Buying a digi camera ... help!

[kiwichick]

I am wanting a buy a new digital camera (currently own a Fuji Fine Pix 3mega pixel, which is about 3 yrs old).
I have been traveling away from home for 8 mths, and have another 16 mths to go. My current camera just isn't cutting it, and I want to be able to blow up some of the shots that I take while I'm traveling, to be used as posters/framed pictures at home.
As much as I would love to purchase a SLR camera, finances wont allow it!
There are so many cameras out there, and everyone I ask has there own preferences! It is all so confusing!!
The camera I use at the moment doesn't have a good zoom, and often the pictures are quite pixulated and blurry?? I was wanting something that had a reasonably good optical zoom, that would take very clear pics in most settings, and that I could blowup the pics to be used for large pic frames to remember my travels!
I guess I am asking for a few recommendations of cameras with the best specs within my price range.
My budget is about £200 -£250 (or US$370 - £460).

I would really really appreciate any help!
Cheers : )

[commie]

i hope you dont try to take pictures at dawn, because every camera i tried couldnt focus at this time - only got blurry pictures during this daytime.

[ashleyg]

I just bought a new camera - my price range was a little lower than yours, but I went with the Nikon CoolPix L2. It's been fantastic so far.

If you want to be able to blow pictures up, you probably want to go with as high a pixel rate as your budget will allow. That said, anything over about 5mp should blow up to 10x13 or larger size without pixelation.

Another thing to think about is video. Do you want a camera that will do some video? Good video? I looked back at my pictures / videos from my last couple trips - I'd taken an early version of the digital camera/camcorder made by JVC. For me, the video clips bring back the most memories, but I'm also more the type to enjoy taking stills. So for this camera purchase, I got one that does ok video (640x480) so I have that option if I want.

Other things to look at - type of batteries (I prefer AA even though they deplete fast, mainly because I seem to always wear down the rechargables at precisely the wrong moment), features (macro pictures, digital vs optical zoom, repeat shooting, etc), and size of the unit.

The main thing to consider, I think, is the reputation of the brand. My uncle is a professional photographer and I ran all sorts of specs by him. He thinks Canon make the best digital cameras for low to mid range with Nikon a close second and best for higher end cameras. I found the specs I wanted in the Nikon, so I went with that.

I'd suggest visiting a good camera shop and talking to them, then looking up the various models that seem to fit your needs on the web for reviews. Good luck!

[Jules80]

i have an old model of the nikon coolpix and i love it! it really takes fabulous pics despite being only 2 mp... the new ones fall into your price range so they might be worth a look.

[kiwichick]

Thanks for the help so far.....
Ashleyg......in regards to the points you made.... I have a really good camcorder that I take on my travels so I am not to fussed on the camera having video capability.
I would prefer using rechargable batteries, and in respect to features, repeat shooting is good, the higher optical zoom the better(I heard digital zoom is useless), and a few different high quality shooting modes would be good too!
I guess I am just after the best allround camera for my money.

The problem is, I have tried a number of camera shops here in London and they all seem to tell you different things! One guy told me that a particular brand was best, I went to a shop down the road and they told me that same brand was crap : ( Hence why I am finding it all very confusing!

Could anyone recommend a really good camera shop in London?? I have tried Jessops and often I find that the sales people are just reading off the brochures without actually knowing what they are talking about : (

[Eagle]

kiwichick, based on the criteria you listed, it sounds like one of the "monster zoom" Cameras might be what you're looking for? I tend to agree with Ashley's uncle and favour Canon Cameras, so two models you could look at would be the S2-IS or the S3-IS. The S2 (5 MP) is a slightly older model (released mid-2005 from what I remember?) but has now been replaced by the S3 (6 MP), which could mean that you'll find some "deals" on the older model.

The S3 will be released to the market some time in May, so it's brand new! I believe the initial price is US$449.00 (not sure what the equivalent UK£ is?), but I'm sure this will be discounted within a few months. Both models feature the articulating LCD display which is a nice feature to have, and the 6 MP model especially should provide excellent enlargements.

