# Digital Camera



## mjatalley

I am considering buying a new Digital Camera and just wanted what everyone likes or dislikes. I am wanting something small with a big screen without spending tons of $$$. I did a search on the topic - but the most recent I could find was 2004 - lots of new products since then.

TIA for any advice.

action


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## mswalt

> am considering buying a new Digital Camera and just wanted what everyone likes or dislikes. I am wanting something small with a big screen without spending tons of $$$


Been considering this myself. Why, just the other day my sister-in-law was chiding me for not having one.

I'll be watching the replies.

Mark


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## Dreamtimers

Just bought a new Olympus E500. The photos are ok, the focus needs work, especially in low light. In many ways it is a step down in function and quality from my old E10 (RIP).
If I had it to do over I'd look at the Canon line. Only hearing good things about them. The Nikon was nice, but SOooo heavy and $$$.

Best of luck in your search. Keep us informed on what you get and how you like it.

Dreamtimers


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## campmg

I have got to learn how to attach links so I can use the clickie things.

Go to Google and search for digital camera reviews. There's some good links for Steves Digicams, dpreview, dcviews and others that I found helpful. I went with a Sony H1 for the large zoom for kids sports, image stability, and 5mp. It's larger than you may want but works well for the sports.


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## Remove_B4_Flight

I just bought a Kodak Easyshare 740 from the Kodak online store through Ebay. Its a refurb, but not a thing wrong with it. Full factory warranty. The lens cap doesn't seem to fit perfectly, so that may be the imperfection that sold it so cheap. Pics are great. There is no stabilization so tightly zoomed far away shots must be taken from a tripod. The built in flash is insufficient for distant shots in low light (school play, dance recital). Lost of comperable features to the Cannon and HP cameras, but available for much less.


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## PDX_Doug

I have been shopping for a new digital camera for the DW, and have settled on the Canon A540 (A700). We have a large Canon digital SLR that takes awesome photos, but it is not the most convenient to use for everyday point-and-shoot pictures. Most outlets have this camera for about $279.00

Some things to consider when shopping:

PIXELS: Lots of pixels are great, and a wonderful marketing tool, but there are other considerations. Lots of pixels take lots of memory. Our current 6.3 mega pixel Canon - at full resolution - uses over 7 megabytes of space for each picture! Where lots of pixels count is if you are going to be blowing the picture up to very large print sizes, or cropping down to a very small portion of the original picture, and then enlarging that up to normal (4x6) size or larger. If you are pretty much going to be printing straight to 4x6's, anything more than about 3 mega pixels is overkill.

MEMORY CARDS: Buy as big and FAST a flash memory card as you can. A 1GB (Gigabyte) card can easily yield 1,000 pictures at moderate resolutions. Even at full tilt, our big Canon gets over 130 shots on a 1GB card. Equally important, is the 'speed' of the card. The faster the camera can transfer the image data to the card, the faster it will be ready for the next shot. This becomes very important with some of the lower cost cameras that may not have much (if any) onboard memory. I like the SanDisk Ultra II cards.

ZOOM: Lots of zoom is great, but in my book at least, optical zoom is what counts. The optical zoom is the zoom achieved by the camera lens itself, and will always - with a decent camera - be clear. Digital zoom, on the other hand, is zoom that is synthesized within the camera. As such, it tends to get 'blocky' very fast, and yield less than outstanding results.

VIEWFINDER: Most digital cameras rely on a small video screen on the back for aiming and reviewing shots. While great for reviewing, I for one do not like them for aiming. I find it very difficult to keep the camera steady when I am holding it out in front of me. To me, a traditional eyepiece viewfinder is much preferable, as I can then brace the camera against my face for a steadier shot.

SHUTTER DELAY: This is the time delay between the time you press the shutter release, and the moment the camera actually takes the picture. This issue tends to rear its ugly head in low light (indoor) and 'action' shots. This is a function of the quality and speed of the processor within the camera. There is no real 'speed rating' for this, all I can suggest here is to stick with quality brands (i.e.: Canon, Nikon, Minolta, etc.), and test it yourself in the store before you buy. This can really be one of those 'you get what you pay for' moments.

