digital camera help...

[R0CK3TM4NN]

I need help purchasing the right digital camera.

I need a camera that:

is quick shooting (in other words, good for snap-shooting)
can perform decently in dark lighting
3.2 to 4.0 MP
Small in size
Optical zoom (preferable, but not absolutely necessary)

I've been looking at a Casio Exilim EX-Z4U, And a few Canon Powershot models, but I'm not quite sure what is the "best" out there for what I want.

 

[Krieger]

First what's your budget? that wiill narrow the scope considerably.

I picked up the Canon A80 the day after Christmas mostly for my fiance who does scrapbooking. I personally really like it. It has the advantage of being a Point and Shoot camera, but also alot of features that are manually adjustable. I think it ran about $399 It's on sale at newegg right now I think. I read alot of reviews and this is one of the best cameras on the market for that price range. it's got a 3x optical zoom, and a 3.? digital zoom, 4 Mp, takes CF cards, and can fit over 200 pictures at one of the highest resolutions on one 256MB card, great battery life(I use NiMH batteries), and loads of features. Check it out on Canon's website, and look up some reviews.

 

[FarEast]

Ok i need to know your budget but this is a basic rule of thumb:

You can't beat Nikon, Olympus or Canon

But for me to help you out more i will need to know your budget

I have the Olypus 5060 wide angle zoom

 

[Veland]

I think the point about "can perform decently in dark lighting" is the biggest hurdle. All digicams I've seen so far are rubbish in poor lighting conditions.

Ok, on a tripod they give good results, but handheld is almost impossibel. Got a digital Mju 400 myself, a nice camera, simple to use and good pics. But not in low light conditions. My friends Powershot (s40?) is the same.. Seen a few others also struggling..

 

[FarEast]

Yes night shot is basicly the same as a very slow shutter speed so if you move the camera you get a blurred Photo. All night shot or low light photography should be on a tripod unless you have an adapter and take x-ray shots (X-ray filter lenses are quiet cheap although you only get black and white images that are a little odd to look at! )

here is a site you might want to checkout for comparisons and actual user comments.... 100% unbiased and is 100% result driven rather than freebie driven like some sites *cough* toms hardware *cough*

 

[R0CK3TM4NN]

Yeah, at first it was difficult to judge what my budget was, but right now I think its anywhere from $250-350.

I really do want to spend Less than 300, though. I was looking at the Canon Powershot SD100, its $252 on newegg.com and a 128 MB SD card by kingston is $42.

 

[R0CK3TM4NN]

here is a site you might want to checkout for comparisons and actual user comments.... 100% unbiased and is 100% result driven rather than freebie driven like some sites *cough* toms hardware *cough* [/B]

Wow, nice site. Thanks for the link...seems like the users and the editors like the SD100. Not the best camera in the world, but a good one, and for $252 at newegg, it might be difficult to beat that price.

 

[FarEast]

Glad you like that site, i found it the best out there for honest reports and user comments ..i guess its the OC forums of the digital camera world. I made my choice of camera after reading the reports there and it's always nice to get a little peice of mind no matter what your budget is.

 

[secretweapon]

Minolta G400 or G500. They might be sold under Konica name depending on where you live. Fastest start up and shutter lag time there is