Everything Digital Cameras

When it comes to a small profile, the Casio Exilim Z1050 has a lot to offer. It was one of the slimmest of its kind and is still competitively ultra-thin. This 10 megapixel digital camera has both style and excellent features for the camera enthusiast. Many users find the ease of use for this camera to be the most desirable feature by far. Some people just aren’t interested in attempting to sift through a complex users manual in order to learn how to operate a camera. A lot of people prefer to be able to charge the battery and have it ready to go in a mode suitable for point and click photography. 3x zoom is a standard feature for this camera but it also features digital image stabilization which compensates for photographers with shaky hands. While reluctant, we will look at the Nikon Coolpix S3000 out of a sense of fairness and because they have made improvements. Nikon has earned the right to be shown some respect, after all, because they’ve been around for awhile. For those you don’t have much of a budget to work with, this ultra compact camera is a good option because it is inexpensive. Unfortunately, the S3000 isn’t much better than average. The features are all standard, including the 12 megapixels. But in sunlight, it can be difficult to see the LCD screen, unfortunately. Because this camera is mostly constructed of plastic, it appears to be cheaply made. The image quality of this camera is average which will only produce average picture quality. You will get the job done with this camera but it is meant specifically for a certain budget.

Last in line, the Canon PowerShot S95 which is has a full complement of manual features for those who like to work with their hands. The photos this little gem produces are gems themselves. This camera is ultra compact and comes with a multimedia card, SD memory card, and a 3 inch LCD, as well as having a more reasonable 10 megapixel resolution. The flash used on this camera is the pop up variety. Because there was nothing wrong with the great features of the S90, they were brought forward to this newer model. One good piece of news is the video resolution is greater in the PowerShot S95 improving to 720p. They also now allow you to capture up to three photos at different levels of exposure. To create a single image with much more detail, the camera process the three exposures. And there are a few of the lower end pocket size cameras. If you’ve never used a digital ultra-compact camera, these would be good ones to test out. They produce decent pictures and are reasonably priced.

By: Neil Rischall

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Here we have some information about what I believe to be the #1 camera repair issue: broken LCD screens.

We live in a throw-away society, it’s a simple fact. You buy that brand new fancy digital camera with all the bells and whistles for $400, and in 6 months to 1 year it’s worth maybe half that, and then the unthinkable happens: you drop it and it breaks. The LCD is cracked, or the lens is jammed; what do you do? You head back to the store with your poor little camera and the guy behind the counter (that knows nothing about cameras except for what’s written on the box, and even less about camera repair) tells you it’s not worth it to fix it and you should toss it in the trash. You feel ripped off and mad at the camera manufacturer and you toss it out and buy a new one made by somebody else.

There are alternatives, there are ALWAYS alternatives to every problem. Honest! Yes, it may cost $100 to fix your camera, and yes you can buy that camera in the bubble pack on the shelf at W**l M**t (they don’t pay my bills… I don’t advertise their name, sorry) for less than $100, but what kind of quality do you honestly expect from a $100 camera? Not very good quality I hope, because you’re not going to get it.

#1 – Broken/cracked LCD screen.

It was hard for me to choose between a jammed lens and a broken LCD screen but I stuck with LCD for #1 because it’s so easy to break your LCD that you don’t even have to touch the camera to do it!

The LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) is the view screen on the back of the camera that lets you see menus, playback pictures etc. The LCD is very thin, very fragile, and on many many cameras completely UNPROTECTED! Look at the back of your camera, is the screen recessed slightly or is the back of the camera flat and smooth? If it’s flat you have a protective ‘window’ or ‘glass’ over the LCD to help prevent damage and breakage. If it’s not flat, you have nothing protecting your LCD and should put a good quality LCD screen protector on the camera and NOT those thin, flimsy ‘saran wrap’ plastic film screen protectors, they are worthless.

- Don’t leave your camera in your car in summer or winter. Extreme heat can cause expansion of the liquid in the LCD and cause it to ‘crack’, and on the other side of things extreme cold can cause it to freeze!

- Don’t put anything up against the LCD in your camera bag, it will bang against the LCD and crack it (yes, even if it has a window over it, it will break!)

- Don’t put your camera in your back pocket and then sit down!

- Don’t put your camera in your front pocket and then roll over on it.

-… Just don’t put your camera in your pants pocket please. =)

Ok, so it’s broken, what do you do now?

- The manufacturer will just site impact damage and will refuse the repair even if the camera wasn’t dropped etc. You can try, and I wish you luck, but they probably won’t fix it.

- Look for a defective camera on e**y (hey they don’t pay me to advertise for them…) and make one good camera from the two if you are handy.

- Look for an actual camera repair business and not somebody that will send it to the manufacturer and tell you it’s $200 and 4-6 weeks to repair. (IF they tell you this, they are NOT repairing your camera for you, they are sending it to the manufacturer, guaranteed)

Many LCD screens are very easy to install and you can do it yourself and all you need is a small screwdriver. Other LCD’s are very difficult to install, and even professionals don’t like to do them! I can’t tell you Brand…. is the best and Brand… is the worst, it’s really not like that. Certain SERIES of cameras have 1 or 2 models that are difficult to work on, yet the rest of them are fairly straight forward. You need to decide for yourself if you want to open your camera and try the repair yourself or not.

How is an LCD replaced?

With most Canon digital camera LCD screens for example (using them as the example because they have the largest market share) all you do is disconnect the ribbon cable for the LCD and the backlight (the light that shines through the LCD and allows you to see what is on the screen) and then install the new LCD. Some come with the backlight attached, some do not. Some backlights need to be soldered to the mainboard of the camera, some do not.

- Be careful to not touch the flash capacitor contacts! You WILL zap yourself if you do, and it will HURT a bit. You will probably throw your camera across the room when it happens. (Yeah, I’ve done it, I’ve been repairing cameras for 5 years now so….) We have ‘flash capacitor dischargers’ and use them every time we open a camera.

I hope this sheds some light on the subject. You do not have to throw your camera away because the LCD is broken, and you can even fix it yourself!

Thomas Drayton

By: Thomas Drayton

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Picking a digital camera brand is something that comes down to what the individual needs the camera for. What are the person’s goals with the camera? Personal use or professional use? These are just a few of the many questions one should ask them self before picking the brand they feel is best for their needs. Generally, there area few brands that tend to dominate the digital camera industry. Firstly there is Canon, usually the cameras with the highest technology. Secondly there is Kodak, which is known for a great balance and a very easy to use interface. Then there is Sony, which most people claim is quite similar to Canon, and is basically an alternative. Lastly, Olympus has quite a few good cameras, and is known for having unique features that many other cameras do not have.

When picking a digital camera, one should know that each camera falls into a certain category. These categories include ultra compact, compact, creative compact, SLR-like, and SLR. Ultra Compact are very small, easy to fit in your pocket, although with this comes very small buttons which people often find hard to use (many Sony cameras are ultra compact). Compact cameras are the most common cameras for people to buy, usually can fit in convenient places (for example, your pocket), and the buttons and such are usually not too small or too big. Most brands tend to have cameras that fall under this category since they tend to be so popular. Then there is creative compact, which contains much more options as well as features. Generally more expensive, but is good for those who enjoy playing around with photos. SLR-like are a bit bigger, very easy to control (bigger buttons), and are usually good for those taking pictures in places with little light. Lastly, SLR are the largest cameras. They tend to offer the best quality of picture, best pictures in areas with little light, and best overall kind of camera.

Picking a camera brand highly depends on what category you want (as described above). Generally, most brands stick with one or two of the categories above when creating their cameras. If you are looking for something ultra compact, look into Sony. If you are looking for something SLR, or SLR-like, look into Olympus. Picking a brand is often a choice of preference, but do not be fooled by just the brand name of a camera.

By: Chris Campbell

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Last week we went on a hike up one of the local trails in Lake Tahoe. I left the SLR at home and brought my compact digital camera along. Half way up the mountain we encountered a bear. I got the camera out and captured a couple of photos before he ran off into the woods.

When I got home, I zoomed in and cropped the picture but the image turned out too pixelated. My 2 year old digicam didn’t have enough pixels to go around. The higher your cameras resolution, the more flexibility you have later editing your image. So now I’ve been shopping for a new compact digicam with at least 7 mega pixels. Here are my 5 top picks.

1) Casio Exilim EP-Z750 Digital Camera Review

The 7.2MP EP-Z750 is the smallest, lightest and thinnest camera in the group. It doesn’t look big enough to have 7.2 mega pixels but it does! The back of the camera is almost all LCD screen, 2.5″ worth, it’s extra large, ideal for composing and viewing your shots. It has a 3x zoom with anti-shake and 30 scene modes compared to the usual 8 or 12 on most digicams, plus you can make up your own too. Being this small you would figure that there couldn’t possibly be any manual controls, but you’d be wrong. The EP-Z750 has aperture, shutter priority and full manual settings which are all quick and easy to navigate. You get the hang of it real quickly. The quality of the photos you take with the Casio Exilim are surprisingly excellent with dynamic colors. The Casio Exilim Ep-Z750 view finder is quite small, thank you for the big LCD screen. It’s got a quality 640×480 movie mode at 30 frames per second. Weight 4.5 oz.

