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unrelated to audio- digital camera buffs please

sorry for the unrelated to audio thread, but I need some quickly dispensed advice on buying a digital camera, preferably less or way less than $300 for a upcoming vacation. it needs to be compact, good battery life & best pic quality possible. My wife already has a Fuji S5200 that way too big & complicated for a luddite like me. she said we already have fine pix viewer on our computer (whatever that is & buy a Fuji, it'd be compatible w/that). it will be carried on a motorcycle & see some harsh treatment based on where I'm headed. (Oregon & burningman so you get the picture) thanks & cheers!
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unclejeff
1,313 posts
 
I can't be of too much help, except that a camera with a battery that you can re-charge is really good. Then, also get a back-up battery.

Also, estra memory cards are good to have, too.
grinnell
1,073 posts
 
Check out Canon they have always made nice P&S digitals as well as very nice $8K high end bodies.
kublakhan
717 posts
 
Try dpreview.com or better yet, email albert porter directly...he's a pro
rlwainwright
1,904 posts
 
Canons are good. I have a Toshiba and really like it. The most important thing for motorcycle usage (I'm a biker, too) is to find one that is ruggedly built. It would be nice if it had a built-in lens cap, not a separate plastic one that can get lost.

You also want one with an optical viewfinder, the LCD will get washed-out in bright sunlight. It would be nice if you could work the main controls with your gloves on.

Check out this site, I researched there extensively before I bought my Toshiba: http://dpreview.com/

BTW, the Canon PowerShot A710 IS looks like a nice piece, and it's less than $300, the A560 IS looks good for around $200 (I think IS stands for "image stabilization")...

-RW-
jebe1
75 posts
 
Rugged and compact usually don't go together so I can't speak to how durable a digital point and shoot will be on a motorcycle. Also, the Fuji S5200 goes to 380mm so you won't get that kind of zoom range in a compact digital camera. But if you are interested in a compact with a wide angle zoom, you might consider the Canon SD800IS which goes for about $300. It has a wide angle zoom from 28mm-105mm and has image stabilization.

This camera just became obsolete this week with the introduction of the Canon 870IS which I don't believe is available yet. Still, you might be able to get a good deal on the SD800IS. You can read a review on SD800IS from Ken Rockwell here.

You can read Ken Rockwell's other suggestions here.

If you need a little bit longer zoom, the Canon SD850IS goes from 35mm-140mm, but I find the wide angle 28mm much more useful than the zoom of 140mm. You can read Ken's review here.
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