I want to keep the cost of a new digital camera under $300. So far I am leaning toward the Cannon A 80. I have found it for $269 shipped. What are your suggestions? What are you using?

 

Shades,

FWIW, I bought my wife a Canon A70 a couple of months ago ($200). It's almost the same camera as the A80, except the A70 is 3 MegaPixels and the A80 is 4 MegaPixels. So far, the A70 seems like a great little camera.

$269 is a good price for it, too. Where'd you find that at?

~John

 

Found that price on pricegrabber.com. I haven't contacted the site to see if it is a refurb though.

 

They don't have the a80, only the a85. I am not sure what the difference is.

 

Information and reviews on digital cameras

Great place for information and reviews. I used it before deciding to buy the Cannon A80. The thing I like the best is the LCD monitor can be rotated 270 degrees which makes it real nice to take pictures…

Here is a link for the Cannon Powershot A80: A80

Here is a link for the Cannon Powershot A85: A85

From the website above…

 

Canon
Power Shot
Digital Elph

 

Here is an indepth experience you should find helpfull in selection.
First, I am an amateur photog with 35 mm and larger format experience.
The Kodak CX 4230 digital is a low end 2 mega pixel camera that I get a tremendious amount of performance from in most applications.
In it's 'best' setting, I print very nice 8x10 prints on photo paper right from my low end Epson printer
the 880 model.
It has both focal and digital zoom.
Closup setting, date and time if programmed, 256k card slot, internal flash, exposure compensation, flash control, down loading and a host of other control features.
I have run into short comings but expect this due to the level the camers is.
That is at low light levels, the small flash has a limited range in distance but some times advance the exposure to still get a photo.
All in all a helliva camera for the price.
Don't go on the pixel count alone as you always hear about.
I can give you a website to see my work with this camera if you need to see, as well as I can e-mail sample photos that are very good even at reduced e-mail data transmission sizes..

 

Maybe I am taking pictures wrong then.

I currently have the cx4230 and don't find it to be a very good camera.

 

Care to elaborate?
Is it possible you are trying to make an unfair comparison with different standards?
Using it in a way it can't deliver?
Certianly on just a pixel basis one with higher pixel count will make possible larger photos than 8 x 10 with out falling apart, as an example.
Another is there would be no comparison with a 6meg pixel cameras with better optics etc.

 

I've had my Canon Powershot A70 over a year and love it. Always getting compliments on how crisp and clear my digital photos are. And I usually only use the medium resolution setting. I have a 256 MB card with it and on the medium setting average just shy of 1MB per photo.

If you'd like to see some vacation photos I took with it last month just drop me an email.

 

Your choice depends on what your gonna do with the camera really. Are u taking pictures of the family. Up close or far away shots? Do you need high zoom capabilities. High light levels vs indoor light or low light. With so many cameras out there for different uses its difficult to recommend one as everyone uses theirs different. Ive found that for under 300 your going to get one that either does one of the above really well and everything else pretty crappy or something that does everything alright but not spectacular.

Dan

 

Canon Powershot A300-

3.2 Megapixels- takes AWESOME pics....
I've seen 5 mega pixel pictures that, to my untrained eye, were no clearer.

Awesome clairty...

I added the 128Mb chip, and my pics are all usually 1 meg in size; crystal clear...

$299 @ Circuit City in 2003. Probably cheaper now.

 

I don't know **** about these cameras and stuff, but I'll comment on my experience.
My first camera was a crappy HP something or other, 1.9 MP or close to that.
It took "decent" photos but every 12 pictures required 4 new double A batteries, and sometimes the pos made you wait 2 minutes before you could snap a photo.
If you wanted a spur of the moment shot, forget it, unless you got real lucky.

I swore I would never own another HP camera ever again.

In July I bought the HP Photosmart R707, the docking station, and a 512 SD card.
The camera is a 5.1 MP, on the highest resolution, the card will hold 199 photos, on the lowest, it's like a million.

Anyhow, it takes a weird battery that came with it, and also one came in the docking station, so I never touch it.
When I come home after taking pictures, I just put the camera in its dock, and the next time I use it, the batteries are all charged up and ready to go.

I'm sure there are much better cameras out there, with more features, but I'm real happy with this one.

 

All pictures taken with my Kodak CX4230. I am not happy with the quality of them.

 

Here are a few close up’s by an untrained person with any kind of camera (me):





And a regular shot this time with the assistance of Zaino (Gotta love that shine)


The above photo's taken with my Powershot A80