Nikon also makes an excellent product, but I'm not too familiar with their line so don't know if they have an equivalent model to the S2/S3 series? A couple of similar models are the Panasonic DMC-FZ7 or Sony DSC-H1, but again I don't know a lot about them as both are relatively new. I've used one of the newer Sony models recently, but much prefer the user interface of the Canon.

To help you in choosing a Camera, you might check www.dpreview.com or www.steves-digicams.com as their reviews and Forums have lots of very useful information. At the dpreview site, look for the coveted "Highly Recommended" rating on the "conclusion" page; be sure to read the "Pros & Cons" also as this might provide some insight in terms of how suitable the Camera will be for your intended use.

The "monster zoom" Cameras are not quite as small as the standard "point & shoot" variety, so you'll also have to consider whether you can work with the increased size and weight. They are certainly not "pocket size" but will fit in a Daypack or similar bag quite nicely.

I don't have any experience with the Camera shops in London, but hopefully Muvver will see this post as I'm sure he will have some information on the best spots. I can appreciate your frustration with the sales people, as it seems that each shop tends to have their own preferences for brand or model of Camera. Perhaps they get a better commission on one brand, so "push" these more? I've also found that Camera sales people are not the most knowledgeable. Their expertise is often limited to some extent, so it's a good idea for most consumers to obtain information from several different sources.

Your best option is probably to check out the various shops so that you can actually have a look at the various Camera models and try these out. Once you've narrowed down your selection, do some checking on the Reviews and Forums at the sites I mentioned (there probably won't be a review on the S3 yet, as it's so new, but there might be a few useful comments in the Forums from people that have handled that model at the PMA show or whatever).

Hope this has helped. Good luck and let us know what you decide!

[Eagle]

kiwichick, just checked the daily currency rates:

449.00 USD United States Dollars = 243.699 GBP United Kingdom Pounds

The S3-IS certainly might be within your budget? You'll have to allow a bit extra for Memory Cards (SD/MMC), a decent Case, Rechargeable Batteries (four Ni-MH probably best, 2300 maH or higher & at least one spare set of batteries is a good idea, especially if you use the LCD a lot while shooting) and of course you'll have to allow for the dreaded VAT.

Cheers!!!

[kiwichick]

Thank you all so much for your replies, especially you Eagle!
I have a question for you though.
Do you think that these "monster zoom" cameras, in particular the Canon S3-IS is the next best thing to purchasing a digital SLR???
What are your thoughts? Or do you think that another compact model may produce better image quality than the S3???
The reason I am after a "monster zoom" camera is so I have the option there if I need it, rather than being limited by a 3 or 4X optical zoom (not sure how much I will use X12 though).

I am not the most technically minded person, so although reading the reviews, alot of it seems to go way over my head.
I did read the conclusions and pros and cons that you recommended on dpreview and they were helpful. So thanks again for that : )

[MuvverRussia]

Eagle - the cheapest you'll get a Canon S2 IS in the UK is around £280-300. I wish the purchasing parity exchange rate was the same as the official rate . With Jessops (a big UK camera chain) you're talking £400ish for the camera - crazy. As for the S3is, online it's about £350.

My recommendation would be a Panasonic DMC Fz5. I bought one when they first came out last year and I'm pretty impressed. I've since upgraded to a canon eos350d, but the Panasonic is almost as good for the majority of shots in my opinion. It's also small (about 5x7x12cm or so - smaller than the S2 I believe), well built, and has a fast (f2.8), sharp leica designed coated lens. Like the Canon it's 5mp, 12x optical zoom and has an effective IS system.

Best bit of all with the Panasonic is that it's cheap. On the high street you can get it for £240ish as it's recently been replaced by the dmc fz7 (6mp version, same lens, bigger screen - online this is about £300).

As for shops, I normally buy online so I can't recommend any particular ones. Jessops are to be avoided generally though - the guys don't really know what they're talking about in my opinion. I did buy my 350d there though, as they had it in stock after Xmas (and the Mastercard £100 rebate was running out . Best bet is to go down Tottenham Court Road and just play the shops off each other - I'd expect to get the Panasonic for £240ish here (maybe slightly more).

