Please Help the Village Idiot! 4 MP or 7.1MP? Any suggestions on buying a Digital Camera?
Nov 13th, 2005, 02:11 PM
#23
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,025
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
just a word about optical zoom -
a number with an x, 3x, 4x etc, in and of itself, does not tell the whole story. you really want to know the zoom range. a lens on a consumer/prosumer camera will be stated as its 35mm equivalent. for example 35mm to 105mm. that would equal 3x zoom, because 35mm x 3 is 105mm. a 28mm to 84mm would also be a 3x zoom. very different, whereas the former has a greater reach, but the latter allows for wider angles.
a number with an x, 3x, 4x etc, in and of itself, does not tell the whole story. you really want to know the zoom range. a lens on a consumer/prosumer camera will be stated as its 35mm equivalent. for example 35mm to 105mm. that would equal 3x zoom, because 35mm x 3 is 105mm. a 28mm to 84mm would also be a 3x zoom. very different, whereas the former has a greater reach, but the latter allows for wider angles.
Nov 13th, 2005, 03:09 PM
#24
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 1,581
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have a Canon PowerShop G6 (7.1 mp) and am very happy with it. There are, of course, pros and cons. As it is my first digital camera (I've had it a year), my recommendation is go with at least 5 mp. This will give you quality pics if all you want is snapshots of family, etc. It will also give you options later for cropping and maintaining a decent shot.
One thing I have found that I like a lot about my camera is the battery life. I sometimes leave the battery in the camera for a month without charging it and it still works fine. On a recent European trip I went two full days of shooting without charging. Also, the battery is dual voltage, so I did not need to bring a transformer with me, just an adapter.
Lag time is also important. I borrowed a camera from work to see what it would be like to use a digital. I found it frustrating that the the camera would take the picture about two seconds after I pressed the shutter button. I was trying to take photos of people dancing. Didn't get a decent shot.
One thing I have found that I like a lot about my camera is the battery life. I sometimes leave the battery in the camera for a month without charging it and it still works fine. On a recent European trip I went two full days of shooting without charging. Also, the battery is dual voltage, so I did not need to bring a transformer with me, just an adapter.
Lag time is also important. I borrowed a camera from work to see what it would be like to use a digital. I found it frustrating that the the camera would take the picture about two seconds after I pressed the shutter button. I was trying to take photos of people dancing. Didn't get a decent shot.
