OK, I’m gonna get my girlfriend a digital camera for her birthday. I’ve tried to read up and be somewhat informed about this decision, but no matter how I slice it I don’t really know anything about photography. My girlfriend is by no means a shutterbug, but she has said many times that she wants a digital camera, so that’s what she’s going to get. Mainly, she’ll be using it to take social-type pictures, not shooting waterfalls or wolves or gladiators or anything, so I think that ease of use and practicality are most important. I don’t want to get her crap, though. My price range is up to around $200 – if it was really a dramatic difference I’d go higher, but since she really won’t use stuff like advanced shooting modes and she isn’t going to be taking many artsy shots, I’d rather not spend money just for the sake of getting something more expensive. Based on what I can understand from reading other threads and from various review and ratings sites, I’m looking at the Canon Powershot A520 and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC S-90. They seem like popular beginner cameras with decent features and they don’t look like they came out of one of those claw games, which is nice. However, I don’t really know enough to intelligently evaluate the relative merits of the two, or the advantages/disadvantages of stepping up or down a level in price. My hope is that someone else does. If you were, uh, a person, and you wanted a digital camera for general everyday use, what model would you most desire? Or, if you already have a digital camera in this price range, how do you feel about it?
Also, it looks like I’m definitely going to have to get her another memory card. Is brand important, or can I just grab a cheapy? How much is enough? I’m thinking 512 should be plenty, but then again I really don’t have any idea. How many decent-quality shots can you get on one of those?
Any input would be greatly appreciated – pro/con, other suggestions, telling me my choices stink, anything.
For most people, 4 megapixels is plenty. Your price limit should cover the 4 Mpx cameras.
However large a memory card you get, it won’t be large enough. I got a 128 MB card for my camera, and I recognize the need for a 1 GB card. Go for the biggest capacity you can find.
Also, get a spare battery, so one can charge while the other battery is being used.
I agree that a 4-5 MP camera should be fine for a beginner. The A510 would be a better choice than the 520, no need for the extra pixels for her stated needs. You’ll save money with the Canon since it takes lower priced SD memory cards vs the more expensive Sony Memory Sticks. You’ll want a 256Meg card at an absolute minimum, probably a 512Meg.
Since the camera takes AA batteries, you’ll need to get NiMH rechargable batteries. Regular alkalines will only last for minutes of use, not hours like the rechargables. A set of 4 2500 plus charger will run you $20-$40.
Based on those needs, you might want to raise your budget or lower you sights for the camera. There are a few lower priced models that might be of interest in the Cannon, Kodak, and Panasonic line. Check out http://www.dcresource.com for reviews.
You can also look at cameras that come with rechargable Li-Ion batteries, many come that way. That means you’ll be limited to a single battery unless you spring for an extra one, which are more expensive ($30-50) and you can’t just pop in some AAs if you get caught short.
You’ll want a case for your camera as well. You can get a nice LowePro or Tamron case for another $15-20. This’ll protect the camera and LCD from damage, as well as allow you to carry extra batteries and memory cards with you.
This used to be the standard advice, but I’ve found that newer Canon cameras work perfectly fine on alkaline batteries. Rechargeables are still more economical in the long run, but for occasional family snapshots it’s not strictly necessary.
I’ve been very happy with Canon cameras. Fantastic battery life, good ergonomics and image quality. SONY
Maybe a USB memory card reader. The camera comes with a USB cable, but IMHO it’s more convenient to use a separate card reader. But check her computer first, some newer PCs have memory card slots already.
You could also download Picasa and install it for her. Much better than image management software that come with most cameras.
Please ignore the word SONY in the above post. I think I was going to say something about SONY having had better battery life in the past but not anymore, and didn’t delete it completely.
