Buying new Digital Camera

[Old Goat]

I am in the market for a new digital camera. I had a Kodak DX 3900 3.1 MP and would like to move up to a 5.0 MP model. I am interested in a point and shoot model and am considering the Sony DSC-W5 and the Kodak 7530. I like their easy operation,compact size and being able to carry them in a shirt pocket. Has anybody had any experience with these cameras? Any recommendations on other makes and models?........

[cosmotcat]

I have the Kodak 7330 which is a 3.1 mg, and I'm thrilled with it.  It's very easy to use, great quality pictures and I can captuer short movies.  The part of the Kodak that I really liked is that it takes the standard SD Expansion cards rather than Sony's special ones.  The SD cards are cheaper and I already had some that I used on my Palm Pilot.

[carlstone00]

Do you print large pictures, bigger than 8x10; or crop pictures and then blow them up?  If not, you may want to save $$ and go with another 3 or 4 megapixal camera.  The more megapixals allow for larger prints or for cropping a picture or section of a picture then blowing it up and keeping the image clear.  I hear a lot of the salesmen convince people they need much larger megapixal cameras than they really need.  

Another area is in the zoom, you want a higher optical zoom vice digital zoom.  The more digital zoom used, the fuzzer the picture turns out.  Many times salesmen try to sell you on the higher digital zoom cameras.  

Just a couple things to look at.  I use an Olympus D-550 (older model), 3 megapixal, works great but not all the options.  I would highly recommend an Olympus to anyone.  Cheap and small with great quality and durability.  Anyway...Happy camera hunting and good luck!!  

Carlstone

[brainpause]

Just a couple things to look at.  I use an Olympus D-550 (older model), 3 megapixal, works great but not all the options.  I would highly recommend an Olympus to anyone.  Cheap and small with great quality and durability.  Anyway...Happy camera hunting and good luck!!  

Carlstone

I am not a camera expert by any means. But my mom has an Olympus digital camera, and has LOVED it. She also has a second digital camera, but I can't remember its brand name. Might be an Olympus too. She is a computer guru, so her Olympus and computer jived pretty nicely.

Larry

[brainpause]

I am not a camera expert by any means. But my mom has an Olympus digital camera, and has LOVED it. She also has a second digital camera, but I can't remember its brand name. Might be an Olympus too. She is a computer guru, so her Olympus and computer jived pretty nicely.

Larry

I emailed my mom for her model numbers. Both are Olympus cameras.

Her old camera was a D-460 (she thought), and was 1.3 megapixel. She loved it, and it took great pictures, even with the now-relatively low MP count.

Her newest camera is an Olympus C-4000 Zoom with 4.0 megapixel. She likes it, but she says it almost has TOO many features. Nevertheless, they have been trouble-free cameras.

Larry

[SkipP]

The newer generation of 5+mp compact cameras are nothing short of amazing to me. The resolution they offer will satisfy most any requirement and may even be a little bit of overkill. Still, too much resolution is the better alternative.

 
Carlstone bring up an excellent point about digital zoom. It's basically a gimmick....marketing hype, if you will. All the digital zoom will do is use a smaller area of the sensor and thus increase the apparent magnification. If you take a  5 x 7 print and enlarge it to 8 x 10, you've created the same effect....you've used the same resoution to cover a larger surface area.
 
The next "frontier" of compact digital cameras will be optics instead of MP count. The "true" camera manufacturers, Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Minolta and Pentax have generally offered better glass than other companies but even that is changing. Kodak has done an excellent job of matching the camera to a given lens and focusing (sic) their efforts on lens quality.
 
If I were buying a new digital camera today, I'd say the Kodaks offer the greatest value in the 5+mp range

[gsm x2]

Carlstone bring up an excellent point about digital zoom. It's basically a gimmick....marketing hype, if you will. All the digital zoom will do is use a smaller area of the sensor and thus increase the apparent magnification. If you take a 5 x 7 print and enlarge it to 8 x 10, you've created the same effect....you've used the same resoution to cover a larger surface area.

Lots of good points in this thread.  Just a correction on the above point.
 
 Digital zoom is a marketing hype.  3x digital zoom is like printing out a 5x7, then cropping 2/3 of the picture and printing out the same 5x7.
 
