What camera?

[Jack]

Hi chaps looking for some advice on cameras...........

I looking to buy a digital camera that isn't massive but fits into my pocket so I can take pictures of the resto of the GMC etc etc, it has to have a zoom on it and what size memory card should I get and it has to take pictures good enough to be published in magazines............doesn't need to be that expensive as I will only wreck it in due course

What is my best option?

Cheers.

Jack.

[redflex]

Dont worry about the memory card size you can get a replace on line with very high storage on it.


I got really good Fuji FinePix camera from an offer at PC World fits in pocket has zoom movie clips sound recording only cost £120
They do good deals but don't get the extras they offer they are exspensive eg case extra memory, buy on-line or agros etc

With zoom, go for opitcal zoom as this is real zoom, digital zoom will lose quality and is resolution as it is does something with the pixels not sure how.

[Jamie]

what do you all think about this one...seems a good price?
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...uct_uid=101570

cheers

[Abbe Osram]

I have a Olympus C-1 1.3 Megapixel and a bigger memory card.
I am using Ni-MH rechargeable 2300 mAh batteries.
You can see my pictures in the Gallery and on my webpage.
The small pocket camera is very light and sometimes I strap it on a tree to make pictures of myself. I am not using up any weight at all with it.

Its a great camera.

cheers
Abbe

[RovingArcher]

digital camera reviews can be found on this site and they pretty much cover all aspects of the camera being reviewed as well as quality of shots.

[themac]

I'd recommend getting a camera from a recognised camera manufacturer if your after high quality pictures. A lot of the less well know/cheaper manufactures use inferior quality lenses.

So regardless of the megapixel rating the image quality is poor, check out any mobile phone picture, a lot of the phones now have some pretty good camera specs on paper but the lenses mean bad pic quality IMHO.

[Goose]

Optical zoom is true zoom, like looking through binos, digital zoom is hardly worth having, it works by blowing up the picture something you can do later with your PC and you have more control for cropping.
With my camera I have the option of 6 million pixels but rarely set it above 3 million and I could probably get away with less, I am unlikely to enlarge a photo to poster size which the high number of pixels would allow. I have had photos taken at 3 MP published in newspapers and a local press photographer I was talking to uses half that number of pixels!
As for memory, I use a 1GB card which alllows over 1700 photos a 512 card or 256 would be approximatly half or a quarter of that respectively, I got the bigger card to improve the video capacity rather than photos.
I would buy a spare battery as that is where I have problems especially when it is cold, and I have yet to see a car charger for cameras.

[Don Redondo]

I'd recommend getting a camera from a recognised camera manufacturer if your after high quality pictures. A lot of the less well know/cheaper manufactures use inferior quality lenses.

So regardless of the megapixel rating the image quality is poor, check out any mobile phone picture, a lot of the phones now have some pretty good camera specs on paper but the lenses mean bad pic quality IMHO.

cant argue with that. Don't matter how many mb the camera has if the info from a crap lens is ..err... crap.

I use a Panasonic fz2 which although only 2mb has fantastic images thanks to a Leica 38mmm - 420mm zoom lens with an optical stabiliser. the fz range is up to 5mp in the easy range and more in in the fz30 which is a bit bulky semi-slr. The fz 5 although bigger than some cameras has that amazing lens, so it's bulk is easy to forgive.

[Jack]

Thanks to all............has been very helpful!

Best wishes.

Jack.

[Hoodoo]

The magazine I write for prefers a minimum of 6 megapixels. I have a 6 mp Fuji FinePix S7000. Not a pocket camera but it gets me to the required 6 mps.

It takes pretty sharp images.




I would look very hard, though, at Canon. Their digitals always seem to be top quality. A friend of mine takes incredible ditital pics and that is all he uses, from the small pocket size to the SLRs.

Personally, I have had great luck with a 4MP Nikon CoolPix 4300, which is light enough to carry in a small pouch and takes great pics. I think you can get a 5MP Nikon now at a fairly reasonable price.