I just (like literally a day ago) ordered myself a new digital camera. I spent two weeks reading reviews online and I decided to go with the Kodak v530 in its snazzy black body. It’s a 5 megapixel camera and has a big lcd display on the back. All the review sites give it high marks and the only complaint I’ve read from consumers is that its battery life isn’t super long. But I can deal
Hi , Thee are a number of cameras out there that will meet you needs price,ease and quality wise .Couple of things. Does she want a view finder ( the the lens you look thru to see what your taking or does she prefer using an Lcd screen to compose the picture. Ther are some really quality cameras that are slim and take wonderful pictures with bright LCD for shooting and veiwing later. Two are the Nikon coolpix s1. $198 and another is Panasonic Lumix DMC LX1 $196 at beach Camera on route 22 greenbrook, N.J. You can order on line from them also. Have bought my last three cameras from them. Reputable people. But my own recommendation for that price is a Hewlei Packard R717 camera. It has 6.2 mp veiw finder takes sd cards (the most popular and least expensive. This camera has been recommended as a best choice by Digital Photography and consumer reports for all its bells and whistle,overall quality, photos, ease of use,compactness and value for the buck. $197 again at Beach. You actually can find all the cameras slightly cheaper at on line stores but I prefer a physicall location and as I said I have dealt with these people for a long time. The Nikon coolpix 7600 is $264, the canon sd 500 317,and the Casio LX Z750 $319. These last three have a lot moremaual control but as I said for what you need and the HP or one of the others fit the bill for you wallet.Also they have one year warrenties. As you know electronic cameras get outdated so quick you should get the most for your buck without putting out a lot of douh. Good Luck. If you need any more info let me know and I’ll put you on to website and chat romms for additional info. Oh, one thing, Some of the elph series SD 400 ASD 500 canon have had some problems with lcd cracking. Enough to make me pause about those two.
This is true, but I’ve abused the hell out of my SD300 for over a year (skiing, hiking, mountaineering) and it’s done fine. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone, with the caveat that if you see a problem with the LCD, contact Canon immediately.
However, the camera doesn’t seem to meet his needs and they’ve replaced the SD400 and 500 with the new SD450 and 550 with a new LCD.
Does your GF want manual controls? If not, you can simplify your choices and go for a basic model with few bells and whistles to save money.
Yeah, I think in this case, more automated is better. Simple is good. I doubt that she would have the inclination to learn about a whole bunch of advanced shooting modes and stuff, so missing out on that is no big loss. My goal is to give her a high-quality camera that will make it easiest for her to take a bunch of good pictures of her and her friends and the kids at the school at which she works, and secondarily not to spend too much more than I have to to achieve goal number one.
MLS’ excellent recommendations notwithstanding, everything that I’m hearing about the Canons makes me feel most comfortable with them. So, does anyone in attendance here today know of any reason that I shouldn’t buy the Powershot A520 and tack on 512 MB of storage plus rechargeable batteries, a charger and a case? It seems like I can do that for around $250, which seems reasonable enough to me, and I haven’t heard anything bad about that particular model. It’s a tiny bit more than I originally planned to spend, but that’s including everything she should need for the basic functions, and I believe it should be plenty of camera for her. If she wants any additional accessories there’s always another occasion, but this should be a solid start. Sound good?
Amazon says the 510 is only 3.2 MP, which is why I stuck with the 520. Didn’t want you to think I was ignoring the advice I had sought.
Also, the link for the 520 above says the shutter speed tops out at 15 seconds. Will it really take that long on a regular basis, or is that a worst-case scenario if she was using some kind of crazy settings?
That’s the longest exposure time the camera is capable of. You’d use only use such a long exposure time if you’re taking pictures in a very dark place, using a tripod. In normal circumstances the exposure time would be a fraction of a second, and after a couple of seconds the camera is ready to take the next shot.
I’m very happy with mine - got it for Christmas, after using an earlier, similar Canon model for several months. As mentioned, don’t be concerned about the 15 second shutter. As a matter of fact, one setting on the camera allows for continuous shooting. The camera manual claims 1.9 shots per second, with the lcd screen off and not using the flash. Haven’t verified that myself.
It doesn’t come with a camera case, but it’s easy to find one at Target or elsewhere. It does come with a USB cable and a cable to connect the camera to a tv or vcr, to show your photos to a group. Or she could have the kids in her class mug for the camera and see themselves on live tv. Leaving it on Auto is fine, although there are a large number of other settings with various degrees of automation. There’s even a “Kids and Pets” setting designed to “allow[s] you to capture subjects that move around, such as children and pets, without missing photo opportunities.” I haven’t tried that one either. If you do use the Canon software rather than Picassa, be sure to download the most recent version.
I’d definitely take a Canon over a Sony. Sony uses a proprietary memory card; it can be a real pain. If you get the Canon, you two could still share cards if you got a Nikon or HP or some such.
I don’t know a lot about photography, but my girlfriend does, and she bought me a Sony Cyber-shot DCS-W7 for xmas after doing lots of research, too.
Anyone who takes even one picture with my camera goes online and buys one immediately. I’m not kidding. I love it. It’s incredibly easy to use, versatile and takes outstanding pictures. And it’s an absolutely perfect size, quite small but not ridiculous. Mine runs on its rechargeable battery OR standard batteries, which is a nice feature. I have a memory stick. It’s necessary. Just a clueless nontechnical type weighing in, I hope it’s helpful.
