Camera Help

I’m looking to get a decent, cheap digital camera mostly to have in the boat. I currently have a really nice 35mm SLR camera but with my lack of ability to catch fish, I still have some fishing pictures from late September sitting on my camera and I am waiting to use up the film (I will my snap-happy at Thanksgiving this year!)

So searching around the black Friday and pre-black Friday ads, I am finding several different cameras between $80-$130. They all seem to fall in the 7/8 MP and 3x to 5x optical zoom. I did see that Kodak has a 10mp for $90? These are the couple that I am considering. Just wondering if anybody has any comments on these:

Kodak EasyShare MX1063 10MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Zoom – $89.00
Olympus FE20 8MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Zoom – $99.99
Olympus FE370 8MP Digital Camera 5x optical- $129.99
Olympus FE-340 8 MP 5x Optical Zoom Digital Camera WIth Starter Kit – $119.99
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W120 Black Digital Camera 4x optical – $129.99
Nikon coolpix s210 kit 8mp 3x optical – $129 pre black Friday sale
Casio Exilim 8.1 MegaPixel 3X Optical Zoom Digital Camera EX-Z80BK 119.99

I’m not looking for feedback on the actual model numbers as much as just the brand itself. I’m a bit leery of the Kodak and I believe with Sony you have to purchase proprietary add-ons (memory cards and such) which can be a pain.

Thanks for the input!

I’ve had 2 kodaks and 2 Fujis. They’re made by the same company and have all been fine. I have a Kodak Z1285 (I think) now and it’s a 12mp and it’s awesome.

That being said, Sonys are very nice and have some of the best optics, but Kodaks are about the easiest to use and take quality pics. I use my old Fuji 4mp as a fishing camera and it works awesome for that, and I can still print up to a 8×10 if I don’t have to zoom in much on the picture.

Unless you plan to blow up these pictures for 8×10’s or larger, do you really need 10Mpx camera?? I think getting features like a timer, real batteries, and a good optical zoom are more important than the pixels. Now days, they are all going to be sufficient for fishing pics. Of course, everyone’s needs are different.

My vote is for the Kodak, not just for the price but for ease of use, specifically with the software. I’ve had Olympus and the photo software is not very intuitive, rather difficult to use. Sony’s are nice but I don’t feel they’re worth the extra bucks they ask for.

If you want to see what people think of these cameras, go to Amazon and read the reviews. I check Amazon reviews on just about everything I buy.

Make sure you get one that takes regular batteries like AA. If you get one that takes a special battery you can’t always find a replacement if they run out. Mine uses AA and a keep a handful of rechargable on hand. Also you can check reviews on Cnet.com

I’m not too concerned about getting a 10mp camera; I was more interested in the price of the Kodak. I’m leery that it is a 10mp for that price. Doesn’t seem right? We used to have a Kodak about five years ago and it was a big power drainer. I know cameras are a bit better now. I agree that other features are more important. Most don’t mention if it has a timer or not. If they do, they are like 10 seconds. They all are pretty similar with the optical zoom.

I did read some user reviews but I like to read what my “peers” like. One of the reviews I read was from a girl that just got the camera for her prom and it works great. That doesn’t do much for me. There weren’t too many reviews besides the sony and casio.

Another question, why are you guys for regular batteries? Like I said the Kodak we used to have it seemed like we were changing batteries between every picture. Our last digital camera was a Canon with the lithium-ion battery and that thing rocked. The battery would last forever before needing to be recharged. We could go on a week vacation and never have to recharge it? Maybe the newer cameras that use AA are better now?? I would get another Canon but they don’t have anything in the price range I am looking for.

The battery issue is ease of replacement. Especially in cold weather in the boat or on the ice. I tend to forget the camera in the glove box and the batteries just don’t last that long when cold. If I keep a spare set in my pocket, I can quickly throw them in and snap some pics. Plus you can buy AA batteries just about everywhere.

You aren’t going to prom this year???

Hmm, good point on the batteries. I think all of the ones I listed don’t use AA batteries.

and I think I will pass on the prom this year.