These are the five main points I would consider. Beyond that, there are lots of cool whistles and bells available, and their value is up to you to decide, given your individual circumstances.

Good luck and happy shopping!

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## gregjoyal

I bought a Nikon Coolpix P1 late last fall and I really like it. It's a very small camera, 8 megapixel and a 2.5" screen.

Likes:

- 8 megapixels
- takes a rechargeable lithium ion battery
- small & portable
- downloads through wifi to my pc
- lots of easy to use 'modes' for novice camera people like me

Dislikes:

- battery only lasts for about 100 pictures in real-world use (advertises 190, but not tru since you spend so much time 'playing').
- 8 megapixels means you need a large SD card
- the 'night scene' mode absolutely requires the camera to be still during the entire exposure - the slightest movement causes bad blurring
- the lcd screen is hard to see in bright sunlight.
- 3x optical zoom isn't great

Overall, I like it... We simply bought a 2gig SD card (largest avail at the time) and a spare battery to overcome some dislikes. The charger is very portable. I believe Nikon came out with a successor already (an 8.1 megapixel version) so I don't know what's on store shelves. Personally, we didn't want a large SLR or SLR-like camera though we would have preferred a slightly better zoom capabilities.

Greg


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## gregjoyal

PDX_Doug said:


> MEMORY CARDS: Buy as big and FAST a flash memory card as you can. A 1GB (Gigabyte) card can easily yield 1,000 pictures at moderate resolutions. Even at full tilt, our big Canon gets over 130 shots on a 1GB card. Equally important, is the 'speed' of the card. The faster the camera can transfer the image data to the card, the faster it will be ready for the next shot. This becomes very important with some of the lower cost cameras that may not have much (if any) onboard memory. I like the SanDisk Ultra II cards.
> [snapback]109258[/snapback]​


Some great points.









I was just wondering about your 'over 130 shots' comment... My 8.0 megapixel Nikon can fit over 600 shots on our 2gig SD card ... even with a few small 320x200 movies on it. At 5 megapixels, it fits approx 900 shots. Are you sure you can't fit more than 130?

Either way, great advice and I too use an SanDisk Ultra II SD card.


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## Fire44

We have two digital cameras....I really don't know what brands or spec's on them. I keep one in my truck for using at work and when camping, the other one is the good one.

I would like to add one thing to something that PDX Doug said, the rear screens are very nice, the camera that I carry in my truck has only a rear screen. The down side is in bright light (sunlight) it can be very hard to see what the screen is showing. When we upgraded to the new camera, we made sure it had a viewfinder.

Gary


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## ee4308

A DCS-W7 Sony Cyber-shot 7.2 Mega Pixels with 2.5" LCD Monitor for me.







Pretty good price at PX for any military personnel.


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## wolfwood

PDX_Doug said:


> Some things to consider when shopping:
> 
> PIXELS:
> MEMORY CARDS:
> ZOOM:
> VIEWFINDER:
> SHUTTER DELAY:
> 
> These are the five main points I would consider. Beyond that, there are lots of cool whistles and bells available, and their value is up to you to decide, given your individual circumstances.
> [snapback]109258[/snapback]​


Once again, Doug has saved me a whole lot of typing. The Professor has given you a short course in Digital Photography! Remember that the choice of camera is just like the choice of TT - it all depends on what YOU want to do with it, what kind of photos YOU want to take, how discerning YOUR eye is, and how much YOU want to spend. There are several levels of digital camera - from point & shoot to digital SLR (and then there are those wonderful Pro-models too that are too much like candy for some of us!)

My choice (a year ago) was the then brand-new (but, essentially, still unmatched) Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z2 with a 10x optical zoom lens/ 4x digital zoom, predictive focus control, movie w/audio capability, and several other "bells & whistles" that were important to me. I haven't found a circumstance when it didn't serve me VERY well and the only thing I feel it lacks is Image Stabilization...but I can accomplish the same thing by using a mono-pod (hiking stick w/ a camera mount in the handle) or locally available solid object.

