Looking for beginner camera.

[jcivic00]

Hey guys, glad we can finally get this thread started. I am looking for a beginner camera with a decent amount of functionaltiy and ease of use. I usually just take "snapshots" but am looking to get a little more in depth with this hobby. Not ready to take the plunge into a DSLR, I want to improve my skills a little first. I'm looking to spend in the $250-$300 range. It needs to have a few options as far as adjustability is concerned, but need not be confusing. Picture quality is important. not so much is megapixels. ANY input is appreciated and accepted.

[StormNISMO]

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1134703785704

Try this one its a great beginner camera!! And its under $200. 6 MP and some other good features and Canon's computer interface is pretty easy to work with, if you choose to use it.

[kris]

Any Nikon coolpix would be good. I have a coolpix 4600, which ran me about $250 two years ago. I take it everywhere, hiking, backpacking, etc, and it will take a beating.

[mustard23]

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/spec...anon_sd600.asp

[jojo]

i like this kodak easy share c875. its 8 mp with a 5x optical zoom. i dont know a lot about cameras but its got an easy menu to read, and it tells you right on the screne what the different options do as you scroll through them. it has a huge screen, and can do panoramics, video, pics, etc. we got it on sale around christmas for $200, but I think regular price is $300.

[05_NISMO_4X4]

Hmm... I've been thinking of upgrading my Canon Digital Rebel SLR, I could probably make you a great deal on the camera body and a 55-200 zoom lense!

[mustard23]

the best thing to do is look at the menu and make sure all the controls are easy to use and make sence to you.. Go to some place like Best buy that has like 20 camera and see what feels right.. then look at Dpreview.com and see what people say about it..

[dcobb]

you're going to get a hundred different responses OP. I do really recommend dpreview and steves-digicam for reviews though, great sites. Lot of people like Canon, however I've owned two and was dissatisfied with both. My last one was a Pocket size Casio from Costco that had a nice big screen on it. Took nice pictures too. Great thing about Costco though, it broke couple weeks back, so i took it back after 6 months for full refund and then got the newer model of the same camera for less, and that meant more beer money for the Superbowl

[navarajon]

I have a Nikon Coolpix L3, I am satisfied thus far for the money, but I could've gotten better, but I needed a better camera, and this one does almost all of the stuff I want.

Photo quality is pretty good. Video quality, however, is bad when you set it to the lowest or the highest resolution. Lowest res is the pixelation. Highest res is stop-and-go.

[HKYStormFront]

i'd highly recommend the camera i got my mom for x-mas, a Canon Digital Elph SD600. it's a great camera and some places have it for right at 200 bucks. it has a huge screen and its really easy to use!