• Hi Guest - Come check out all of the new CP Merch Shop! Now you can support CigarPass buy purchasing hats, apparel, and more...
    Click here to visit! here...

Digital camera advice needed

cohibasurfer

cohibasurfer

one day older than dirt
Joined
Jan 7, 2001
Messages
8,439
Location
Cali
So my 14 year old Daughter asked for a digital camera for Christmas! :0

Do any of you camera buffs here have any advice on what I might be able to get her that would not break the bank... but take some decent photos? I am clueless to this. And please remember... She is only 14! It will be in her back pack... sports bags ... so it'll have to be durable.

Thanks for any insight I might get from my photobug brothers.

PS. please let me know how much your idea (camera) costs if you post.
 
www.dpreview.com is a site i frequent, look on the left side for camera reviews. Greatful1 is on target with the Olympus recomendation, the splash proofing alone is worth it for a youngster. if you are after a small camera, take a look at the Canon Digital Elph series, it is a true pocket cam, and very easy to use. And grab a larger memory card, no matter what camera you decide on, go with a 1gb card from newegg.com, they are cheap now (29 bucks usually). good luck, pm if you have specifics to ask about.
Rob
 
Here you go Michael:

J8210_b_1.jpg
 
lots of them out there. canon are good. i have a fugi. i would go with a 4 megapixel minimum, and carl zeiss optical zoom, a decent size display, also dont forget HMh rechargable batteries, they are battery hungry!
 
Sunward said:
lots of them out there. canon are good. i have a fugi. i would go with a 4 megapixel minimum, and carl zeiss optical zoom, a decent size display, also dont forget HMh rechargable batteries, they are battery hungry!
Click to expand...


Especially when they're accidentally left on for periods of time. Most decent cameras will automatically shut down after a few minutes of non-use, but I'm amazed at how fast I go through 4 AA's in my Fuji Finepix.
 
Gonz said:
Sunward said:
lots of them out there. canon are good. i have a fugi. i would go with a 4 megapixel minimum, and carl zeiss optical zoom, a decent size display, also dont forget HMh rechargable batteries, they are battery hungry!
Click to expand...


Especially when they're accidentally left on for periods of time. Most decent cameras will automatically shut down after a few minutes of non-use, but I'm amazed at how fast I go through 4 AA's in my Fuji Finepix.
Click to expand...
if you are using standard AA's with the screen on all the time, ya, they go pretty quick. Buy 2500mah NiMH AA's. They last a really long time (i got between 150 and 200 shots, some with and without flash, screen on all the time)on my olympus point and shoot.
 
I like bfreebern's idea. I was thimking the same thing. Damn teenagers break or lose everything! :)
 
Get the Olympus SP-350 from Costco. I just bought two for $199 each!!! DAMN good camera! It retails for $400. If you have a Costco near by, I HIGHLY recommened this camera. Read the reviews at dpreview.com
 
Michael, last year my daughter asked for a digital camera, she was thirteen at the time. I decided to go with a less expensive model to see how she would treat it and how much interest she would keep in it, we picked up a Kodak at Fry's for around $100. She did great with that camera for a year and her interest in photography is growing. She just recently replaced it with a higher end Canon which she purchased from money she earned, of course good ol Dad had to kick in a few bucks to help. But the Kodak camera held up great to rigors of a 13-14 year old and the picture quality was still good for her use.

:cool:
 
By far, some of the best pictures I have seen have come from the Cannon line, and you can't them for the price either. The Elph line is small enough that it won't be in the way in a backpack/purse (even with a decently padded case).
 
I bought a Canon Digital ELPH a couple years ago, and my next camera will probably be one too. Doesn't take the absolute best pictures, but it is still good, it was cheap, and basically indestructable. I can't count how many times i have taken it to the bar with me and sat on it, dropped it, thrown it, ect. The lens housing is bent a little and it still works like a champ.
 
Thanks Brothers for all your insight. It deffinately gives me a starting point.

Moki... you are right about the 14 year old. She doesn't need a whole lot of camera at this point.

But Daddy might! :whistling:
 
bfreebern said:
Here you go Michael:

J8210_b_1.jpg
Click to expand...

Got one of these for my 4 year old's Christmas/Birthday. I hope it's as durable as they say. He loves my camera, but is a little hard on it.


AS for the original question, we have a Kodak Easy Share something or other. It's 5 mega pixel and takes decent shots and has been very durable. It does eat the AA batteries as do many cameras. I would definitely suggest the higher end batteries if the unit you decide on doesn't take a rechargeable pack.

Good luck!
 
So this is what I ended up going with Linkage

I got it for $170 including a 512 xd card.

Seems to work ok. Problem is... I have windows 98. Fuggin thing won't work on my puter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top