Advice on buying a digital camera

[obscured01]

Ok, so I'm in this "Let's see how much debt Sarah can get herself into" rut right now, and I've got my mind made up on buying a digital camera and a laptop. I already know what I want for the laptop, but I'm stuck on the camera because I really don't know anything about them.

I don't want to pay a huge amount of money... I was looking at some and some camera's cost nearly as much as what I'll be paying for my laptop, and that's not cool to me. So yeah. I'm not looking for a spectacular camera... just something that will take pictures that don't look like shit.

Any recommendations? I was looking at this one:



and the specs are:

KODAK - $199.00
EasyShare CX4230 Zoom Digital Camera
Digital Camera, TFT, 3X Optical/2X Digital Zoom, 1632 x 1232 pixels, 2.0 MP CCD, 1.6" LCD, 16 MB Internal Memory, MMC/SD Card Slot, 7.8 Oz

Yes? No? Recommendations?

[strange_one]

I don't know a whole lot about them, but I think this one seems pretty bitchin', no idea how much it'd be though

Kodak EasyShare LS443 zoom

http://www.kodak.com/global/images/m...hDockFront.jpg

4.0MP resolution for prints from 4" x 6" (10 x 15cm) to 20" x 30" (50 x 75cm)
Professional-quality Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon lens
10X zoom (3X optical, 3.3X Advanced Digital Zoom)
Low-light and selectable multi-zone auto-focus
Kodak's color science for vivid colors and excellent image quality
High performance features
New 1.8" Indoor/Outdoor Display
Automatic and creative modes
Continuous video with audio
Auto picture rotation on camera, PC or TV
Sophisticated simplicity
Special edition with LS443 camera dock and Li-Ion battery 1ncluded
On-camera Share button for easy printing, e-mailing and organizing
16MB internal memory with MMC/SD expansion slot


the one you've posted though seems reasonably simple to use and looks stylish as well

[obscured01]

See, I'm oblivious to what all the specs mean, because I don't know shit about cameras. If I knew what was what, then I might have more of an idea of what to buy.

That camera looks nice Gavin... but it looks expensive-o. Is is just a digi camera, or a video camera too?

Hmm. A video camera would be fun.... hmm..

[strange_one]

Originally posted by obscured01
That camera looks nice Gavin... but it looks expensive-o. Is is just a digi camera, or a video camera too?

I don't think that it is a video camera as well, but it does say 'Continuous Video with Audio'...so I dunno. anyway I just looked up the price, roughly $400US

therefore don't listen to me anymore, wait for someone else to give advice

it's 2am, I'm goin to sleepies. nite sarah

[obscured01]

Goodnight, gracias anyway

[MonteLDS]

for what you will probly use this camera for (eg. pictures for online) this is a fine camera. just never use dig. zoom!!

just a tip.

but one thing i don't care for is that according to kodak ( http://www.kodak.com/global/en/digit...4230Spec.jhtml )

this puppy doesn't do pictures in raw or tif. So all these so call high 2 MegaPixel are not going look as good due to compression.

But if it is just for online stuff it will do for you. But shop around!

[MonteLDS]

Originally posted by strange_one
no idea how much it'd be though

Kodak EasyShare LS443 zoom

starting at $449.95

if its for online use, then that a waste of money, unless your very big on quialty for your own use.

[Samsa]

here are circuit city tips

Digital cameras are great. Take a picture, look at it on the built-in LCD screen and decide if you like it enough to keep it. When you've decided which pictures to keep, the things you can do with them are nothing short of amazing.

· E-mail them to friends and family
· Store them on your computer, CD-R, or other media
· Edit and manipulate them (stuff like fixing the red eyes that make your friends look evil)
· And, of course, print them out.

The great news is that digital cameras are better and more affordable than ever. Plus, they can actually save you money in the long run by (A) eliminating the bad pictures, keeping only the good ones and (B) eliminating developing charges and printing them on your computer's printer. Americans have bought millions of digital cameras, and sales are only increasing. This is a good time to get a digital camera.

What are the differences?
There are a lot of digital cameras out there, so knowing what you're looking for and what's important enough for you to spend the extra money on and what's not will come in very handy.

