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11/16/2003 03:47:04 AM · #1 |
I am looking to buy (2nd hand) a small camera to fit in my handbag. I have a Canon IXus about 4 years old and my son has commandeered it and doesnt look like he will return it! I really liked that Ixus 2.1 mp but it is a bit old now. Can anyone suggest a cheap alternative, doesnt matter if it is an out of date model. All I really want is something handy to have 'just in case' when I am out and about. Any suggestions?
Thanks
Rob |
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11/16/2003 06:10:55 AM · #2 |
What does cheap mean to you exactly? And what features should the camera have? I mean would you like to have manually adjustable features?
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11/16/2003 09:32:29 AM · #3 |
Depending on what you mean by "cheap," I might have an option for you. I bought a gateway DC-M50 yesterday. It's $250 and 5mp. It's a little bulky and the controls are not the most user friendly I've ever seen but for the money you can't beat the features...
AP, SP, M, P control
Preset, Auto and Custom WB
Exposure Comp or Center or Spot metering
Movie Clip recording
Voice annotation recording
Auto focus or preset distance focusing including Macro and Infinity
I think it produces nice shots...I'm still playing and on my way out to take daytime, sunlight shots now. So far, indoor "ghetto" studio shots produced good colors.
You'll be hard pressed to find a 5mp cam, even used, for that kind of money. I got mine at a gateway store, but they offer them online in their accessory store...it does far more than the ad on the website says.
Shari
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11/16/2003 09:35:09 AM · #4 |
| Well, I would recommend a Pentax Optio S of course... it's worked pretty well for me in the last few months, check out my portfolio. However, when the new Panasonic FX1 and FX5 come out in the next couple of months, I would seriously think about ditching my Optio and buying one of them as they have image stabilisation which means you can take shots with a slow shutter speed with no camera shake. |
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11/16/2003 10:37:32 AM · #5 |
I recently bought a Sony DSC-U30 and I am not that happy with it.
It is definitely the best looking among the ultra-portable and even smaller than a Pentax Optio S4, but the features are by far inferior (even the price must be said - they are not really in the same category).
If you don't want to spend a lot and you are looking for an ultra-portable then the Sony DSC-U30 could be ok.
If you are looking for the best of the ultra-portable then the Pentax Optio S4 is probably the best in the category.
If you are looking for a small but not as small ultra-portable camera then the Sony DSC-V1 is a fantastic camera (and probably my next buy).
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11/16/2003 11:21:37 AM · #6 |
| Check out the Minolta DiMAGE Xt. A small, quality camera with 3.2 mp and 3x zoom. Should be able to pick it up for about $250. |
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11/16/2003 11:38:05 AM · #7 |
Here is one for you to consider, the Fuji finepix A-205. It isn't the ultra slim but it does fit very nicely into most handbags...
//www.ritzcamera.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&productId=13096355&topCategory=1003&cat1=1009
It's very similar to the fuji finepix 2600. Quality of photos is good. |
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11/16/2003 02:17:25 PM · #8 |
Many thanks for all your replies!
Robin |
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11/16/2003 03:03:21 PM · #9 |
I highly recommend any of the Canon Elph Digital cameras for pocket cameras. They are small, rugged, take great pictures and are easy to operate. They have a 4MP version that is what I would get if I were buying one today.
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11/16/2003 03:23:33 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
I highly recommend any of the Canon Elph Digital cameras for pocket cameras. They are small, rugged, take great pictures and are easy to operate. They have a 4MP version that is what I would get if I were buying one today. |
How would this be as a kid's camera? I'm going to have to get Isaac a new camera soon; so far it seems to be between the Fuji A205 and the Canon A60. |
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11/16/2003 03:25:08 PM · #11 |
I'm enjoying my new Optio S4 a lot. Some great control given such a small size and the results are excellent, what little I've done with it.
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11/16/2003 04:50:47 PM · #12 |
The Canon S series are pretty small cameras, but I don't think I'd classify them on the cheap side. //www.powershot.com
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11/16/2003 06:42:29 PM · #13 |
| It's not quite as small as some of the others, but the Canon A80 has fantastic features for its size. It is the smallest I've come across that takes filters and converters. I haven't got one yet, but am hoping to buy one as soon as one of the local discount shops gets stock - expected to be towards the end of the week. |
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11/16/2003 07:05:54 PM · #14 |
If anyone wants to see what the DC-M50 can do These are the photos I took today at the botanical garden with it.
Message edited by author 2003-11-16 19:22:58.
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11/16/2003 09:27:38 PM · #15 |
A70s have just about the same features as A80s, but they're 3.2MP, have no flip-out screen, and have a 640x480 movie mode with sound.
I got mine for $320, with a 128mb 12x Lexar CF card. |
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11/16/2003 11:37:03 PM · #16 |
| thanks again all for your suggestions, I think I'll buy one for my son and get my 'Elph' back! He only takes occasional pics of his baby.... and mostly for emailing. |
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11/16/2003 11:41:57 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
I highly recommend any of the Canon Elph Digital cameras for pocket cameras. They are small, rugged, take great pictures and are easy to operate. They have a 4MP version that is what I would get if I were buying one today. |
How would this be as a kid's camera? I'm going to have to get Isaac a new camera soon; so far it seems to be between the Fuji A205 and the Canon A60. |
I think it would make a good kids camera, since it's nice and small. I know it's pretty rugged, since I just stick it in my pocket when we go places and it has worked like a champ for 3+ years. The one downside for it in terms of a kid is that it may be too small. It's just about the size and shape of a cigarette pack. It doesn't have a grip on it, so, you may want to have him hold it and see if he likes it first. The ELPH's aren't the cheapest cameras either.
