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Archive through October 13, 2006

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: Jan. 2007 ~ Mar. 2007: All Things Technical: The Help Desk: Digital Camera/Photography Help (ARCHIVES): Archive through October 13, 2006 users admin

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Abby7
Member

07-17-2002

Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - 11:38 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Abby7 a private message Print Post    
thank you so much juju. i just clicked on the link. i guess i'll pay for the 2 year warranty for 29.99. maybe i should get the 4 year at 49.99?i'm going to order it right now. i'll order the "other stuff" you mentioned later.

sea, i googled and checked out the fuji9000 but no luck. thanks, eeyore, i read about your great deal on e-bay. i just don't have the time, right now to check out e-bay.

ok. going to go buy the camera juju recommended.(i'll order that other "stuff" later. just need to order now...i'm guessing i'll be able to use/take photos w/this camera right away).

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! again, promise no complaints if i don't like the camera!

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - 11:38 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Oooh, it gets better with free shipping..

--

Eeyores, yes.. I am the same way with the viewfinder.. and they all say using the viewfinder saves battery life over using the LCD. Of course I always check my shots on the LCD.

Link Customer reviews from that link, for your cam.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - 11:42 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Abby, I think that camera sounds excellent.. as does Eeyores.. and the deal Juju found.. can't be beat.

I'd check Fry's tomorrow.. a 2 gig card would be excellent to have..

Abby7
Member

07-17-2002

Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - 11:43 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Abby7 a private message Print Post    
eta: after i posted, i found sea and eeyore posts. thanks again. be back after i purchase.

Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Wednesday, October 11, 2006 - 11:44 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Eeyoreslament a private message Print Post    
Ha! I still keep the view finder on!! Actually, the thing that is good about the LCD, is that it shows the ACTUAL width of focus. The viewfinder cuts off the sides of what WILL BE included in the picture (if that makes sense). You think you have to back up to get everyone in the shot, but then when you develop, there is a big space all around the subject that wasn't included in the viewfinder.

Abby! I can't believe how FAST you're going!! LOL! Talk about impulse!! I'm jealous!! LOL I hope you love your new camera!! Make sure you share some pics of your trip when you get back!!

Abby7
Member

07-17-2002

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 12:00 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Abby7 a private message Print Post    
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

bought the camera.

wow, even shipping was free...and i would get it by october 26. i also could have paid 2.99 and received it even sooner. instead, i paid 8.99, so could get it in 2 days. i want to "practice" using it. lol

eeyore...i only promised to post photos when i went to my first tvch meeting :>). however, i think i'll share the photos i take w/my family on the 28th/29th...MAYBE. (not to mention i don't/won't have a clue how to use the camera...and, i'm not even thinking about how in the hell i'm supposed to post the photos. LOL)

again, thank you so much. i have to get up in 6 hours. off to bed.


eta: sea, yep, i've been to that store several times. dh goes there quite a bit...so he can pick up what i need later.

eta PART 2: eeyore, i'm not going on a trip. actually only about 4 miles from my place. lol mom, sis, dh and i are staying at a hotel in hollywood. lol to celebrate mom's 86th b-day.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 12:44 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Abby.. tell your DH that the price for the SD memory is good through tomorrow.. of course they always have some sale on memory but not always on each type of memory.

My camera takes both compact flash and XD.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 8:45 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
Abby7, good for you. I would do exactly the same thing you did if I wanted a camera in a hurry. If somebody else here who I trusted said they had shopped for cameras, and they got one they liked, and it would do the job for me, AND it was a great price, I would just get it. I think you will like it. It is well made, easy to use, fits in a pocket, and like you say, you can use it as a starter camera if you think you want to move up to something fancier after you learn something about digital cameras using this one.

Seamonkey, I saved the OfficeMax ad. Prices good through Saturday, which reminds me maybe I should get out there. I was interested in two things, the SD card and a 2 GB flash drive for $39.99.

OfficeMax has the 2 GB SD card for $39.99 as well. It is SanDisk, which is a good brand. I have had good and bad luck with off brands. (Bigdog also got a new camera this year which takes SD cards, which is why I have been buying several, LOL) I have returned 2 off brand SD cards that would not format, so I think I will stick with brand names from now on.

