posted on November 7, 2003 04:05:21 PM new
Hi,
I am sure someone asked this already sometime ago, but I have trouble finding it on this board .... so here it goes. If you are happy with your digital camera, please tell me what kind is it?
I have a 6 year old Olympus that is getting very cranky and finally I am on the market for a new camera. I need one that can take good photos of items as small as jewelery. I looked around on sites like Gateway, Dell, Circuit City and it is a zoo out there. Just too many choices. Seems like $300 range should be resonable amount for a decent camera., but there are so many choices, I am affraid to just pick one without a friendly advice and then be sorry.
Your opinions/experience will be most welcomed and appreciated.
posted on November 7, 2003 04:24:34 PM new
I'm no expert on the newer cameras, but if you want an intelligent answer, you'll have to list your requirements of a new camera. There are just too many variables. One size doesn't fit all.
posted on November 7, 2003 04:45:00 PM new
what kind of jewelry.
you could be talking about an expensive camera and expensive lighting.
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posted on November 7, 2003 05:50:13 PM new
regular nice costume jewelry photos, nothing super fancy no million dollar bracelets. Just need clear pictures, not fuzzy. Zoom is good. I had "micro" function which was useful for small details. I just want details like flowers on vases to be seen... Average, normal use camera. Quick load of data into computer would be nice., mine takes forever. My camera had 2 megapixels and it was close to "good enough" in quality, so what I am really wondering ...how high do I go now? Do I really need 5 megapixels? (whatever that means).
5 seems to be the on the top of the list, but I am not sure I need something that good.
Does anyone know if Gateway DC-M50 5 megapixels is easy to use? The price $250.00 sounds good....
Thanks again!
posted on November 8, 2003 05:42:21 PM new
Donh't know how easy they are to use, but I know that if you go to a Gateway store, they will let you try one & see how they work. I have been a loyalo Gateway customer for 6 yrs. On my 2nd & bought one last yr for my sweetie. Have never had a problem with service etc.
posted on November 8, 2003 05:49:36 PM new
I just went thru the same thing! My Kodak DC200 still works pretty good, but I really needed to take close ups of maker marks and other small items. I bought a Nikon Coolpix 2000 for less than $300. There are newer versions out now and I got it a little cheaper for that reason (it's been about 4 months and I can't remember exactly what I paid for it). It does take quite a bit of battery juice when I have it on macro alot, but I use rechargable batteries anyway.
posted on November 8, 2003 09:52:31 PM new
My Olympus C-5050 has a function called "Manual Focus" which if for taking pictures right on top of things. The only drawback is that there is no flash attached to this feature so you have to have REALLY good lighting, which I struggle with.
I am quite pleased with it and the price has gone down a few hundred dollars since I bought mine about 4 months ago. I think it's hovering around $499 or so now.
The other features I like are the Sports mode and infrared lighting (great for nighttime photos). The sports mode can take still photos from live action without blurring. My daughter was swinging around a fabric belt and I took a picture of it and the belt was just frozen in motion. It was really neat.
Otherwise I know squat about anything camera related.
posted on November 9, 2003 06:01:46 AM new
both your camera's sound great, but I am affraid I just don't need the extra bells and whistles. So I was hoping to get away with under $400.00... I mean,
just need regual merchandise still pictures.
I was told that Gateway camera I mentioned above had bad reviews. At Sears yesterday I looked at Kodak dx4530 ($430) and Sony dscp92 ($380), they seemed good. Also Minolta dimage g500 at $380. All have 5 megapixels. If anyone has those, please let me know!!
Thanks again to everyone! I do appreciate ALL your opinions.
posted on November 9, 2003 07:49:58 AM new
My suggestion would be the Canon PowerShot line (A60, A70 or the new A80). Good, clear pictures, USB connectivity for downloads, uses 4 AA batteries and very frugal with the power usage, LCD screen on back and the A60 is in the $260-275 range depending on the vendor. I have the A60 and am very leased with my purchase.
posted on November 9, 2003 09:47:42 AM new
For auction photos, you dont really need anything fancy. However, for family shots and the like, you will want at least 3 megapixel or more. In my years of research and having owned about a dozen different models myself, my basic "generic" advice is to look at Toshiba. Their cameras are always priced $100-$200 less than similar models by the competition and always provide the right mix of features.
I have been using Toshibas since the PDR-M4 I bought about 3 years ago. My original M5 (which won first place in the Digital Imaging Media Association shootout) is being used by a school. Despite dozens of students handling it, it still works flawlessly.
Right now you can get the PDR-4300 for about $225. This is a 4 megapixel camera with optical zoom (actual zoom lens - some cameras only have digital zoom where software emulates a zoom function). I havent seen any other camera that comes close for the price. This is one of the cameras I own and right now it's my favorite. It's the one I recommended to my father, who also loves his. If you want to see details, read reviews and an unsolicited email I received from a customer who wanted a more expensive camera and couldn't believe that a "cheap" camera would be good, you can read this:
posted on November 9, 2003 10:19:57 AM new
i found a nikon coolpix995 for under 400 dollars,it is a remanufactured one,and it works perfect.
i also bot gradation paper which does not reflect light.if you can find someone who can share the paper with you,that saves money.i mean using a pair of scissor and cut it in half (vertically).
olympus,nikon and minolta are all top of the line,have you looked into the newer olympus cameras??
i have found it time consuming to learn to use a new camera,this one takes me 2 days,may be it is just me,but this is my third camera,the other two also took me 1-??days to learn how to use it.
good luck.
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