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[Request] Best Value Digital Camera

cormie · 2005-10-06 18:23:04

Hi, I'm looking to get a decent enough Digital Camera for less than €150 and less than €100 if possible. What kind of quality will I get for this? I need it pretty soon, I'd like to wait around for something to pop up on the FS Forum but don't know if I can. Preferably a plug and play (no drivers needed) camera, I suppose…

06-10-2005 06:23PM

#1

cormie

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Hi,
I'm looking to get a decent enough Digital Camera for less than €150 and less than €100 if possible. What kind of quality will I get for this? I need it pretty soon, I'd like to wait around for something to pop up on the FS Forum but don't know if I can. Preferably a plug and play (no drivers needed) camera, I suppose having a small one would be nice but size doesn't really matter. I'd say a 64mb card would be fine and video recording would be a nice feature, but not necessary.

Basically I'm just looking for the best value digital camera for about €100-€150:)

Any feedback appreciated, thanks.

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#2 06-10-2005 08:32PM

maco

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Try www.pixmania.com, wide range of selection is available for you to choose . . .

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#3 06-10-2005 08:35PM

unklerosco

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this

Get the above one or this one.

I have the 3meg one(bout €120) as does the GF as does her sis as do my folks... Great little camera, had it on hols.. with a 256mb card i took about 240 pics n 10+ mins of vid and the batteries lasted the full two weeks(actually lasted longer than two weeks) Pics are class, haven't faulted the camera at all...

Get one!!!!

Can e-mail u some pics i took with it if u want..

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#4 06-10-2005 08:39PM

seabee

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Try this website

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#5 06-10-2005 08:45PM

cormie

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See the problem is I really don't have a clue when it comes to digital cameras so I wouldn't know which one to go for by looking at a list

Unklerosco, you're a man for the selling, are you or anyone else who owns one, getting rid of it soon? Where did you get the 3meg one for €120? Does the Kodak one plug and play or does it need drivers? I suppose it's not a big deal, just handy.

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#6 06-10-2005 09:37PM

unklerosco

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IT was on pixmania but its gone for some reason... I got the easyshare one(includes printer etc.) Only had it two weeks(ordered 3 at once)so they wont be getting sold..

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kodak-CX7330-7330-Digital-Camera-3-1MP-10x-Zoom_W0QQitemZ7550053003QQcategoryZ30012QQssPageNameZWD3VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Above one on ebay at €110 incl. shipping.... Bargin!!! There's a few more, maybe cheaper... Highly recomend the camera, great if u just want a camera that takes good pics, doesn't eat the batteries and is easy as hell to use... Not sure if its plug n play. Most are, they just show up in explorer...

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#7 06-10-2005 11:37PM

cormie

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Thanks for that, I think I'll just go ahead and get one of them.

I clicked your deviant art link, just curious, was this taken with that cam? Judging by the species of fly, I'm guessing no.. but if it is, I'm impressed, could you pm me some sample pictures please?

Edit: Is this one on komplett better? It's 3.2mp + 5x zoom compared to 3.1mp + 3x zoom on the ebay link. It's also cheaper

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#8 07-10-2005 12:50AM

unklerosco

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Dont get the komplett one, its a fixed lens(digital zoom is nothing compared to optical zoom) and i think its fixed focus(90% sure it is)... the one i recomended is miles better...

I'll post up some pics tomorrow(don't have any on the laptop)... The fly pic was taken with my old sony, my mate broke it n i got the kodak to replace it... Took that pic out my back garden..

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#9 07-10-2005 07:14AM

cormie

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Ok thanks for all your help. I think I'll go for the Ebay one then, look forward to seeing some sample pics. Maybe I just never looked close enough at Irish flies to recognise them in photos :rolleyes:

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#10 07-10-2005 12:17PM

peckerhead

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One more contender, within your budget (£93.95/€137 incl p&p).

And for my money, Olympus beat the hell out of Kodak, esp. in terms of lens quality.

Whatever you buy, bundle some extra memory with it - at least 256Mb, and more if you can afford it.

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#11 07-10-2005 03:32PM

cormie

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So you reckon the Olympus is worth the extra €20? My brother has an Olympus and it's good alright and I'm pretty sure Olympus cameras don't need drivers, allot of them anyway. Are 7dayshop reliable?
Thanks for the help everyone.

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#12 07-10-2005 03:47PM

dancin

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Argos carry a range of digital camera's, Vivitar. Know nothing about them, and can't find a lot of info about them in Europe. They seem to be an established American brand that are using Argos to expand into Europe (or argos are bulk buying from them).

Know nothing more about them, but they are cheap (probably says it all really). Argos have a 5MP vivitar with 3X optical zoom for €149 (http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5604061.htm)

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#13 07-10-2005 03:50PM

peckerhead

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I used to have a couple of Olympus (35mm) cameras, and the Zuiko lens was brilliant compared to any non-Olympus lenses I had. The lens quality will affect your pictures just as much as the number of megapixels.

There's a lesser-featured version of that Camedia reduced to €160 on p. 899 of the Argos catalog, so yeah, I reckon €137 is pretty good for the one I linked to... (btw I'd stay well clear of the cheaper Samsung yoke Argos have on special offer at the moment!)

I've bought various stuff from 7dayshop over the last couple of years, and never had any hassle, although the goods can be a little slow in the post (7-10 days). However, the £3.95 shipping is flat rate, so you could add a 256Mb xD card for only £17.49... and I've heard they're v. good on honouring warranties/dealing with problems.

You could compare features/reviews on www.dpreview.com, but personally I'd rate the Olympus well above the Vivitar, even if they're pretty close on features. Vivitar make decent flashes and filters, Olympus make good cameras...

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#14 07-10-2005 07:48PM

cormie

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Think I may just go for the Olympus if it's so much better than the Kodak for only €20 more. Thanks for the help. Wont really need a 256 flash card but we'll see:) thanks for the help again everyone.

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#15 07-10-2005 09:15PM

unklerosco

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kodak pics...

The last pic was taken by a 3 year old... Thats how easy this camera is to use....

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#16 07-10-2005 09:39PM

cormie

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Is that the highest quality option from the Kodak UR? Pecker, do you have that cam to compare pics? What's your opinion on the Olympus UR?

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#17 08-10-2005 06:39AM

unklerosco

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2nd highest...I had to reduce the size of the pics to upload them. pm me ur e-mail addy n i'll send u the originals

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#18 08-10-2005 10:10AM

cormie

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PM sent, but just thought of it now, www.imageshack.us is a great place to upload photos if you want to upload them there so other browsers can see too maybe:)

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#19 08-10-2005 10:13AM

peckerhead

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Don't get me wrong, I'm not knocking the Kodak...

I'd just marginally prefer the Olympus, on the basis of other Olympus cameras I've owned, not that particular model. It also seems to retail for a bit more than the Kodak, barring that 7dayshop special offer (which I see has just gone up by £5...! )

But they're both good buys, and for your average snaps, the difference won't even be noticeable.

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#20 08-10-2005 10:44AM

cormie

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Hmm, well here is the page that compares the two side by side. I don't have a clue what allot of the things listed mean or how they would effect it. Does anyone else know from that page, which is better? If the Olympus is technically better, I think I'll just go for it as my price range was under €150 and that fits into it. So if I can get a confirmation that the olympus is definitely better than the Kodak, tech specs wise, I think I'll just go for it. I'm also pretty sure that Olympus doesn't require drivers which is, actually, now that I think of it, quite important as the way MP3 players are developing, they now have USB on the go, which would mean I could dump my photos onto the HD. If the camera required drivers, I could do this.

thanks for the continous help

EDIT: Just googled and the d580 definitely doesn't need drivers. Tried to find info on whether or not the Kodak does, but didn't find any.

