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[Alcibiades]

I was looking and in the past some Kodak and Fuji camera's at the $100 range have been recommended, I think I'd want to go with Kodak because I recognize the brand and I'd guess would be good and reliable, but if I can go $50 more and see much better quality I think I'd do that...

 

[VPhys]

Kodak is the worst brand of DC to buy. Sadly their sales are based off people such as yourself, who recognize Kodak from the film world. If only they knew...


Try this.

 

[Alcibiades]

ha, thanks for the warning...

hmm, that Canon one looks pretty good, seems people are happy with it...

 

[teh_pwn]

Yea canon is one of the best brands imo.

 

[Manick Joe]

Canon Powershot or Nikon Coolpix in the 3 megapixel range is the way to go my friend. Maybe the Sony DSCP72/73, but they're not so easy to find anymore plus Memory Stick is more expensive then CompactFlash/SD. Personally I'd go with the Nikon 3200. It's a lot smaller, uses two AA batteries compared to 4 in the Canon and quality/features are a wash.

 

[goodcow]

If you can still find it, the Sony 3 mega-pixel DSC-P72 was my first digital camera, and I loved it. It's at least two years old now, and I think was only $350 when I bought it, so it surely has to be in the $100-$150 range now.

 

[Instigator]

ha, thanks for the warning...

hmm, that Canon one looks pretty good, seems people are happy with it...

If you'd go with random ratings alone to sway you then lots of people are happy with Kodak as well:

http://www.newegg.com/app/searchPro...DEPA=7&bop=and&description=kodak&InnerCata=12

Ultimately, it's all about what you need, what you pay for (all costs included) and, yes, try the camera before you buy. At your price range, there's a thin line between complete crap and somewhat decent DC. Don't let fanboys decieve you. Oh yes, brand fanboys are plentiful in the DC world.

 

[marsomega]

Just a warning. Be weary of those 149.99 4/5 mega pixel cameras or cameras in that price range in general. You really get what you are paying for. I bought the HP M407. On paper it was virtually indistinguishable from their HP R707 (350USD), but the pictures were another story. Sure they were 4 mega pixels, but the picture quality was shit-poor. Any solid colors suffered from artifacts, additionally, objects just weren't reproduced properly; Many details were either reproduced improperly or just not there. Resulting in a picture with not only shit quality, but a picture you just sit there and think, "this doesn't look like what it is suppose to look like at all". Surfaces are way off in additional to the color, not only do you get artifacts, but the colors aren't even accurate.

You really get what you pay for. I went back for the HP R707 and haven't looked back. Now they are cheaper I think.

 

[VPhys]

If you'd go with random ratings alone to sway you then lots of people are happy with Kodak as well:

http://www.newegg.com/app/searchPro...DEPA=7&bop=and&description=kodak&InnerCata=12

Ultimately, it's all about what you need, what you pay for (all costs included) and, yes, try the camera before you buy. At your price range, there's a thin line between complete crap and somewhat decent DC. Don't let fanboys decieve you. Oh yes, brand fanboys are plentiful in the DC world.

Random rating? Brand fanboy? :lol


Far from it. I have been using DCs for 5 years and have owned several brands, including Kodak. Those Kodak owners at newegg are happy with Kodak, because, I assure you, 95% of them have not used anything else. But hey, if you don't want to go by my opinion, you can check the data for yourself. Check out imaging-resource.com. Check out dcresource.com. Look at the image samples from Kodak cameras and other comparable brands in their price range (namely Canon/Nikon) and see for yourself.

Then, go to a local best buy and see what a $100 Kodak feels like in your hands. Test the build quality. Then you can make an informed decision and if you've done your research you will come to the same conclusions I have.

 

[Instigator]

Hey, calm down, fanboy.

The point is the guy who started the topic is probably like those folks at newegg. Whether he gets one camera or the other hardly matters, just as long as it doesn't fall into pieces, he will probably be fine.