Enjoy the search - that's half the fun!


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## PDX_Doug

gregjoyal said:


> I was just wondering about your 'over 130 shots' comment... My 8.0 megapixel Nikon can fit over 600 shots on our 2gig SD card ... even with a few small 320x200 movies on it. At 5 megapixels, it fits approx 900 shots. Are you sure you can't fit more than 130?


It all depends on the resolution you shoot at. As I also mentioned, at low resolution settings (perfectly suitable for veiwing on a computer monitor), I can get over 1,000 shots on a 1GB card.

At the Canon's max resolution, which is a combination of a RAW image and a mid-resolution JPEG, I use about 7.5MB of storage per picture (1GB / 7.5MB = 133 images).

As a side note, to those wondering what a RAW image is... That is when the camera saves the picture as the actual data that comes straight off the imaging sensor (CMOS chip), without any in-camera processing or compression (as you get in the more commonly used JPEG format). As such, you have a much wider range of post processing options that can be applied to the image. For this reason, many pros refer to the RAW format as a 'Digital Negative'. If you have the time, software and inclination, this method will yield a far superior image to what you can get directly out of ANY digital camera. This stuff goes way beyond what even a high end program like PhotoShop can do.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## mjatalley

Thanks everyone - especially Doug







. That is lots of great information.

Now I guess I get to go shopping


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## wolfwood

mjatalley said:


> Thanks everyone - especially Doug
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> . That is lots of great information.
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> Now I guess I get to go shopping
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> [snapback]109324[/snapback]​


OOOh - OOOOOh Take ME - take me! IWANNAGO,TOOOOOOOO
(Have a great time - I am sooooo jealous







)


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## huntr70

Remove_B4_Flight said:


> I just bought a Kodak Easyshare 740 from the Kodak online store through Ebay. Its a refurb, but not a thing wrong with it. Full factory warranty. The lens cap doesn't seem to fit perfectly, so that may be the imperfection that sold it so cheap. Pics are great. There is no stabilization so tightly zoomed far away shots must be taken from a tripod. The built in flash is insufficient for distant shots in low light (school play, dance recital). Lost of comperable features to the Cannon and HP cameras, but available for much less.
> [snapback]109254[/snapback]​


Ditto on the Kodak Easyshare Z740...

We actually have a Fuji Finepix also, but just upgraded to the Kodak.

Has a 10X zoom, flash, takes small videos, etc.
DW uses it....I like the simplicity of the Fuji, but I'm sure they really aren't that different.

Steve


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## 3LEES

PDX_Doug said:


