Need help buying digital camera buying, digital, resolution, question, nothing

andy

hi
i need some help/advice buying a digital camera , i have seen a nice little one on amazon::Kodak EasyShare CX4210 Digital Camera  it has 2 Mega pixle resolution , my question is i supose will this do ...i dont want to buy another one when i find out that the quality is bad and it wont work inside. how quot;goodquot; is 2 Mega pixles? ... i have done a search on here and google ...but nothing realy tells me! i was bidding on a 4 MP camera on ebay but lost ...i would say my limit is about ?130/?150 GBP .

Regards

Cyph

I have a kodak and it takes acceptable pictures at 1 mega pixel.  My father has a kodak that takes pictures at 3.4 mega pixels and those pictures look pretty good.  I've used a cannon that was also around 3 mega pixels and it took pictures similar to my fathers kodak.  My mother just got an olympus 3.2 mega pixel digital camera and it takes way better pictures than all the others and seems easier to learn how to use.  the cannon was also easy to use.  I'd suggest trying to get an olympus as it takes stunning pictures and has the best features of all the cameras I've tried.  Regardless of which camera you choose, make sure you learn how use it properly because the picture is only as good as the person taking it.

I have a Fuji FinePix 2600 that does the job very well. Its a 2MP model.

Get out your JPG collection and look at a few pix.  If one is 1024x768, it is less than than one megapixel.  If you want a camera for pictures to be viewed only on the PC then 2 megapixels is plenty and digital cameras are nicely priced at that size.

Three megapixels can provide the detail of about a 35mm film camera, if you have a printer that can to it justice.  

If you're not a professional photographer, four+ megapixels is probably overkill and the price of cameras in this range get pretty high.

You should keep in mind that pixels is only one part of overall quality.

I have an Olympus Camedia 3000, 3.4 mega pixels.  It runs around $350-$400 but takes fantastic pictures.  I use a HP printer and print 8x10s at 1440x1440 dpi and on photo paper, its hard to tell the difference than real film.  But if you only want to use the camera for sending pics over the net then a 2 mega pixel is fine.  I think a computer screen res is only around 72dpi anyway.  To me, the 4 mega pixel camera are way overboard both in price and functionality.

Mac

my main reason for buying a digital camera is realy to have better quality quot;backupsquot; as in order to store my 35mm film pictures i have to scan them in on a 7 year old scanner  which takes time and effort, were as with a digital camera it is harder to distroy and very easy to publish special events on the internet and to email to family and friends. i also auction now and then and geting a picture of the item will be alot easier. i think i might go for a 2mp camera ...although there is a kodak DX4900 4 MP going on ebay for ?160 GBP imported from the USA. RRP ?399 , and if i can dodge customs i will be home free  I have had a quick look for Olympus , the 300 modle is a little expensive for a first time buyer  although the 120 seems good with 2 MP resolution. I wont be printing any at the moment as my printer is about 7 years old too  lol

I had the Olypmus C-220 with 2 Mpixels.
The picture quality was ok.
But I wasn't satisfied with this camera.
This camera needs too long time to be ready for making a picture.(This feature is important for me because I don't like to wait too long)
The time between the pictures is also not very short.

So I sold it and now I 'm waiting for the Nikon SQ.
This one is very small, fast, new LCD technologie,3 MPixels, good Li-Ion-Akku, inside Nikkor objective(like Coolpix 4500,990...) which  doesn't move outside.[edit:  Ahhh, I see the Nikon SQ costs about ?500, so it's too much for you]

Cu filewalker

I use a Sony DSC-785 at 4.1 megapixels.  The shots are incredible.  I am just not satisfied with anything less than 3 megapixels, as it just doesn't have the sharpness I desire.  It's all about price and your end medium though.  If you're not going to make prints, 3 megapixels is plenty good.  I would go for atleast 3 megapixels so in a year or so you don't regretting only getting a 2 megapixel camera.

Just a few more thoughts ... no specific recommendations. Check which type of memory card the camera is using ... there are proprietary ones like Sonys memory stick, rather big, but universal ones (Compactflash), very new ones (Fujis XDCard) etc ... just in case you want to reuse some cards you might already have.
As for resolution: I started 骹f with a 2 MP model ... if you want prints, postcard-sized ones are _not_ a problem whatsoever ... going upwards from that size would justify higher res. cameras.
Speed: consumer digital camera are slower than a decent quot;chemicalquot; Pamp;S camera - both in getting the first shot amp; in taking a series of shots. Sometimes considerably slower.
Viewfinder: make sure your camera has an optical one  ... while the small display on the back of your cam might be nice (quality of those displays varies a LOT), they use a lot of battery power amp; sometimes i just prefer an optical viewfinder anyway . I tried a Nikon Coolpix (can't remember the model #) amp; disliked it only for the lack of such a viewfinder. A matter of personal taste, I guess.
Power supply: Those itsy-bitsy tiny, sexy cameras are cool, but they usually live off a proprietary, sometimes built-in rechargeable battery.  Slightly larger cameras often use standard AA batteries amp; using high-capacity NiMH rechargeables on these is a good way to save on battery cost.
Picture quality: not only dependant on resolution, some 2 MP cameras take better photos than 3 MP models ... apart from effective resolution (depends on the camera's chip and its lens), noise (esp. in low light conditions) varies a lot ... tiny and/or small lenses tend to produce distortion.
Prints: check with your local photo finisher ... they can print your digital photos on standard photographic paper at a much lower cost than using your colour inkjet. Quality is usually good.

Enjoy your new camera  ...

wow thank you every body for all the replys everyone has been of help!

@smiller667 : thanks for opening my eyes to alot of different angles  

well im off on the quest to buy  ...i will see were it takes me...thanks all!

Regards
Cyph

Originally posted by OvERaCiD23
I would go for atleast 3 megapixels so in a year or so you don't regretting only getting a 2 megapixel camera.

I remember once a letter in PC Magazine which recommended spending $7500 on a computer with an EISA bus vs. an equivalent computer with an ISA buss for $5000 because a year from now you'll have to spend another $5000 for a computer with an EISA bus.

EISA died a quick death (the superior PCI took over) and computer prices fell nicely (and performance improved very nicely).  The losers were the ones who spent the extra $2500 for the EISA.  

I hope you learned something from this story.

Digital cameras are still rapidly improving in terms of both price and quality (besides, I'd like to see a standard for memory).  If a guy doesn't need more than 2 megapixels (currently the sweet spot), he shouldn't feel the need to pay a premium for anything more.  It's foolish to think of a digital camera as a long-term investment.  Rather than buying 3 megapixels to avoid regret for getting 2, buy 2 and avoid regret for spending the extra money.  If he wants 3 or 4 megapixels, the money he saved will buy that next year (and, he'll have learned more about what kind of camera to buy; also, as a bonus, you'll have a backup digital camera).

Doobie - that's probably some of the wisest information I've heard in a long time.  You really should only buy what you need or want, But if cypher_soundz is like me, I try to get the best I can.  Sometimes this works out in my favor and sometimes not, but I usually have some pretty cool toys.

Mac

Yes very wise indeed , and yes that does sound like me lol  i do need/want quality

I fully agree with Doobie's comment ... a few more things: I'd recommend you try out the camera before making a decision ... like with a lot of things, buying a camera is also a matter of personal like or dislike.
If you want to read up a bit more on a particular model, try /or from--for sometimes fairly comprehensive reviews.