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#21 08-10-2005 11:13AM

peckerhead

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They're really pretty neck-and-neck. The Olympus has 3.9Mp over the Kodak's 3.1Mp (= slightly higher resolution*). It's ISO/ASA range goes up to 400, over the Kodak's 180 (= better performance in low light, without using flash) and it focuses a little bit closer (if close-ups are important?). It also has a slightly bigger LCD screen, for what that's worth. None of the other minor technical differences are worth worrying about... (click on the '?' button beside each term for a definition/explanation). And both cameras are USB compatible and almost certainly won't need drivers under Win2000 or WinXP - is that what you're running?
Again, the price difference shown on that page suggests that normally the Olympus would cost you a bit more than the Kodak, which means that if they're both available for in or around the same price, the Olympus is the better 'deal'...

* Here's a picture taken with an old Fujifilm 2.1Mp camera - give you an idea of what 3.1Mp or 3.9Mp should get you in terms of sharpness...
http://img140.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dscf00133os.jpg

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#22 08-10-2005 11:24AM

cormie

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Ok, I think I'm sold on the Olympus, yes, close ups are really important. Will be using it mainly to take photos of college work.

I noticed that about the pricing too. The olympus being 50% dearer than the Kodak on that site, but now I can get the olympus for less than 20% more.

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#23 08-10-2005 11:29AM

unklerosco

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The olympus is the better camera... Better macro, higher pixels, more functions, prob better lens... I still like my kodak. Still, must get me another 300D. I miss my old one

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#24 08-10-2005 11:31AM

cormie

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Cool, thanks for all the help everyone.

Olympus D580z it is so:)

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#25 08-10-2005 11:34AM

peckerhead

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Happy snapping...

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#26 13-10-2005 07:31PM

cormie

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Ah Jahayzus, 7dayshop seem to no longer have the D580 and I haven't ordered it yet:(

I need one sooner rather than later, any other reputable online places with a good price anyone knows of?

How about getting a 2nd hand one on boards for about €150? Do you reckon any camera with an asking price of about €150 on boards will be better than the Olympus at €150 new? Worth the gamble?

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#27 13-10-2005 11:53PM

cormie

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Think I'll just get it from this ebay seller:)

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#28 14-10-2005 04:36AM

Subliminal

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Hi Cormie. just in case you change your mind, i have a Vivitar Digicam for sale here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=3480901#post3480901 its 5mp, 1.8" lcd, has loads of options etc, including a plug n play cable for XP ( ie: plug the cam in to pc, it shows up as external drive! ) simple to use, great features. Im selling it to try and buy a Powershot G6.

Let me know anyway....

Sub

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#29 14-10-2005 07:46AM

cormie

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Sub, thanks for the heads up. I actually saw your post selling it before you replied to this thread and I had actually started a reply and I was going to ask could you wait until I got some opinions on which is better. Since you said your vivitar is €160 new, I'm assuming that's Irish pricing so I think I'd be getting a better camera for €138 off ebay rather than the €150 your asking?

I really don't know allot about cameras but that was just my conclusion so I never finished the reply

If it is actually a better camera than the Olympus, for what I need it for, I'm interested:)

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#30 14-10-2005 04:34PM

Subliminal

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Hi, yes the cam i have is 150, but you are getting a lot for your cash!

Considering its out of box only 1 day, still have all original wrappings/box in perfect condition. Weither its better than the Olympus your looking at, well all i can say is mine is 5mp whereas the Olympus D580z is 4mp. same zoom, but mine has just a few more options. Its really up to you, i dont want to sway you if you have your mind made up. If it helps, i can sell the camera to you at 140 Euro, same price as the one your looking at... PM me if interested.

Sub

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#31 14-10-2005 05:06PM

cormie

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I'm hoping either peckerhead or unclerosco will reply. I'd prefer to be able to drive out an pick it up rather than having to wait and order online. I think there are differences between zooms as mentioned above. I see you said in your other thread you were going to ask your bro in law for the receipt, if you could get that please. If I do get feedback on this saying yours is better, I'll collect it for €130 with receipt:)

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