> I have been shopping for a new digital camera for the DW, and have settled on the Canon A540 (A700). We have a large Canon digital SLR that takes awesome photos, but it is not the most convenient to use for everyday point-and-shoot pictures. Most outlets have this camera for about $279.00
> 
> Some things to consider when shopping:
> 
> PIXELS: Lots of pixels are great, and a wonderful marketing tool, but there are other considerations. Lots of pixels take lots of memory. Our current 6.3 mega pixel Canon - at full resolution - uses over 7 megabytes of space for each picture! Where lots of pixels count is if you are going to be blowing the picture up to very large print sizes, or cropping down to a very small portion of the original picture, and then enlarging that up to normal (4x6) size or larger. If you are pretty much going to be printing straight to 4x6's, anything more than about 3 mega pixels is overkill.
> 
> MEMORY CARDS: Buy as big and FAST a flash memory card as you can. A 1GB (Gigabyte) card can easily yield 1,000 pictures at moderate resolutions. Even at full tilt, our big Canon gets over 130 shots on a 1GB card. Equally important, is the 'speed' of the card. The faster the camera can transfer the image data to the card, the faster it will be ready for the next shot. This becomes very important with some of the lower cost cameras that may not have much (if any) onboard memory. I like the SanDisk Ultra II cards.
> 
> ZOOM: Lots of zoom is great, but in my book at least, optical zoom is what counts. The optical zoom is the zoom achieved by the camera lens itself, and will always - with a decent camera - be clear. Digital zoom, on the other hand, is zoom that is synthesized within the camera. As such, it tends to get 'blocky' very fast, and yield less than outstanding results.
> 
> VIEWFINDER: Most digital cameras rely on a small video screen on the back for aiming and reviewing shots. While great for reviewing, I for one do not like them for aiming. I find it very difficult to keep the camera steady when I am holding it out in front of me. To me, a traditional eyepiece viewfinder is much preferable, as I can then brace the camera against my face for a steadier shot.
> 
> SHUTTER DELAY: This is the time delay between the time you press the shutter release, and the moment the camera actually takes the picture. This issue tends to rear its ugly head in low light (indoor) and 'action' shots. This is a function of the quality and speed of the processor within the camera. There is no real 'speed rating' for this, all I can suggest here is to stick with quality brands (i.e.: Canon, Nikon, Minolta, etc.), and test it yourself in the store before you buy. This can really be one of those 'you get what you pay for' moments.
> 
> These are the five main points I would consider. Beyond that, there are lots of cool whistles and bells available, and their value is up to you to decide, given your individual circumstances.
> 
> Good luck and happy shopping!
> 
> Happy Trails,
> Doug
> [snapback]109258[/snapback]​


I agree with everything Doug has said.

I have purchased a HP Photosmart 425. The camera is a 5.0 megapixel with 3X optical zoom and 6x digital zoom. It is a small camera that I put in a case and hang it from my belt. It has an iinternal memory that can handle about 12 photos. The screen is small, but serviceable. We bought a 512 MB memory stick that can handle 552 high quality photos. The camera takes wonderful photos.

The best part of the camera is the price. Including the memory stick, less than $180.00

Dan


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## MAYZ83

Check out this site! http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com/


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## LarryTheOutback

The absolute best site for comparing digital cameras and finding out their specs, is http://www.steves-digicams.com/

Doug's right about the resolution. I'd suggest 5 Mpixels as a good comprimise; 5Mp seems to be the sweet spot for price just now.

Ed


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## PDX_Doug

My favorite site on the subject is Digital Camera Reviews. The reviews are extremely in depth. Probably more than most people care to know, but if you want info, you will find it here!









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## California Jim

Canon Powershot. Best general purpose camera I have had the pleasure of using. Small, powerfull, durable, excellent battery life. You won't be dissapointed.

Ours is like this one:










Canon SD400

We also combined it with the Canon Selphy direct connect die-sub printer to eliminate the whole computer thing


















The pictures printed from this combo are photo grade and most friends and family I show them to think they came from Kodak / film.

Best of luck with whatever you decide. There are many good products out there


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## mskyoutback

I suspect that asking a question like this is likely to get almost as many responses as "which tow vehicle should I get?" Everyone has their reasons for what they have. I have the Panasonic DMC-FX8 and have been very happy with it. The main reason I bought it was for the compact size and large screen. I've also heard very good things from the Canon owners. I have also heard (from salespeople) to stay away from Kodak, but I'm not sure why (overheard just part of a sales pitch when I was looking). I personally think it was just because they happened to be pushing another brand at the time. Just find what you can afford with the features you want and you'll be happy!


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## shake1969

I got a HP M417, 5.2 Megapixels.

Great shots, easy to use.

BUT, if I had one recommendation it would be this:

DO NOT buy a camera that uses AA batteries, even rechargeable ones. They just don't hold the power for more that a dozen or so shots. I have to carry my charger everywhere with three sets of batteries. It sucks.

Your mileage may vary. Just my experience.


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## prevish gang

We finally upgraded from the Kodak EasyShare. If I had it in a case or in my purse, it was too easy for the power button to turn itself on. When this happened then the lens would come out and get jammed. It was a pain and action pictures or low light pictures were a real problem.

