Best Digital Camera for under $300? Considering th

[Lowlypawn]

Best Digital Camera for under $300? Considering the FUJI finepix 2800


This is my criteria in order:
Less then $300
Nice picture quality
Nice optical zoom 3X minimum but would like more (digital dose not count)
Minimum 2 megapixel
USB port
AA battery


I have been scouring the web for reviews and the selection is overwhelming.
At first I was going to buy the Canon s110, very small but the proprietary battery and small zoom (only X2) plus I read the image was just a little under par because of the small lens. So then I was leaning towards the cannon a20, a little cheaper and slightly better image quality.

Then I saw the Fuji 2800 with its 6x zoom and it’s only $292 at buydig.com. Dose anyone have this camera? What is Fuji’s reputation? The only bad thing about this camera is that it uses smart media instead of CF. But I can buy a 128mb for $45 if generic will work?

The only other camera that caught my eye was the Kodak DX-3900, For just over $320 u get 3.1 megapixels but only 2X zoom (digital zoom don’t count, remember it’s not zooming it’s croping). The docking tray looks gimmicky but is not needed.

I compared a lot of pictures between the cameras and the difference between 2 and 3 MP is not that great in most pictures, My printer is a HP722c so I wonder if more pixels are just going to be a waste?

I have been trying to do my homework but you know of a great camera I might have missed let me know.


Links to the best websites I found.

http/www.dpreview.com (awesome but no 2800 review)
http/www.dcresource.com (good)
http/www.steves-digicams.com (good)
http/www.imaging-resource.com (just soso)

Fuji 2800 reviews
http/www.dcresource.com/reviews/fuji/finepix2800-review/index.html
http/www.steves-digicams.com/2001_reviews/fuji2800.html



Thx & Cya


<font color=green> 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f6?? </font color=green>

 

[Lowlypawn]

This forum is pathetic! Over 2 days and not one response!
Tom, close the digital camera forum, no one is posting here.
I guess I should of posted in the “other” forum. But I know it pisses me of when people post off topic stuff.

Anyway I ordered the Fuji 2800, (like anyone cares) if anyone is interested (not likely) I can post my impressions in a week or so.

Cya


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[bluzbrother]

thanks for posting, I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts. I bought my mom an S110 and she's been amazed (granted she doesn't know I paid $350 for it). It's taken some terrific pictures... and some not so terrific pictures. I think it has 60% to do with the person taking the picture, but that's a whole other topic. I'm interested to know how good Fuji digital cams, and Olympus for that matter are. I've been impressed with the few Canon's I've seen and had a chance to use. I think later this year I'll buy a Canon G2 (when it's in the $500 range)

Check out www.dpreview.com it seems like a good resource for digital photography, also has a rather large forum.

AOL-For people who like to pay extra for their SPAM

 

[Lowlypawn]

Hi, sorry for not responding but didn’t notice some one had posted. I keep the Email notification turned off, get enough spam as it is. DPreview is the best no doubt and their forum is super active.

Any way I love the 2800z. here is some pictures I have taken
http/www.pbase.com/image/854381/original
http/www.pbase.com/lowlypawn/fuji_2800z.

I think it’s the best camera u can buy for under $300, 6x zoom,4 AA batteries, smart card (CF would be better but SC is ok). It also seems to me that Fuji camera have very bright colors.

I have seen some really impressive pictures with the G2 but I don’t think I could go back to a X3 zoom. The only Cannon that catches my eye now is the Pro90 but at $719 I don’t think so.

The Olympus 2100uz or the 700c looks pretty good but again the $696 and $569 are still up there for only a 2megapixel camera.

The Minolta Dimage 7 is a kick ass 5 MP semi professional camera at $800. I mean if your spending over $600 what’s $200 more plus your getting 3 megapixel’s more of resolution.

The last camera I read good stuff about is the FujiFilm FinePix 6900Z. it’s 3 MP interpolated (or whatever) in to 6 MP and is about $900.


I found shopping for a digital camera a daunting task so what I did was to use a few simple criteria to limit my list.

1 Must have at least a 6x zoom
2 Must use Compact flash or Smart card
3 Must use 4 AA Batteries
4 Must be under ($enter your pain threshold here$)

That made the 2800z and easy choice for me but then again I’m not a professional but I will tell you that I printed out a picture using 90% of a full sheet and it looked great, So I’m happy with 2 megapixels.

Hope this helps & Cya


<font color=green> 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 f6?? </font color=green><P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by lowlypawn on 01/08/02 05:12 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[OldBear]

Thanks for the info. First time to look at this forum.