Good thing about this particular sale at Office Max is it doesn't involve rebates. There are great prices all the time nowadays on SD cards, but many of them involve rebates, and it is just a hassle. I also had a bad experience with buy.com with a "gotcha" rebate. I bought something ordinary, like a camera card, came with a rebate. Normally the "receipt" is the packing invoice. It shows the product, the customer name and number, the order date, price, shipping date, and proof that you actually received the item, since it comes in the shipping package. Buy.com said that was not a proper receipt and denied the rebate. GOTCHA!!! I was furious but was off on a trip somewhere, so didn't have time to raise hell about it, but I do bad-mouth buy.com on every occasion I get. Reading message boards later, I see that is a common complaint with them. I will NOT shop with them no matter how good the price. You only screw Juju once.

Okay, now back to cameras. Bigdog got the Canon S2-IS, same camera Maris bought and loves. It is 12x optical zoom, and I didn't recommend it for Abby7 because I don't think it is a good starter camera. It is for somebody who wants that 12x zoom and is willing to make size sacrifices for it. It is not pocket size. And while it has some pretty good intuitive operation, it is not as "easy" as mine.

Eeyores, I have asked Bigdog to bring the Consumer Reports up from wherever he has it hidden in the cave region and will let you know.

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 8:55 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
I don't like to be contradictory but I wouldn't rely too much on Consumer Reports for testing cameras (just giving my honest opinion).

That is a nice camera that you've got there Sea! The Canon S2-IS is an awesome camera as well (if you have the need for its features).

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 9:33 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
LOL.. in my case it is overkill, but I love the zoom, the ability to take a giant image and crop out a little detail if I want and it is very stable in one hand because of the awesome grip.. however that is why I said I thought it was way too much camera and certainly the weight can be a drawback at times.

I did go for my camera, which was new at that time, partly because I knew I could use the memory cards I already had (they were more expensive back then) and that having used the Fuji that I dropped and killed, my training would transfer over (it did) to the new one, plus Dell had this amazing special discount.. I was on some list because I had bought a couple of Dell desktops. Not sure why they had this special on the camera.

Juju's camera was a clear winner last night especially with that excellent sale price and free shipping. Both Juju's and Eeyore's models had a ton of great customer reviews too.

Yes, Sandisk at Fry's too.. and there is a Fry's really close to me here (and Abby has one right in her area too).

But with no rebate, Office Max would win for me if there was one close by and if I could use SD.. rebates suck.. except the instant variety.

I did get to Fry's (I was so proud of myself.. after weeks of being a slug I took a bunch of bills to the PO, dealt with a CD renewal that was tricky, went to my teeth cleaning appt and then managed not to drive home, but drove past home to Fry's.

I also picked up season two of Grey's Anatomy, plus the 4GIG (woohoo!) compact flash (uh and two candybars.. Fry's is very smart with placement of attractive impulse items on the way to checkout. I did pick up and them put back this gadget that runs off a USB drive and keeps a drink cold.. like a little "coldplate".. but I'm tempted to go back for that! And I even have the envelope ready to go out in the mail with the rebate info..

Juju.. on your camera, one blurb mentioned a unique grip but I just couldn't visualize it even with the great feature on that website where you ould zoom in on the image and rotate it too.. Any info on that?


Abby, can't wait til you get your camera and start playing with it!!

If you need any help with sizing or posting pics, you'll have a gazillion nice people here willing to help.

Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 9:35 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Eeyoreslament a private message Print Post    
"You only screw Juju once. "

Wow. Poor Bigdog.



Here's where I went for my most informative review:

DCRP Review: Casio Exilim EX-Z850

I thought he did a really thorough job of showing every aspect of the camera I was looking at. I think it may be a bit too involved for what Abby is looking for, but for me, it was just right. It was a bit over my head, but I still got a good sense of where the problems were, and where the positive were too. The thing I liked was the "gallery" that the writer has, where he takes the same set of pics for the various cameras, so you can get a better comparison.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 10:03 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
That's a great site, Eeyores..

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 10:16 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
LOL, Eeyores. Figuratively speaking, of course.

Eeyores, Bigdog brought the Consumer Reports upstairs. Your camera is the top-rated one of the sub-compacts. They did not make it the quick pick of that group, and I am not sure why. Just looking at the specs, it seems a lot better and slightly less expensive than the Casio they did pick, the Exilim EX-Z850.

