Purchasing a new Digital Camera, advice needed
 

Im looking to buy a new digital camera, nothing too fancy, just good budget one.
Im looking for the following specs (these are all 'must have')

12 MP +
3x Optical zoom +
Rechardgable battery (not AAs)
1280x720 HD Video recording (Preferably with no recording time limit)
Sd card expansion that will suport up to 16 GB

So far im looking at a couple of Fujis. the JV100 and the Z70.
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/...7256/show.html
http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/equ...00-review.html

Does anyone have any recomendations - do you guys have anything I should know about? My budget is around £130 ($200 USD) max, but im hoping for soemthing a bit cheaper. :)

Ta

If you will ever be taking pictures of kids or animals get the camera with the least shutter lag, no other spec matters.

http://www.cameras.co.uk/html/shutte...omparisons.cfm

Otherwise you click, and end up with a picture of the kid on the other side of the house facing the wrong way :)

Pixels are overestimated. More important is the size of the CCD sensor. More pixels squeezed into the same sensor size - can mean degrading instead of increasing picture quality. The picture becomes looking blurred.

If having the coice between bigger CCD and more pixels, go for the bigger CCD.

With 12 Megapixels, you are shooting overkill if you are no pro with special needs. If you have no special photographic needs, you do not need them - that means if finding a model that also looks fine but has only 10 or 8 megapixel, it is okay to take that one. Even more if the CCD sensor of the 12 MP camera is not bigger than that in the camera with 8 or 10 megapixel.

My current camera has 8 megapixel. The one before that had 3 megapixel - and I paper-printed pictures of almost Din A4 size with that - sharp.

The one good thing in higher megapixels is if you want to zoom into a piocture and only porint a part of it. More opixels give you more reserves for zooming, before the pictures starts to become pixelated. But for a Din A4 printout, 12 megapixel already is overkill.

Pay attention to the camera's performance in low light conditions, and how many ISO you can set. Pixelating starts to set in early with bad cameras if light is low.

Look out for a camera that is about to be faded out from the shelves, there is nothing wrong in having a model that is 1 or 2 years old. But you can save a lot of money if getting a smile price retirement offer. If you want to headlessly waste money, and plenty of it, buy the newest of the new stuff.

Thanks for all of that skybird, very useful info and much appreciated :)
And thanks Tater also, very usful site ;)

Have a look here matey:

http://www.cameralabs.com/

Remember the optical zoom is more important than the digital zoom. The higher the optical zoom the better the picture will be.

Thanks all,
I think im gonna go with a Panasonic Lumix FS30 after some carful consideration, its not mind blowing in any way, but its a solid all rounder for the price.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0031MA14...SIN=B0031MA144

Enjoy your purchase JU88 and, post some pics when you get a chance. :up:,

Good choice, I purchased the TZ5 a little over two year ago.

I would advice the panasonics sicne they have leica lenses. Try www.dpreview.com to see some reviews, specs,etc.

True, but not in the one im buying sadly :dead: - hence the cheaper price tag.
The lack of a Leica almost put me off, but several review sites convinced me that it was still a great value camera regardless.
For my needs it will do the job fine, its replacing a 2004 model Nikon 5600 which is becoming unbearable to use.
I also have 16gb class10 SD card on the way, at £17,99 from play.com it was too good to miss.

Leica is still leica, but as allways, one pays the brand. Many of their new digital cameras (besides M8 and 9) are almost rebrand panasonics, so even the expensive panasonic is a good choise.
I do not know if you want a compact camera, m3/4 or a reflex one. A friend of mine bought a pentax K, he is very happy with her. But I think that uses bateries AAs.
Whish you good luck find a good camera!


PS: I use film...:03: