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I am in the market for a digital camera. I have never owned one and has only used a friend's a couple times so I do not know much about them. I am not sure what features to look for etc. I do know that I would prefer a more compact camera because most of the photos I take are while hunting, so weight and size are important factors. I would appreciate some advice on what to look for in a digital camera and perhaps some suggested models. Thanks so much, Rufous.

IMHO the best brands are Canon, Sony, and Olympus.

Probably the most feature is the resolution. 2.0 mp is the smallest you want to go. 3.0 mp is even better and will allow you to print out film quality 8x10s and will give you a lot of leeway when cropping pictures. 4 and 5 mp cameras give you more of a good thing.

Most compact digicams have 3x optical zoom. Ignore digital zoom as it's useless. If you decide on a camera that uses AA batteries then invest in a quality set or rechargables.

I liked Canon's the best and chose the A70. Thought seriously about an S30 but decided I didn't need it's extra features plus the A70 was a little smaller which was important to me. Both are great cameras though.

I got the Canon power shot sd 100 3.2 elph for Christmas. I don't have much experience with digital, but I like it. The zoom is not great, but the thing is so small it fits in my front pocket while hunting. I love that feature. It has more options then what I know to do with, but also has an automatic setting and it makes shooting pictures right out of the box easy.



Joes

Take a look at Sony's DSC-P8. It is 3.2 mp and not so expensive that it will break the bank. I have the 5.0mp DSC-707, but got the P8 because the 707 is to big to carry hunting with all my other crap...

LSU, why do you say the digital zoom is useless? Also what do you guys think of the Kodak Easyshare DX4530? They have them at Staples and they seem to have quite a lot of features at a pretty reasonable price ($300). Here is a link to the review of one at Steve's Sigicams:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/dx4530.html

Rufous.

Optical zoom is done with lenses in the camera. No trade off with picture quality. Digital zoom takes a picture file and interpolates the new data needed to zoom in farther. This causes the picture to loose quality. That makes it useless to me but you milage may vary. Didn't really look at the Kodaks when I was buying but I know that they are on sale cheap down here. Know two or three people that have bought one but don't know how happy they are with them. Check out the reviews, especially the consumer reviews, and if the owners are happy and you like the camera then go for it.

I want to add my .02 cents worth. I have had very good experience with the Kodak Easyshare cameras. Most reviews say everyone else could take a lesson from Kodaks color science. I have a CX 4230 and a 4350? and my newest and favorite is the new DX 6490. 10x optical zoom, 4 mp and a host of other features. It is too big for a shirt pocket but will fit in a coat. I researched the Minolta Z1 and fuji S5000 before buying the Kodak. $499 at Office Depot. JMHO <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I just bought the Sony DSC-P92. It's a 5 MP camera, is small, makes great pictures easily, comes with rechargeable batteries and charger. It even had a 50 buck rebate. I paid 360 plus tax at Wal Mart. Found it a little cheaper on the web, but didn't want the return hassle if I didn't like it. I make 4x6 prints that are as clear or clearer than our Olympus 35MM point and shoot. Only drawback is you will need an extra memory stick. It only comes with 16MB.

I'd say it depends partly on something only you can answer -- whether you just want to take simple snapshots, or if you'll go to the trouble to get all you can out of it, e.g. by manipulating exposure settings to get the best possible effects in every shot.

If you're in the former group, digital is great because it gives you instant feedback -- you know when you've got the shot you want.

If you're in the latter group (or want to be) you can climb your learning curve faster with digital -- because you can make the changes that you think will work, then see if they did. For instance, I shot a bunch of pictures of our Christmas tree -- adjusting as I went to get a natural look with not too much flash, not too much glare from the Christmas lights, not too much yellow from the lightbulbs in the room, etc.

If you're in this second group you'll want a camera that's easy to adjust. (Our wedding photographer shot most of the event on a pro digital system and it was great for us because we spent less time standing around posing. But one thing I noticed was that all the important controls were on dials & buttons & switches, not menus.)

In either group you'll appreciate having the ability to adjust colors, crop the picture, etc. on your computer. BTW the reason digital zoom is useless is that you'll get better results taking a big, high-res picture with the optical zoom, then cropping what you don't need.

I got a Canon S45 and it's a great all-around camera -- that or the newer S50 would definitely be worth a look. Mine came with really nice editing software, too. But for hunting I still mostly bring a 35mm point & shoot with a good lens, just because it's more durable and works in cold weather. And I've learned so much from digital photography that I've learned to make it work for me most of the time.

John

Thanks for everyone's input. I am looking hard now at the Canon S50. One of the major things I like about it is that there is an optional waterproof case for it so I could use this camera while scuba diving (it is supposedly good to 100' depth). One concern that John brought up is the cold weather issue. The info on most digital cameras show that they are only good down to 32 degrees. It is often colder than that during late fall and winter hunts. Do these digital cameras really not work at colder temps? Thanks, Rufous.

I just got an olympus 750 . 10x optical 4x digital with 4 MP. Its is pretty neat and is a lot lighter than some of the other cameras I have taken affield.

The Olympus 750 is a great camera but the lens has no protection and would get trashed on one of my hunts. For most in the field hunting photos, I think you are better off with a small camera where the lens retracts into the body or a cover slides over it.

Batteries are a huge issue with digitals. I bought my wife an S230, it was an expensive camera and an extra battery was $50. A battery wont even last through one 64 M memory chip.

Muledeer found big problems with the digitals in cold weather. I still use my Yashica T4 weatherproof for the important photos.

I have used digital a lot at work and know what I do and don't like. I think the Sonys and Canons are a little overpriced for the value but they are good cameras.

We just went to HP digitals this last go round. They have much bigger lens and more zoom. Can't say how they will hold up. One thing I don't like about them is there are only 2 choices for file size. High resolution or not so high resolution.

If it's your first camera, I wouldn't spend too much. Get a decent one and see if it works for you- it may not be your thing. Sometimes it's easier to drop your film off at the grocery store and be done with it.

Don't but a big expensive camera just yet....

rufous,

The Cannon power Shot A70 is a great deal. It will do many things. Even take video. It is only 3.2 MPs but I have had prints enlarged to 11x13 that look perfect.

Granted there are many better but for the money this camera is hard to beat.

I haven'y used mine in real cold weather, but I would think you could just keep it in an inside shirt pocket, mine fits in with the button down, pull it out when you need it and back in. Yor body heat would keep it operating.
Also the batteries that came with my Sony last GOOD.

I can vouge for this camera also. I bought one for my wife last October for her birthday. It's an exellent little camera, and definately takes better pictures than our 35mm camera. It'll also take a few minutes of video with the 128mb memory stick, but we ain't figured that out yet! LOL!