Aight folks, i'm finally biting the bullet and getting a digital camera. What kinds of features should I look for, and what should I avoid? What are the generally good names and such?

12/26/2005 5:37:21 PM

point and shoot or digital SLR? budget? what type of pictures do you want? what size prints do you think you'll make? do you own any devices that take compact flash cards or SD or any other format flash card?

[Edited on December 26, 2005 at 5:59 PM. Reason : ]

12/26/2005 5:58:34 PM

.

[Edited on December 26, 2005 at 6:12 PM. Reason : nevermind]

12/26/2005 6:08:54 PM

the one I got is AWESOME... Canon SD450

12/26/2005 6:30:23 PM

http://www.slickdeals.net/#p6869

12/26/2005 6:32:19 PM

i'll probably never print the pictures, or if i do it will be years down the road. I plan on primarily just putting the pics str8t to the computer. At this point I'm not really worried about the money. Just trying to figure out what to look for, really.

12/26/2005 6:33:46 PM

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

12/26/2005 8:19:41 PM

If you're looking for a good all-around camera, get a Canon A620/610.

If you need something smaller, get a Canon S80.

12/27/2005 1:07:44 AM

I bought a Sony DSC-T5. It's tiny, thin, and takes 5.1 MP pics. I decided on the camera for two reasone - size and the fact that I already have 2 1GB duo cards for my PSP. I love the thing...smaller than my wallet and thinner than my cell phone

12/27/2005 1:26:26 AM

I just bought a new canon A520...i'll let ya know what i think about it in a few days.

12/27/2005 4:59:28 PM

Depends on what you want really. Optics are just as important now as they were with traditional cameras. Don't get caught up in the megapixel race.

Look for a camera with a larger lens (depending on what is offered for the frame size you want) this will make low light pics much easier to take. Small size is great and all, but indoors in low light is hard for the small cameras.

12/27/2005 5:12:15 PM

I got a 5 megapixel camera (HP Photosmart something or other) at CompUSA for like $120

the trick is, find somebody who actually knows their shit; not some high school winter break job kid...tell them you're looking for a digital camera...the one I got wasnt even on display, it was in the back, but the deal was great

12/27/2005 5:29:49 PM

^ The chances of someone realizing if someone knows their shit if the subject doesn't is pretty small. I don't know how many times I would let a friend do the talking in places like BB. It is amazing what the store employees will say and they just eat it up.

12/27/2005 6:28:24 PM

if you got that for $120, it probably doesnt have any optical zoom, only digital. and digital zoom is about as effective as finger painting.

12/27/2005 6:41:22 PM

the Sony T5 has been great so far in all kinds of lighting conditions and has a 3x optical zoom

12/27/2005 6:44:00 PM