Sunday, October 9, 2011

I'm Baaaaack, and Cameras

We have finally got decent broadband internet!  Yay!  I have been busy trying to judge how many podcasts I can download/videos I can watch/websites I can visit, without going over our 30GB limit.  I updated all of my podcasts in one day and only got to 1GB.  But those are the podcasts for almost a month.  So I'm not worried.

I've also been working 5 days a week, for 4-6 hours a day, and have managed to accumulate some funds.  So I when I was in JB Hi Fi yesterday, I had a look at their digital cameras.  There are so many in my intended price range to choose from, so I walked away without any.  My friend who is in Africa at the moment is a brilliant photographer in her spare time, so I think I will wait (less than a month to go now!!) until she comes home and ask for her advice.  Here are the models I was looking at though (in no particular order):

Samsung (ST-95/EC-PL120ZFPBAU)
5x optical zoom
16mp

$197



Cannon (PSA2200)
4x optical zoom
14.1mp



$129



Nikon (Coolpix S3100/S3100KITPP)
5x optical zoom
14mp



$199



Samsung (ST-65/EC-ST65ZZBPSAU)
5x optical zoom
14mp


$139


Sony (DSC-W530)
4x optical zoom
14mp


$199




Fuji (Z-90?*)
5x optical zoom
14mp

$194


See what I mean about difficult choices?  I have included the most basic features for these (though they can all record video and sound), because past that, a lot of it becomes jargon, or at least to me it does.  Digital image stabilistaion or optical image stabilisation?  Continuous shooting speed?  Retouch filter effects?  Sweep panorama?  I have only the slightest idea of what these terms could mean, but I have no idea what impact that would have on the quality of my pictures, or the ease of use of the camera.  This is why I'm going to wait.  Hopefully, although the sale prices are only applicable until the 19th of October, they will still be within my budget.

What kind of camera do you use?  How did you choose it; price, features, zoom/mp?  Have you found that one brand is more reliable than another?  Do you have any problems with your camera that you'll avoid if you buy another?  Discuss!

*The image on the JB website doesn't look exactly like the one detailed on the Fuji website, however, it is included in the group photo on the summary page

3 comments:

  1. Here's my two cents:
    1. What specifically do you want to use it for - eg movies/indoor/anything?
    2. Cannon is the only one of these Cameras who have a service department in NZ...Not that I would probably bother than much with a service department but stranger things have happened.
    3. Read reviews/tests for any camera that you want to buy. They will have all the info so that you can debate whether the pros outweigh the cons.

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  2. Those are really great suggestions! What I really want is a camera that takes nice photos of people and places to keep, and my sewing projects and baking so I can post them on here :-P That's a really good point about a service department, and Cannon has always had a good reputation. I have the articles from Consumer about cameras (got them on that day the website was free), so will start studying!

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  3. Update: My friend has returned from Africa and she has had a look at all of these cameras and says SHE wants the Cannon, so that's got to be a good thing! It's the cheapest, but it has some great features I didn't list here because I didn't know what they were. So... looks like I'll be getting that one! :-D

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