cyberz350

iTrader: (3)

Hey guys, I'm in the market for a good digital camera. Do you guys have any suggestions on the best camera I can get for under $400?

raceboy

Nikon Coolpix 7900.

nick120580

I have a cannon Powershot A95. I like it. Its not a super small model but takes good pics for the price. Think I payed 250-300 a couple months ago.

Badmonkey

iTrader: (9)

Canon SD20, 5 megapixels and very small. $289 off of Ebay.

MY350Z.COM

iTrader: (2)

If you want a camera you can just carry around all the time and you like to take shots of everything and anything randomly, then this is the camera. I have the older SD10, same size but 4.0MP and I use it so much
Pack it with a 512MB card and you should be good to go.

The batteries don't last that long; I think a hour each so I like to carry around 2 extras.

Outdoor shots are great. Low light situations suck for this camera (no surprise)

Victor

Wired 24/7

iTrader: (2)

+1

Coolpix is a great line of cameras

yobri

iTrader: (2)

If you're looking for a 5mp camera, Dell Home has a pretty good deal going...

JSON

Sd400

ANXIOUZ

iTrader: (13)

I've always likes Olympus digital cameras. My current one has a 10x optical zoom which is killer.

yobri

iTrader: (2)

Price has got even better, for a limited time... that is, until the discount code is exhausted:

cyberz350

iTrader: (3)

Hey guys, what are the advantages of getting an SLR body styled camera as opposed to the basic body. The only thing I've noticed is that it zooms in a lot more. Right now I'm thinking about spending a little more than 400 and getting this camera.

pingrr

For 400 I would go on Ebay and get the Sony T7. It is only 5 megaoixel but it is is only about 1/2 inch thinck. It will fit very nicley into your front pocket.

35oZephyR

iTrader: (4)

Ability to take pics with a more flexible exposure...

The little cameras (300-400 dollar range) with the itty bitty lenses take great pics in the daylight or with LOTS of flash. Even with lots of flash you get that drowned out white overexposed look on your subjects, with the background drowned out in darkness.

Those SLR- style ones with the big lenses means you can take pics with less lighting, less blur. You won't have to hold it as still and it will capture on the fly.

Only drawback is it's bulky and you'll be less inclined to take it everywhere.


Back to camera brands...you can't go wrong with the Canon SD line.

Sanderman

Actually, keep looking at Circuit City and buy the Panasonic DMC-F5Z instead.
It's simply better and basically costs the same. Read about it here: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonicfz5/

need Z

+1

Canon makes GREAT cameras

cyberz350

iTrader: (3)

You know, what's weird, the lady at Circuit City suggested that I get the Panasonic as well. But I dunno, the Cannon seems to be put together a little bit better. What is it about it the Panasonic that you think is better?

Z BOY

iTrader: (41)

its all about the quality of the lense...infinitely more important than # of pixels. the old-school companies make the best lenses: nikon, canon, olympus, etc.
how it feels in your hand is also a consideration.

chingwithbling

My sister had some low end Fuji for a while, the thing was a piece of crap. The pictures weren't bad, but it was fat and the batteries would literally last less than 20 minutes. But now she has the Olympus Stylus 500 , and lemme say, that damn 2.5" LCD is nice.

Vamos_Rafael

iTrader: (18)

konica minolta Z6 ( new for august 2006 )

Kaitain

iTrader: (3)

I was looking for a 5-7 mega pixel camera that would also take decent videos every now and then. In addition I wanted something that was point-and-shoot but would allow me some manual control as well.

I ended up with a Sony DSC-W7.

I really like the DSC-W7’s style. Some complain about it’s blockyness but I actually like it. It's kinda retro and the aluminum body fits in with that look while lending a feeling of substance to the camera. It’s not a heavy camera but it has heft and feels solid while still easily fitting in your pocket. It reminds me of the excellent metal body Sony Walkmans of the 1980’s.

This camera also has a HUGE 2.5" LCD on the back that is very bright and usable outside but when it's really, really bright you can use the built in view finder. You can view pictures and videos on this very nice display.

The excellent video sealed the deal though. With three modes this camera will easily meet the needs of someone that wants to occasionally record video but also provides a better video picture than any digital camcorder in this camera's price range.

The three video modes are as follows:
640x480 (fine) 30fps – Ok for action. Must use optional Memory Stick Pro.
640x480 30fps – Not good for action clips. Can use built in 32MB memory.
160x120 15fps – Good for email clips. Can use built in 32MB memory.


Pros:
7.2 mega pixel
Fancy Smancy lens: Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens
Fast start up. Turn it on and by the time the lens extends it’s ready to go. (With about 3 seconds between non-flash shots at the highest resolution)
32MB built in memory (others seem to have about 8MB built in if any)
2.5 inch 115K pixel Color LCD
Live histogram display for setting manual exposure.
Records Video in MPEG-4.
Single and Multi-Point Auto Focus system.
Once learned, easy to use controls.
Comes with non-proprietary rechargeable AA Ni-MH batteries AND a charger!
Can use regular AA batteries if you need to.
Lots of automatic modes for the beginner.
Manual mode for the advanced amateur.
Small enough to fit in your pocket.
Aluminum case, nice solid feel.
A/V out.
Includes all cables needed to hook up camera to your computer or your TV.


Cons:
I have medium sized fingers but I still accidentally hit the buttons on the back with my thumb, especially the screen display button.
Easily, accidentally opened battery/Memory compartment. I used to open it every time I picked up the camera until I learned where to put my fingers.
Poorly organized user’s manual.
USB only, no firewire.
Must use Memory Stick Pro to record 640x480 (fine) videos.
Uses Memory Sticks instead of SD/MMC (this is a personal thing, all my other stuff has SD)


Also looked at:

I looked at the Casio Exilim EX-P505 (5 mega pixel) and the EX-Z750 (7.2 mega pixel). Both of which I still like but I bought a Sony DSC-W7 because I could get it locally for about what it would cost to order the EX-Z750 from Amazon.


Conclusion:

Overall the DSC-W7 is a really good point-and-click camera that takes great pictures and fantastic videos (for a point-and-shoot).

Just a year ago a 7 mega pixel camera would have cost you at least twice as much and wouldn't have given you any where near as good video. Its average street price of about $320 is pretty good too. If you're willing to go with an unknown seller you can get the DSC-W7 for as low as $255.