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gabbys
Aug 2, 2004, 6:41 PM
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I want to buy a digital camera that makes very good pictures (quality) and printings. But the price is very important too (<400$, price in USA). I'm from Eastern Europe and here the prices as very high (30%-50% higher than USA). For example: Canon PowerShot A80, here is 650$!!!! So, I will buy a camera from USA! What should I buy? --> Canon PowerShot A80 --> Sony Cyber-Shot W1 --> Canon PowerShot S410 --> or other ? Please help me choosing a good camera! Thanks
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extremist4life
Aug 2, 2004, 7:09 PM
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Canon, go with Canon! I would recommend the Canon Powershot S50. I know that's not on your list but I own the camera and it works great. You can find it on buydig.com for $381, brand new! This company is good, i deal with them a lot as I am a photographer. I shoot Canon EOS 10D for all my work. I shoot Pentax SF10 as 35 mm. and Canon Powershot S50 as fun camera! Any more ?'s email me.
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haveaniceday
Aug 2, 2004, 7:28 PM
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FujiFilm S5000 is right in that range ($350 on sale, online in the US). I don't know what the import tax into your country would bring the price to, but it takes awesome shots at 6MP, with 22x zzom and all the functions you want to adjust are available. But before buying any camera you should read all the reviews on NEWEGG.com, which are a lot.
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usmc_2tothetop
Aug 2, 2004, 9:07 PM
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Not sure specifically but as for brand CANON all the way bud. Great company
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doris85
Aug 2, 2004, 9:12 PM
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I have Powershot SD100 and used it in South America, it is a fun camera, 3.2 Mega Pixels, and is great fits into a pocket, so nice to take anywhere.
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pico23
Aug 3, 2004, 12:00 AM
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Brand game is meaningless. Yeah canon is good but sony is excellent as well and the new sony's with the Ziess lens compete quite nicely with anything canon, nikon, fuji or any other brand made. The A80 is a really nice camera though. 4.0mp is plenty for a good 8x10 or 11x14 with some cropping. The A80 has a flippable screen which I like because if you are using it climbing or outdoors flip it closed for protection. It also keeps the screen off so you don't waste batteries viewing every damn picture after you take it. Downside of the screen is that it is smaller than most in that price range and quite small when compared to the new generation of digicams with increasingly bigger and higher res screens. Other features of the A80 with pros and cons are the optical viewfinder. Personally i am still not sure which is better. WIth optical the resolution is better and the camera seems to work slightly faster but to see the finished image you need to use the screen. Whereas with the EVF finder you can get a pretty good idea of if the WB and other settings are good before the shot. Feature for feature and build quality alone the A80 beats most other cameras in that price range. It gives you a lot of control and in many cases total control over most of the features. Another plus for the A80 is that it runs on standard AA batteries. Something like the Canon SD series or some sony's use properietary li-ion batteries that have to be purchased at camera stores or from canon. I like the ability to stop by any drug store or superstore and pick up batteries. Or get a charger and some 2300Mah NiMH batteries for everyday use. Other advantages of the A80 are it takes compact flash (CF) vs. memory stick or even secure digital (SD). Pretty much the only company that uses memory stick is Sony so if you invest in Memory Stick you are stuck with sony. SD is good and IMO great for small cameras, MP3 players and palm tops but compact flash is still king. It's cheap (compared to the other formats) and comes in very big sizes. I standard CF comes in up to 2GB sizes. Right now SD just broke the 1GB size but it's about 2x the cost of CF. Other sub $400 cameras i'd recommend are the Canon S1 IS. If you go with a smaller camera the Casio Exlim Series are pretty sweet. Small, light, turn on almost instantly but they use a custom battery.
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yo_escalado
Aug 3, 2004, 5:14 PM
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I have the Canon Power Shot A80 and it works great for me. I have never used a Sony. My Canon is great and the quality is good too. It's really easy to use. The only thing is that if your trying to take an action shot you have to hold down the button for a about 2 or 3 seconds before the pic is taken. The feature that I really like is that after you take the shot you can zoom in on it and center it so the you can really get "up close and personal" to the actual features on the wall! Good luck w/ your decision! :)
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davidji
Aug 3, 2004, 5:31 PM
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I've had Cannon & Kodak digital cameras, and while the Cannons photograph well, they use proprietary software to transfer the photos to your PC. Very unreliable. I've had problems going to both Win98 & Win XP Pro. A friend with similar Cannon issues bought a seperate flash card reader for her PC to transfer photos (since the Cannon software doesn't work well). Last time I needed to xfer photos, I transferred the memory card from the Cannon to a Kodak camera, and transferred the photos to the PC from the reliable Kodak camera. I don't think I'd buy a Cannon digital camera anytime soon.
