Camera help

[Luckylove]

We are buying a new camera soon but I dont know what I want. We have a Cannon Rebel SLR but never use it b/c its not digital. We also have a 4 megapixel Cannon Elf but I want something with more megapixels. We are willing to spend $500-800. I kind of want something compact that will fit in my purse but the reviews arent that great so I havent decided yet. Any suggestions?? Thanks!:tongue

[becky]

let me ask my mom what she jsut got....i'm a huge cannon user and have the same rebel as you and digital canon which i love though eventually i plan on spending 1200 to 1500 for a nice digital canon oneday

[CMT]

well, if you want high MP with good quality, the difficult part is going to be the "compact" part
Let me pull up some links and i'll post some good cameras :)

[jellybeanmichelle]

I have a Canon Powershot S3 with 6 megapixels.
I like it. It came with a program for the computer - Zoombrowser. That program will print the date on the photo for you, where as the other programs I have, won't. The date helps me for my scrapbooking.
Your more than welcome to look at it.

[CMT]

this is the camera i have
d200 (http://www.dpreview.com/news/0511/05110104nikond200.asp)
I love it, but it's $$$ and VERRRY large and heavy

I used to have the
d50 (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_d50.asp)
Also large, but good mp and good $$

the
d80 (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Nikon/nikon_d80.asp)
just came out and it's supposed to be slightly better than the d50

I WILL however say something that is totally just my opinion.
I tend to think that purchasing a DSLR for every day snapshots is a huge waste of money.
DSLRS used as point and shoots will give you the exact same quality as a (much less expensive) P&S camera.
If you aren't planning to spend several $K on additional glass and accessories for it, I believe it's a rather large waste (again, just my opinion)
They come with crappy kit lenses that aren't worth much $$ at all, so you can't even resell it to buy another better lens.
A bigger/more expensive camera doesn't create better photos than your standard $200 p&s camera. It's just more $$ and has more buttons. LOL. The trick to those "more buttons" is that once you learn how to REALLY master it in completee Manual Mode, you are able to overcome certain situations (that you wouldn't even encounter when using it for basic snapshots). For instance, if you are in a very low light situation but use natural light only (professional photographers don't use onboard flashes that come with camera.. they either are all natural light (very popular right now) or use additional lighting systems that are separate from their camera) it will help you to have higher ISOs with lower noise levels. Just like more $$ lenses will help you with faster shutter speeds, higher f/stops and quicker focus points.
More MP is not always better. with the increase in digital cameras on the market, there is a lot of misconception surrounding camera quality. MP doesn't = good pics.
all that your megapixels determine is the SIZE of your photograph.
I'll use this as an example:
The d50 is 6mp. That REALLY isn't many. HOWEVER, the photos are just as good as you'll get from the d200, the d2x of the new canon 5d. The only difference is the size.
your MP determines your dpi/ppi (dots per inch/pixels per inch)
If you camera spits out a 3008x2000 image, and you print at 300ppi, that means that your image is 10x6 inches.
That doesn't mean you can only print that large, though.
This is why i feel that mp is rather arbitrary.
I used my d50 (3008x2000 image) to print the 20x30 image i have hanging over my entertainment center. The quality is top notch (I'm particularly anal about my prints) and that is from a 6mp camera.
What can i do with the d200 since it's 10mp? Well, I can print over 30x40.
If you don't plan on printing THAT BIG (which most people don't) then you really have no massive need for dozens and dozens of megapixels.
It's a very common misconception that mp=higher quality image, but it really just = bigger digital image which prints larger.

I'm a nikon girl, by definition. all of my pro gear is nikon.
HOWEVER, i'm never found a nikon p&s that i've liked, so i'm a canon girl in that respect.
I use the Canon Powershot SD550 elph for my "diaper bag camera"
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_sd550.asp

it is 7mp (notice, higher mp than my d50) but not nearly as many settings.
it's good for snapshots, but the quality is not incredibly wonderful. the sensors in canon's p&s cameras are really behind the times (which is strange, b/c they are WAY ahead of nikon on their dslr sensors.. the 5d is a HUGE step up in high ISO Noise Reduction for all camera companies) I can post a few pics from my cameras if you want :)
hth!

[Luckylove]

Thanks ladies! Yes Jackie, please post pictures!! Thanks again.

[CMT]

I'll be able to post some tonight.
If you DO look into a canon powershot, do a few test shots (with the flash!!) in the store first. (ritz camera at the sr mall is good for being able to do that, that's where i buy ALL my camera equipment)
I find that my flash on my SD550 washes everything out HORRIBLY