After MUCH research we chose the Sony Cybershot 7.2 Megapixel. It is small, has a large screen and the pictures are amazing. Some people would complain that the only downfall is that it is hard to keep your hands steady enough to take good pictures. I have found two ways around that. If it is convenient, use a tripod, but the easiest way is not to look through the viewfinder. Watch the screen and because it moves when you do, you will know how still to hold it. We just got our first pictures printed today and the color and clarity is AMAZING! I know we paid under $500. Do a cost comparison on this product, print out the list and then take the list to Best Buy/Circuit City/ or Sears. They all price match as does Wal-mart. Sears will even give you an additional 10% off if you find a lower price plus some of these stores offer 0% interest for a year. Pay less than $40 per month and own it interest free in a year. Use their money and save yours! 
We do that quite a bit and have just disciplined ourselves to pay a fixed amount every month or even more when we can just in case to make sure we are paid off by month 12.


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## countrygirl

I had a Nikon Coolpix...it lasted for 2 years...then when my back pack got tossed in the back of the pickup the photo button...broke...sort of sprung apart. I now have a Cannon because it cost as much to fix the camera as to buy a new one.


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## Oregon_Camper

I just bought a small Canon SD500 and LOVE it. Takes GREAT pictures and you don't have to have a degree in photography to use it.


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## HootBob

DW has 2 digital cameras the first one took ok pictures
But she wanted something a little better So we got a Cannon Power ShotS2lS
with 5 mega pixels,12x optical/44x digital zoom and lSAPS image processor,optical image stabilizer now this one takes awesome pic now
Just don't get to use it that often

Don


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## Thor

ee4308 said:


> A DCS-W7 Sony Cyber-shot 7.2 Mega Pixels with 2.5" LCD Monitor for me.
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I picked the same one. Very happy with this camera. I have taken over 1100 shot so far and very please. The cool thing is that my tv also has a card reader. I simply take the memory card out of the camera and put into my tv and instant slide show. For my computer I have the same. This make it really easy for downloads and selecting which photos you wish to print.

My photo routine.

Take lots of pictures
Review them on my tv and select which I wish to print
Download all pic's taken to the computer and delete the ones on the card I do not wish to print.
Take the card to my local food mall which has 1hrs development
Do my shopping and pick up the pics.

Good Luck with your decision.

Thor


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## PDX_Doug

Well, I must have been inspired by this thread, as yesterday afternoon I went out and picked up the Canon A-540 we have been looking at.

What a great little camera! We took it to my daughters school play last night (her theatrical debut







), and it did a wonderful job. Very clean images and great lighting control in less than ideal conditions.

For anyone looking, I will have to give the Canon A-540 two thumbs up!
















Happy Trails,
Doug


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## Dean_P

We just purchased a Canon SD550 to carry around for everyday use. We also have a large Canon DSLR that can get rather heavy with an L series lens mounted. 
Therefore size, weight and ease of use were what we were looking for. Although the images are not that of the 20D I was very impressed with the ease of use and the quality of the images taken with the SD550.


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## 7heaven

HootBob said:


> DW has 2 digital cameras the first one took ok pictures
> But she wanted something a little better So we got a Cannon Power ShotS2lS
> with 5 mega pixels,12x optical/44x digital zoom and lSAPS image processor,optical image stabilizer now this one takes awesome pic now
> Just don't get to use it that often
> 
> Don
> [snapback]109469[/snapback]​


We have the Canon Powershot S2 and have been very happy with it. Even I can use it. DW is the camera enthusiast.


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## Camping Fan

7heaven said:


> HootBob said:
> 
> 
> 
> DW has 2 digital cameras the first one took ok pictures
> But she wanted something a little better So we got a Cannon Power ShotS2lS
> with 5 mega pixels,12x optical/44x digital zoom and lSAPS image processor,optical image stabilizer now this one takes awesome pic now
> Just don't get to use it that often
> 
> Don
> [snapback]109469[/snapback]​
> 
> 
> 
> We have the Canon Powershot S2 and have been very happy with it. Even I can use it. DW is the camera enthusiast.
> [snapback]109683[/snapback]​
Click to expand...

