buying a digital camera soon

[DrewKaree]

My bad....for some reason, that PDF took almost five minutes to load!!

I took the "so I'd like the new one to also use Compact Flash cards" to mean if you found one you really liked, that wouldn't be the killer of the deal.

Are you using rechargeable AA's as well, and that's why you'd like to keep using an AA powered camera?

[JoyMonkey]

Are you using rechargeable AA's as well, and that's why you'd like to keep using an AA powered camera?

Yes, I've got a lot of hi capacity NiMH AA's. So a AA camera would be nice, but not essential. I really don't want to have to buy all new memory cards though.

[xar256]

For those of you with the Canon cameras...How are they for low light shots?  I've been looking at the Kodak CX7530 because it seems to do real nice under low light...But seeing as some people here are moving away from the Kodaks in favor of the Canons...I thought I'd ask

Xar256

[GGKoul]

I have a Canon G2 and it takes ok night shots..

[DrewKaree]

Dunno if you made your choice yet, but I went with my brother-in-law to check out a few, since he was looking to buy.  We have a relative who works in one of those "we cater to the photog nuts here" places - buy your fixer/filters/paper/whatever-you-can-imagine stuff, and we got to see some demonstration pictures of the cameras they sold.  They didn't deal in Canon's, but they had Olympus', Nikons, Fuji's, for digital...a couple of other brands, but those were their major offerings.  (Saw me a SWEET Leica, but that's a different story!)

The really nice high-end Nikons produced pictures that were a little better than the camera he ended up buying - Fuji E-550.  The differences of holding the same picture made by three different cameras REALLY demonstrates how nice this camera is.

After he bought it, I'm impressed enough that I may just sell my Sony and pick one of these up.  I dunno about price point you can find it for, but here's some stats I can remember.

$320
6 Mp
AA Batteries (two included as well as a charger)
USB Cable
Super CCD
(this sounds like your deal breaker) XD flash cards (although a 256 was only $50)

Just flat out beautiful pictures in many different settings.  His cousin was the one taking the pictures, and he gave us all kinds of info on what he used to get the images like that (and the settings, as equal as possible)

[DrewKaree]

Wal-Mart online (of all places) is selling it for $307, so I'm betting you can get this for under $300 somewhere.

[JoyMonkey]

Steve's Digicams gave it a very good review and it's only $276 shipped from Butterfly Photo, but it's as big as what we've got right now, heavy on batteries and uses XD media as you said.

To a lot of people this is trivial stuff, but I guess I'm being picky.

[SNAAKE]

I can recomend Sony Cybershot(the real slim one).Takes GREAT pics upto 5mp.CHeck my thread I just look some pics

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,33360.0.html

[JoyMonkey]

After trying out a friends Sony DSC-W1, reading a shite load of reviews, going to a store and having a look at a bunch of different models, remembering that I do have two 512mb MMC cards that work in 90% of SD cameras and talking with the wife, I've decided to go with the Casio EX-Z55. Yaaaayyyy!

Now that that's decided, anyone want to buy a used Minolta Dimage s414? It takes fantastic photos but it's not what you'd call pocket-sized. I'll throw in a 512mb Sandisk CF card and a nice Targus camera case for $160 shipped.

[nipsmg]

From Experience, let me recommend the Canon Powershot Elph S410.

Small form factor, great automatic and manual controls, GREAT images, low price, durable.

Let me also recommend that you DON'T EVER buy a Kodak.  You may find a few people who had good experiences, but I've had 3 cameras, and they were all terrible.  My sister also bought one, and a friend bought 2, and EVERYONE either returned them or threw them out.  In general the Kodaks I've come in contact with have been garbage. 

[Witchboard]

Steve's Digicams gave it a very good review and it's only $276 shipped from Butterfly Photo, but it's as big as what we've got right now, heavy on batteries and uses XD media as you said.

To a lot of people this is trivial stuff, but I guess I'm being picky.

I have an E-550 and LOVE it.  I bought mine from Butterfly Photo.  They are really good with customer service.  I got a call after the day I ordered and I expected it to be the typical, "I'm sorry, this is out of stock." call, but he was actually calling just to make sure there wasn't anything else I needed.  I'm very pleased with them.

As for the batteries, I'm not sure how long other camera's last, but playing with mine for the first week and the batteries lasted several days of me fiddling.  Maybe I'm just not hard core enough.  I bought a 4 pack of batteries at Wal-Mart for less than $10 and use the charger that came with the camera.  I just swap them out when need be.

I agree the included xD card is kinda funny.  16MB which is good for 1 RAW photo (the main reason why I bought this camera).  I bought a 512MB xD for less than $60 at NewEgg.  It allows me to take over 300 images at 6MP or over 30 RAW images.  Plus, I can record almost 10 minutes of video with sound on it.

I'm looking at getting the telephoto and wideangle lenses for it as well.

[Bones]

Just brought a Cannon IXUS500 today.

So far crappy results but I really dunno how to use it yet. Been doing SLR photography as a hobby for years but this is very different....