I have $450 to spend, do you guys have any recommendations as to what digital camera I should purchase. The primary purpose is to put pictures of people on the web. I'm interested in zoom and quality. Thanks in advance.
If you're never going to do anything else with it, then buy an Olympus 2.1 or so and put the extra money into a recharger, batteries and a little more memory for it. If you think your interests will expand, then buy a 3.3, but stay with Sony, Olympus, Nikon or Fuji. Sorry I'm not more specific...but I love my Olympus 2.1. Got it for $219 2 years ago and it's great for snapshots.
You can easily get a Nikon Coolpix 775 or 885 for your price range. My dad has been a photographer for 40 years and I started when I was 10 shooting a 35mm. One thing I've found about digital cameras is that the better the manufacturer, the better quality the camera. I love my Nikon digital and I've played around with Olympus and they seem good as well. All the reviews I've read seem to suggest that Nikon (especially the Coolpix series) is the best bang for the buck.
Cool. I'm going to check those out. While surfing I found what appears to be a comprehensive web site. It's bit much for me to pour through as a newbie, but it helps. http://www.dpreview.com/
Just make sure you buy legit versions of the camera. Some stores deal in gray market versions of cameras that don't carry the full manufacturer's (or any) warranty. That site you found is actually the site I was going to recommend.
I got a Sony DSC-S70 a while back and it has turned out to be an excellent camera. If I had to do it again, I would probably have considered the Coolpix 990 a little more. The quality of the Sony is excellent (very similar to Nikon), but the Coolpix easily outdoes Sony with more features. It would probably do you good to go somplace like Houston Camera Exchange where you can not only get your hands dirty, but have truly knowledgable salespeople to help you with any questions. x34
I just bought a Polaroid 2300z (2.3MP 2.3x optical zoom) slightly used for $129+shipping, and there are plenty more availible from this place. The UPS guy should be knocking on the door within the next two hours and I'll tell you the quality if you are intrested. It looks like a decent camera and a very good deal for the price. Heh, there was a nice 4.2 MP Toshiba for $305 after rebates somewhere last week, you missed out.
Here are a few more links. http://www.steves-digicams.com/hardware_reviews.html http://www.dcresource.com/ http://www.imaging-resource.com/ http://electronics.cnet.com/electronics/0-1429209.html http://www.all-digital-links.com/index.html They don't all review all the cameras, so you have to look around a bit to find the reviews you want. I found that dpreview.com had the best forums. The last one is a site that links you different reviews, but it's not always up to date. I second GBs comments on resolution. This is one I looked at a while back but eventually decided wanted something smaller. It sounds like it might fit your needs though. http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusc2100uz/
… and remember to check for the latest prices. Price drops can be huge on these cameras. http://shopper.cnet.com/shopping/resellers/0-11327-311-2941185-0.html?fl=4&tag=pdrop
The price drops are usually reflective of the gray market. Be careful of some of those "too good to be true" prices. They often are. There are many online camera dealerships that are scam artists.
wow, I didn't realize how different the prices could be depending on where you buy the camera. Those were some great sites. A 10X optical zoom by Olympus sounds very appealing for only $600. I think I've narrowed it down to the Nikon Coolpix (885 or 995) or the Olympus with 10X. The Olympus looks a little bulky and I need to research it some more. The Coolpix has gotten great reviews. Woo. Information overload. I will definately go see a sales rep in person before buying. I feel a little nervous paying so little for such a quality camera, but the companies appear to have gotten good reviews. I will need to check out the warantee and all that before I feel safe. NeXXes, no need to check out the camera for me. I'll probably try to buy this in person, but thanks for the offer!
Just make sure they come with a full manufacturer's warranty. Ask them how long that warranty is. Ask before you order. I know several people that have had all kinds of problems ordering from some of these online camera stores. Also make sure you're getting everything that should be included in the camera package.
