I'm buying a camera for the first time. I'm not sure which camera suits my criteria. I want a digital camera that
- gives a higher quality of image (as I always use for image editing very frequently)
- have at least 4x optical zoom
- are less bulky and
- have more storage limit (as I take pictures very frequently). Rather than name a single camera make (and I am a Canon guy so I would always say Canon!) I would suggest you look at some basics first and answer sme questions:
1. What are you most likely to shoot?
a. People/People events
b. Nature - Large Mamals
c. Nature - Small mamals
d. Nature - Birds
e. Nature - Insects
f. Scenery
g. Sports events
If the most of the pictures are for (a) and (f), you will do fine with a camera that has 4 megapixels or more and an optical zoom f 3x to 5x.
If you want the above and (b), you can look for a camera that has 10x or 12x optical zoom Some cameras cme with image stabilization (they may call it by other name - Nikon calls it VR)
If you want the above and (c) or (d), you need to get a SLR with a zoom lens with a max zoom of at least 300 to 400mm.
If you want (e), ensure that the Macro feature exists in the camera.
Ensure that the camera can handle at least 2 (I would prefer 4) GB memory cards so you can shoot many many pictures.
As you have said you prefer that the camera not be bulky you may not want and SLR but evaluate the option depending n your budget. As long as you buy one with 3.2 Megapixels or more, You will be just fine. Dont forget to get a BIG memory card to go with it.
PS, A 3.2 megapixel will print 8x10s pretty good i have a nice sony one it zooms in to 4 not too lare and the memory stick holds up to 300 pictures(and thats the smaller memory stick) im not sure what its called exactly...its really my husbands lol PowerShot S80, PowerShot A710, PowerShot A640,Olympus CAMEDIA C-5500 ,Canon PowerShot S80 ,Olympus Stylus 800 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S60,HP PhotoSmart R817
or lumix brand are better...if u r rich sony is nt bad lah...
storage limti ma...muz see how big is ur SD card! If you want high quality images then I suggest you look at Canon.
They make some of THE best cameras available. (Last year's Canon Powershot A620 is an excellent 7.1 MPcamera, 4X zoom... superceded by 2 new models very soon)
6 MP should be enough, but many of the newer models are all in the 8-10 MP range...so go for one of those (the more mp you have, the better...especially for cropping and editing etc)
Also, buy yourself at least a 1 GB memory card as a minimum storage size (Sandisk Ultra II or Extreme III are very fast and reliable). here is an option you may want to consider!
Canon PowerShot A620
7.1 Megapixels - 4 X Optical Zoom , 4 X Digital Zoom - Compact / Small Digital Camera - 2 in LCD Screen - Storage: SD/MMC Card - Built In Flash Check out the Sony DSCS600 or similar series of cameras with built-in memory etc.. What is ur badget? Less than S$1000 ?
Let say below S$1000. U need a camera with continues shotting functions? If yes, go for dSLR or similar camera.
Canon power shot is good. | 