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gabbys
Aug 5, 2004, 6:20 AM
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I've decided what should I buy. I will stick on Canon PowerShot A80. The LCD is too small i think but I see very well, so it's not a problem. I think this is a good choice for me (I am a beeginer in digital photography). Thanks all that write to me and helping me choose a good camera.
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xcel360
Aug 5, 2004, 1:16 PM
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Registered: Jul 20, 2002
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i'd go with the higher end fujifilm cameras. i did a lot of shopping around and comparison before i bought mine, and im extremely happy with the quality of the pictures. <=glen=>
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dsafanda
Aug 5, 2004, 2:38 PM
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The whole point of an SLR is that you have the option to use multiple lenses. You decision should really be based as much on the lenses that you want to use in the future as it is on the features and prices of the digital bodies that are currently available. Whatever you buy in terms of a digital body is going to be ancient technology in five years or less. However, the lens system that you are buying in to now will most likely be serviceable for a couple of decades if not longer. I expect to own my Nikon glass lenses for a longer period of time than my D100 which is just a temporary solution until I upgrade to a more advanced Nikon digital body in the future. I know it probably sounds totally ridiculous to talk of a $1000.+ investment as temporary solution but it’s not as hard to stomach if your real investment is in good lenses.
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timstich
Aug 14, 2004, 12:14 PM
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In reply to: Canon, go with Canon! I'm glad you've had good luck with Canon, but I find their electronics to be unreliable pieces of crap. I owned an H-800 video camera and an Elph Sport. Neither was abused, yet both died within 2 years. On the other hand, my Nikon Coolpix 950 goes climbing and is going strong. I will be buying a Nikon when it's time to plunk down major cash for a prosumer digital SLR. I wouldn't buy a Canon penlight now.
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timstich
Aug 14, 2004, 12:16 PM
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In reply to: I don't think I'd buy a Cannon digital camera anytime soon. Nor will I. Just wanted to bump this under my post.
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epic_ed
Aug 14, 2004, 3:58 PM
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Nice review, Pico. I've had my A80 since last fall and love it for all the advantages you mentioned. It's been a very reliable and sturdy camera for me from Jtree, to Zion, to Yosemite. http://www.rockclimbing.com/...p.cgi?Detailed=37772
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rkhali
Aug 14, 2004, 4:12 PM
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Sony makes good cameras but then you get stuck with their memory stick. They are the only ones who use it. I have a canon S400 and I love it. I carry it around all the time, it fits well in my side pocket and doesn't bother when I climb. The A80 is a great camera as well. The main diffrences between the two: S400 has a rechargeable battery, is smaller, feels more sturdy but has less manual features than the A80. I like the grip on the A80 better also.
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moose_jaw
Aug 14, 2004, 4:12 PM
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I know that the Pentax Optio S4i was not on your list, but perhaps should be one to consider. It takes great quality pics, and even has features to adust the white balancing. For a point and shoot camera that is 500 Canadian, and fits into an Altoids mint container, you can't go wrong! I love mine.
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duskerhu
Aug 14, 2004, 5:48 PM
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Registered: Apr 13, 2002
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I'm going to through in a vote the Nikon series of consumer digital cameras... I do not own one at this point but have 3 friends who do and have had the opportunity to use one of them for a weekend. These cameras are fabulous IMO! They have a great mix of manual and automatic features, great lenses and seem very durable. And on top of that, the images captured with them are definately superior to those I've gotten with my Canon. Canon makes great SLR film cameras but I've had trouble with their digitals. Sony, while far superior in the professional electronics groups, specifically video, is somewhat lacking in their consumer products. Unreliable electronics and proprietary technologies make them much more expesive and less versatile than other brands on the market. I could probably go on about this all day but, when it comes time for me to get a new digital camera, it'll definately be a Nikon! duskerhu
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