[Request] Digital Camera..

Mercury_Tilt

This post has been deleted.

swiss

I don't know much about digital cameras, but I would take a look at this thread. Of course if you just want a cheap digital camera, I would go for something like this. I have no idea how good/bad it is, so you should probably ignore the above.

Please select the following purpose your camera is going to be used for:
[ ] Holiday snaps
[ ] Wedding photography
[ ] Professional modelling shoots

Unless you picked the second or third option above, I don't think you need anything particularly extravagent

Raskolnikov

Links to buy cameras

www.pixmania.com
www.komplett.ie
www.camireland.com
www.amazon.com (Don't laugh, occasionally it's the cheapest site for stuph)
www.ny-camera.com

Since you've already used a digital camera, try to extrapolate the features that you liked/didn't like, use/didn't use, etc. Was it heavy, did you use the optical zoom much, did you like the LCD screen size/quality, were you satisfied with the build quality, were the images you took to a satisfactory resolution, etc? You can let us know here, I'm sure there a plenty of people who can recommend a camera that roughly matches your specs and price range and then it's just a matter of trawling through the websites above to find the cheapest price

Col_Loki

Also try....

www.computeruniverse.net , huge range and there generally excellent on price.

alleepally

Rather than spend a lot of time in "cyberspace" trying to find something that fits your needs, go talk someone in a camera shop near where you live. Least they will have the product there and you can take note of which one you like and then see if price compares well with online offerings. You need to hold the product and see that you like it. You can't do that on the web.

One of the best sites for reviews of cameras is www.dpreview.com - so start there to look at the ones that get good reviews and then visit the camera shops to view the product up close...

azraelissime

I've bought the DC-CAM 3000. Not exactly the cheapest one but I'm really satified with the quality of the pictures. I've never tried to use it outside but inside with the flash and for once Creative is not selling a crap camera (unfortunately it doesn't work as a webcam).

http://ie.europe.creative.com/estore/product.asp?prod=525

.-=MR. JOE=-.

I must recommend the Pentax Optio 555. It does great in all the reviews. It got 97% in one I read a while ago. It's 5MP and 5XOpticalZoom which is Great in a very compact camera. I could post a few photos I've taken if you guys want. It can take macro shots at 2cm!
I got mine at Pixmania. I wouldn't recommend them, Amazon had a big delay at the time. They send it with French plugs and manual. Not much cheaper than Amazon either. It cost around €560 but the Optio 550 is still around - the one it replaced. The only real difference is the speed it operates at (startup etc.)

Let me know if ye want a few sample shots.:D

peckerhead

Whatever you buy — but particularly if you're thinking of spending more than a couple of hundred yoyo — try and get someone to bring it back from the States, you'll save some serious money. And buy a case/rechargeable batteries/extra memory while you're at it — most dealers offer some sort of "bundle".

I just bought a Fuji Finepix S5000 for $310 (about €280) delivered to a pal in Missouri who's coming "home" next month. It's €570 in Argos...

peckerhead

LizardKing

Nomatica .. Quite Good

I bought a camera off these guys a while back .. also a Kiss DVD player

quite good IMO

Genghis

Check out the camera at this link

Superquinn are apparently selling these for €99 (I am not sure if there are coupons involved, I think not). Though I am by no means any expert, it seems like a bargain to me for a medium-to-high spec camera.

FYI my parents are thinking of buying one. They seen it for sale in the Naas branch.

drane2

The Trust camera is a heap of junk that produces worse pictures than the cameras on phones.

Genghis

Have you got that exact one, drane2?

Bartleby

Excellent reviews, sample pictures, etc of wide range of cameras at:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/

drane2

Originally posted by Genghis
Have you got that exact one, drane2?

I know someone that bought it, used it for about five minutes, before deciding to give it away as a present. I saw some of the pictures he took and they were pretty horrendous. Came out looking worse than a 0.3 mp camera.