Megapixels
The single biggest factor in the price of a digital camera is the number of pixels it uses to create the picture. Digital cameras use little dots of color to make a picture; kind of like a mosaic. And like a mosaic, the more little dots of color that make up the picture, the better it looks. There are some entry-level digital cameras that use fewer than one million pixels, but most of the digital cameras these days have at least a million, also known as a megapixel. This is one of those instances where more is just plain better.

Cameras with 1 megapixel are good for 3"x5" printouts and for use on the web or in e-mail.
Cameras with 2 megapixels provide significantly better printed pictures and can give you 4"x6" prints that are comparable to good 35mm consumer film cameras.
Cameras with 3 or more megapixels can provide superb prints up to 5"x7" and are well suited for serious amateur or business uses, especially where close up shots and enlargements will be a common task.
Cameras with 4 megapixels and above can give professional-looking results in all the standard print sizes and are even suitable for prints up to 8"x10".

In the specifications for some digital cameras you may notice two sets of resolution numbers. The higher of the two numbers refers to the number of pixels on the imaging chip, called a CCD (charge-coupled device). The lower number refers to the resolution of the final image. There are a number of reasons for this discrepancy--all of them technical--but the two numbers will always be very close.

Memory
Digital pictures are stored in removable memory chips of various types. This is your digital film, but unlike film, once you use up the space on your chip you can offload your pictures to your PC or perhaps a CD-R and use the same chip to take more pictures. The more megabytes (MB) your chip has, the more pictures you can take without changing chips or offloading your pictures. There are four main chip formats right now:

Memory Stick
Compact Flash
Flash Cards
MMCs
They all do pretty much the same thing: store your digital pictures in a convenient format. If you have or plan to get other digital devises that use removable memory chips (printers, PDAs, digital camcorders, laptops, MP3 players, etc.), we recommend trying to get a camera that uses the same format chip to allow easy swapping of data and multiple uses for the same chip.

Zoom
Here's one case where digital is not better. A digital zoom is a cost effective alternative to having no zoom capability, but will not be as clear as pictures taken with an optical zoom lens. Cameras with optical zoom are generally more expensive but will provide sharper, more detailed close-ups.

Many optical zoom cameras also come with a digital zoom, which can be used in conjunction with the optical. To find out the total zoom capability, multiply the two zooms together to (Example 4x optical and 2x digital equals 8x maximum zoom!)

There are lots of other features to consider before making your final choice of a camera but if you select the right combination of the above features for you, chances are you'll be happy with the results.

Smile! Saving and sharing your memories has never been easier or more fun!

Now that you've taken your digital pictures, what can you do with them?

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Features

Resolution
Resolution determines how sharp and detailed pictures can be, and, in the realm of digital cameras, is measured in megapixels (millions of dots of color that make up a picture) and is the single biggest difference between digital cameras at various prices.

1 Megapixel: All but the most basic cameras have resolution at least in the one megapixel range and are just fine if you'll be satisfied with pictures similar to those obtained with a typical point-and-shoot film camera. They're also fine if you just plan to share your picutres digitally through e-mail or on a Web site, since PC screen resolution is less than that of a megapixel camera.

You will NOT be happy with a one megapixel camera if you want the resolution found in good quality 35mm prints or if you want to do high quality prints of fine details or 8x10 blowups. But with prices starting below $150, 1 megapixel cameras are very popular and fine for basic photography needs.

2 Megapixel: Cameras with 2 megapixel resolution offer significantly better resolution and are fast becoming the resolution of choice for consumers who want to get really good-looking printouts and hope to do a lot of close-ups or 8x10 blowups. If you have a high quality printer at home (or plan on getting one) you'll find that 2-megapixel prints compare very favorably with those from a good quality 35mm camera that an amateur photographer might buy.

3 Megapixel & Up: These cameras are for serious photographers that are highly critical of print quality and want as much control over their results as possible. While they are becoming more affordable all the time, they can still range from expensive to VERY expensive, depending on the other features the camera has. If you are a serious hobbyist, this is probably where you want to start your search.

