If you have some experience and opinions about digital cameras, please let me know your suggestions.

I'm looking for the following in a digital camera:

• 2+ digital zoom
• 8+ optical zoom
• SLR type
• Variable sensitivity (from 100 to 400)
• 4+ MP
• Variable resolution (from 640x480 to 2560x?)
• 2" LCD
• $400 US price range (maybe $500)
• Use:
  • Portraits
  • Pics for ads
  • Scenic
  • Wildlife

Any suggestions on a camera? Or, any suggestions on anything that I need?

Dave

I got some suggestions on cameras. Man, they are expensive when I get all that I want on it.

• Minolta DiMage A2
• Canon EOS d20
• KONICA MINOLTA 2806301 Black 6.0 MP
• Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H1
• SONY MVC-CD500 Black 5.0MP
• Minolta DiMage A200

I really like the bolded one, but a couple are really out of my price range. I have a friend that is selling his DiMage to upgrade to a more professional model (the Canon above). More professional? Wow! They all do a lot more than my last digital camera!

Dave

I bought the Minolta DiMage A2. I'm really liking it.

If you own a digital camera, which one do you have?

Dave

Hmmm I always steal my Dads Ricoh. It's a Capillo RX, and I'm of the opinion that it's a pretty good camera.

My hubby bought me an Olympus Camedia D-580 4.0 MP for Mother's Day. Before that I had an HP 1.3 MP and had been wanting to trade up for a while but couldn't justify buying myself a new toy when there was nothing wrong with the old one. I was very impressed with my hubby because he took the time to learn the what the terms meant (digital zoom vs optical zoom, etc) and buy me the best one he could. I love it and use it at least once a week!

Nikon or Canon = SUPERB pics (From seeing shots from those camera's, WOW)

I own 2 digital cameras - one is a 3.2 mpx point-n-shoot, the other is a 6.1 mpx DSLR.

The Point and Shoot is the 3.2 megapixel Olympus Stylus D (D for digital). I bought this camera shortly after its release, after being happy with the Stylus 35mm. I don't want to say I was disappointed, but I wasn't overly thrilled with my purchase. Olympus uses XD memory cards. I don't know if they've improved, but they were very slow to record the images, so most were blurry. You pretty much had to shoot on a tripod or in extremely well-lit areas (outdoor shots are good) and make sure you don't move.

The DSLR is a Canon Digital Rebel XT. It was Canon's first DSLR under $1000. I love this camera. I carted it around Rome and Italy last spring, and it wasn't cumbersome, even with the lens on it all day. The shots are great as well. Indoor, most of my shots were flashless, so there's some blur on some shots.

In your price range, you can get a really good point and shoot. In that same price range, you won't get a new DSLR. You don't really want to use digital zoom (it causes major pixelation, even at native size).

If you're considering point and shoot, I'd go with the new Sony - I'm not sure of the model, but it incorporates the Anti-shake technology that made Konica-Minolta cameras as great as they are. KM is out of the photography business, and their merge with Sony has given Sony the digital technology that KM reserched and developed.

If you're looking at strictly SLR, I'd suggest the Canon Digital Rebel XT (the 8mpx one). It's nearly twice the price of what you're looking at, though. The Nikon D80 is comparable in price, and pics are just as good (in some circumstances, better - worse in others).

As a follow-up. Online, Ritz camera has the Pentax *ist DSLR w/18-55mm lens on sale for $599. I know it's still above your price range, but closer than either the Nikon or Canon.

I bought a Samsung Digimax A402 4.2mpx camera at the beginning of last year. It was my first digital camera. It’s a good little camera, easy to use and the pictures I print at home are pretty close to what I see on my computer’s monitor. I’d like to buy a better one, but am worried at the way the prices are dropping so fast. My brother in-law bought a Samsung 7mpx this year for nearly the same money I paid and to tell the truth I don’t think the picture quality is any better than mine.

I bought in 2003 an Olympus C-350, 3.2MP 3x optical zoom. I got it for home/personal use, nothing professional. I still use it today. Like akiko mentioned, the shutter is slow so shooting moving objects will generate blurry pictures. I would always have to press the "shoot" button about 2 seconds ahead of the actual shot. Not very good for taking a candid shot of a baby, I lose the moment.

I would have loved a Sony Cybershot or a Canon but it was a bit pricey for me.