Best digi camera for 200-300 (or so)?

[grifterspawn]

I want to get a new one to replace my aging...and partially broken 1 megapixel digi cam. Im looking for something with good quality pics and the ability to take at least some 15 sec movies. Not particularly knowledgable about cameras, so any advice would be great!

 

[FishTankX]

Cannon Powershot A60/70 are my favorites..

 

[BHeemsoth]

the a70 (3mp) can be had for about 300. The A40 (2mp) can be had for under 200 ( a great deal in my opinion).

I got my A40 for 109 as a demo unit from best buy a few months back, and it has been nothing short of spectaucular.

 

[iluvdeal]

Just some advice, get something small and compact. I have a Canon A40 and like it, however I end up not bringing it with me alot since it's kinda big.

 

[Jeff7181]

I'm very happy with my Olympus C-3020... although it's outdated now, it's very good quality... 3X optical zoom... have VERY good optics. Point and shoot capable, or you can customize tons of things like fstops, shutter speeds, ISO ratings, etc.

 

[grifterspawn]

Hmm...Canon seems to be popular then I guess. Thanks guys, any more advice?

 

[imported_Mike]

Originally posted by: iluvdeal
Just some advice, get something small and compact. I have a Canon A40 and like it, however I end up not bringing it with me alot since it's kinda big.

heh, a40 big..

Honestly, for the money, the a70 is your best bet. Some advice though, keep an eye on the hot deals forum, frequently the a70 goes on sale for the Camera + some accessories for $300.

 

[PinchyCM]

i like the s200. i love it's look and size. the zoom's not all that fantastic though, but you can probably snag it for around 200 if you look hard enough.

 

[grifterspawn]

Maybe I should just ask if I'm better off getting the A70 or S200...

 

[Wingznut]

Originally posted by: grifterspawn
Maybe I should just ask if I'm better off getting the A70 or S200...

Check them both out, and decide for yourself.

Personally, I'd go with the S200. Because of its small size, you can take it EVERYWHERE.

 

[Yoshi]

I also have a Canon A40 and love it. If it were me I would go for the Canon A60 or A70.

 

[RanDum72]

Personally, I'd go with the S200. Because of its small size, you can take it EVERYWHERE

The s200 is not much smaller than the A70. A big plus of the A70 is that it takes regular AA size batteries (4 of them) so you can use NiMH batteries and keep an extra set handy just in case you run out of juice. If size is really a concern, there are better choices such as the Minolta Dimage x series and the Pentax Optio series.

 

[grifterspawn]

Well size is a bit of a concern, but not too much. As long as the A70 is comparable in size to say...(dont laugh) my crappy HP C200 1.0MP camera then i could care less, its much larger then I may not want it. I just want to take nice quality pics without the camera becoming defunct in a year or so.

 

[PurePeon]

the a70 has manual features...the s200 is fully automatic i think.

the a70 uses the new digic processor also. i have this camera and think it is awesome. if you want a little cheaper then go with the a60.

 

[grifterspawn]

Does anyone have issues with the "softness" of A70 pics, I've been reading reviews and most ppl either love it, or complain about softness. Is there a firmware upgrade or option that will eliminate softness without the use of post processing software?

 

[FishTankX]

If the issue is inherant to both the A60 as well as the A70, I believe they both have sharpening filters in the menu systems which could undo such a flaw.

 

[grifterspawn]

Thanks for all the great replies so far, this is such a helpful forum Anyone else have personal experience with the camera and the "softness" issue?

 

[XBoxLPU]

I love my Canon A40 but as mentioned it is bulky.

 

[Dallascisco]

I have used fugi, cannon and olympus cameras and have noticed that the fugi's are lightest. Plus they are the only ones I have gotten to work in linux without to much of a fight

 

[RanDum72]

Does anyone have issues with the "softness" of A70 pics, I've been reading reviews and most ppl either love it, or complain about softness. Is there a firmware upgrade or option that will eliminate softness without the use of post processing software?

It may also have something to do with the AF system, especially if you set it to AiAF where it chooses between 5 AF sensors. It may have focused on something else besides your intended subject. You can disable AiAF and just use the center AF sensor.

 

[cats2cars]

I'm going to be different and recommend the Minolta s414.
It has 4 megapixels and a 4x optical zoom. If you're like me and are fairly lazy you can use it in the auto focus mode. Or if you are more of the do it your selfer then there are manual features available.
The s414 is not however the smallest camera on the market. It is comparable in size to the Canon G2/G3. If you can, go into a store and get a hands on feel to see how comfortable you are with the different cameras recommended.

Good luck and have fun.

 

[RanDum72]

If size is no object, the Minolta S414 is probably the best bang for the buck digital camera you can get. This was the camera I almost got but because size was a factor, I ended up getting the Canon A70.

 

[grifterspawn]

Thx for all the great input, this is making my decision easier and harder at the same time, feel free to keep it coming, thx!!

 

[Budmantom]

Fuji 2800 6x optical zoom, 2.1 mp and if you buy from staples you can pricematch and use a coupon (most of the time). I got mine for about $200.

 

[FearoftheNight]

I loooove my Canon S200. :evil: