[ Outline ] · Standard · Linear+ Digital Cameras, what's the word?

[mountainlust]

I'm in the market for a digital camera. I've never had one before and I feel as though it's time to get one. I did this same sort of thing when cell phones first starting getting popular. I was like, "I've survived without one for this long; why should i get one now?" That was 7 years ago and now I wonder how I did get along without one for so long!

I digress...

So what is everyone's experience with digital cameras? Good brands? Good models to buy? How much money I'm looking at coughing up
Accessories?

Thanks!

[Avvilimento]

A few things to be aware of:

Don't confuse optical and digital zoom! It's possible to digitally "zoom" through software to tens of thousands of times - sure it's bigger, but it looks like crap. Also remember that the further you zoom in optically, the better the light has to be to take a blur-free.

Bigger cameras use bigger sensors, and as such give better quality. They also use bigger lenses with better coatings and larger batteries, which is why they cost more. For example, a super-compact has a sensor which may measure only 2/7" across, while a dSLR can be as large as 11/10" (around 7/4" on Canon's 5D or 1Ds mkII).

Remember the memory. Olympus and Fuji use xD cards which are expensive, much like Sony's memory sticks. SD and CF cards are the cheapest and most readily available, and also have the largest capacities - I've seen SDs as big as 4GB and CFs upto 8GB. SanDisk make the best on the market, but there are plenty of other good choices.

Myself, I prefer Canons. I've owned three, including my current PowerShot G3 (4MPel, 4x optical zoom) and EOS 20D dSLR (8.2MPel, 1.6x crop), as well as my old PowerShot A60 (2.1MPel, 3x optical) I sold to my mum. I just find they give a cleaner, more faithful shot than other brands. I find Sonys to be oversaturated and lacking detail, Olympus noisy, Kodak soft, and Nikons lack punch - but it's all a matter of personal opinion.

If you need some website for research there are many good ones to be found. I can send you links if you like, but I strongly suggest doing some homework before you jump in. Most good sites offer sample images, as well as test shots, so you can get a good feel without leaving your PC.

Cheers,
Jon.

(PS sorry for my inner geek showing, but cameras and computers are two areas I've done my homework waaaaay too much)