<font color=blue>Remember.... You get what you pay for. All advice here is free.</font color=blue>

 

[Guest]

AS I POSED A MINUITE AGO :

If anyone is thinking of getting the SAMSUNG 210SE DONT EVEN BOTHER !. shouldi tell you why ?............ How much time do you have? .....
#1:battery comsumption is VERY VERY poor & thats not even useing the LCD screen !. Enev thought you have to to to turn on features. (takes 4 times AA type, thats the tv remote coltroler size)
#2:The pic quality is CRAP (see www.yahoo.com & so a search) for some examples, put it this way, the picture quality on a £4 disposable camera then scanned on a flatbed scanner is better !.
#3:the skniveing people at samsung have conned you to get a AC ADAPTER fron them coz a standerd one wont fit !.
#4:the light gathering (quality depending) is crap !.
NEED i go on ???.
Ill be happy to send anyone with a sample pis if they wish !.

OH would you beleave the camera had a pixel output of 2.1MP!, seems more like 0.5MP

linux has got to be better !

 

[Guest]

Check out the Toshiba PDR-M71.
http/www.dcresource.com/reviews/cameraDetail.php3?cam=314
Canon optics, 3 megapixel and less than $350.00

 

[Lowlypawn]

Sounds like a decent camera but after having one with a 6x zoom there is no way I would go back to less.

Thx & Cya



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[agent]

I'm new at this, so. How have you found the battery life for your new cameras? Is that the only part of the camera that will have to be continually replaced?

Always remember, you are unique...just like everyone else.

 

[Rob423]

Olympus Digital camera's are deffinetly worth it, I got a Digi for Christmas last year, Olympus 3.3 MegaPixel... It's very small, Stylish, Amount of features... but you want something in the 300 range, this thing is well over 300$...

My next purchase is going to be a miniDV Cam... I am thinking of the Canon ZR series, maybe the zr-45mc

any recommendations ?

Measure Twice, Cut Once!!

 

[Lowlypawn]

Sorry, I only check this thread one a month or so.


I bought a set of rechargeable batteries + charger ($20) and they seem to work pretty good. The most pictures I took was around 50 (15 with the flash) at one time with no problem. They do seem to go dead just sitting there so I just try to remember to charge em up a day before I’m going to use the camera. I plan on buying another set so then batteries will become a non issue.

Cya


<font color=green>1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qc6?? 4.Bb5 1-0

 

[NialM]

holy $hit...........
you freak cause no one posted for 2 days then you don't bother checking for a month or so ???? what a wanker......


-N-

<b><font color=blue>Paramedics - Does this mean there is always two of them ?</font color=blue></b>

 

[globe111]

you know it will be a month before he replies to you

my 2 rubles.

 

[NialM]

LOL....don't expect to hear back, I mean what could he say ?

ME ME ME ME !

-N-

<b><font color=blue>Paramedics - Does this mean there is always two of them ?</font color=blue></b>

 

[Lowlypawn]

I wouldn’t call it “freaking out”. It wasn’t so much that no one responded but that nobody had even looked at it if I remember correctly. Guess I was use to DPreview forums.

BTY the Fuji still rocks.

Thx&Cya


<font color=green>1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4? 4.Nxe5?? Qg5 5.Nxf7 Qxg2 6.Rf1 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 Nf3#</font color=green>

 

[globe111]

I guess on dpreview forums, if there was a cpu section, it would be dead as this one in the computer forum.


my 2 rubles.

 

[Lowlypawn]

Definitely, I think there are way too many subjects on this board. All the consumer topics could be put into one subject. That’s why I stopped checking this Digital camera section. If I really want to know about DC’s I will go to DP review. At Tom’s I only check the “CPU” and “Other” daily. The polls ,games and a few others I will check once a week if I’m bored.

Any subject that gets less then 100 replies a week should be combined or removed IMHO.

Thx & Cya


<font color=green>1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4? 4.Nxe5?? Qg5 5.Nxf7 Qxg2 6.Rf1 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 Nf3#</font color=green>

 

[globe111]

the rich will be richer (cpu and other)

and the poor will be poorer (everything else)


yeah, definetelly too much supply of topics, and not much demand.




my 2 rubles.

 

[FatBurger]

I think so too, did either of you PM Fredi with the suggestion?

<font color=blue>Hi mom!</font color=blue>

 

[Lowlypawn]

No. wrote a post about it once.

<font color=green>1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4? 4.Nxe5?? Qg5 5.Nxf7 Qxg2 6.Rf1 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 Nf3#</font color=green>