Getting a new digital camera

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kaYak
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Getting a new digital camera

Post by kaYak »

Hello,

I've been looking into getting a new digital camera for the last couple of weeks. The camera my family uses right now is a 2MP HP that is about 4 years old or so. I was really looking into getting the PowerShot A630, but now I'm also considering the S3 IS as an option as well. Does anyone here own either of these or have any suggestions on what to get?

PowerShot S3 IS
PowerShot A630

I'm just looking for something that will take some fairly nice shots (most family stuff), but I'd also like to take some nature shots and possibly others. Although, I might get into photography more but I don't need anything really high end. I think either of these will be more than sufficient. The S3 IS has 12x optical zoom vs. the A630's 4x optical, but the A630 has more megapixels at 8, while the S3 IS has 6.

Thanks,
Kyle
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m3mn0n
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Post by m3mn0n »

I'd recommend anything from a brand name such as Fujifilm, Canon, Nikon, Kodak, Olympus, etc one that is 8.0+ MP, one that is DSLR, and has a decent optical zoom

That said, I'd say go for a Digital Rebel XT or XTi from Canon

That's what I'm going to be going for to upgrade from my craptastic Kodak EasyShare 3.2 MP I got about 2 and a half years ago.

I've heard so many great things about that camera and to my surprise it's the #1 Camera on Flickr... speaking of which, their top Camera list is a good way to see what's new/hot/popular in terms of actual usage and then you can even see actual photos taken with those cameras to get a sense of the quality your shots will be.

http://www.flickr.com/cameras/
http://www.flickr.com/cameras/canon/eos ... _rebel_xt/
kaYak
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Post by kaYak »

I should have noted that I didn't want to spend more than $500 on the camera. I like the Digital Rebel XT/XTi as well, but I'm not sure if I would make use of all of its power for the money. The controls seem like a lot for me in terms of perhaps not making use of them. Is it difficult to get use to/learn how to use with the different settings?
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psurrena
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Post by psurrena »

I just picked up a Powershot S630 ($300). It's 6mp / 3x Optical zoom / 3" screen. Battery is good and start up is fast.
I was looking at the Panasonic / Leica point and shoots but their low-light images are pretty bad.

The Cannon is a very nice all around camera. I also dropped it on the sidewalk and the screen didn't scratch!
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RobertGonzalez
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Post by RobertGonzalez »

I use a Sony (crap I can't remember the name right now). The one drawback is it uses Sony's memory stick duo, which in my opinion, seems a bit unflexible. However, the photos it takes are remarkable.
kaYak
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Location: USA

Post by kaYak »

Well,

On Friday I got the PowerShot A630 and I took it to the auto show in Detroit on Saturday. I really like it. I ended up taking about 800 pictures or so.

It's a good camera. I like the articulating display because you can take pictures from above your head and still see the screen really well. I like the versatility of it because it can take video with audio as well and it is only limited by the size of the card I believe.

I think I got a good deal on memory cards. I got 3 PNY 1GB SD cards at Best Buy for $50. They were on sale from their retail price of $99. I also got a good deal on the camera itself. While we were at the store I noticed a lady looking at the A630 after I walked away and I went back and talked to her. She happened to have printed a page off of Amazon and the camera was $245 or so, so we asked if they would price match. They said they would but they couldn't go below $255 as this was their employee discount at that point. So, I got the camera for $255, $45 less than retail and $15 less than Best Buy's own sale. :D

Thanks,
Kyle
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