Seamonkey, I was wondering what was so special about the grip on my camera too, LOL. i got it out and examined it even before you asked - back later, got to run, Bigdog calling me to go to Costco ... to be continued ...

Eeyoreslament
Member

07-20-2003

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 11:32 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Eeyoreslament a private message Print Post    
Mine is the EX-Z850....was it top pick??

I think the quick pick may be geared to the point and shoot people, and I think the Canon or Sony ones do a bit better there.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 12:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
Back.

Oops, Eeyores, I think I mis-read your post and thought you had the EX-Z750. That one was top-rated of the subcompacts. Of the quick picks, yours was in the middle of five. You are right, the two ranked higher were Canon PowerShot SD500 Digital Elph and Sony CybershotDSC-N1.

Quick Pick narrative about your camera says: "The 8 megapixel Casio has excellent battery life, manual controls, manual focus, a 2.4 inch LCD, and a simulated image stabilizer."

Seamonkey, looking at the grip on my camera, I guess they are referring to an ergonomic molded indentation on the front of the camera and another one on the rear. Huh! I never noticed it before, but it is where your thumb and middle finger naturally go.

Abby7
Member

07-17-2002

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 4:12 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Abby7 a private message Print Post    
from Sea's posts:
Fry's Electronics has, through tomorrow, SD 2 GB cards.. your choice of SD or mini SD for $39 each, limit one per customer.
----
I just happened to have kept the ad from going there today to get my 4GB Compact Flash
----
But with no rebate, Office Max would win for me if there was one close by and if I could use SD.. rebates suck.. except the instant variety
-------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------
from juju's post:
I would get one or two 1 Gb card
-------------------------------------------------
.................................................
i checked Fry's online. i know, Sea, you said prices were better in store. i did find this card online at Fry's 39.99, but it doesn't seem to be on sale. so, i don't think this is the one you are talking about:
http://tinyurl.com/y5qrw5.

i also checked office max online and found this:
SanDisk 2GB Secure Digital Memory Card
2GB SD
Price Shown Reflects Instant Savings
Item # 21093549, Style # SDSDB-2048-A10 EA
QTY $39.98
-----------

a few quick questions before i order. i don't know what a compact flash is. is that something i need to buy? Sea, just wondering why can't you use SD? also, i figure i should order the SD 2GB card (not the mini). 2GB is okay w/this camera, right?

if i order from office max i get free shipping over $50.00. is there anything else you suggest i order from office max. anything else i might need before using the camera on the 28th? if not, i guess i'll just buy 2 of the 2GB cards (or is that way too much for my needs).

thanks again. i'll order the cards tonight if you that's what you think i should get. maybe i should get an extra battery? i will be careful and keep it charged...about how long/how many photos before it needs recharging? i can get through a day of taking photos you think?

OKAY. i think i'm officially done w/my questions! it will be another year before i'm allowed any more questions. lol

eta: i received an e-mail that i would receive my camera tomorrow. friday the 13th. :>)

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 4:42 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
Different cameras take different types of cards (not to do with the memory size and how many megs or gigs it can hold). Makes sure that you get the type of card that you need that fits your camera.

You can probably get through a day of taking photos but of course it depends on how many you take and how often you use the flash and the screen. Thinking like a pro, I can't imagine running out of batteries and not having extra but it all depends on priorities.

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 4:54 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
Don't get too hung-up on camera specs and which camera is the best. The reality is that they are all pretty darn good. The difference is that some have different features that are more suitable to different users. Ratings are only good when you understand what the reviewer is rating and if the reviewer has exactly the same needs as you do (which usually isn't true).

The number of megapixels is another over-rated myth. You know what the difference is between a bad picture taken with a 5 megapixel camera and a bad picture taken with an 8 megapixel camera? The bad result is slightly bigger and more detailed with the 8 megapixel – but it's still bad. The sensor can only show what it sees and that is a result of the other camera settings and what the lens is showing it. It also depends on the quality of the sensor, internal processing within the camera and the post-processing the user may do afterward.

The other thing is that the camera doesn't walk around and take pictures by itself. The photographer plays a major part in how good the results are! The exact same camera can produce vastly different results when used by different people. So when you get a great result, give yourselves some credit! It's as much you as the camera, if not more.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 6:40 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Wise words, Jimmer.. when I can't make myself STAND STILL, it doesn't matter a bit about the lens or the zoom or the megapixels.. the picture is a blurry blob :-) A big blob, but still a blob.

