Looking for recent reviews of digital cameras...

[swampnurse]

I am absolutely fed up with my Nikon Coolpix 3100 and need to bite the bullet and spend more on a really good camera. i read a few threads on this subject but they are a bit old. I'm sure new and improved cameras are out now, so i'm hoping some of you can give me some advice. Which cameras do you have and what do you like or dislike about them?

i do not need a digital SLR, but here are my requirements...
-fast focusing and shooting with a very short delay
-prefer a rechargeable battery pack instead of batteries
-no camera shake when not using the flash (worst thing about mine)
-at least 4 megapixels
-preferably $600 or less

Thanks!
Alyssa

[geochick]

There are a quite a few new cameras out since we purchased ours (Canon PowerShot G5). We had great luck with a few review sites:

http://www.consumersearch.com/www/photo_and_video/digital_cameras/index.html

http://megapixel.net/html/issueindex.php?lang=en

Our G5 has some delay, a rechargeable battery, no "camera shake," 5 megapixels, and is less than $600. We purchased ours from http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ a year ago and we couldn't beat the price or their customer service anywhere else. We just ordered our digital camcorder from them a few weeks ago - I can't say enough good things about them. You might consider calling them if you'd like some in-person, live help. Happy shopping.

[Tondi G]

My mom got a new digital camera for christmas last year and it has been great all year long!

It is an Olympus.... 5 mp I believe. I thin kit is called the C-5000. It does have a bit of a delay but I think you have that with anything that isn't SLR for the most part..... the one thing I hate about digitals!!!! Her camera has the rechargable battery which is very nice. It was close to 500 bucks last year... now I think you can get it for 350 bucks... but I am sure Olympus has come out with a newer model with more bells and whistles. Oh and hers also has the mini movie mode too which is kinda neat!

Anyways..... just wanted to say that my mom has been very satistfied with her Olympus and it takes great pictures!

Good luck.... buying/choosing a camera is so annoying isn't it! I'll be following your post cause our little Kodak digital we got right after DS was born is not doing well by us so much anymore and we need something new SOON! Dh is also eyeing a DVD video camera.... we can't spend a ton of money on both so if he gets that I want to find a digital that won't break the bank but will take nice printable pictures for me!

~Tondi
Mommy to Mason 7/8/01
and lil man #2 edd 5/5/05

[ellies mom]

There is a guy that does reviews at Epinions named Howard Creech. I really like his reviews. I may not understand all of what he is saying, but they are quite thorough.

I got the Canon Powershot S1 IS. It only has 3.2 megapixals, but I felt the 10x optical zoom with image stabilization was more important for my needs. I really like it. It runs $399 these days. The Howard guy reviews it, if you would like a much more knowledgable review. http://www.epinions.com/content_145477242500

[Saartje]

I had pretty much the same requirements as your list, and bought a Minolta Dimage A2. It even has a good anti-shake feature. Its list price is $900 or so, but you can find them for much less if you're willing to look; just be sure to read epinions reviews on the store before buying there.

[Mom2Miri]

We have a digital SLR so no recommendations here but this is a great review site:

www.dpreview.com

Helen & Mirielle 2/25/03

[pixelprincess]

www.cnet.com also has great reviews.

[swampnurse]

the dpreview site was great. i orderd a Canon G6 and it should be here any day. I'll post after i use it for a while. thanks for all the advice.

[ciaobella]

We just splurged on a digital SLR and I LOVE it. Canon has a $100 rebate now so you can get a 6.3 MP camera with lens for $900. I know it is over your limit but the burst rate (lack of delay) is unbeatable! It is really why we got it ... because I HATED the delay on our Nikon Coolpix 4300 (otherwise we love it). We still use the Coolpix since it is smaller and easier to put in your pocket, but I always get frustrated when I use it since there is such a delay between shots and from the time you click the shoot button until the actual picture is taken.

With my SLR I can actually capture a shot of Andrew before he changes positions, etc.

Just something to consider ...

Good luck with your search

[calebsmama03]

Which one do you have? How hard was it to learn? We just bit the bullet and got a Nikon D70 as our Christmas gift to eachother. I've never owned a SLR camera before but have been promising myself since I was pg with C that I'd learn to take good pics of the kids myself. I'd been eyeing this one a while and recently found it at am amazing price ($729 with lens kit) and couldn't pass it up - I just HOPE it's not a scam, or a refurb one! That's what credit card protection is for, I guess!
Lynne
Mommy to Caleb 3/3/03
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_emerald_18m.gif[/img][/url]
Oh my!! #2 5/05

[twinmama]

I think I'm getting the same one at Costco tomorrow! I got some money for my b-day, plus a few relatives sent checks so I could buy something for the girls for giftmas (I'll use the camera to take tons of pictures of the wee ones and of course I'll send copies to all the relatives, so technically, I'm buying something for the girls too, right?), so I think I'm going to buy it! It's soooooo much more than I wanted to spend, but there just isn't a digital point and shoot that has the speed of a digital SLR and photographing two toddlers means I have a need for speed.

Lisa

[iujen94]

I started a thread similar to this not long ago -- I ended up settling on the Canon A95 (currently $349, 5MP, incredibly fast in the "Kids and Pets" setting for non-SLR, haven't noticed any camera shake, does use rechargeable batteries though) which I absolutely LOVE!!!! (I've already convinced two of my friends to switch to it!) If you search for "A95" in the Around the House forum, you should find it -- I went through a TON of cameras before I settled on this one, if you are interested in what I didn't like and why. HTH!

[Thatchermom]

That's the best part of going digital - you can practice without film costs and see instant results of what you are trying to achieve. I have not used the Nikon, I have a Canon (film and digital), but I doubt it is any more complicated. They all have totally automatic settings you can use to start and learn more as you go along. Learning about camera functions and learning about great pictures go hand in hand, but aren't the same thing. You can learn much from your manual about camera function, and I'm sure there are great books for learning the technical aspects that others could steer you to. For learning about taking great photos, Nick Kelsh is your man. His books are easy, fast reads and very practical, not technical. Have fun with your new toy!

A link to one of Kelsh's books:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1556708955/104-6114989-4247119?v=glance

[swampnurse]

FYI, Crutchfield.com has the Canon G6 for $629, no tax, free shipping, free tech support, free 64 MB compactflash card and $74 merchandise credit (which i'm going to use to get another battery pack). It came today and is charging as i type.