# Recommend me a decent digital camera for under $200 **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 15, 2006, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-decent-digital-camera-for-under-200/344693 "2006-02-15T21:50:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-decent-digital-camera-for-under-200/344693/1 "2006-02-15T21:50:55Z")
I have about $127 worth of gift cards for [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com), and since I don’t have any CD’s or books I want to buy right now, I thought I’d take the leap and get a small digital camera. Has anyone here bought a really good one for $100-200 that they really like? Thanks. Adam ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-decent-digital-camera-for-under-200/344693/2 "2006-02-15T22:01:08Z")
Oh, and I’d preferably like it to be able to record short movies (do all digital cameras do this)? Adam ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-decent-digital-camera-for-under-200/344693/3 "2006-02-16T03:53:38Z")
_bump_ No one can recommend me one? Adam ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-decent-digital-camera-for-under-200/344693/4 "2006-02-16T04:00:59Z")
I have a 4MP [Canon Powershot A520](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007MVHZS/103-7343610-8067064?v=glance&n=502394) that I bought last year after reading a lot of reviews and am fairly happy with it. Amazon’s listing them as low as $148.50 ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-decent-digital-camera-for-under-200/344693/5 "2006-02-16T04:29:57Z")
I just bought a [Canon S500](http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_s500.asp) and am very happy with it. I paid just under $200 for a refurbished unit on eBay. You’d probably have to pay a few bucks more if you want a brand new one. Picture quality is great, it’s small (although a little heavier for its size than you’d expect), and easy to use. It’s great as a point-and-shoot, but it has plenty of features for customizing your shooting, just like my Canon digital SLR that cost six times as much. It uses CF cards. The [SD400](http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_sd400.asp) uses SD cards and is a little thinner and lighter. It also has a slightly larger LCD screen, but it’s closer to $250 on the street. Here are a few samples I took on a recent trip to Las Vegas: [Red Rocks.](http://www.LFexaminer.com/img_0370.jpg) [Red Rocks, closer.](http://www.LFexaminer.com/img_0412.jpg) [Me and Kari Byron from _Mythbusters_](http://www.LFexaminer.com/img_0322.jpg) (She’s cutie, all right. And a very pleasant person. Adam’s a lot of fun, too. I had drinks with them for a couple of hours at [TAM4](http://www.tam4.com/). I included that picture mainly because I figured Dopers would be impressed that I met her. Most of my RL friends never watch the show, and didn’t have a clue who she was when I showed them the picture. Grrrr.) ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-decent-digital-camera-for-under-200/344693/6 "2006-02-16T04:51:48Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I included that picture mainly because I figured Dopers would be impressed that I met her. Most of my RL friends never watch the show, and didn’t have a clue who she was when I showed them the picture. Grrrr.) Ho-ly-cr-ap ! If you haven’t washed the jacket yet how much do you want for it? You are my hero 🙂 I have a Panasonic Lumix [DMC-LZ2](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007OV45Y/sr=8-1/qid=1140065285/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-9279694-7548737?%5Fencoding=UTF8) that I really like. I think AA batteries are a must. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-decent-digital-camera-for-under-200/344693/7 "2006-02-16T05:10:54Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > You are my hero 🙂 I’ve thought about it some more and decided that I hate you instead. Stay away from her you bastard! :mad: ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-decent-digital-camera-for-under-200/344693/8 "2006-02-16T05:45:19Z")
I have a canon A70, it’s awesome for the money, really good. You can only find it used on Amazon, but they probably have new cameras from the same line in your price range. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-decent-digital-camera-for-under-200/344693/9 "2006-02-16T12:42:00Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > I have a 4MP [Canon Powershot A520](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007MVHZS/103-7343610-8067064?v=glance&n=502394) that I bought last year after reading a lot of reviews and am fairly happy with it. > > Amazon’s listing them as low as $148.50 I was looking at the A410 on Amazon…is the A520 a step up or a step down? Adam ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2006, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-me-a-decent-digital-camera-for-under-200/344693/10 "2006-02-16T15:09:58Z")
[A step up.](http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare_post.asp?method=sidebyside&cameras=canon_a410%2Ccanon_a520&show=all)