A small budget camera...

[jygrace]

Right now, I have a small Sony Cybershot DiCa..
And in exactly a year from now, I'm going traveling in parts of Asia.
I'm really hoping to get a good camera by then - but something that's not TOO expensive for a teen.
I've only had experience with 2 cameras; one was my Cybershot, and another was one I was given to as a gift - I think it was a Canon...Not sure exactly what it was. My budget is $100 ~ $300...Anyone have any advice?
Oh, and I need people's opinions; which do you prefer, a normal manual camera, or a digital?

 

[panocho]

hi,

if by manual you mean a film camera, as i guess, that puts you in the eternal discussion film/digital, on which you'll find a lot discussed in the forum and everywhere.

i'll try to tell you the little i can, and others will surely tell you a lot more.

with that budget, i don't think you can get a "good camera" in digital. of course, that depends very much on what we understand by "good camera", which would probably start a looong discussion here. but that's definitely not the point here, so...

again, wanting a "good camera" for $100-$300 (canadian, as i also guess, that's hardly 200€) you have to go film. there you can get not a good but a great camera, since in the digital era old film cameras have become incredibly cheap. and don't be fooled by the words "old" or "cheap" here: i mean REALLY good cameras, ones to be trusted and to last

you mention something about a Canon. Was it film or digital? Maybe you already have a spot to start from -i mean, in case it was a film camera, it was likely a nice one: Canon is a quality brand, and most of their cameras are quality as well (and i'm a "nikonian" :greenpbl: )

well, i suggest you to start by clearifying the question about film/digital. but as i said, your budget being that you mention, i doubt you can get the good camera you want among digitals

 

[Alex_B]

I'm not an expert, but these days for 300 CND you might be able to get a decent digital "point&shoot". i would maybe then not got for a brand new one, but for a model that came out half a year ago or so. I guess the price drop in the first 6 months is significant.

of course that won't give you the flexibility of an (d)SLR, but it is small and hence not too bad for travel.

Regarding film, keep in mind that film and processing is not cheap either.

 

[f8lranger4x4]

If you are looking in the film market Canon AE1 run you about 50-100 on ebay with everything. If you are looking for a cheap point and shoot digital go with the fuji finepix 345 run you 100-150 awsome pics have one as a back up love it so much I had to buy one for my girlfriend. also look on ebay always good deals their.

 

[xfloggingkylex]

like alex said, a P&S could be a great step for you. With 300CND you could buy an older model FujiFilm S5100. it cost 400 dollars when it came out at the end of 04, so you are sure to get it cheaper now. Its a 4 MP SLR-Style camera, meaning it looks and performs much like a true SLR. You get full control with (M)anual mode, as well as (A)perture priority and (S)hutter priority, as well as adjustable ISO, 64, 100, 200, and 400. Min shutter is 1/2000 sec and Max is 15 seconds. The lens is a 37-370mm equivalent in 35mm.

Also, even though that camera is only 4MP, it takes some superb pictures, and when displayed online (at 800x600) the untrained eye wouldnt be able to tell the difference between that cameras with much higher megapixels.

If you are really looking into doing more than just snapshots, SLR style point and shoots are a great stepping stone into the SLR world. Of course any brand will work basically the same, I just used this particular model because I have hands on experience using it.

 

[jygrace]

Ahh...
Hmm.
Well, which do you prefer: a digital, or a manual?
I mean, they both must have their pros and cons,
but from your experience, which is easier to utilise?

 

[jygrace]

Okay. UPDATE:
My Sony CyberShot-U is the model DSC-U20.
If you know which it is, then you'll know how terrible (okay, not TERRIBLE, but...close to mediocrity.) it is.
It doesn't even have ZOOM!
Then again, it -WAS- my first camera, so I guess I can accept that.
The Canon however...is...one that I can't find right now.
...I think my parents used it ..-_-;
But it had a manual function, so that was nice.

 

[blackdoglab]

For digital, I have only one experience, but a good one. It was a fuju finepix e550 point n' shoot. I think it cost about $150 bucks. Now, for film you'll have more choices (assuming film is your preference) Praktica, Ricoh, Vivitar, Chinon, and Cosina are all pretty easy to find on ebay and generally pretty cheap and reliable. Although I am a Zenit user, try to avoid ebay in looking for them. If you do, it's a safer bet to get one from a good seller in the USA or from a company like Kiev/USA (may I reccomend the TTL or the 12XP?) Happy shooting!

 

[Passion4Film]

I just got a Canon Powershot A640 for $280 and it's phenomenal! I highly recommend it already!

 

[Torus34]

As an aside: whatever your choice, get the camera far enough in advance of your trip to provide loads of familiarization time. By the time you embark, the operation of the camera should be second nature.