 A Canon fan myself so don't have either of those cameras.
 
 gsm x2

[elph]

Take a look at the Canon A85 and A95. Both are very goods cameras.  Great reviews.  

I only shoot Canon - though mine are a lot more $$$ than either of these two.

check out //www.dpreview.com great place for digital camera reviews.

[SkipP]

Lots of good points in this thread. Just a correction on the above point.
 
Digital zoom is a marketing hype. 3x digital zoom is like printing out a 5x7, then cropping 2/3 of the picture and printing out the same 5x7.
 
A Canon fan myself so don't have either of those cameras.
 
gsm x2

Scott, you worded it better than I did. I guess the main point is that digital zoom sacrifices quality for reach!
 
I have a Canon A-80 (4mp, since replaced by the 5mp A-95) that does everything we want in a digital...for now;).
 
The biggest pain with these digitals to me isn't the on the telephoto end. It's the wide angle....or lack of.... end that drives me crazy. The 17-40mm zoom on my 35mm would barely be wide angle on most of the digital SLR's.

[zamboni]

I have the Sony DSC-W1 -- I bought it last year when it first came out, just weeks before my first baby was born (the excuse for a new camera!).  Replaced a horrible HP 2.1 MP.  Finally, a camera that I liked enough to make me stop using my beloved Nikon SLR.

I have to say, it has been a great camera - and the W5 you mentioned is an update to it.

Advantages of the Sony:
1) Using the "pro" memory, lets it shoot DVD-quality video at 640x480, 30 frames per second
2) Can shoot movies until it runs out of memory (my friends' Cannons have time limits, and poor resolution)
3) 2.5" display is great
4) Uses regular recharagble AA batteries - a couple hundred shots per charge, with screen, etc.
5) You can disable digital zoom (phew!), so it only uses its 3x optical

[Azusateach]

Although it's probably too big for you, I have a Canon PowerShot G3, and really like it.  4mp & lots of bells & whistles.  But ... not much in the way of close-up and wide angle, which I missed on my film camera.  So, I bit the bullet and bought a Pentax SLR/digital, which nicely accomodates my film camera lenses.  Needless to say, I won't be buying another camera for a LONG time.  6mp is plenty for me, and I can now do everything my old film camera did.  Can't ask for more!  Scott, I'm ready for the Pismo Beach photo contest!

Laura

[Old Goat]

After compairing many cameras and reading many reviews including the ones posted here, I made up my mind and purchased the Sony DSC-W5..It arrived yesterday via UPS. I like the  ease of operation with it's point and shoot capability. I find it's construction to be sturdier and of higher quality than some of the other brands. It was a few bucks more than the others I considered but I feel it will be worth it. I also purchased an all parts/ labor warranty for five years for only $29.95...The camera, 256 memory stick and warranty were less than four hundred... The cheapest price I could find around here was at Wal-Mart at $345.78 just for the camera, so I think I did OK price wise....

Another thing I learned while shopping...Digital technology is advancing so fast that by the time a new camera model hits the market it is already obsolete......

Many thanks Guys for your advice and opinions...........

[gsm x2]

After compairing many cameras and reading many reviews including the ones posted here, I made up my mind and purchased the Sony DSC-W5..It arrived yesterday via UPS. I like the ease of operation with it's point and shoot capability. I find it's construction to be sturdier and of higher quality than some of the other brands. It was a few bucks more than the others I considered but I feel it will be worth it. I also purchased an all parts/ labor warranty for five years for only $29.95...The camera, 256 memory stick and warranty were less than four hundred... The cheapest price I could find around here was at Wal-Mart at $345.78 just for the camera, so I think I did OK price wise....
 
Another thing I learned while shopping...Digital technology is advancing so fast that by the time a new camera model hits the market it is already obsolete......
 
Many thanks Guys for your advice and opinions...........

Congratulations Old Goat.  Looks like you got a camera that will work for you at a good price.  Way to do the research.
 
gsm x2

[Old Goat]

I have taken a few pictures around home and ran them through the printer.The enlargements with the 5 MP are much better in quality and detail than the old 3 MP was...So far so good, I'm happy with it................