Any recomendations for a digital camera up to £150

Damnations Fury · 26 Feb 2006 at 18:02

Dont really want to spend more than £150 on a camera but looking for something with a decent amount of optical zoom, a good amount of manual features (so I can get into photography) and obviously good picture quality.

Doesnt have to have a huge amount of megapixels as a lot of stuff will be viewed on a pc, so even as low as 3 would probably di if the quality is high enough, though wouldnt mind more.

Currently looking at the Canon A520 as heard the A range is good, but unsure if there's better competition out there.

Any opinions or advice would be very appreciated

MacX · 26 Feb 2006 at 23:40

Are you looking for a camera with one of the 'superzooms' (up to 400mm 35mm equivalent)?

If so then the Kodak z740 might do with its 38-380mm and can be had for about £169. Also has Auto, Program AE, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual, Custom and 18 Scene modes.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/2005_reviews/z740.html

Depends on what you'll be doing with it though, as some others might be more suitable and better specced for the money if the focal length wasn't so important.

Dinomania · 26 Feb 2006 at 23:50

Big recommendation of the Fuji S5500 camera here - should be about £150 now, 10x zoom, 4.0MP, fully manual if you want it, biggish compared to compact cameras but really quite small compared to other cameras with similar specs.

Damnations Fury · 26 Feb 2006 at 23:50

I do want to get a superzoom at some point, but being realistic I need something reasonably sized so i get maximum use out of it. So for the time being id prefer it to be something that can be put in a coat pocket etc over the amount of optical zoom ,though doesnt have to be one of these really small ones for jeans pockets, just something reasonable sized, and the supoerzooms are a bit too much.

MacX · 26 Feb 2006 at 23:56

Go have a look at the Fuji or Kodak if you haven't already, you might be surprised at how small they are.

As for a smaller camera with the creative control you want, I can't think of one at the moment. Many of the smaller ones that do come to mind don't really offer true manual control.

I shall ponder on it, but maybe someone else will pipe in.

Damnations Fury · 27 Feb 2006 at 03:01

After doing a little looking round, a small-ish sized superzoom might be ok as they arent as big as i expected. How big are the Kodak z740 and the Fuji s5500 in your opinions?

Dinomania · 27 Feb 2006 at 10:57

You're best to look in a camera shop window to get the best idea, hold one in your hand. I was surprised how small the S5500 was when I saw it for real!

boycee · 27 Feb 2006 at 11:26

Sorry to hi-jack but..

Is the S5500 a true DSLR rather than something like a Fuji602 which had a little LCD inside the view finder?

Secondly it's only 3mp? but I'm assuming it's going to be better quality than my Fuji E550 which is apparently up to 11mp?

Lastly IR compatible?

Carrot · 27 Feb 2006 at 12:00

boycee said:
Sorry to hi-jack but..

Is the S5500 a true DSLR rather than something like a Fuji602 which had a little LCD inside the view finder?

'fraid not.

boycee · 27 Feb 2006 at 12:16

so it does have that little lcd screen inside the viewfinder?

That's such a shame, but as a +ve i guess it does have the larger zoom and longer exposure option.

Dinomania · 27 Feb 2006 at 12:20

Yep it has a little screen inside the viewfinder. A bit irritating when trying to focus using it, but meh.

It's definitely not a DSLR - more a "pro-sumer camera" - and yep 'only' 4MP. But you're looking at only £150 here, so you can't expect a massive-pixelled DSLR, lol!

There's several in the same kind of range, all with different specs, S5000, S5500, S5600 (newest) and then there's the S7000, S9000 and S9500.

Damnations Fury · 27 Feb 2006 at 12:56

So is there any other suggestions as far compact or smaller superzooms. Its not the size of the camera im worried about in regaurds to holding, its more about caarrying it around easy enough so I can keep it with me most of the time.

Damnations Fury · 1 Mar 2006 at 21:35

Does anyone have any any opinion of the canon powershot S1 IS? It seems a little bit more compact (expecially the depth from fornt to back which is most important) than most other super zooms. The other camera im looking aroundat is the A610, but thats more of a compact camera (which isnt necessarily what im not looking for).

james.miller · 1 Mar 2006 at 21:40

I find it the 5500 easy enough to carry around, and you really needn'y worry abotu it 'only' being 4mp. they still take brilliant photos.

That's scaled down from its original 2272x1704. more here:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/james.miller700/Paris/