave it at home with no trepidations!! Bought it on sale at Best Buy for $235
Stu T.

I just ordered teh SD450 from Costco.com online for $299. The SD400 is the previous year (really six months) model - about $40 less. The SD550 and the SD500 are the same with a higher pixal rating than their SD4x counterparts. The screen on the 450 and 550 is MUCH bigger - if that matters.

I've had a previous version of this camera. Loved it because of its size and portability and it took very good pictures. Had a bad shutter lag - but evidently that's been overcome in these newer models.

A ten times optical zoom isn't practial or available in a camera of this size - and you would need image stabalization. The megapixal business is far overrated. If you print 4x6 or 5x7 and don't do extreme cropping, anything from 3 megapix up wil be fine. (Assuming you're into memories and not fine art).

But the real key for me was a review dealing with one of these pocket cameras vs the larger better cameras: "I'll take better pictures with the camera I have with me than you will with the one you left home."

J

Like blackduff, I have to put in a mention for the Nikons as well here.

I've had a Nikon Coolpix 2100 (2.1 mp) for a couple of years and when it came time to get a new one I liked it so much I got a coolpix 7900 (7mp). The pictures are beautiful and the camera is easy to use. It's very compact, but one edge has a little "bulge" that acts like a grip so it's easier to hold onto than some of the mini cameras like the small Sonys.
As of right now, my trip report is still featured, so you want you can see the results of my photos of Spain from my Nikon camera, otherwise check my website-
http://www.wired2theworld.com

BTW, I'd love a 10x optical too, but for the size of the camera, I don't think the technology is there yet. That's why I chose the higher mega-pixel option; it allows you to blow up photos, crop them, and not lose too much resolution.

laartista - I'm a point and shoot gal too :). I bought an Olympus C-770 about a year ago. I highly recommend this model if you want a 10X zoom. It is the most compact (or at least it was when I bought it a year ago) for a 10X zoom digital with 4mp (which is plenty), records unlimited MPEG4 video (as long as you have space on your card) and has a hotshoe flash. The picture quality is excellent. I took tons of nature and city photos in Thailand last year using the zoom without a tripod and they turned out wonderful. For price I found the best package deal on E-Bay store. The only downside to Olympus that I see is that you can't use accessories (cards, batteries, etc.) with any other brand since they're so proprietary. My favorite camera review site is www.dpreview.com. Good luck!

Kristina
I loved your photos from Spain. I lived in Puerta St. Maria and the photographs you posted remember lots of memories.

I also have a coolpix (2.1 mp and 5 mp) but I find that the photographs from the earlier coolpix gives better photos. The lens is better on the earlier camera-it's not the megapixel rating which counts.

The Sony camera that I previously noted has Schneider (spelling?)lenses.

Here's a good web site for undertanding digital cameras.
http://www.dpreview.com/learn/?/Glos...gital_Imaging/
It's kind of technical for many people but getting the grasp about digital "terms" will make better choices for a camera.

I will go back to read more of your travel-log. C

Blackduff

I too would recommend Nikon. I swore that I would never get a digital(too old school LOL) But I broke down and bought the CoolPix 5900! A great little camera. Nice LCD screen and it takes GREAT pictures. The shots from my trip to Italy can be seen at www.pbase.com/trsw . I even have had 2 shots enlarged to 16x20 poster prints, and they were shot at 3 megapixals.

Tom

Check out the Canon Power Shot 620. I love mine. I'm a point and shoot person so this is a great camera to just put on automatic and fire away. But it also has lots of bells and whistles for when you want to take the time to use all the features.