My kodak easyshare (cx6230) finally died and I need a new camera. But I just can't find anything that fits what I want.
It needs to take good macros but also have a good optical zoom - I'm mainly photographing small pieces of art or zoo animals.
It has to accept SD cards for additional memory.
My husband would like it to have a proprietary rechargeable battery, rather than standard AAs - He thinks that the proprietaries last longer.
And it needs to look like a camera - no credit card sized ones. I will end up photographing my fingers all the time if there isn't a real camera to hold onto.
Anyone have anything that fits these criteria that you've liked? I'm looking for something in or around the $200 to $250 range. I own a few Nikon DSLR's and I'd buy the Canon Powershot A630 or A640 for myself. These cameras have the larger 1/1.8" (5.2 mm x 7.2 mm) sensor that is nearly double the sensor size you find in many point and shoot cameras and this translates into better image quality. They allow fully automatic use or total user control and offer several stages in between. The only significant difference between these cameras is that the A630 is 8 MP and the A640 is 10 MP.
If you're going to spend up to $250, look at a Canon Powershot A630. My brother has had his A630 for about a year and it's a very nice camera. You can get it at B&H Photo (available through Yahoo! Shopping) for $192.
If you can go to $350, look at the 10 MP Canon Powershot A640. This is an excellent camera. It sells for $260 and you can add a very nice memory card for under $50.
For either camera, buy a 1 or 2 GB Sandisk Ultra II or Extreme III card. You will NEED the increased capacity and write speed to fully realize the benefits of your camera. The Ultra II would be excellent, but if you are really into video, you might prefer the faster Extreme III. These cards cost from about $25-45 at B&H and several other outlets.
Check the sample images on these pages and you'll see some macro shots. My son has the A620 and it does very well with macro work.
A630: http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_revi...
Also: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Ca... (Read owner opinions)
A640: http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_revi...
Also: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona64... my suggestion
go to yahoo shopping
digital cameras
digital camera GUIDE
be sure to check titles on the left side
the guide should answer your questions Buy Canon, they make the best cameras and lenses which is important for macro. The only reason propietary batteries last longer is because they are bigger in capacity, not that they are any better than AA. Below is the link to a pretty good camera with a camera "shape" that you were talking about.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as... | 