Camera Suggestions Please

I have 3 Fujifilm cameras and have loved every one of them.. I like to stay on top of technology though so am about to invest in my 4th. The best things about them is the economical price for cutting edge technology camera (they put their money into research and development and not commercials). Walmart is coming out with a bundle pack that has a great deal. Fujifilm also builds every component of their camera so their cameras fit together better and less chance of a problem. Last and very not least Fujifilm cameras are made in the USA and serviced in the USA.
Easy to use, customer friendly menus!
I also like the dppreview site. Good Luck
C.

Hello,

I have a Casio Exilim, and I LOVE it... I canb do everything with it and they are reasonably priced, around 200, which I think is average for a new camera...
Hope this helps!!

I am a photographer and I use an SLR camera, which is more complicated with all the bells and whistles. But, for simple point-and-shoot photography, I recommend this model: FUJIFILM FinePix 9.MP Digital Camera. It's less than $100, has 9 mega pixels and is still manages to have some nice bells and whistles of it's own! I love the Finepix series because they are so simple for beginners, yet they maintain excellent image quality! Here's a link...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8589299&amp...

I don't recommend an SLR camera or anything with manual features unless you are a photographer or are wanting to become an amateur photographer. It is not necessary! Really, save your money and get a digital point-and-shoot camera with a high MP # and simple features. In the end you will save yourself a lot of trouble and won't have to deal with those crazy images that looked messed up and not knowing how to set the camera to do what you want it to. SLRs are not worth it unless you are wanting to create images that need specific timings or manual settings.

Oh, also make sure to check the type of batteries and memory card that your camera will need. It is best to find a digital camera that uses rechargable AA batteries. I recommend the ENERGIZER AA NIMH 2500ma RECHRGBLE BATTERY - 4 PK (also try Energizer's compact charger...it is the best!). They are about $20, but well worth the cost when you consider that they last me, a photographer, 4 months per set or better. You may want an to get two sets if you shoot a lot. Make sure you keep up on charging them. I only use Energizer AA NIMH...the higher the number (2500 mAh) the better! Also, do not get a camera with ONLY internal memory. Please get one with some type of memory card! Otherwise you will regret it. There is nothing more frustrating than trying to get important pics only to find that you NEVER have enough space and that there is nothing that you can do about it! I highly recommend getting a camera from FujiFilm or the one I recommended above. They are the best point-and-shoot company in my opinion! They make high quality cameras that are compatible, user friendly, and not too expensive! Best on the market!

Be wary of cameras that offer a high "digital zoom". An analog or "optical" zoom is preferred because "digital zoom" tends to pixelate or blur a picture. If a camera has both, great, but don't purchase a camera based on digital zoom. It's one of those semi-useless features. 10X optical zoom is good.

If you do decide to upgrade to a more professional camera...I recommend FujiFilm, Nikon, or Canon. These are definitely the best brands and you will likely be happy with any of their professional cameras.

Hope this helps!

We have a Canon PowerShot SD 750 and love it! It's easy to operate, has the zoom feature, and video. It was $199 at Best Buy. I highly recommend it! We knocked it off the counter and had to send it in for service. The camera was back to us within a week, and no cost. I have no complaints.

Hi J.,
I have a Canon Powershot SX110IS 9MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom. I bought it from Amazon for $220. It is great. The image screen is HUGE - 3" I think, it is really fast and you just point and shoot. It takes super pictures. I also have a Canon EOS Rebel DSLR which is SUPER. That is in the $850 range.

Good Luck, It is so frustrating to have a camera that doesn't work correctly!!! Happy Holidays!

J. ~
I have my 2nd Kodak EasyShare camera and love it....so much that my son has one and my step-daughter has one! All of the features are easy. The software is easy to use...from printing at home to uploading to their website and sharing the pictures and ordering prints online. Plus, it's a Kodak. I did have something break on my 1st one, sent it in to customer service, got it back quickly fixed & cleaned. Also, if I've ever had any problems with ordering prints, they've helped me through it. It has optical zoom and digital zoom, and has settings for the beach, snow, kids, parties, sport, close-up, self-portrait and more! You can get any of the EasyShare's with similar features....and their are some on sale after Thanksgiving (I believe the 10 megapixal, mine is 8) for a great price.
D.

I have had two Kodak Easy Shares and ABSOULTLY love them both!!! They are simple to use, take fabulous pictures and I get a lot of comments on what kind of camera did I use.

I am not a technical person....
I have a Canon Elph...it is the best camera ever!
One time we were at the Very top of the 300 section at Comerica and I could zoom down to the batters box and take a perfectly picture up close!
Best Camera...easy to use, highly recommend it

I have a Canon G9 (I think it's a G10 now) that I got last year. It's a great camera, takes wonderful pictures and has tons and tons of features, from full auto with 25 shooting modes, or you can take it to full manual and play. The zoom is 35mm equiv. of 35mm-210mm which is good, but you can get superzooms that zoom to 400mm +.

It's easy to use and the menu is user friendly as well. A little on the pricey side but since the g10 is out I bet the g9's come down a bit.

Here's some pics I took at the zoo this last summer:
http://www.bellarepaints.com/Zoo.htm

and here's a couple of great camera review site:
http://www.dpreview.com/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/default.htm

Good luck and have fun!

My husband and I have bought two Fuji Fine Pix... and love them!! They are easy to use and they are very affordable. Customer Service was amazing too!