Abby, yes, you have to get the memory card that works with your particular camera, which I think we determined is the SD. Having an extra isn't a bad idea at all.

I'm not a pro but, like Jimmer, I tend to bring extra batteries along. On Sunday, I just wasn't sure how much battery life I had remaining before I left for the walk at Disney so I just popped in four fresh batteries.

Abby7
Member

07-17-2002

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 8:30 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Abby7 a private message Print Post    
thanks so much jimmer and sea.

so, i'm going to order: (office max website)
http://tinyurl.com/yljftb
the above card will work for the camera i bought (circuit city website):
http://tinyurl.com/qxolo

----------------------
the extra battery that i didn't buy last night (that was recommended on the Circuit City site for camera i purchased) is:
http://tinyurl.com/yjvfyt

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
this is where i'm a bit stuck. i would love to buy the extra battery that Circuit City recommended at the Office Max website. however, i did a search for the battery and they don't have it. can someone recommend a compatable battery that is on the office max website?

---------
i'm really sorry about all the stupid questions. at this point, i'm happy just to order the cards if they are the correct cards. getting the extra battery would be great...but i'm not sure which one to buy.

sorry, again, for the questions. the battery isn't that important at this time. i'm happy just getting the cards...battery would just be icing on the cake. i can always get that later. and, like i said, i'm always very careful about batteries/recharging on other products we have. so, i'm sure i'll be okay for now. just would like to order it now and get it out of the way if possible.

just want to be sure those cards are the correct ones for the camera i'm purchasing.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 10:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
Abby7, yes, that is the correct card. Get the top one on that page, the SanDisk 2 GB.

To answer your previous question, Compact Flash is a different type of camera card, not one that your camera uses. The four main types of camera cards right now are SD (yours), xD, Compact Flash, and Memory Stick. You buy the one that your camera uses. I don't know what the Ultra SD cards and the mini SD cards are. I think they might fit different devices, like maybe a camera phone. Just get a regular SD camera card.

Let me go look at my battery and then at the Circuit City website, and i will come back and give you a link if I can find a battery for your camera at Circuit City.

Edit: Huh! Just for fun, I checked eBay and found a Fjui battery that looks identical to mine and the ad says will fit in your camera. It is shipped from Hong Kong, however. BUT, the total would only be $10 vs. $50, and you might get it in two weeks. I bought a camera card reader from Hong kong for this camera, and it was fine, took about two weeks. Maybe i will order an extra battery for myself.

Okay, back to looking at Circuit City. LOL.

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 10:40 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
Duh!!! I mean looking at officemax.com, so you can get the free shipping on over $50.

Edit: Okay, done. I don't find one at officemax.com either.

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Thursday, October 12, 2006 - 10:54 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
your battery for $39.99

and some comparisons

http://www.nextag.com/hp-photosmart-r07/search-html with several really low prices..

Rosie
Member

11-12-2003

Friday, October 13, 2006 - 8:11 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Rosie a private message Print Post    
I don't have a digital camera.

My camera stopped taking pictures. The batteries are probably dead.

Can I replace the batteries without ruining the pictures presently in the camera?

Wouldn't I need to put new batteries in the camera to even get the film to rewind?

Of course, I was at the ocean when the batteries died. Ack.

Thanks in advance.

Jimmer
Moderator

08-30-2000

Friday, October 13, 2006 - 8:26 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Jimmer a private message Print Post    
It depends on the camera Rosie. The main thing with film cameras is not to inadvertently expose the film to light. Generally speaking most cameras wind the film out of a cartridge onto a wheel. So the exposed film (with the pictures on it) is outside of the cartridge. When the last picture is taken, most modern cameras automatically rewind the film back into the cartridge and then you open the camera and take the cartridge out. If you open the back of the camera where you load the film without first rewinding the film back into the cartridge, you will ruin it. Most modern cameras need battery power to rewind the film.

So if you can replace the batteries without opening the part of the camera where the film goes, it is fine to go ahead and do it. But it is possible (though unlikely) that the battery goes in the same place as the film.

If it's that way and you want to save your film, you have to take it to a decent camera store, explain the problem, and they will open the camera in a dark room (or in a dark container) and manually rewind the film back into the cartridge.