Mom of Active 15 Month Old Looking for Advice on a Digital Camera

My son is 5 and is non-stop action, so I know what you are dealing with in trying to get a good picture. Last year I bought a digital Panasonic Lumix, model DMC-FX07, and this has been a fantastic little camera. It was $250 at Best Buy, and I also bought a larger memory card for $80. I did my research for about 6 months before buying one - read tons of web reviews on many different cameras and frequented Best Buy for weeks testing out the cameras myself in the store before I made a decision. When I bought my Lumix, my main criteria were minimal shutter delay; small, light, and portable enough to cram in my bag; and excellent photo quality. This camera has a shutter delay but it is slight. Unless you want to spend big bucks for the SLR digitals (SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex, which is what a non-digital camera uses and what allows it to click the photo immediately) then you have to deal with shutter delay in some form. However, many digital cameras have something called "burst mode" which basically lets you set the camera to shoot multiple photos very quickly, almost like still frames of a video. I use this option frequently, since my son is usually not standing still and smiling for more than 3 seconds. I can quickly shoot a group of images that will more often than not have one or two nice shots of him smiling before he dashes off. Try checking your current camera to see if maybe it has this option. Good luck and have fun!

1 mom found this helpful

yes, the inexpensive throw away cameras are faster since they are film not digital. To not have a delay with digital, sadly, you'd have to spend some money. One option would be to get a film camera and use the service to have your pictures put directly on disk (I know Kodak does this, Wal-Mart might too), so you can put them on the computer. Or look into a "SLR" digital camera, which is more like a regular camera and not a "point and shoot". I always do my consumer research on epinions.com, check there or ask for help at a camera store or even BestBuy. Things change so fast and new things come out all the time, but someone can help you. Good luck

Canon Powershot...every mom I know (okay, all 2 of them) has this type and they gave me one, as well. My baby's only 6 weeks old, but they both said it works great, and it has an option for taking pictures of children that assumes they're running around plus it has a more advance option of changing the shutter speed...not sure how much the camera is, since it was a gift, but I know they got it at Target.

I had a kodak z760 and had the same feeling. By the time the camera is ready between pics the kids are off playing.
I was going to get a Digital SLR (DSLR) because they are almost instant shots. My aunt has an Olympus E-volt 500 (8mp). I borrowed it and the speed and quality were excellent. I also keep seeing great reviews for the Nikon D40, which is an entry level DSLR.
I decided not to get a DSLR now because they are pretty expensive. But I am keeping it in mind for the future as a second camera. I did buy the Canon S5IS. It has manual settings if you want to fiddle with those, and automatic and scene modes. The IS stands for image stabilization, which works pretty good. It also has face recognition, which I guess helps the gain some focus. A lot of the cameras are having that now, but not all of them.
Two others I considered were the Panasonic Lumix FZ8, and the Kodak Z812.
All of these are faster than my old camera, with exception to the DSLR's which are way faster.
Sam's club/Costco can put digital pictures onto a cd for about $3, so I wonder if developing film to cd would cost the same.
Using the flash will also take the camera longer, so if you have good lighting, shut off the flash.

and lastly, check out this camera review website. Tons of information and reviews, and a buyer's guide by price range.

http://www.dcresource.com/buyersguide/

You can get a Fugi Finepix for about 160.00, we bought one last christmas at Sears on sale for 149.99, it is a wonderful camera that is easy to use.

Hi J.,

We purchased a Fuji finepix F20 for about $150 in August. I has a continuous photo option that seems to work well with action photos. We have a very active 5 year old and have gotten some really neat shots. I really like it because it is small and easy to use. It is comparable to the Canon digital ELPH. Hope this info is helpful.

S.

I just bought the Canon PowerShot SD750 Digital Elph.. it is amazing!! Check it out!! =P

I had the same problem with my digital camera. I finally had to breakdown and buy a SLR (single lens reflex) camera which takes pictures instantaneously. Unfortunately, they are quite pricy. I would try to check Craig's list or eBay to see if you can find something cheaper than the $600-$800 you'd pay at Best Buy.

Good luck.

We have that problem with one of our cameras, too:( We have been very happy with our Olympus but it's a few years old so I don't think the model is still made. I have to admit, even though the newer one is supposed to be better (smaller, more pixels, more memory, etc...) it's not as good as the older more expensive one. I suggest going to a store and trying them out before buying.

I feel your pain and share your boat!! My camera has a long shutter lag also and I hate it! I'm also shopping for a new one!! I know Canon is the best in the market. Fuji isn't bad either. It's hard to find a camera with little to no shutter lag/ picture delay unless you by a more expensive camera that is an entry level DSLR or something like that, basicly a professional camera. I've been eyeballing the Canon S5. It retails for about $350 which is why I don't have it yet. But it does seem the most user friendly, quality, and has lots of great features! I'm hoping Santa will leave one under my tree this year... =)
epinions is good to research buyer reviews so is yahoo answers...I got a lot of great advice on their from lots of different levels of photographers! The S5 seems to be the newest/best option for my needs and wants... I also like their cheaper one too..I forget the name..but it's a smaller Canon with less features...also a good point and shoot!
Hope this helps...good luck!!