Digital cameras

Fizban140

Right now I have my old 3 megapixel camera and I was thinking about getting a new one because I will be going to Guam for a couple months. First of all, is 3 megapixels really bad? Also, I need a camera that will fit into my pocket comfortably and be fairly durable, are most cameras the same in that regard or should I be looking for something specific?

I took a few years of photography classes and used an old SLR camera so I am a little bit into photography so I want a decent camera but I am not looking for anything like a DSLR. Anyone have any recomendations?

UnknownSaint

There are about a billion other topics around here asking the same thing, you could probably dig up tons of info by checking back a few pages - it's one of the most commonly asked questions here.

(Hint - Powershot G9. But that's just me.)

saltiness

I wouldn't spend more than $300. A nice Canon A-series should suit you well. I disagree with Unknown, the G9 is a waste of money.

Fizban140

From what I have read I think I am going to get the SD1000.

UnknownSaint

saltiness wrote: »

I wouldn't spend more than $300. A nice Canon A-series should suit you well. I disagree with Unknown, the G9 is a waste of money.

Pfsh, if you're just going to go with a point and shoot may as well do it right.

Dark Moon

I'd be more inclined to agree with salti in regards to pricepoint if Fiz were just wanting a walking-around camera under ordinary circumstances. In that case, I'd point him at a cheap P+S and tell him to buy a DSLR as soon as funds allow. However, with him going to Guam for several months and the sheer number of photo opportunities he's going to have there I say go for the G9. It's a great little camera (so much so that this photog preferred it during his trip to Japan over a Leica M8) for a damn good price. I'd suggest you also look at possibly picking up a real flash to accompany it too- while it won't be pocketable when you have the flash, it will let you do a lot more in low light and can be left at home when you don't want it.

saltiness

The G9 is just too close to DSLR price range to justify it in my opinion. Might as well throw in $20 more to move up to a Rebel XT.

Pheezer

saltiness wrote: »

The G9 is just too close to DSLR price range to justify it in my opinion. Might as well throw in $20 more to move up to a Rebel XT.

That's just it. It's beyond the value curve completely.

If you want features and manual controls and you're going to play with photography as a hobby, you want the Powershot A line. If you want something for parties that will always fit neatly into your pocket, the SD line is good.

Dark Moon

Which brings up an important pair of questions: Fiz, what's your budget and are you going to get a DSLR in the future?

Fizban140

I want something under or around $200, although if it is worth it I can easily spend more but I would like something cheaper. I am not sure if I would get a DSLR in the future, but if I ever decide to get back into photography I would, so I really don't need a DSLR like point and shoot camera.

Pheezer

In Canada the Powershot A720 IS is $250. With tax and a camera bag (you want something padded to protect your new toy) and some NiMH AAs w/charger, and an SD card you're looking at $350. Ignore the SD card and you're saving about $30 and leaving out the batteries/charger you're saving another $40. Tax isn't so optional.

If you lack the batteries and the memory card, you're pretty much stuck spending $70-$100 on top of the camera's price. Luckily however there is still an excellent camera within your budget, the Canon Powershot A560 is worth every penny at $150 and that plus modest accessories isn't so hard to stomach.

If you ask me, the leap to the 720 IS is in fact justified, but if it breaks the bank there is absolutely nothing wrong with the A560. The A560 is probably one of the best options you've got in terms of dollar value, there's not much that can touch it at $150.

Pheezer

Also if you're not Canadian, I'm pretty sure the current American prices compare rather close to those anyhow.

Dark Moon

I'd skip the A560 and go for the A570IS instead. It's got IS, manual modes (560 doesn't even have Av/Tv) and can run that sexy custom CHKD firmware that gives it RAW capabilities. Even with out the last bit, it's a much superior camera for a similar price (on Amazon it's actually cheaper).

Fizban140

I dont know what IS, AV/TV, CHKD or RAW is, so should I be worried about those features not being on an SD1000 or SD750?

Dark Moon

IS stands for image stabilization, which is very handy. I've had it buy me as many as 4 stops and it'll regularly give me 2 extra stops of light. Your call. Av/Tv stand for aperture priority and shutter priority, which are automatic modes in which you set either the aperture (Av) or the shutter speed (Tv) and your camera will decide on the other setting for you based on what its light meter says. When I'm out and about I shoot in Av about 75% of the time. It's one of my favourite shooting modes. I would be very hesitant to buy a camera without the Av/Tv and full manual modes. CHKD is a custom, 3rd party open firmware that you can throw on a memory card and load into certain Canon cameras. It adds a bunch of neat functionality like the ability to shoot RAW (an unprocessed image file that you can pull a bunch of detail out of and change piles of parameters on after the fact, meaning you don't have to worry about things like white balance when shooting and being underexposed by a stop won't be the end of the world), but that may not be much of a worry for you as it's a bit tricky to run.

As for the SD1000 and SD750, I personally strongly dislike both cameras. In fact, I dislike the entire SD line in general. They give you very little control over your exposure settings and sacrifice ergonomics for size. For the small size difference, I'd highly suggest you look at something like the A570IS I talked about earlier, which can still easily fit in a pocket but is a superior camera in all respects.

Fizban140

Thanks I will look into both, size is pretty important for me as I want something that can comfortably fit into my pocket but you have raised my interest on the A570IS with that list of features.

Pheezer

I didn't realize the price point on the A570 IS was so close. Given that, yeah, it's a bit of an obvious choice.

saltiness

I have an A570 IS as my point-and-shoot and I like it a lot, especially with CHDK and this is coming from someone who normally uses a 20D with L-series lenses. It's super cheap as well. The SD series cameras are junk if you want control over your exposures. They don't have manual controls.