LizardKing

sounds like your mate did not read the manual ...
the specs for that camera seem quite good , apart from the zoom which is poor

positron

www.dpreview.com has details comparison on almost (significant) all models out there in the market, and they have a 'Best, good, not so good' chart as well!

jo.king

dpreview.com is the best site! I have bought all my digital cameras on the basis of there reviews - past a present.

eclectichoney

i have the nikon coolpix 3100 and love it...there are some photos i took, reduced in size obviously, at http://www.michd.com/photos.html showing a variety of different settings; outdoors, concerts etc. would really recommend the camera.....but yeah, have to agree dpreview is an awesome site

George_h

Things to look out for

Optical vs Digital zoom, Optical is always better. Heard of some one in Dixons being told that Digital is better. All Dixons group (PC world, Currys) are good for is selling warranties on hardware you don't need but thats another thread

Separate viewfinder - Saves on batteries if you can switch off the screen. You can review and delete after. plus you take a steadier shot.

Batteries with the highest mAh you can get.

Type of memory is important CF giving the most since the microdrives up to 2.2gig on komplett.ie.

Best advice is to go into a camera shop have a look arond and see what you find comfortable in weight, holding in the hand and how easy the menu is to use. and then see if you can get a better price on any of the websites.........

dub_dan

Originally posted by drane2
I know someone that bought it, used it for about five minutes, before deciding to give it away as a present. I saw some of the pictures he took and they were pretty horrendous. Came out looking worse than a 0.3 mp camera.

i bought the trust camera from superquinn and i'm very happy with the results!
Recommend it for holiday, casual use etc.....
And at €99 its a pretty good bargain i think?

BrianD3

For compact digital cameras, amazon.co.uk is one of the best places to shop. Good choice of cameras and cheap prices in many cases.

Examples:
Canon Powershot A60
99 UKP from amazon.co.uk (sold out a couple of days ago unfortunately, may be getting more in)
134 UKP from cam-ireland
205 euros from komplett.ie
245 euros from elara.ie

Olympus mju 410
190 UKP from amazon.co.uk
258 UKP from cam-ireland
316 euros from ny-camera

Pentax Optio 33WR
199 UKP from amazon.co.uk
254 UKP from camireland
370 euros from ny-camera

And for reviews of digital cameras check out
www.imaging-resource.com
www.dcresource.com

BrianD3

begbie

I got one in Lidl ages ago when they had one and it works just fine. Really quality pics. It still works too!:D

vibe666

if you're planning on going anywhere on holiday, then buy it while you're away, and save some cash.

i got my olympus c750 ultra zoom in thailand with a 256mb card for about 500E. it's still 800E here in the shops, even without the memry card, so there's definately room for good savings in the right place.

if you don't want to go to the other side of the world to do it then the canaries are good for that sort of thing. just make sure you barter, and maybe even go back the next day before you commit.

dysfunct

i recommend you buy abroad aswell.

a friend of mine was in hols in lanzarote and purchased a view handy sony for €150
Its an all round quality phone.
pic quality is great, and it takes movie clips with sound.

i have a digital cam aswell, got it as an xmas present 2 years ago.
its only 1.3 mp but it does the job.
takes video clips aswell but no sound.
its a konica digital revio and you can still buy it for around 130 - 150 mark i think.
its a decent cam but i'd recommend you get a cam that can take video clips with sound.

bk

Yes, I also got mine abroad. The Superb Canon G5, cost about e365 in the US, still costs about e750 - 800 in stores in Ireland

slave1

Right, I'm also in the hunt for a good value digital camera and knew nothing about digital cameras till I read this thread.

I discounted Sony because of their battery and memory type being sony specific
Reading comments on boards I summarised that I need 3MG pixel, Optical zoom, Compact Flash and NI-Mi battery

The Nikon 3100 is what I've slimmed down to, cheapest I could find is Amazon.co.uk at STG£150, I would also get a 256 compact flash card for another STG£30, plus £5 P+P.

Can I do better??

Also, can someone recommend a printer to make use of this new gadget? - I have a PC.

Tks

Valentia

Has anyone any experience of buying cameras off eBay?

There seems to be brilliant bargains on UK spec Canon 10Ds from Canada and USA not to mention Hong Kong. The prices blow Europe out of the water and there seems to be great added value (lenses, compact flash cards, batteries etc.) included in the cheaper price.

Havelock

AMerc you can come into me in work in Blanchardstown one hour (Yellow enterance). I'll explain everythign you need to know adn show how to use them.