Keep in mind that the more resolution a camera has, the bigger the picture files stored on its memory chips will be. Most cameras compress their digital images, but a 3-megapixel camera shooting at the highest quality can use a megabyte of storage space per picture! That's four times as much as the same (less detailed) picture on a 1-megabyte camera. We recommend that you get some extra removable memory cards so you never run out of "film."

TIP: Since all cameras can take pictures at less than their maximum resolution, if you don't plan to print out your pictures (i.e. Web use or e-mails), then you can take more pictures at lower resolution and use less memory. Only use the highest quality setting when you want high-resolution printouts or want to do blow-ups or other editing.

Flash
An electronic flash is often necessary to give your pictures good color. Most cameras have a built-in flash, often automatic and tied to a light sensor that activates the flash when necessary. Better cameras generally have a "pre-flash" option that helps eliminate red-eye in your photos.

Battery-Guzzling Features - A Word of Caution
Many cameras come with cool features that can drain batteries -- fast. Some examples of battery-draining features *******:

· Using the LCD screen all the time instead of the optical viewfinder
· Storing sound (yes some cameras have built-in microphones that allows you to record audio clips)
· Shooting features such as continuous shooting or panoramic shooting.

Don't be discouraged from using all of the bells and whistles of your new camera -- just have realistic expectations for the battery life. Many higher-end cameras come with rechargeable batteries and a charger. We suggest getting an extra set of rechargeable batteries so you can save money (and the environment) and always have a fresh set ready to go.

Optical vs. Digital Zoom
Some cameras, of course, do not have a zoom feature at all, but if you're in the market for one with a zoom you need to be aware that there are two types: optical and digital.

Unlike just about everything else digital, this is one case where digital is not better. A little digital zooming is just fine, but too much and your picture will start looking grainy and "pixelated." So why would anyone choose a digital zoom? The simple answer is that digital zoom costs less than optical and, for many, digital zoom is better than not having any zoom.

Optical zoom works just like the zoom lenses in film cameras and may use multiple lenses and motors to create the perfect picture. Obviously, the more advanced and powerful the zoom, the more expensive they'll be, but they do give you more control and better results on your prints.

Interestingly, most cameras with optical zoom lenses also come with digital zooms to further enhance your zoom capabilities. An optical zoom of 3x can be multiplied by the digital zoom of 2x to give a range of up to 6x magnification without significant degradation of the picture.

Any zoom is nice to have, but choose an optical zoom if you're serious about picture quality and budget considerations allow it.

Other Features
Most digital cameras are fully automatic and simple to use. But just as with film cameras, some better digital cameras give the advanced user manual options for shutter speed, focus, speed shooting, back-lighting, and a host of other features. This allows the serious amateur the creative control of a fine film camera.

Most cameras we sell come with basic photo editing software that will enable you to download pictures and create prints, album pages, and e-mails while providing some tools to correct things like under or over exposure. This is all most of us will ever need, but the serious hobbyist may choose to purchase a more robust photo editing program with more options and greater control.

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Glossary

Auto Flash- An electronic flash is often necessary to achieve good color. Most cameras have this built in. Often, the flash is automatic and tied to a light sensor that adds the flash when necessary.

Backlight Compensation- Anyone who has ever taken a picture of something in front of a window can tell you all about the problems with backlighting. Some digital cameras have a feature that increases the exposure (lets more light in) to help the camera capture more detail of the subject, not just her silhouette.

Fill Flash- Similar in function to Backlight Compensation, fill flash lets you fill in shadows by allowing you to manually activate the flash when the built-in light meter would not.

Flash Features- Like a conventional film camera, digital cameras often need a flash in low lighting. Many cameras come with features that improve the effectiveness of the flash when taking pictures such as "red-eye" reduction.

*******d Memory- Digital cameras use various types of external memory to store the pictures you take. All cameras come with a set amount of memory (measured in megabytes) *******d with the camera. If you want to be able to switch out memory media or increase the camera's storage capability, you can buy additional memory. If you have other devices which use removable memory (printer, laptop, PDA, MP3 player, etc.), you should consider a digital camera that uses the same type of "chip" for the sake of compatibility and ease of use.