[Eagle]

kiwichick, yes, IMO the "monster zoom" Cameras are the next best thing to a dSLR, as they provide the zoom range that is sadly lacking on many of the compact P & S Cameras. In addition, the zoom is stablized (as it is on many of the dSLR lenses these days) to compensate for the "blur" which occurs due to Camera shake. What is lacking on the "monster zoom" Cameras is the ability to change lenses. One of the criteria you specified was to have "reasonably good optical zoom", so these seemed like the perfect choice.

I doubt very much that a compact Camera could produce "better image quality" than an S3-IS or other M.Z. Camera. Given equivalent sensor size and lenses, the image quality should be at least equal. However, Cameras such as the S3 usually have a larger and better quality lens than many of the compacts, so theoretically the image quality should be better. In addition, the M.Z. Cameras usually have a "faster" lens (ie: allows more light in) than the compact Cameras, providing better ability to take photos in low light conditions.

One other factor you might want to consider is the range of controls in whatever Camera you buy. Except for some of the compact P & S models, many of the Canon models provide a full range of both automatic "scene modes" as well as full manual control, allowing the operator to choose shutter speed, aperture, etc. This is a very desirable feature as it allows the photographer much more control as they become familiar with the Camera and their abilities improve, and allows one to have control over things like depth of field.

With regard to the size of the Camera, the 350D that Muvver mentioned is a fairly compact dSLR, but it's still slightly larger than the S2 or S3. The size varies of course depending on which lens is attached. The M.Z. Cameras are a bit easier to carry, as their size or weight never vary. I also use a 350D / Rebel XT and the small size was one of the most important criteria when I was making my purchase decision.

Depending on how long you want to wait with your purchase, you could delay this until the review is released for the S3-IS. In the meantime, check out the local shops in your area and try out some of the M.Z. Cameras to see whether these might work for you. Once you've made a decision, buying online as Muvver suggested is another option if you don't want to deal with Jessops, etc.

One final mention - digital zoom isn't entirely "useless", but it's a bit of a gimmick and tends to degrade image quality somewhat. A good optical zoom is a much better choice.

Again, good luck with your Camera purchase.

[artvandelay]

I purchased a S2 IS last march (found a great deal for $320) for my upcoming trip through europe and absolutely love it. I am very impressed with the camera as a whole. What i got it for was the ZOOM, and it doesn't disappoint, i love it and find myself using more than 3x in just about every photo. The AutoFocus box is amazing (lets you choose the focusing point of the camera) and the speed at which you can snap pictures is great. It has a ton of modes to choose from, everything between 100% AUTO point and shoot to 100% manual control (even the focusing). So if you're new to photography, this will give you a pretty high ceiling to refine your skills with while still being a fairly basic camera. Fantastic battery life, I use rechargeable 2500 mah Nimh "PowerEx" batteries and can shoot around 250-350 pics on one charge. The LCD screen folds out and swivels around, letting you put your camera almost anywhere to get a good shot. The LCD screen could be a bit larger/brighter, it is tough to see on a sunny day of shooting. In its defense though, the optical viewfinder is completely digitized (so what you see in it is exactly what you get) and is very comfy. Make no mistake, this isn't near a SLR, but its pretty much as close as you will get. For the price, size and ease of use i think it will make a great travel camera that won't limit you. A sacrifice you're making for the large zoom though is that it will not fit in any pockets. One of my biggest regrets is not dumping my old 3x zoom 2.0 MP olympus d-520 sooner, looking back on your pictures a few years from now you'll really enjoy them and forget about the extra cash you plopped down for the better camera!

[Eagle]

artvandelay, thanks for your post regarding the S2-IS. It's great to get some feedback from someone that actually owns the particular model under discussion.

Happy shooting and don't forget to post some of your photos here for the rest of us to enjoy.

Cheers!!!