.-=MR. JOE=-.

Here'a a few photos I've taken with the Pentax Optio 555 I mentioned earlier. They're dumbed down versions. PM me if ya want originals.



>>>> http://www.geocities.com/somefotostorage/boards/ <<<<<<<<<

BrianD3

Here'a a few photos I've taken with the Pentax Optio 555

Pentax have a nice range of compact digi cams at the moment. The Optio S and S4, Optio 555 and the Optio WR series are pretty cool. I might be getting an Optio 43 WR soon, just waiting for some reviews of it to come out. Looks like a great little camera - 4 mp, 2.8x zoom, water resistant, uses AA batteries and has an excellent movie mode (640 x 480 @ 30 fps with sound until memory card is full)

BrianD3

M@lice

Yea wat is a gud compact DC? I'd be looking for 1 that i could keep with me at all times and hardly notice it's there. Don't want to break the bank either & none of those crappy credit card cams. I do want to take decent pics after all.

LizardKing

The Minolta Dimage X Range are nice but might be a little bit pricey ~€300 on www.nomatica.com or www.pixmania.com ..

BrianD3

Yea wat is a gud compact DC? I'd be looking for 1 that i could keep with me at all times and hardly notice it's there. Don't want to break the bank either & none of those crappy credit card cams. I do want to take decent pics after all.

Pentax Optio S. Tiny little thing - about the same width and height as a credit card and about 2 cm thick. Weighs about 100 g. Despite the ultra compact size it has 3 mp and 3x optical zoom. Also it's not bad value IMO - approx 265 - 280 euros delivered from somewhere like amazon.co.uk or pixmania.

BrianD3

TE0N

http://www.geocities.com/somefotostorage/boards/ ]

Those photos are magnificent, especially the picture of the bird on the handle.

Must have taken both extraordinary skill and patience to capture that.

Good Job

TEON.

drane2

A nice cmaera to consider getting is the minolta z1. Minolta have just released the newer version of it (Z2) fo theprice of the Z1 has tumbled to around 250 sterling.

It's a really nice camera because
1. 10x optical zoom, equivalent to 38-380mm on a 35mm camera.
2. ability to accept external flash unit
3. aperture priorty, shutter priority and fully manual modes.
4. Shutter speeds of 1/1000 to 15 seconds (30 seconds using bulb)
5. The lag between pressing the exposure button and the picture actually exposing is comparable to a 35mm SLR camera (this was always a major annoyance for me with digital cameras)
6. Super-fast auto focusing and zooming.

Certianly for the price you're not going to find a more fully featured camera. It is a bit bulky (a minor drawback, imo).

Available from pixmania and various other internet retilaers.

.-=MR. JOE=-.

Just a word of caution..... don't use Pixmania. Altough it isn't clear from their website they are actually based in France. I ordered a camera from them in January. It got lost in the post for a few weeks and they said they'd send another. Finally it came and I rang Pixmania to let them know. They hadn't sent out the replacemnet yet so I thought that was it. I didn't trust those guys so I rang later to ensure they had not sent out and wouldn't be sending out the replacement. I also emailed them. I got a reply from the email saying it wouldn't be sent out. 30min later I got another to say it was dispatched. 3 weeks later it arrived and had to be sent back to France.

Main problemn though all their manuals and plugs are French . So I had to then pay the manufacturer to send me English manuals and I bought a plug adapter. I ended up spending more than if I had bought it from Amazon or another decent site.



:mad: AVOID PIXMANIA :mad:

bk

Originally posted by .-=MR. JOE=-.
30min later I got another to say it was dispatched. 3 weeks later it arrived and had to be sent back to France.

Emm, I know it is a little dishonest, but if they where such pricks, why didn't you just hold onto the second camera?

BrianD3

A nice cmaera to consider getting is the minolta z1. Minolta have just released the newer version of it (Z2) fo theprice of the Z1 has tumbled to around 250 sterling

Well the Z2 is around 255 sterling on amazon.co.uk. Both the Z1 and Z2 look great but I have read reports of poor build quality and poor image quality (purple fringing) on the Z1. So hopefully Minolta have sorted this on the Z2.