LCD Screen Size- Some digital cameras have only an LCD screen or an optical viewfinder, but most cameras have both. You have a choice of whether to look through the viewfinder, as with a regular 35mm camera, or use the LCD screen to shoot pictures.

LCD Type- Different cameras come with different quality color LCDs. The LCD isn't only used to take pictures, you can also use it to review pictures and decide which ones to keep and which to delete from memory. A good LCD display should be easy to see under a variety of lighting conditions.

Manual Focus- Being able to set the focus manually gives the photographer (that's you) more creative control over the picture. Some cameras allow you to choose between Auto and Manual Focus.

Max # Pictures @ High Resolution- The higher the resolution, the higher the "space" requirements of the file. Taking pictures at the maximum resolution of the camera gives you pictures with greater detail, but reduces the number the memory can store. This specification tells you how many high-resolution pictures can be taken with the memory supplied with the camera. Buying memory cards with greater capacity will increase the number of pictures the memory chip can store.

Max # Pictures @ Low Resolution- The higher the resolution, the higher the "space" requirements of the file. Taking pictures at the lower resolution settings lets you store more pictures, but at lower detail than high-resolution pictures. This specification tells you how many low-resolution pictures can be taken with the memory supplied with the camera. Buying memory cards with greater capacity will increase the number of pictures you can store.

Maximum Resolution- Resolution is shown as the number of pixels horizontally by the number of pixels vertically (e.g.1280x960). Pixels are the dots of color that make up the picture -- the more dots, the better the picture. Resolution is directly related to the number of pixels in the imaging sensor.

Some specifications listings will have two sets of numbers for resolution: one for the number of pixels on the imaging device, called a CCD (charge-coupled device), and one for the actual image. Most camera manufacturers use the slightly higher CCD number, but there should never be a significant difference between the two numbers. See also: Megapixel.

Megapixel- Pictures are made up of dots of color called pixels, and there is a direct correlation between the number of pixels and the clarity of the images a digital camera can produce. In other words, the more dots you have, the sharper the picture will look. The term "megapixel" means the pictures the camera produces are composed of at least one million (1,000,000) pixels. Some cameras create pictures with multiples of megapixels, which explains why you will see specifications like 1.3, 2.1, 3.3, and even 4.1 megapixel. While just one of many important considerations when choosing a camera, the number of pixels, and therefore picture clarity, this should be toward the top of the list. See also: Maximum Resolution

Megapixel Effective- Digital cameras make pictures when an image is captured on a chip called a CCD, which is a mercifully short version of Charge Coupled Device. These CCDs have little dots of color called pixels, which make up the picture. Like a mosaic, the more dots you have to work with, the clearer the picture. But not all the pixels on a digital camera's CCD are used to create a picture. The Gross Megapixel specification *******s all the pixels, including the ones that are not involved in creating a picture. Effective Megapixel, on the other hand, counts only those pixels used to make a picture.

Megapixel Gross- Digital cameras make pictures when an image is captured on a chip called a CCD, which is a mercifully short version of Charge Coupled Device. These CCDs have little dots of color called pixels, which make up the picture. Like a mosaic, the more dots you have to work with, the clearer the picture. But not all the pixels on a digital camera's CCD are used to create a picture. The Gross Megapixel specification *******s all the pixels, including the ones that are not involved in creating a picture. Effective Megapixel, on the other hand, counts only those pixels used to make a picture.

Memory Storage Type- Digital cameras can use a variety of different types of external memory to store images, including compact flash, smart media, floppy diskette, CD-RWs, and, on Sony models, the Memory Stick™. Each camera has different memory needs based on how it stores pictures. You can buy additional memory for the camera to expand its memory.

Output to NTSC TV- This allows you to view snapshots on a regular TV. With this you can display images and remove pictures from memory without using a computer or the camera's LCD screen.

Output To Serial Port- A serial or COM port is typically used for communications devices such as a modem. Serial ports usually are the slowest ports on a PC, however all desktop and most laptop PCs have at least one serial port.

Output To USB- Universal Serial Bus or USB ports are a newer type of connection that supports plug-and-play for easier device setup and offers faster data transfers than serial or parallel ports. Plus, more than one device can be connected to the same USB Port. Note: You must be using a PC with a USB port and running Windows98 or higher to use a camera with a USB output.

