Is this a good camera?

[dzeadow]

Well, I broke a perfectly good new digital camera today :mad2: , so I need one for work but don't want to spend an arm and a leg since I just bought the previous camera for $250, now I'm going to be out some more. I figured while I'm at it, might as well get something that takes decent tank shots and what not. I've heard of the A650 some on here, is it a good camera? It's on this website for $245, is that a good deal?

http://www.86photovideo.com/products.asp?product_id=18301

[Blazer88]

I don't know about the camera but DON'T purchase it from that store:
http://www.resellerratings.com/store/86th_Street_Photo_Video

Always pick a reputable dealer when purchasing camera gear (among other things).

[dzeadow]

Geez, thanks! It was just one of the first sites that came up when I googled the camera model.

I guess I don't care what model/type I get. For my work I just take pics of finished countertops installed, so they don't need to be overly professional, just for my records. But I figured I would get something that would take decent non-grainy tank photos as well. I'll probably go to WallMart and get something there, anyone have any recomendations for a camera at WallMart for around $250?

[sixfins]

Any point and shoot will probably give grainy pics at higher ISO. If you keep them around about 100 or under you can usually get decent pics. For that pricepoint, take a look at Canon's A-series. The A560 will save you some cash and may do what you're asking of it, if you want a little more lens take a look at the A720is. Although, if grain is a real problem them you should be looking at dslr's. I've seen some closeout models on ebay for around $300-400.

[dzeadow]

but don't you need pricey lenses for the dslrs?

[besl]

I would go with the Canon SD line like the SD850 or SD870. JMHO

[dzeadow]

Is there much to the focal length? The 560, 720, and the SD870 seem to have all the same features... the focal lenght is different though:

650 - 7.4-44.4mm/f2.8-4.8

720 - 5.8-34.8mm/f2.8-4.8

sd870 - 4.6-17.3mm/f2.8-5.8

and the 870 has an "Aquarium" shooting mode

shutter speeds:

650/720: 1/2000sec
870: 1/1600sec

everything else seems pretty standard.. so what's the deal w/ the above listed stuff, should I be concerned w/ one more than another?

[Rosseau]

The cost of a DSLR can escalate quickly... it sounds like you don't need one.

You can get good tank shots (and others) with cheaper cameras.

As far as focal length goes...

Those camera's all seem to compare pretty well. The first and shorter number represents the ability of the camera to capture a wide field of view while the larger number represents zoom capabilities.

To put things into perspective, most DSLR users don't have anything 'shorter' than 18mm, or 24mm... You have to buy special wide angle lenses for this (what's another $1,000?). So right away this is a plus for the P and S.

the f2.8-4.8 doesn't seem to vary between these models and so I wouldn't worry about it.

I hope that helps in some way...

[Rosseau]

The 650 has 4.0 more megapixels than the other cameras... though this may seem like a big selling point - it isn't. Again, I wouldn't even worry about it.




This is sort of helpful - loads of pictures sorted by the camera/lens they were taken with.

http://www.pbase.com/cameras/canon

[dzeadow]

so is a higher mm better? like the 650 has a 44mm, vs the other two at 33, and 17?

[Rosseau]

The higher mm will be able to zoom further.

While the ones with lower, low number will capture more in the wide angle... This is handy for things like taking pictures of a room indoors.

[dzeadow]

Thanks Rosseau! Makes much more sense now. I'm kind of leaning towards the A650 now.

[Obi-dad]

If you are looking for all purpose camera, not just tank shots, one to look at may be the Panasonic TZ3. This has 10x optical zoom with image stabilizer, and the zoom starts at 28mm equivalent - wide angle, not many digicams have that large zoom starting at wide angle.

You can shoot in 16:9 ratio so photos fit perfectly on widescreen TVs. And it fits in your pocket. I replaced my Canon S1 with this camera, and the TZ3 is way better. I have a Canon 20D but don't bother with that since the TZ3 is so much easier to carry around, and unless you are making large prints the 20D isn't much better image quality.

[sixfins]

What I saw on ebay at the lower end was just the body, still need lenses. and for close to $400 you can get a set up complete with a decent lens. You can always spend more on lenses later. But from what I understand the grainy pics come from cra**y sensors, and the only way around it is dslr. It's kind of insurance for the camera manufacturers to keep people buying lenses. I would personally love to get a P&S with a good sensor that takes good pics, but I also don't want to pay $800-900 for it either.