Digital camera advice please

[The_Mac]

Best friend's looking to spend somewhere south of $500 US on a new digital camera, and asked me for advice. I'm not really that abreast the market at the moment, so I came to the wellspring of advice that is Head-Fi for answers.

Knowing that she's looking for something small (Canon S60 ish size) and with few features (simple to use) that will take nice pictures, what do you recommend?

I'm thinking something probably in the 5 MP range with a 3-5X optical zoom would be great, and as such, the S60 looks like about the right camera. But are there other cameras that should be on the short list?

Thanks so much
-Jake

 

[spaceman]

Take a look at the Canon A95. Great camera. Rotating 1.8" LCD, 5MP, 3X optical, 9 point AF, 14 preset shooting modes. Small, good build quality. I got one of these as a backup for my DSLR setup, and also to take hiking when I don't feel like carrying all that gear. Should be able to pick one up for under $300 new.

 

[slick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by The_Mac Best friend's looking to spend somewhere south of $500 US on a new digital camera, and asked me for advice. I'm not really that abreast the market at the moment, so I came to the wellspring of advice that is Head-Fi for answers. Knowing that she's looking for something small (Canon S60 ish size) and with few features (simple to use) that will take nice pictures, what do you recommend? I'm thinking something probably in the 5 MP range with a 3-5X optical zoom would be great, and as such, the S60 looks like about the right camera. But are there other cameras that should be on the short list? Thanks so much -Jake

the Sony DSC-T1 is $450 (last i checked) and it fits the bill. 5MP, 3x optical, 2.5" LCD viewfinder, 640x480 vids at 30fps with sound, its a great little camera. i used to have one, but i sold it to get a SLR type camera (the small form factor didnt matter much to me, the features did). but i think she would really enjoy the T1.
the Canon S60 is great also, but for an even smaller camera, the Canon powershot S500 is great.
honestly though, if she isnt an avid photographer and wants something small for simple point and shoot, a 5mp camera might be much and unnecessary. i bought my sister a Canon SD200 for her birthday. it was under $300, 3.2MP, 3x optical zoom, took videos and was small enough to fit in her pocket. she loves it and it takes great pics. considering she will probably want to buy a bigger memory card for storage, and maybe extra batteries and a case or something, i think a camera like the SD200 would be a great choice.
just my suggestions, there are too many camera's out there, one of these sites might be better at helping you:
http://www.dpreview.com/
http://www.dcresource.com/
http://www.dcviews.com/
http://www.steves-digicams.com/ <---i like this site a lot.

 

[The_Mac]

the reason I wanted 4+ MP was that this will be replacing the family's 35MM camera for birthdays, christmas, vacations, etc... and they'll have digital prints made at a local shop.

I'll definatly let her know of the sggestions, and let her see which she prefers. Thanks guys.

 

[Bunnyears]

the pentax optio 5si is great! If not the 5si, then the 4si. It fits into any handbag, including a pochette, it's not heavy and it fits a woman's hand perfectly and takes great pictures. And the software that comes with it is easy to use. It's really the camera of choice for the female (and here is a female speaking. both of my girls asked for it over any other camera). It's pictures are better than the Sony, and the 5si has a faster recovery time than any other compact digital camera. The only other camera that comes close is the Casio exilim (which uses the same lens system), but again, the pentax has better recovery time. Pair it with the epson picture mate and you have a complete system. Btw it is pictbridge compatible.

 

[LobsterSan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by slick i bought my sister a Canon SD200 for her birthday. it was under $300, 3.2MP, 3x optical zoom, took videos and was small enough to fit in her pocket. she loves it and it takes great pics. considering she will probably want to buy a bigger memory card for storage, and maybe extra batteries and a case or something, i think a camera like the SD200 would be a great choice.

I would go with the SD300 instead of the SD200, which is a very similar camera, but with an extra million pixels (4 mega) and a much nicer form factor. You should tell your friend to visit a big store and take a firsthand look/feel at the cameras she is interested in. IMO, the SD300's form factor and build quality justify the increase in price, and it should still ring-in under your $500 pricetage even with a 1GB memory card. One amazing fact is that this super-compact can also take 640x480 30fps video unlimited -- so you can get about 15 minutes of full quality video on a 1GB card. As the camera is so small... this is an amazing feat and quite convenient, in my opinion. As well, picture quality is quite good, better i'd say than the Sony T1.