Rapid Fire Snapshot- While a digital camera doesn't have to advance film to a picture, it does take a digital camera time to write an image into memory. Some digital cameras use high speed RAM to let you capture a series of photos at speeds of less than 1 per second. This is great when you're photographing sports and other fast-action events.

Rechargeable Batteries- Digital cameras often have features, like backlit LCD screens and optical zoom, that drain batteries quickly. This is why may digital cameras come with rechargeable batteries. Incidentally, we recommend getting a couple sets of rechargeable batteries. Having two sets charged and ready will let you run down one set, swap them out for a fresh set, and keep on shooting.

Resolution - Pictures are made up of dots of color called pixels, and there is a direct correlation between the number of pixels and the clarity of the images a digital camera can produce. In other words, the more dots you have, the sharper the picture will look. Better cameras will allow you to adjust the resolution, as there is a trade off between how many pictures you can store and the quality of each picture. You can choose a lot of lower quality photos or a few high-quality shots. See also: Maximum Resolution.

Self Timer- This common feature lets you delay when the camera takes a picture. This is a great way to ******* yourself in the picture. Point the camera at the subject, set the timer, and get in there and say Circuit City!

Shutter Speed- Just as with film cameras, some digital cameras allow you to adjust the shutter speed to catch fast action with adequate lighting or slower-moving subjects in lower light.

Time/Date Stamp- Ever look through old photo albums with and try to remember when that picture was taken? This feature puts not only the date, but also the time you took the shot right on the picture.

Type of Memory- Most digital cameras have some kind of removable memory, and most of them are in the form of a card or stick. Currently, there are four main types of removable memory -- CompactFlash, memory Stick, SmartMedia, and MultiMedia -- and the kind your camera can use depends on the brand.
Removable memory has several advantages over internal memory, including that you can fill them up and replace them with a new card or stick just as you would with film. The more memory you have, the less you’ll have to worry about running out of space to store your pictures. Having more than one card or stick allows you to fill one up and simply swap it out and keep shooting.

Wireless Output- Some digital cameras have a built-in infrared data port (IRDa) for transferring data to a laptop or other PC. This lets you download your photos to your compatible computer or even directly to a printer without connecting and disconnecting a lot of wires. Just point the IR port on the camera at the IR port on the computer, download your images, and then get back into the action!

Zoom/Zoom Range- Zoom allows you to get closer pictures of your subjects. Zoom range is measured in the number of times bigger the zoom makes the image; a 2x zoom lets you stand 100 ft from something but view it as if you were only 50 ft away. Unlike a regular camera, a digital camera can use a digital zoom in addition to optical zoom to boost the range of the zoom. Optical zoom uses conventional lenses to give you the best resolution. Digital zoom uses circuitry inside the camera to increase the zoom range, so a camera with a 2x optical zoom and a 3x digital zoom can zoom an image up to 6x (2 multiplied by 3). However, a digital zoom will not provide as crisp a resolution as the optical zoom.

[obscured01]

Originally posted by Samsa
here are circuit city tips...

AAAAAHHH! You're wonderful, thank you. That's basicly what I was looking for.

[Elvis The Fat Years]

i have the cx4200. it works really well, its easy to use and its 50 bucks cheaper. here's a pic i just took with it...

http://cheez125.homestead.com/files/outside.jpg

[obscured01]

Originally posted by Elvis The Fat Years
i have the cx4200. it works really well, its easy to use and its 50 bucks cheaper. here's a pic i just took with it...

http://cheez125.homestead.com/files/outside.jpg

oooooh yeah. That pictures is all nice and clear.... It's 50 bucks cheaper?

[Elvis The Fat Years]

Originally posted by obscured01


oooooh yeah. That pictures is all nice and clear.... It's 50 bucks cheaper?

mmhmm. got it for $150.

[strange_one]

Originally posted by Elvis The Fat Years
i have the cx4200. it works really well, its easy to use and its 50 bucks cheaper. here's a pic i just took with it...

haha, great neighbourhood