What's a good, cheap digital camera?

[deadparrot]

Hi, DU...

I'm leaving for college a week from tomorrow (almost a week from today), and I'm moving 3.5 hours from home, and my friends and I are being scattered across the country. Before I leave, I'm going to buy a digital camera to help keep in touch with friends and family, as well as to document the beginning of my college years. :)

Thing is, I don't want to spend a huge amount of money on a camera. Does anyone have suggestions on a decent, fairly cheap (no more than about $150-$160) digital camera? It doesn't have to be professional-quality or anything, just a good, solid camera that will serve its purpose...

Thanks in advance.

[democracyindanger]

1. Speaking from experience,

photographic evidence from your college years isn't necessarily something you want...

[KitchenWitch]

2. ROFLMFAO

No doubt!

[deadparrot]

3. Heh...

I've heard the horror stories...from my parents, of all places. :)

[Ladyhawk]

4. I just ran across one of myself...I was holding a confederate flag

and a toy gun. I looked like a freeper...ack! Actually back then, I WAS a freeper. :(

For our dorm pictures, the girls decided to dress in bikinis. I had to ruin the picture by wearing a fake beard. :D

[democracyindanger]

6. All my college pictures

were put into a shoebox ten years ago, duct taped shut, sealed with wax, enclosed in a 4-inch thick steel container, buried in the desert and marked with a sign that reads, "Coupons, 1992"

[Ladyhawk]

18. ROTFLMAO!

:rofl:

[nickgutierrez]

8. A fake beard...

...on your face. Right?

:evilgrin:

[liberalitch]

13. Here, here.... thank god no camera phones when I was in school!

[meg]

15. lol!

good advice

[lpbk2713]

5. Check the pawn shops when you get there.

Seriously. They should have a shitload of em pawned by starving college kids. Also the bulletin boards at school.


As for the camera. I'm happy with my Sony CyberShot. Don't skimp on memory. You'll be glad you didn't.

[mark11727]

7. Kodak CX7530 (5.0 megapixel) -- about $200 down from $250

I think it's last year's model, because Staples, OfficeMax, Walmart, etc all seem to be putting them on sale lately. Darn good camera, very intuitive interface, uses either rechargeable or digital AA's in a pinch --- with a 1.0 GB SD memory card, I got nearly 600 photos in DisneyWorld last month, with room to spare.

[Deja Q]

12. The 7630, 6.1MP camera, is about $300 and well worth the extra $$$.

You can crop more without losing detail.

ALWAYS buy the highest MP camera available.

6MP cameras are so dirt cheap these days that anything under 6MP is a pure waste of money; you may as well use money to keep your fireplace burning at night... :D

[mark11727]

20. Point well taken --- I was on a tight budget at the time.

[girl gone mad]

9. I need to know this too! looking for a good digital video camera...

to take with me.

I found this article on PC world.

http://www.pcworld.com/howto/bguide/0,guid,27,00.asp

[Nay]

10. We've had 3 Casios and loved them all. Very intuitive to use and

make excellent photos. Older models available on Ebay for $100-150, new or used.

[Deja Q]

11. Fuji Finepix e550... of course, I found the Kodak 7630...

has NO discernable barrel distortion or other lens-based distortion...

But keep in mind the cost of how many shots you would HAVE to take to make up for the price difference. A $350 camera using slide film would need me to take 875 pictures (total cost for me is 40 cents per shot.)

Using standard iso print film (100, 200, or 400) the # of shots needed would be MUCH higher as the net cost is 20 cents per shot (1700 pics.)

There is a convenience factor in digital's favor... but I take, on any given year, 700 shots. On a SLR camera because P'n'S cameras are inflexible toys that many people think will give them universally good shots (nope...).

of course should any element of the digital camera go out (particularly the CCD sensor, tee hee) you have to buy a whole new camera... (and they don't use module-type sensors because that's just too sensical. Can't have the consumer saving money, they need to be spending it.)

[Midlodemocrat]

14. I got my Kodak CX6230 and a printer dock

off Ebay for $200. Well worth it.

I mostly email my photos of my kids to family and friends, and the occasional one that I print comes out great from the printer dock, although it would get expensive if you printed each one.

[Clintmax]

16. Olympus Camedia's

take some of the best picture, so I understand. Check them all out completely before you buy.

[Redstone]

17. A used Nikon Coolpix 990. If you don't buy used, you'll get

about what you pay for in that range, which is to say--not much.

Remember, you ALWAYS get what you pay for. but digital cameras become "obsolete" (meaning perfectly good but just not fashionable) very quickly, so the used ones can be real bargains.

Redstone

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. Check out your local camera store

and see if they have any discontinued floor models for sale. If you're willing to spend $150, you can probably find one that's never been used, but that would've sold "new" for around $200.

[ScreamingMeemie]

21. Canon Powershot A300 $149. Isn't the quickest at taking flash

shots, but is an all around good camera. I use it for my job and it works much better than the Sony that crapped out on me (and was $100 more)...enjoy the next four years. :hi: