Dilemma I'm have between a few cameras

[caysi0207]

Hi everyone,

I'll be going overseas soon, so I will be in need of a camera. I've sort of narrowed down my decision to a few of the models, and need some advice.

(California 8.25% tax)

Canon A610 - $183.01 + tax
Canon s2 - $299.05 + tax
Minola Z6 - $284.99 + tax
Casio z120 - $210

These are the prices I can get for the cameras.

I'm looking for something that wont have problems doing many things. I would like a jack of all trades type of thing, but will be forcusing more or portraits (parties and social events pictures). I would like some pro's and con's, then a suggestion based on price vs performance? I've seen all the cameras in person (except the z120), and still undecided.

The price is really tempting for the a610, but would like the option of zoom if I ever end up needing it. Smaller size is nice, but not a determining factor.

I'm just so confused at all the options available, and I'm so new to these cameras, please advise me on what to choose

[mtclimber]

cays-

In your indoor shooting at the parties that you noted, will you be using flash? It will almost be a necessity because all of the cameras listed have maximum ISO setting of ISO 400. Flash range on all of the Canon cameras would be limited to 10 to 12 feet max. The Casio will be limited to 7 feet max.

The Casio Z-120 (I own one) is a great camera. It is pleasantly small, but it has a very weak flash, please keep that in mind. With KM going out of business on 04/01, and manufacturing only dSLR cameras for Sony, I would personally tend to shy away from the Z-6.

The Canon S-2 IS is an excellent all around camera with a 12X optical zoom in a nicely compact package, but it is physically larger than the Canon A-610. All in all I would say that your choice, based on your requirements, is between the two Canon cameras.

MT

[caysi0207]

Hi Mtclimber,



Yeah, I'm pretty sure I will be taking a good amount of pictures where flash will be needed.



At least now the choices are narrowed down a bit more. As far as the 2 Canons go, does the performance on the s2 outweight the price difference of the A610? I would really like to get the camera today, so I can get familiar with it before my trip overseas.



I guess I'm just not sure if I want to lug something as big as the s2 around all the time, maybe someone who has used a camera in the type of fashion I'm planning to (travelling) could give some additional input?

[ecx350]

Can I ask where you found the Canon S2 for that cheap? I'm currently in the market for one.

Thanks!

[mtclimber]

cays-

The difference between the Canon A-610 and the A-620 is two fold:

(1) the A-610 is 5mp versus 7.1mp for the A-620

(2) the two cameras have different CCD's. The A-620 imager is larger with a smaller potential for noise.

MT

[JimC]

ecx350 wrote:

Can I ask where you found the Canon S2 for that cheap? I'm currently in the market for one.

Thanks!

You probably can't (unless there is a catch, like high shipping charges, a non-US model with a store only warranty, unauthorized insurance charges, etc.).

If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Most of the scammers will try to pressure you into buying lots of absurdly priced accessories (batteries, memory cards, etc.) when they call to "confirm your order" (a trick to pressure you).

When you refuse to buy the addons, your order may never ship (if you're lucky, allowing you to try and dispute the charges with your credit card company).

But, they'll probably try to ship it anyway, keeping the restocking fees if you dispute it, since these are clearly marked on their web sites.

The lowest price I see for this model from reputable vendors that I'm familiar with is around $339 delivered.

If you see it too much cheaper than that, there is probably a catch.

There are a lot of scam artists around with very nice looking web sites with lots of important logos.

Make sure to check any vendor you consider using http://www.resellerratings.com (you'll find a menu choice for searching for vendors where you can see customer reviews).

It tends to be a more reliable place to get feedback compared to the feedback you find in most other search engines (IMO anyway). Vendors have been known to try and pad their own ratings (or pressure customers into giving good reviews) with some rating systems.

You may want to read this article by Bryan Biggers to get a feel for how the scam artists work (and you'll find a Brooklyn address in the About or Policies pages for most of the vendors that have been known to use questionable tactics).

How to Buy a Digital Camera without being Robbed

[ecx350]

The lowest price I see for this model from reputable vendors is around $339 delivered.

That's the cheapest I found too, but when I saw that other price I thought maybe I was missing something.:shock:

Thanks for your input and your suggestions as well.

Cindi

[JimC]

Cindi:

It's possible that some larger Ebay vendor has a better deal since they have no overhead. But, be very careful.

There are some Brooklyn based scam artists with very nice web sites (that tend to operate under more than one business name), that have been getting away with scamming customers for a long time (shipping gray market cameras not intended for sale in your country with no manufacturer's warranty, etc.).

For some reason, they seem to be able to get away with it in Brooklyn (despite lots of customer complaints to the Attorney General's office over the years, etc.).

*Always* check out any vendor you consider using http://www.resellerratings.com

If a price looks too good to be true, it probably is.

[ecx350]

*Always* check out any vendor you consider using http://www.resellerratings.com

If a price looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Will do Jim, thanks!!

Cindi

[caysi0207]

ecx350 wrote:

Can I ask where you found the Canon S2 for that cheap? I'm currently in the market for one.

Thanks!

hehe, I can get it through Dell for that price, maybe even cheaper. I'm iffy on getting products I'm not sure about from ebay, and this price is still better than most of those on ebay. All you have to do is apply a coupon code + dpa % off, and bam you got yourself that price