[mongo_jones]

does no one make etchings anymore?

[beachfan]

My Sony broke, my Cannon was stolen, and now I will only spend $250 or preferable less. What pocket digital should I buy now. Something that was $400 last year should be cheap now.

[ghostrider]

Latest issue of Consumer Reports - or maybe it's no longer the latest - ranked the latest models, for whatever that's worth.

[Stone]

Amazon is pre-ordering for the Canon 40D at $1300. Selling the 30D at $960. Hmm. The Nikon D80 is down to about $880 -- does that mean Nikon is coming out with a replacement model?

Irregardless of which model I buy, what lens do I get? I was told Image Stabilization is a waste of money?

[rockdoggydog]

Amazon is pre-ordering for the Canon 40D at $1300. Selling the 30D at $960. Hmm. The Nikon D80 is down to about $880 -- does that mean Nikon is coming out with a replacement model?

Irregardless of which model I buy, what lens do I get? I was told Image Stabilization is a waste of money?

It only helps with slow lenses at long lengths. What type of shooting are you looking to do?

Rocky

[Stone]

Just amatuer stuff. Walking around taking pictures.

[mongo_jones]

have you considered a point and shoot? decent ones start at about $100.

[Melonious Thunk]

Amazon is pre-ordering for the Canon 40D at $1300. Selling the 30D at $960. Hmm. The Nikon D80 is down to about $880 -- does that mean Nikon is coming out with a replacement model?

Irregardless of which model I buy, what lens do I get? I was told Image Stabilization is a waste of money?

Nikon 18-200 VR.

[helena]

i like this amazon review for the Outdoor Photography magazine:
"Outdoor photography is difficult from an artistic standpoint, but from a technique standpoint there's just not all that much to know. Put your camera on a tripod when you can. Worry about Lens flare. Autofocus is good for rapidly moving animals. Wait for the light. Experiment with fill flash until you find a level that you like. Ho hum."

Now my question - what would be the appropriate camera - no SLR needed?

[Abbylovi]

Help!

I'm starting to shop for a digital camera and I've been reading through this thread to educate myself. My needs are not that great: A few years ago out of desperation/disgust that I was still using disposable cameras, my Uncle Phil bought me a (film) point and shoot - which is what I currently use. My skill level is one step up from knowing to not cover up the lens with my thumb (trial and error) but I'm hoping to get better. I'm mostly taking pictures of my cats (crazy cat lady), vacation, friends, family, etc. You get the idea.

A friend of mine loves the Canon SD750 Powershot ELPH 7 Megapixel Digital Camera and has recomended that and it seems like Canon is a good brand but I'm wondering about the 7 megapixels (too much, not necessary?). What else do I need to know?

[Peter Creasey]

A, Look at the Sony Cybershot cameras with the Carl Zeiss lens. Very highly rated. And, we have been very happy with ours.

On the megapixel question, it is hard to find/buy fewer MPs than is the current norm.

[Abbylovi]

So 7 is the current norm? I guess when this thread was started in 2005, 2 or 3 was the norm.

[tanabutler]

Help!

I'm starting to shop for a digital camera and I've been reading through this thread to educate myself. My needs are not that great: A few years ago out of desperation/disgust that I was still using disposable cameras, my Uncle Phil bought me a (film) point and shoot - which is what I currently use. My skill level is one step up from knowing to not cover up the lens with my thumb (trial and error) but I'm hoping to get better. I'm mostly taking pictures of my cats (crazy cat lady), vacation, friends, family, etc. You get the idea.

A friend of mine loves the Canon SD750 Powershot ELPH 7 Megapixel Digital Camera and has recomended that and it seems like Canon is a good brand but I'm wondering about the 7 megapixels (too much, not necessary?). What else do I need to know?

7MP is fine for a beginner. It's not too much (or too little) if you think you might EVER print any of your photos. (As in, uploading them to Shutterfly or some other online photo print service.)

Things that are really nice to have—and the Canon has them—are variable white balance modes: the Sony has fewer options in this regard, and that would be a deal breaker for me. (Why you would need three variations of fluorescent lighting is beyond me: who wants to do photography inside office buildings, really?)

But this Canon has a MAJOR disadvantage, in my opinion, though your mileage may vary. It has no optical viewfinder. (The little hole you look into, as opposed to composing all of your shots on the 3" screen on the back of the camera.) That can be a real pain in the butt when it comes to taking photos in bright light: you might be shooting blind, unable to see the screen because of glare.

I did a little research and found a camera that I think is superior, and it's well-priced. It's the Canon PowerShot SD850 IS. It has the optical viewfinder. The "IS" refers to Canon's technology of "Image Stabilization," which helps with low light situations to reduce blur from a slower shutter speed or a jiggly camera. These are both great advantages.

Since Canons share a host of features, your friend can probably show you the ropes to get you over the hurdle of being new to digital photography.

Here is a review at CNET that explains a little more.

Here is Canon's list of special features that a lot of their cameras share, and which, honestly, are awesome.

Here is an example of "Color Accent":



One example of the special shooting modes: "foliage":



God knows I hate recommending any Canon cameras to anyone, given my hellish experience with their customer service with my lemon of a Powershot. But objectively speaking, for the reasons I've stated above, I think this is a great camera for you—or anyone. I think you will benefit from having the friend with a Canon, especially. Manuals made it so hard for me to learn the language: it's much easier to have someone just show me.

And right now, the camera's about $200 at Amazon.

I hope this helps.

[Abbylovi]

Very, very helpful. Thank you!

[tanabutler]

I look forward to seeing your kitties (we've got three) in the Pets thread, and other photos of note in the Photo Gallery thread.

I'm glad I could help.