arethinn | digicam

I would like to redevelop my photographic eye. Any time I take my camera out to shoot something, I tend to get tons of ordinary/lousy pictures. I've lost the unique perspective (un-great as it may have been) that I developed during my college photography classes 3-4 years ago.

To this end, I've decided that I really need a digital camera, something that I can whip out and take pictures at will with the way I used to with my Pentax when I was in school. I carried that thing around with me constantly because of the classes (was I really taking 3 at once? no... maybe 2? in some semesters); I always had it in the trunk of my car, even if I didn't happen to be carrying it actually on my person. Besides the greater chance of getting a few really great shots the more rolls you burn, the act of composing umpteen million shots gradually hones and.. um.. distinctifies (sure!) one's photographic style.

Now, while I would love to have one that is all manual with interchangeable lenses, since that's what I'm used to from conventional photography, I realise that that's way outside my price range right now (i.e. 4 digits, or high 3 digits... if anyone has other information, please let me know!) Instead, what I would like is a digital camera that I can carry around anywhere I go, like I used to do with my Pentax, only rather more convenient. I do find completely automatic cameras to be confusing and frustrating, however, in the same way I find an automatic transmission on an automobile to be awkward. (Having gotten used to a more precise level of control, I find it hard to go back!)

My price range for this is under $300. It's bonus if I can control the camera manually (light meter, shutter speed, aperture), as described above, but, I suppose, not required. I want a good megapixel value. It has to have some kind of memory-stick-card-thing (as opposed to disk.. do they even sell those anymore?) which can be hooked up to a USB port.

Recommendations? (that was the point of all this ramble...heh)

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I have a Sony Cybershot DSC-P51 that I really really like. It takes wonderful pics, can be adjusted for light meter, etc so that you can take indoor pics without flash, 2.0 megapixel, USB, memory stick, etc. It cost me $247 last year, they may have come down a bit since then. If you want a higher megapixel rate I think there are a couple in the Sony Cybershot series like maybe the P71 or something that go to 4.0 and are still under $300. I got mine because of all the cybershot series, it lets you do the closest closeups which I do a lot for shooting flowers, beads, etc. But I have a couple friends with slighter higher end Cybershots that they also really like. :)

Yeah, I was hoping for 4.0 megapixels if I could get it. I like to do closeup photography myself (been dithering for a long time over whether I want to splurge on a macro lens for my Pentax) so maybe that could be a good choice for me. Thanks!

Asked for and received a Nikon CoolPix 2000 for Christmas and I'm quite pleased. 2 megapixel, and while it's mostly automatic it does give you manual override on the exposure control (+/- 2 EV). It has a 3x manual zoom, which i think is the highest I've seen on a sub $250 digicam, and lacks optical viewfinder. The downside is that it burns through batteries like nothing you've ever seen (though one set of $20 NiMH with quick-charger at RadioShack solved that problem quite handily) but the upside is that you see exactly what the lens sees, SLR style, in the LCD. Comes with a USB port, and Nikon also sells an accessory kit for $30 that includes a Compact Flash reader you can plug into your USB port, so that you can get images off the card without having to burn camera battery life (always a plus). It also has a few presets for various conditions, and you can get some REALLY nifty effects in the Portrait mode because of how it creates extra depth of field between subject and background.

That said, if you can find a CoolPix in the 500 or 900 series (they've been disco'd for about a year now but there's still a few out there) I am reasonalby sure they have threaded lenses; this isn't quite interchangable but it does allow you greater freedom than simply being stuck with the on-camera lens.

I am reasonalby sure they have threaded lenses; this isn't quite interchangable but it does allow you greater freedom than simply being stuck with the on-camera lens.

Umm... I don't know what you mean by "threaded" if not "you can screw off the lens and screw on another one". What's "threaded"?

Means you can screw on other lens attachments and filters. you can't actually remove the built-in lens, so if you were to add say a 2x zoom on top you'd have to be a little careful about vignetting, but other than that, it's essentially the same thing -- you just have to think of whatever you're screwing on as adding to, rather than replacing, the camera's own lens.

I hear Ebay has some good things there. I'm not sure, I'm not a bidder and I rarely go on that website. But I always hear good things about Ebay.

If you live in the US, Wal-Mart always has good prices on their digital cameras.

I hope you find what you are looking for that is in your price range.

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