I'm going to be getting a little cash from my second job and I'm going to use it on a Digital Camera. I went to several stores checking some out today.

Which would be the best one to get for around a hundred bucks?

---

I got this a while ago

http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Digital-Camera/26171/COOLPIX-P90.html 

but not 100

But if you can get a nikon for about 100 Id go for that brand

Click HERE  to see what I was thinking.

I was hoping for something to take pictures at the game monday, more specifically I want to have a decent camera for my daughters concerts. So I need to be able to zoom in about a 75-100 feet or so.

---

I just got a Olympus FE 4000 from NewEgg 12 megapixel 4x optical zoom Lithium rechargeable battery,

I also got a Kingston 4 GB mini-SDHC card and an olympus case

The camera is regularly 149.99 from newegg It sells for as much as 200.00
in the box stores. They had it as one of their black friday deals (I made this purchase on Thanksgiving day) I got the camera for 99.99 free shipping.

The memory works perfectly in this camera. This can be a source of concern, because some Olympus cameras only like their proprietary card.
The camera comes with the adapter to accept the mini-SDHC card.

The card also comes with USB reader. The regular price for the card was 26.00 from Kingston. NewEgg sold it for 8.99

The case is an Olympus case, and comes with little pockets for things like memory, etc. It sells for 12.95 from Olympus. New Egg sold it for free.

I also went online and found out that if you go to Newegg through Bing, you will receive a 10% cashback. I did this after I had already put mu stuff in my "cart" at newgg, thought they had forgotten about it/whatever, but at checkout, Newegg told me to check my e-mail from Bing. Sure enough, I had to fill out a little "paperwork" with Bing, but got 11.00 credited to me. I don't get that $$ for 60 days, but you can have it instantly credited to you through your paypal account.

That picture I took of my dog in the member photo thread is from that camera. The software is awesome and incredibly easy to use. That picture was reduced to fit here..other than that, it is un-retouched, and it was taken with flash in the semi-dark. It was the 3rd pic I had taken with that camera.

"Out the door" at 97.00 dollars, with 4 GB of memory (1125 pictures at 12 megapixel res) on a 12megepixel 4x optical zoom camera that is rechargeable (vs. many with this many megapixel but use regular batteries -- "watch out" for that) and an Olympus case.

I say impossible to beat. I busted my ass trying to, which is how I got to where I got. You HAVE to watch and make sure all of your various items are "free shipping" or New egg will try and hose you. I had originally put Olympus memory in the cart, and they tacked 5.95 shipping on the order.

You will laugh when you see a miniSD card and realize that they were adding shipping based on that. It has to weigh less than a fingernail clipping.

I am thrilled with my (?wife's? lol) camera. It is awesome. It don't look like a fancy schmancy SLR but digital (It looks like all the other point and shoot) but it ACTS like it. I see where 10x optical would be better, but this camera also has additional digital telephoto/zoom, for whatever that is worth. I say the zoom is plenty for games. I wish you had asked this question in time for this game. You will be hard-pressed to find that memory for under 26.00, for example...whatever camera you buy... and you need it.

:thumbleft:

List of Nikon Cameras 

I thought one with a good high optical zoom would be good, but then I seen one that has a 12x OZ, and the 10x took a more clear picture. I'm thinking it had something to do with the focus.

---

You can reduce the megapixels.

I started with those Nikon coolpix cameras. I ended up where I ended up.

Sears had the camera I got in their stores for 99.99 also They regularly sell it for 199.99

WATCH the battery issue! You want a rechargeable camera.

I would check if Sears is still running that deal

If you go Nikon

Target coolpix s203 was 89.95 regularly 139.99
10mp 3x optical rechargeable best deal in Nikon in box stores---
Again, I did the research trade-offs have to do with battery

That one is also rechargeable (Oh has 44mb internal mem which is high, but meaningless -- you need a mem card with all of them

In answer to one of the questions--- My wife and I enjoy photographic art. My home has a lot of Ansel Adams, for example. There are stores online (now) that specialize in oversize printing. With a high megapixel camera (12 is where most say the MP "war" is stopping" You can get a poster size print (they even do canvas--I found a place that will do a poster size canvas for 46.00 dollars) that is in the same visual resolution as a regualy sized photograph--- Think about that for a second...

You can have a Lambeau shot on canvas, poster - sized...If you have enough megapixels, that is--Otherwise it would be "grainy". As an example.

I would recommend Canon all the way. Incredibly well made cameras, although, not so light on the wallet. If you indeed are looking for something cheaper and easier on the wallet, a Nikon or Kodak are probably the way to go.

What makes a good digital camera good? One could write pages and pages about that. It all depends on what you're looking for. The camera I posted the pictures from the Dallas game is a great camera, but doesn't have but like a 5x zoom, making it less preferable for you. It's also not all about megapixels, but they certainly don't hurt. An SLR would be ideal, because you can change the lens to fit your needs as opposed to trying to make one generic lens do it all.

Blaaah, who knows. But yeah, I would definitely recommend looking at New Egg for any technology stuff. Generally always cheaper, and, well, it's not Wal-Mart. Ewwww.

My primary use will be to take pictures of my daughters and short recordings while they open presents and things like that. Also when they have concerts, it'd be nice to take pictures where you can see the faces with me knowing which one is mine, lol.

---

Like I said, I just finished doing this whole thing you are going through, so chances are pretty good I did the research on whatever camera you are about to buy, or it's equivalent. Amazing how they "customize" cameras for the different retailers, with slight differences...forcing you to compare an apple and an orange.

The bad news is that you are under a time constraint, so online is probably off the table for you. The good news, if you are buying in a box store, is that I was originally tasked with researching box store options for my wife, so know about most of those also. The bad news (again, lol lol lol) is that Wal Mart was OFF THE TABLE lol lol lol and that is probably where you are planning on going, so I will probably be of little use when you go to buy your low bidded chinese piece of fucking shit that they made them make components out of bubble gum instead of the recommended titanium in order to reduce the product cost by one more fine red chinese pubic hair lol lol lol editorial in there somewhere.

WHATEVER you do, I would remember this:

8 megapixel or better--- great pics--amazing how far they have come.

Optical zoom matters 1000 times more than digital zoom digital zoom is relatively worthless, as pic quality degrades badly when used

ALL of the known brands are good. Go with price, imo

You will REGRET it if you decide to trade off the rechargeable battery for AA or AAA batteries--these cameras suck battery power...especially with zoom and flash

You have to remember that internal memory is worthless, except as emergency for when your flash card is full. You have to budget for a flash card. The difference between (most) of these cameras at 20mb of internal memory and (some) with as much as 44mb is meaningless. How meaningless? 20mb= 5 pics 44mb=10 pics = meaningless (remember my 1125 pics with card comment?--That's at 12megapixel res, too!)

I say you should have a case to protect your camera.

I bought this camera at Wal Mart.









[EDITED - Sorry, one of the pictures was breaking the tables. Zero2Cool]