Maybe he'll gain more experience playing with whatever cheap camera he'll end up with, learning what he likes or dislikes for a future replacement. But for now, it's likely to be the camera that looks the most attractive and possibly among the cheapest since they'll probably all take similar-looking pics to him. He's a casual user, a newbie, something you've accused him of being already and noise reduction, image compression, manual controls and all those things enthusiasts obsess over probably mean nothing to him. It's overkill.

If he can find a decent selection at a store, I have a feeling he'll choose the 'cuter' Nikon 3200 over the boxier Canon A400, if it comes down to those two cameras.

 

[btrboyev]

Canon A75 $199 best camera for the buck

 

[chinch]

amazon had the Canon PowerShot SD110 3MP Digital Elph for $149 a few weeks ago.... seem all gone. These are a STEAL given it does movies, 3mp, 2x optical zoom AND is very, VERY small for good portability in a stainless steel casing. highly recommended for the $$$ can't be beat.

 

[Memles]

Canon cameras and their insanely long shutter speeds annoy the hell out of me. That and they just seem really heavy on the batteries in general. But, if you want something nice and cheap in that range , the Canon's remain good cameras. Kodak has never given me any problems personally, but I've never been picky about image quality.

 

[goodcow]

Kodak has never given me any problems personally, but I've never been picky about image quality.

I know whatcha mean, I mean who cares about image quality, it's only a camera.

 

[chinch]

Canon cameras and their insanely long shutter speeds annoy the hell out of me. That and they just seem really heavy on the batteries in general. But, if you want something nice and cheap in that range , the Canon's remain good cameras. Kodak has never given me any problems personally, but I've never been picky about image quality.

user error.

you can turn off the AF/AE to make it instant if you have lighting issues. either way there is no shutter lag or write lag.

of course you can buy a real digical (ie. digital SLR) and shoot 3fps

 

[Memles]

I know whatcha mean, I mean who cares about image quality, it's only a camera.

I'm sensing a bit of sarcasm, but I'm not sure. Oh Professor Frink, where are you when I need you?

But no...if you simply want something to take daily pictures with and then perhaps print off 4x6s, a low-range Kodak camera is fine FOR YOUR NEEDS. It is not the best camera, but considering your price range I don't think that's an issue.

 

[BigGreenMat]

No one has mentioned it too much yet, but probably the absolute best camera for $100 or so dollars is the Fuji Finepix A330. Has multiple shooting modes, along with an auto adjust, movie modes, can be used as a webcam, 3x optical along with some digital zooming, and a ton of other stuff.

 

[Manick Joe]

But it uses the dreaded XD, yeck!

 

[Alcibiades]

ok now I have no idea what to do after reading these replies...

 

[Instigator]

lol

There's nothing particularly wrong with any camera models named in this thread. So all you have to do is shop around and try to track them down and other similar models in the same price range. Just play with them, get a feel for them, how comfortable there are, how easy they can be operated and all.

Keep in mind XD memory cards are the most expensive and Compact Flash are the cheapest, though bulky. SD cards are right in the middle. Be also sure to know if you want a camera with normal batteries or one with proprietary batteries (they usually last longer but they are more expensive and difficult to find). Try to stick with a 3 megapixel camera in this price range. And don't be fooled by the digital zoom, it's the optical zoom that really matters and cameras in your category usually feature a 2 or 3X optical zoom.

If you go with Kodak, try to stay away from the absolute cheapest model from the brand. It's the one with no lens cap and no zoom, the CX7300. This is the one I mean:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=30-170-013&depa=7

Anything else from Kodak should be good enough.

 

[Instigator]

So... did you buy anything yet?

 

[Diablos]

Kodak's aren't that bad... I've seen pictures made with a 3.1 megapixel Kodak and the image quality is very, very nice.

 

[Alcibiades]

haven't bought anything, but now I'm leaning on one of the Nikon's (around $160 I think)...

still not sure yet...