mr_pinchy Posted December 11, 2002 Report Share Posted December 11, 2002 Wondering if anyone can give me some advice, looking for a camera no more than $250. Not sure what bells and whistles to look for. Ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CyberHippie Posted December 11, 2002 Report Share Posted December 11, 2002 I would suggest that, if quality is important to you, you get something that's at least 3 mega pixels... Although I don't think you can get that for $250ish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phred Posted December 11, 2002 Report Share Posted December 11, 2002 Things to be aware of: [*]Battery type. What type of batttery do you want? Do you want regular AA and have to change them regularly, or will you require a lithium ion battery that you call just plug the camera in to charge. [*]Zoom. Many cameras come with a zoom capability, but there is a difference between digital and optical zoom. The digital zoom will just "crop" the picture, enlarge it and enhance it. Optical zoom gives you a much clear image. [*]Number of pixels. I would recomend a >=3MP camera, as the pictures will be much clearer. However, small pictures will look fine with a lower res camera (say 2.2MP), you will start to notice a difference when the image size gets bigger. [*]Storage type. How much intitial storage is on the camera? Can you expand it? Try to find a camera with a non proprietary expandable memory type I think those of the hot points you should keep in mind. However, there are a lot of other things to keep in mind. These are features that you can get on some more expensive cameras. Determine which are important to you: [*]Video [*]Macro mode(close up shots) [*]Shutter speed setting. [*]Docking station to easily transfer files to the computer. I think you may be able to find a 3.3MP in the 300$ range, but you may end up sacrifcing other features for it. Good luck. Phred Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouche Posted December 11, 2002 Report Share Posted December 11, 2002 My camera is a 1.3 megapixal camera that I got 2 years ago or so. If you aren't planning on making large prints, that could keep your purchase cheap. I do feel very limited with what I have, but I make do with it cause I can't afford to upgrade right now. If I could, I'd sell you mine for under 200 bucks for sure. They do come out fine for most uses. Aside from being ideal for displaying on a monitor, I have been able to print up to 8 x 10 at the highest resolution without a real noticeable loss. In other words, if you want to budget, you could get something under 3 megapixels and still enjoy the world of digital photography. I'd certainly look at something using smart media memory. Although compact flash is common in a lot of devices too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_pinchy Posted December 12, 2002 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2002 Thanks for the suggestions and advice, shopped around tonight and this is what I found HP 318....$150 @ Staples Resolution 2.31 MP Storage Media CompactFlash Connectivity USB LCD Monitor Size 1.75 Media Card 8 MB Internal Self-Timer Yes Digital Zoom 2 x Weight 186 grams (6.56 oz.) without batteries Figured for the price I couldn't go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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