Point & Click Cameras

Renniks

Senior Member
Just wondering what I should look for when buying a Point & Click digital camera. The girlfriend is off to Borneo and will need a Camera but neither of us have a clue what to look for. :)

10MP seems about standard (and if I'm right in thinking will allow for clear a3 print outs if we choose to print some)

Otherwise not sure what to look for. Optical or Digital zoom better? etc.

And are waterproof ones like : Buy Olympus MJU550WP Waterproof 10MP Camera. at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for .
Any good?

Also any makes that I should go for over others?

Cheers folks.

^_^
 
Honestly I wouldn't bother with waterproof, in my opinion even a non waterproof will handle a splash or two of water. Obviously dropping in puddles, heavy rain or waterfalls etc are a no go unless you have a waterproof case :)

As to camera, optical zoom is always best, in terms of compact camera's I'd be looking at canon or fuji. Anti shake/vibration reduction software/hardware would be a bonus.

I'd also go 12mp if you can stretch it as it will give you a little crop room.

What sort of budget are you looking at.

Also I would probably go more for a fixed lens slr type (I'd be taking an slr) if you can afford it as it will give you a better overall camera albeit slightly bigger and heavier.
 
Definitely go for Optical Zoom and if the camera offers digital zoom just turn it off 'cos all it does is 'crop' the image and you can do that when you get home in photoshop! Where as optical will actually zoom in and the resolution will be better.

Just before i got my DSLR i borrowed my mum's Canon powershot and took it to Tenerife and it was a great little camera. So would def recommend a canon even if it's a few models old will be better than some of the cheaper brands

I'd say 8 mp or above would be adequate!
 
Thanks for the reply :)

Borneo being a rainforest climate was my reasoning for looking into waterproof,
They say you should take waterproof binoculars but I have no knowledge of these either so this could be for other reasons.

Cheers for make & the suggestion of anti shake (I assume hardware would be the better option here if it goes that in detail in descriptions)

I'm not sure on budget yet, £100-200 most likely, but there are deals out there for more expensive cameras within that budget which is comforting.

I assume by fixed lens slr type you mean one with a visible lens that 'sticks out' similar to slr shaped cameras (such as : http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:...part/electronics/cameras/digital-camera-1.png )
 
renniks said:
Thanks for the reply :)

Borneo being a rainforest climate was my reasoning for looking into waterproof,
They say you should take waterproof binoculars but I have no knowledge of these either so this could be for other reasons.
it shouldn't make a huge difference, it's more to do with acclimatization, it's not like you see dslr's being made waterproof for places like borneo.
I assume by fixed lens slr type you mean one with a visible lens that 'sticks out' similar to slr shaped cameras (such as : http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:...part/electronics/cameras/digital-camera-1.png )
yep thats the sort, some have manual focus etc too which makes it a better all round tool.
 
I had a fuji s9500, which was surprisingly good for the price, you can get them cheap as chips secondhand on ebay and they take double a's, which I prefer than rechargeable block types.

But I'm no pro photographer... :)
 
Whatever you get, make sure you have a decent capacity memory card to handle the high res images you'll be taking.
 
Was thinking 8gb, she isn't going to be too camera happy as she'll be doing university studying there... but still
 
Doesn't seem too bad, some of the reviews have mentioned lens flare and possible artefacts so it may be worth having a look round at reviews to see images etc.
 
Been checking some review sites and those who have supplied photos seem pretty good, yet those who didnt enjoy the camera wouldn't be as likely to supply them (it would seem)

Going to view some flickr type sites to see what I can find, £125 for this type of camera seems a bargain so don't want it to be a case of you get what you pay for :p
 
Jimlad said:
Whatever you get, make sure you have a decent capacity memory card to handle the high res images you'll be taking.


I have an iPod adapter that lets you load your piccies on the iPod hard drive.

When the card is full just drop 'em over to the iPod....I have a 160gb Classic so lots of room.

You can view them direct both stills and video...which is nice.
 
Fuji's stuff is awesome. I have a s5600, it is great, more options than a point and click, but worth the extra £££, plus they have a refurbished section on their site. Only complaint there would be battery life aint great, but considering I use it professionally, it doesnt matter, a day is enough.

I also have an olympus m840, and that is awesome, battery is amazing, great zoom etc. not a bad price too.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38EB-K Digital Camera - Black: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics & Photo

this however, won camera of the year in computer arts next to the canon eos 1d, seriously there is a £2500 price difference, my girlfriend has one, one of the best point and click cameras I have ever seen/used...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-Lumix-DMC-FZ18-Digital-Camera/dp/B000UPDYPI/ref=sr_1_18?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1258421368&sr=1-18

cheaper, also very very good.
 
Beat me to it!

I was going to suggest you look at the Panasonic Lumix range. A friend of mine has one and I was very impressed. Not sure on which model he has but it's one of the quickest point and shoots I've used, there's almost no delay between you pressing the shutter button and the picture being taken.
 
I'm sure most of the lumix range is amazing, the imaging plate has to give some of the best results for a point and click
 
Back
Top