Question:
Hi there - query on digital cameras. Wanting a new camera for Christmas - not necessarily the cheapest or the most expensive, but good quality. My aim is to try to get one cheaper than in the high street shops by purchasing on-line.
I think I want something which has a really good quality lens, fast shutter speed with very little delay, large viewing screen to the rear, micro facility, and above all - idiot proof! I don't want a large camera, just something small would be great. At least 4 x digital zoom and 3 x optical zoom (hope I have got that the right way around). I am not technically minded so want something reasonably simple, but reliable. (I have heard of problems with the Canon Ixus giving up the ghost after little more than a year and being expensive to fix.) Some friends of mine have one which also has a "shake proof shutter" to minimise movement if you are taking a photo from a moving object.
If anyone can advise what else I should be looking for then all welll and good.
Any recommendations on actual cameras/models which would fit the bill would be appreciated.
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ASDA £99 Fujifilm A360
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You may want to look at a similar Fuji model sold at because this has a case and battery charger with NiMh batteries included for the same price. I would recommend that you buy a camera that takes standard generic sized batteries i.e. AA size as these can easily be purchased much cheaper than specific camera batteries and it's best to have a spare set charged and ready.
Forget digital zoom and go for one with optical zoom (these models will usually also have digital zoom as well)
I like the look of this which I have seen advertised but I believe are only available online in the UK, which has an Optical Image Stabilizer but I have not actually seen or used one.
You may find a bargain at and lots of review information at and
Happy hunting
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Loobeylou,check this one out .
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Many thanks to those who have responded. Would like more input if possible please.
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Try this - huge reduction and the specs you're after
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Try this - huge reduction and the specs you're after
out of stock unfortunately
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At the moment Nikon are giving great value for money. Had my digital Nikon Coolpix 4300, for about 18mths, optical and digital zoom, excellent quality prints, I always go over to to check and compare prices.
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Hi there - query on digital cameras. Wanting a new camera for Christmas - not necessarily the cheapest or the most expensive, but good quality. My aim is to try to get one cheaper than in the high street shops by purchasing on-line.
I have a Canon Ixus and I have to say I've been very happy with it. I would happily recommend the range.
But, if I were replacing it, I would look at the Panasonic Lumix range. These are very compact, and use Lecia lenses (even in the compact range) - which are amongst the best there is. They are very well reviewed. You can see the range here (of course the prices are much better elsewhere):
This one is a good combination at a great price (£182):
It's 5 megapixel. Lots of people will tell you more megapixels is better, and that's true. But bear in mind that 5 megapixels is enough to make an A4 print at maximum resolution - any more is wasted unless you are making even bigger prints (than A4!) - and more megapixels means bigger file sizes which means fewer photos per memory card. Unless you a pro above 5 megapixels I would then start thinking more about the lens and less about the computery numbers.
One last thing - ignore digital zoom. It is completely useless. Optical zoom is important - all digital does is to blow up the image. You can do this yourself by cropping the photo on your computer and magnifying.
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Have a browse around here:
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This Samsung from Boots is good value(Bought one myself);
1900 Advantage points worth £19 available with correct code.
Excellent value at £81 including the points discount.
Love the 640 x 480 at 30fps video function. Playing the vids back on the TV gives me better than VHS quality.
So a good cheap all rounder.
Picked up a Samsung Travel Pack to go with it;
Had good experiences with Canon cameras. Girlfriend has Canon Ixus 50(superseded by Ixus 55).
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Many thanks for all the advice - I am confused about the memory cards though (and believe me it doesn't take much!) - what are the best type to go for? I have a feeling I have heard of a new type memory card being sold - an XP or something similar?
Any further input on either the camera aspect or the memory cards would be great thanks, as I am wanting as much advice and tips as possible.
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It did occur to me, that you may not have realised that the blue words in my original post are in fact hyperlinks (double click)
Regarding memory, you can't but memory until you have decided exactly which camera to purchase, because different makes use different types
You should get a small capacity memory card with your camera, but you will need to but larger capacity cards depending on how many pictures you expect to take. Xd cards are used by Olympus, Fuji etc. but not by Canon.
This website has a good selection at reasonable prices
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Take a look at this review for some ideas;
As espresso has written, don't worry about the memory card at this stage, as high speed, high capacity cards can be obtained from all of the main protaganists.
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Many thanks to those who responded to my original thread. I have finally sorted out a Canon Ixus 750 with a separate leather case from on-line stores, and I hope that I will be well chuffed when it arrives!
Now all I need to do is to sort out a memory card.