Try a Nikon or a Canon. My husband is a photographer and he says to check reviews on http://www.dpreview.com, amazon.com and newegg.com ... Good luck!

I bought a Fuji Finepix after reading lots of reviews and researching what I wanted (compact point and shoot with some features). www.dpreview.com was extremely helpful and what I used to make my final decision. I also helped my sister research and purchase a camera and this site was very useful and interesting.
Good luck!

I have the Cannon SLR (I think that's right). It is wonderful and the zoom feature is fabulous. It has a 10x zoom with an additional 5x digital zoom. I was able to take a clear detailed picture upwards of 300 feet with the regualr zoom. It has some other great features, sports mode, firework mode, black and white,sepia, etc... The only slight down side is that it can't fit in your pocket or small purse easily. Other than that there is no other camera that i would recommend.There are several versions of the SLR and they are not the cheapest but well worth the $ in the quality of picture and easy useage.
Hope this helps

J.,

I had real Olympus problems too. Twice! No more of that brand for me, thank you.

Get one with at least 5 mega pix to insure real quality. They have become very affordable.

Here's my new problem with my new camera, poss. you can avoid same mistake. Even if it costs you a little more for your camera, it will be worth it.

The new digital cameras usually only have the display screen on the back now. They don't always have the eye viewer. When you are outside in bright conditions you can't see the screen to even know it you are aiming at your subject correctly. The eye viewer is still really necessary under certain conditions. I am sorry I have purchased my latest pocket camera. Other than that, it is great. It even has 10 mega pix. which is fantastic.

My daughter's friend has a Canon I was playing with. It was GREAT, but she did say it was a little pricier than some of the others.

Hope this food for thought helps you.

C.

I love the Canon Powershot SD series. They are compact, easy to use, and take great photos. I have the SD700IS model, and my sister and parents each have the SD800IS. My dad is a professional photographer and is very impressed with the quality of these cameras. I know there is a newer version of it out now - I think it's the SD1100IS. The important thing is to get a model with the letters "IS" at the end. It stands for "Image Stabilization" and does an amazing job of taking crystal clear pictures of active, moving kids without any blurriness. Have fun shopping!

Hi J.,

If you are looking for a little digital point and shoot, I would go with a Nikon Coolpix. There are some who really love Cannon... I'm a Nikon gal. ;-) I have 2 Nikons and love them both. (mine are SLRs, not point and shoots, but the brand is excellent) My parents just purchased my sister a Nikon Coolpix S210 I think it was. She loves it.

I know Best Buy typically has a good selection of Nikon coolpix. They are not really too expensive. I believe the range is from $120 to over $200 for some models.

I will say though, I know a girl who has a cannon powershot and really really likes it. Cannon is great too.

J.,

The Canon Powershot S2IS is what we purchased a few years ago and love it! I'm sure there is a newer version of the same camera out there now. The great thing about this camera is you can use it to just point and shoot or you can choose to make adjustments manually - too cool!

J. -

When I saw this request, I almost cracked a smile. Check this website out, I think it can help you on your search: http://www.myproductadvisor.com/mpa/camera_/inputSummary.do

The more questions you answer, the more accurate it is in giving you suitable suggestions! And it's free! I love this site because when I was shopping around for a camera, I was leaning toward buying a particular one; then I found this site, answered the questions, and lo and behold it suggested the EXACT same camera I was considering! What a coinkydink! :D

Anyway, the camera I chose is a Kodak camera (check it out here: http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-locale=en.... I absolutely *love* this camera! It takes pictures, records video, and connects to my computer so I can upload everything and burn DVD's of the movies I filmed, or send the pictures to my online gallery, or email them, create crafts, or whatever! Even the software is easy to use! Plus, you can sign up for webspace on Kodak's server (KodakGallery.com) and keep pics and videos there with no limit on the space you use (you just have to buy one thing each year, that could be a 15 cent print). The camera also comes with A/V cables so I can connect it to any TV and replay the stuff I have in the camera's memory. I could go on and on about this camera - PM me if you want more info. Good luck!

Also check out another Mamasource question like this one posted earlier this month: http://www.mamasource.com/request/10285923021591937025

Don't get a Kodak Easyshare!! My sis-in-law & I both have had problems w/ ours!!

I just got the Canon Power Shot SD1100 IS Digital camera. I love it. It is small, takes great pictures, easy to use and it has a baby mode.

I have a Cannon Powershot A95 that I just love and I just upgraded to a Cannon Powershot S5IS that I love as well. My kids (6 yr old triplets) can even use my A95. They are wonderful cameras and take wonderful photos. When I went in looking for my first digital camera at Best Buy I was looking for an Olympus and was talked into getting a Cannon which they said was higher quality. I am happy I did. And with the S5IS another kindergarten mom had it and went on and on about how great it was and it is. I love it. GOod luck!

J. - I just recently purchased a Canon PowerShot A590 digital camera and LOVE IT! It replaced a Canon Powershot A40 that I had for over 7 years. The only reason I purchased a new one was because I had dropped my older Canon so many times it finally wouldn't hold the batteries in any longer, but it still took great pix all the way up til then. The new Canon only takes 2 AA batteries which I LOVE! It has a zoom feature and so far is easy to use! I must admit I have not read the manual to educate myself on all the other features of the camera, but for now, the basics work just fine for me!