Digital Cameras

Digital Cameras $100 and up Great gift ideas that any kid wants, and every parent should have. Brian Reddinger  Imaging Supervisor at Circuit City of Exton Samsung S630      $99.99 6 Megapixels 3x Optical Zoom 2.5” LCD Screen Comes in silver, pink, and green Nikon Coolpix L10     $99.99 5 Megapixels 3x Optical Zoom Small size makes it nice for purses and pockets One step better? It’s easy to find a camera for $100, but for $150 there are some other features you might appreciate. Canon Powershot A560       $149.99 7 Megapixels 4x Optical Zoom 2.5” LCD Screen Its speed makes it a great camera for taking pictures of kids, pets, and sports. Overall solid performance Panasonic DMC-LS75         $149.99 7 Megapixels 3x Optical Zoom 2.5” LCD Screen Optical Image Stabilizer This camera is a great value at $150. Solid performance, great colors and sharp contrast images Very user friendly How does Image Stabilization work?   A gyro feels the shake occurring and tells a motor to move a floating lens to correct the movement, keeping the image centered on the camera’s sensor. This results in clear pictures, even when you are moving. More Zoom?      Panasonic DMC-LZK 7 Megapixels 6x Optical Zoom Optical Image Stabilizer $179.99 More?      Kodak Z712 7 Megapixels 12x Optical Zoom Optical Image Stabilizer $249.99 Many people are looking for small…     Sony DSC-W55 7 Megapixels Comes in a variety of colors, making this one a very hot camera. An excellent value at $199.99 Not just another face in the crowd     Face detection is a hot new feature this year, which greatly improves your portraits. All exposure, white balance, and auto focus readings start with the faces in your pictures. No more fuzzy faces, with sharp backgrounds, or washed out back lit portraits. Many models with this feature are available starting at under $250 Like this one from Sony…      DSC-W80 3x Optical Zoom 2.5” LCD Screen Face Detection $229.99, a thirty dollar difference from the w55, it’s lower version. Or this one from Canon…      Powershot SD1000 Available in black also Fast fast fast! Enjoys high marks in the reviews, consistently takes the highest ranks in consumer reports and on cnet.com $249.99 Taking it to the beach?     The durable Stylus series from Olympus is all weather. These water resistant cameras can withstand rain, splashes, and the sand that can destroy zoom mechanisms They are very affordable, starting at $219.99 There is even a version that can go 33ft underwater, withstand a five foot drop, survive your freezer, and take 220 pounds of pressure! The 790SW (pictured at bottom) So you’ve got an idea about the camera, what do you need to go with it?     Memory cards Cases Extra Batteries Protection plans Memory Cards, the accessory that’s a necessity     Cameras come with a very small amount of memory that will only hold about 15 pictures. Be sure to budget for a memory card, without one you’ll only have to make a second trip. High speed memory can greatly improved the performance of your camera, and is often only a five or ten dollar difference. Memory prices range anywhere from 15 to 50 dollars depending on the size and type of memory needed. What kind do you need?  Every brand takes SD, except for 3 exceptions: – – Sony, which takes Memory Stick Fuji and Olympus, which take XD      While there is no performance difference, sales usually make SD the cheaper card, and high speed memory is very affordable in SD, making it a good value. 1GB Memory Sticks usually go for $39.99 1GB XD picture cards usually go for $29.99 1GB SD cards usually go for $24.99 1GB SD High Speed cards usually go for $29.99 A case, just in case      Cases are a good way to protect your investment from wear and tear. Consider the size of your camera and how much stuff you want to pack in it. Many stylish and small cases are available starting at ten dollars. Some cases are better than other at preventing crushing and bumping that can happen in purses and carry on bags, so consider the level of padding as well. In general a case can be bought between 10 and 20 dollars, making them a very affordable way to keep your camera looking new. It’s always nice to pack a spare battery   Cameras that take AA batteries have a short battery life ranging anywhere from 75 to 100 shots. If a camera is on for 15 minutes, it’s like taking about 30 pictures, so an hour of setup or picture taking can run your batteries down considerably. What about rechargeables?  Consider your charging time. – – – They start at $20, but these batteries will take 8 hours to charge. For $30 you can buy a charger that takes 3 hours For $35 you can buy one that only takes 1 hour!  How strong are they? maH (milliamp) is the answer – – $20 chargers usually only have 1800 or 2000 maH batteries, the lowest available Faster chargers come with batteries that are as high as 2700 maH, this adds about 50 more shots to your battery life. What are lithium AA’s?     Beware batteries that only say ‘electronics’ or ‘heavy duty,’ while they are stronger than normal batteries they are nowhere near the strength of Lithium AA’s These non-rechargeables can take over 200 shots easily. Many customers have told me they were 5 or 6 times stronger than disposables. The proof is in the pudding, buy some and be the judge yourself. You won’t be disappointed. Prices are reasonable – – 4 Pack: $12.99 8 Pack: $21.99 My camera doesn’t take AA’s     That’s great because Lithium Ion Batteries take around 300 shots, depending on the brand. Sony’s battery in the W55 claims to take 380 shots. But if your battery dies on vacation you’ll have to wait until you can recharge it to take more pictures. Save yourself the hassle and pick up a spare. The fairly standard price for a backup battery is $40, money well spent when you’re at Disney and Mickey Mouse finally shows up. Who needs protection?     A protection plan is a sound investment if you consider it seriously. Always ask how a claim is made so that you’re prepared if you need to call it in. Ask if accidents are covered. We offer it, others don’t. A good sales associate avoids overpromising to prevent underdelivering. Some parting advice:    Know what kinds of pictures you’ll be taking and who it’s for. If you don’t know, ask. Most questions can be answered by reading the manual. When you get it home take the time to get acquainted with your new toy.