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11/17/2003 03:42:27 PM · #18 |
Okay...forget the gateway. I was taking pics of my cat today...just sitting in the living room...and the screen had a fatal error. I took it back and got a canon A70 instead.
Shari
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03/22/2004 02:40:10 PM · #19 |
Hehe, probably a Windows-based firmware :P
I wonder if camera manufacturers design the firmware from scratch, or base it on an existing OS?
EDIT: sorry for the old topic, it just seemed a good thing to reply to (I was looking through my 'threads replied to', and had a good though to add)
Message edited by author 2004-03-22 14:42:01. |
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03/22/2004 02:46:15 PM · #20 |
Small camera, cheap and good for a child?
I started a thread on that awhile ago and got some good suggestions. Ended up finding the 2mp Canon Powershoot A60 on amazon.co.uk at £99.99 - an amazing price for a lovely camer.
Daughter loves it (though she dropped at w/end and lens won't retract now - off to repairers!). It's great for learing as you can progress to Aperture/shutter priority and manual later. The buold quality is excellent and the ergonomic good for small hands (thoigh slippy - see above!)
One really good feature is that the effects of altering aperture and shutter is apparent on the LCD screen - I can't do this with my Olympus C750 - and this is just fantastic for demonstrating exposure and understanding how to control it. Quality is good and provided you're not sending it for publication,an A4 can quite happily be printed and look very respectable for a young photographer. She will join as soon as admin approval and post some early shots.
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03/22/2004 05:02:40 PM · #21 |
i have a canon s400 digital elph - 4mpx, 3x zoom ..
it's a bit disappointing next to my 10D, but for a camera the size of a pack of cigarettes, it's actually pretty nifty. the nice thing is that when im taking pics with it, people rarely seem to care or notice, unlike when i take out the big gun, people seem to become very aware of that.
i also like that it uses CF media, same as my other camera, so i dont need different memory cards. it comes with a rechargeable battery and charger, which seems to last a good long time. it has control of EV, ISO (up to 400), white balance (which is very good), has continuous drive mode, movie mode with sound, and voice annotation.
$399 US.
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03/22/2004 05:49:31 PM · #22 |
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Originally posted by Spazmo99:
I highly recommend any of the Canon Elph Digital cameras for pocket cameras. They are small, rugged, take great pictures and are easy to operate. They have a 4MP version that is what I would get if I were buying one today. |
How would this be as a kid's camera? I'm going to have to get Isaac a new camera soon; so far it seems to be between the Fuji A205 and the Canon A60. |
I think it would make a good kids camera, since it's nice and small. I know it's pretty rugged, since I just stick it in my pocket when we go places and it has worked like a champ for 3+ years. The one downside for it in terms of a kid is that it may be too small. It's just about the size and shape of a cigarette pack. It doesn't have a grip on it, so, you may want to have him hold it and see if he likes it first. The ELPH's aren't the cheapest cameras either. |
ima kid and i gotta f717. :) But i had to pay for half of it.
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03/22/2004 06:05:47 PM · #23 |
I was playing for a while with Canon S500 and Minolta G500 and G400.
Canon has the most features but I could not make good out of it indoors at poor lighting. Well, unless I spent a couple of minutes fiddling with the settings and doing test shots. And it doeas RAW :-)) Outdoors at the sunlight it's the best. Bulky and heavier than my other choices. Bad lens protection - dust gets to it - can not carry in the pocket without the case.
Minolta G500 is very good outdoors and quite fair indoors. Better lighting, metering and focus at the low light - good for snap shooting. Sometimes misses the focus because of the hunting. Noisy images. Good to carry in the pocket.
G400 is my preference. Less noise than G500, faster start-up and focus, custom settings are almost never needed. The best colors.
IMO Minoltas and Canon have better lenses than Pentax or Casio cameras of the same pocket range.
Almost forgot: the Minoltas have dual card slot. This has proved extremely handy on a memorable party when my wife's boss ran out of batteries on his Sony. I have lended him the G500 for the night and ended up copying my photos to his MS card and his - on my SD :-))
Message edited by author 2004-03-22 18:06:56.
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03/22/2004 08:00:14 PM · #24 |
Originally posted by hsteg:
ima kid and i gotta f717. :) But i had to pay for half of it. |
Good for you! That's how my parent's did it with me when I was your age and wanted a $400 tape recorder (that's about $2000 in today's dollars). But my son Isaac just turned 7, so it's a little unreasonable for him to pay for even half on any decent camera right now. |
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06/10/2004 01:55:40 AM · #25 |
Originally posted by shareinnc:
If anyone wants to see what the DC-M50 can do These are the photos I took today at the botanical garden with it. |
I'm also looking for a small camera and I found this thread via the search (imagine that). I'm comparing the Canon S410 and the A80 at the moment and I noticed you took some pictures with the A80 but I didn't see them when I visited your pbase site. Were they relocated? I know your link is rather old but I wanted to see the pictures you took if still available. Thanks!
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