PS the Z2 has a bloody fantastic movie mode - SVGA i.e. 800 X 600! Unfortunately you can only record SVGA video @ 15 fps but the camera also has a 640 x 480 @ 30 fps movie mode.

BrianD3

LizardKing

Originally posted by .-=MR. JOE=-.
Just a word of caution..... don't use Pixmania. Altough it isn't clear from their website they are actually based in France. I ordered a camera from them in January. It got lost in the post for a few weeks and they said they'd send another. Finally it came and I rang Pixmania to let them know. They hadn't sent out the replacemnet yet so I thought that was it. I didn't trust those guys so I rang later to ensure they had not sent out and wouldn't be sending out the replacement. I also emailed them. I got a reply from the email saying it wouldn't be sent out. 30min later I got another to say it was dispatched. 3 weeks later it arrived and had to be sent back to France.

Main problemn though all their manuals and plugs are French . So I had to then pay the manufacturer to send me English manuals and I bought a plug adapter. I ended up spending more than if I had bought it from Amazon or another decent site.



:mad: AVOID PIXMANIA :mad:

Most Manufacturers Websites will have downloaded versions of manuals for every language so this isn't really a bad point , plus the fact they are considerably cheaper than irish shops then why avoid them ???

Sztraik

Also Nomatica is based in France. The first time I bought a camera there the plug was a continental one, while the second time they also sent an adapter for UK plugs.
User guides are most of times multilanguage anyway, so I guess you had a very bad luck with yours...

drane2

Yeah but at least with Nomatica it's obvious that they're French.

By the way, Pixmania have a real life shop just down the road from the Arc de Triomphe, the other side of the Champes Elysees.

[nicK]

im thinking about getting the Nikon Coolpix 3100. Just want to know if it accepts SD memory? My card reader doesn't support Compact Flash.

[nicK]

actually, i think i'll just go ahead and order the Coolpix 3200. It's only an extra 30euro from nomatica.com, a total of 238euro.
It accepts SD memory and i'm sure it has a few other extra features too.

Mercury_Tilt

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acid

They do specify quite clearly "manual is in french" on many products. Usually they give a link to the manufacturers site where you can download get the english manual.
A minor annoyance, but well worth it if the price is right.

blorg

I bought a Pentax Optio S from Pixmania as they were far and away the cheapest. They clearly stated that the manual would be in French, and I had no problem replacing the power adapter.

I ordered Monday morning and the camera arrived Tuesday morning. Our company has also bought a good amount of cameras from them without problems. YMMV.

slave1

I just got these....

Ordered Title Price Dispatched Subtotal

---

1 Kodak Digital Camera Bag Small 6.47 GBP 1 6.47 GBP
Sold by Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc. - taxed

2 Kodak Printer Dock Media ( 40 17.50 GBP 2 35.00 GBP
Sold by Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc. - taxed

1 Targus Ultra Mini 4-Port USB H 15.44 GBP 1 15.44 GBP
Sold by Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc. - taxed

1 Kodak 256MB Secure Digital Car 46.84 GBP 1 46.84 GBP
Sold by Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc. - taxed

1 Kodak EasyShare DX4530 Digital 164.75 GBP 1 164.75 GBP
Sold by Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc. - taxed

1 Kodak EasyShare Printer Dock 4 133.86 GBP 1 133.86 GBP
Sold by Amazon.com Int'l Sales, Inc. - taxed

---

Subtotal Including VAT: 402.36 GBP
Delivery Charges Including VAT: 16.84 GBP
Total Including VAT: 419.20 GBP
VAT 21.00 GBP%: 72.75 GBP

Amazon were the only crowd where I could get everything and were cheapest for the camera and printer dock - which give amazing results BTW
happy camper

.-=MR. JOE=-.

I eat all the bad words I've said about Pixmania, 6months after sending a nasty email we finally got a reply. They said they'd refund the cost of the camera, but not delivery costs.

1 week later - no money returned, emailed again and got an apologetic reply saying that they'd now proceed to refund the total amount.

AND THEY DID!!!! - about €700!!!!!!!

(we actually made money because we paid in sterling and the sterling/euro exchange rate has since changed in our favour!):D