After a lot of online research and debate I bought the Canon Powershot S2 IS before Memorial Day. My old Kodak digital camera took great pictures, but only had a 3X optical zoom. I really missed the nice telephoto lens from my 35mm camera that croaked, so I wanted a digital camera with 10-12X optical zoom. The Kodak Z650 with 10X optical zoom was a contender, but ultimately I went with the Canon S2 IS because of the image stabilization feature (along with 12X optical zoom).

I took the S2 IS along on a work trip to Montana last week, "just in case". I was sure glad I did when we ended up having time for a whirlwind tour of Yellowstone National Park on Thursday!
















Here are a few (trust me, just a very few!!







) of the pictures I took. The lighting wasn't ideal by the time we got to the Lower Falls, but the pictures give you an idea of how well the telephoto and image stabilization feature work. The camera was hand held and the pictures still came out nicely, even when using almost max telephoto.

South of Mammoth Hot Springs
Grazing buffalo
Old Faithful
Yellowstone Lake
Lower Falls #1
Lower Falls #2


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## Oregon_Camper

I'd say your new camera is working VERY well...those are some great pictures.


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## Camping Fan

Oregon_Camper said:


> I'd say your new camera is working VERY well...those are some great pictures.
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Thanks. I was very happy with the pictures I got, especially since I was reading the camera manual while we were driving to Yellowstone (no I wasn't the driver







) to figure out how to use some of the advanced features like changing the shutter speed and using continuous shoot mode at Old Faithful. Gotta love getting to play with a new toy.


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## PDX_Doug

Camping Fan,

Those are some beautiful shots!
Hard to go wrong with a Canon!









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## HootBob

Awesome pictures camping Fan








Couldn't complain with shots like those









Don


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## cts_alberta

The Christmas before last my DH bought me a Canon PowerShot S410. My oldest sister had done extensive research on digital cameras and it was the one she finally bought. The quality of pictures are so good that she even won a photography contest her local newspaper put on. Since then all three sisters and one brother have the same camera.

The only issue I had with mine was batteries running down (yes... I like to use the screen when taking pictures and yes... I know it eats battery power). I solved this problem two ways 1) I have three batteries that I alternate 2) I have a recharger that plugs into the truck cigarette lighter... (not being able to charge my batteries was a real issue last year on our Yellowstone trip as we dry camped for 5 nights).

My only wish... more powerful telephoto lens for wildlife shots.

... Carolyn


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## cts_alberta

Opps...

... forgot to add the main part of my message...

... Camping Fan... great pictures and I agree you can't go wrong with a Canon!

... Carolyn


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## HTQM

We have two; Cannon Digital Rebal Xt, 8 mega pixel, excellent pics but the same size a 35mm camera. We use it for detailed pics.

The other is a Fujifilm 4 megapixel, about the size of a deck of cards (can't remember the model or where I put it







) it takes really good pics but likes batteries more than the tv likes gas when the tt is hooked on. We got it for the size, rating and conveinence. We got it from Ritz Camera, good prices crappy service.

We took some pics during this weekends camp trip, soon as I can figure out how to post them I'll get them on here.

Dave


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## GoVols

You can't go wrong with Canon. Our "big" camera is a Digital Rebel XT, with an additional 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM zoom. My "little" camera is a Canon A610 5MP. I love the "A" series because it uses standard AA batteries. I keep a set of rechargeables in it, but also carry an emergency set of alkalines just in case.


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## kampy

Canon power shot A620 here.
love it, love it


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## Oregon_Camper

cts_alberta said:


> Opps...
> 
> ... forgot to add the main part of my message...
> 
> ... Camping Fan... great pictures and I agree you can't go wrong with a Canon!
> 
> ... Carolyn
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...not trying to add to the post count are ya?? (I'm not...no way...not a chance...not me!)


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