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Make sure you get one that takes regular batteries like AA. If you get one that takes a special battery you can’t always find a replacement if they run out. Mine uses AA and a keep a handful of rechargable on hand. Also you can check reviews on Cnet.com

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I had a Sony that ran on AAs (NiMH) a few years ago and that thing went through batteries like they were going out of style. I now have a Canon with a rechargeble pack (Li ion, I think) and like it much better. The thing lasts forever and seems unaffected by the cold. I have an extra battery for it that I always carry. When one dies, I swap it out and charge the other when I get home. I’ll bet I only have to charge every few months. AAs are nice because you can get them anywhere in a pinch, but I think rechargable battery packs are way better.

I have the kodak 710 and love it. The zoom works awesome and I have pretty much done everything to this camera and it has worked perfect. I will never buy another fuji again as I had two with in a two year period. When the second one died, I called them to talk about the fact that I had gone through two of there cameras in two years and they told me there was nothing they could be because their cameras are made to only take so many pics – ok, so yea, I do take lots of pics but come on – thats a crock of you know what.

Personally I’m not a fan of the AA battery models they always seem to eat a lot of batteries.

I think kodak camera’s always do pretty good in reviews, I’d lean that way or I’m relly happy with the battery life on our sony.

Sony as far as memory cards go you don’t need a “sony (R)” and they are a little more expensive, on average $5-$10 from my experince, but my old basic card reader has a slot for the Sony cards, they are a common format, I won’t let that sway you, it a minor issue, IMHO.

Thanks for the info! Unfortunately you haven’t made my decision any easier! Based on the feedback here and other reviews, I have pretty much eliminated a whooping one camera from the list, the Nikon. Sounds like it is pretty fragile. I have talked to a few folks here at work and they love the Casio. Super-fast shutter speed, which I would like because one of the things I hated with our old Canon is the delay in taking the picture. I guess I am pretty much forced to leave work early today to head over to Best Buy and the other stores and compare the different cameras closer. Thanks again.

Great post, I like my first kodak easy share so much I bought another one on ebay. They both just seemed to die at the same time. At some point, my base thing stopped charging the batteries and I am not all that happy with the LI ion ones. No battery is perfect, but I am leaning towards double a ones as they don’t cost 28 bucks a crack.

I have a Nicon Cool Pix L-10. I would not consider it fragile and it does not use a lot of battery power. 2 AA batts lasted pretty near all summer. I think the L-11 is the current model but there are cheap L-10’s out there. I paid less than $100 new when they were phasing in the L-11’s.

-J.

I have bought a bunch of cameras. Pretty happy with just about all of them. STRONGLY recomend that you buy a camera with a built in lithium ion battery. They last a long time and you don’t have to keep buying AA’s.

I have a small Olympus that shuttles between my truck and boat. My wife has a very nice and very small Fuji. We also have a Kodak with a 10x lens that I used to take pictures of my daughter’s HS soccer games.

But the best is a 7 mega pixel Sony Cybershot. I bought one for one of my daughters, and it was so good that the later bought one for my other daughter. Later got one for my folks last Christmas. I think this is the model. It has also gotten pretty inexpensive.

Sony Camera

Skip Best Buy and go to National camera where you can find somebody who knows something and can put it in English.

I have both Olympus and a Cannon, use them both. Like them both. Happy hunting!

Well after going to a few places and talking to a few people and doing the touch/feel test, it seems like the consensus is that Sony, Cannon, and Nikon are the best while Olympus was next in line. The knock on Olympus is they also use proprietary memory cards but don’t have the lens like Sony does to backup the higher price. And I got a little clarification on the “fragile” Nikon. It seems that the Nikon’s with the larger lcd screens “do get more complaints than other cameras for cracking” but that the lens is solid. I was very unimpressed with the S210 model that is for sale. So I think I am down to either the

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W120 Black Digital Camera 4x optical – $129.99
or
Olympus FE370 8MP Digital Camera 5x optical- $129.99

That is, unless I find a Canon on sale. I find it interesting that the Sony for $129.99 is the office max “Black Friday” price, but that is the current price at Best Buy.

Thanks again for the input!

course if you talked to me on how I in general rank the point and shoots its canon, panasonic, sony, nikon and olympus… the prices usually reflect that ranking……
I dont know about the casios but Ive heard some good things… when it comes down to it.. you did the best thing you could… you went and looked at them and tried them out.. that gives you some feel for how you like them… still there is a lot more to it than that…