2) Nikon Coolpix 7900 Digital Camera Review

The 7.1MP Coolpix 7900 is small, light and easy to use and like the Casio camera reviewed above, can be considered an ultra compact. It’s large, bright 2″ LCD display is perfectly visible outdoors in the sun. Unlike the Casio, it has a bulge where the battery goes forming a grip which makes it easy to hold. But that adds to its overall thickness. The Nikon Coolpix 7900 has a 3x optical zoom, a large battery capacity for taking hundreds of pictures, and a good flash. 640×480 movies at a full 30fps and Nikon’s new Face Priority autofocus will automatically detect a face in the portrait and focus on it. The Coolpix has D-Lighting that lightens the dark areas. Somehow they also found room to squeeze in vibration reduction. The Nikon 7900 uses scene modes and there’s one for almost every occasion, they’re easy to use and work very well. The 7900 doesn’t have manual control. The Nikon Coolpix 7900 is a small easy to use point and shoot camera with high-resolution. Weight 5.3oz

3) Canon PowerShot SD550 Digital Camera Review

The 7.1MP SD550 is an attractive, lightweight, thin, ultra-compact unit with an extra large 2.5″ LCD screen and optical viewfinder. It uses 13 shooting modes including auto and manual. The PowerShot has a 3x zoom, equivalent to 37-111mm. This camera is fast! Shooting 2 photos per second till you use up all your memory. The speed of the auto focus is also significantly improved over earlier ELPH’s. Canon has put the new DIGIC II Processor in and its images are excellent. The movie mode is 640×480 at a nice 30 frames per second. Of course it’s PictBridge compatible and has a good flash. This is a solid performer with point and shoot ease. The Canon SD500, the SC550′s sibling is the same camera for $50 less with a 2″ LCD screen. Weight 6.08oz.

4) Olympus C-7000 Zoom Digital Camera Review

The 7.1MP, C-7000 is a very good looking compact digital camera with solid performance. Zoom is in the name, because this beauty has a 5x optical zoom, and a 6x digital zoom with the 35mm camera equivalency of a 39mm-190mm lens. This makes getting candid people shots easier, you don’t need to get as close to your subject, just use your zoom to get in. The Olympus C-7000 Zoom has a large 2″ LCD that is excellent even outside. You’re not going to make a feature length movie with it however, because it takes 20 second clips at 30fps. The pop-up flash works good and easy to read menus make the C-7000 fairly easy to navigate. It has the new Olympus TruePic Turbo Image Processor for fast cycle times and excellent details. The C-7000 Zoom has 11 shooting modes plus manual operation. It’s PictBridge Compatible for easy printing without a computer. This little Oly is tough to beat with it’s powerful zoom, small size and high resolution. Weight 7.07oz

5) Sony CyberShot DSC-W7 Digital Camera Review

The 7.2 MP DSC-W7 is bigger than the ultra compact Casio Exilim its considered a compact digital camera. In traditional Sony style, this small camera is well thought out and easy to use everyday. Its got a viewfinder and a really big 2.5″ LCD display that’s nice for viewing and composing your shots. The 3x optical zoom lens is a Carl Zeiss equivalent to a 28-114mm lens. No expensive batteries to buy ever, it comes with 2 AA rechargeable batteries. The Sony CyberShot has an extremely quick start up time and fast recycle time. The DSC-W7 uses the memory stick format and has a an internal memory of 32MB. A manual mode with aperture and shutter speed controls with a photo exposure preview. Your also hooked up with an excellent movie mode with good sound just what you’d expect from Sony. The Sony CyberShot DSC-W7 is a very nice camera that takes good hi-resolution pictures and is easy to use. Weight 6.90 0z.

You will notice that I haven’t put any prices here, because they seem to change by the day. Check our site for up-to-date price comparisons. Even pros have circumstances when a compact digicam is appropriate. These digicams are for everybody. Make your choice based on features that fit your shooting style. You will love the photos from all the cameras here. Spend the little bit extra on a 7MP camera and always use the highest resolution setting your camera has, because every picture you take is worth more than money.

By: Brandon Baumgarten

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Who has the time to shift through reams of product reviews, or spend a half a day driving around malls talking with salespeople? Half the time, you don’t know what or who to believe, and all the tech talk seems to turn a simple purchase into a major event. If your looking to get the best digital camera available for under $200, you’ve come to the right place. There are a couple of good cameras (3 at most) to consider in this category. The remaining 90% of models in this category can be safely ignored.

Over last Christmas, I had to make the same type of purchase. I didn’t have a lot of time, and the wife thought a digital camera for her parents would be a great idea. As much as I’m a lover of technology, I wasn’t convinced this was a good idea. They’ve never owned a digital camera before, and don’t even have a computer. Not exactly the early adopter type. I looked around a bit, and was pleasantly surprised, and lucky to actually find a help salesperson at my local big box electronics store.

They right away recommended the Canon PowerShot A570IS. The IS stands for image stabilization. “Perfect” I thought for newbie digital camera types. At the time it was priced around $180, but I’ve since seen it online for around $150. I like Canon cameras, and have owned several over the years. They generally take great pictures, are very reliable, and intuitive to use. It’s been a perfect choice for them.

If your looking for something a little smaller in size the Canon PowerShot SD1000 Digital Elph would be an excellent choice as well. I’ve recently seen it priced for about $170, and again you get the reliable Canon name. Image quality will pale somewhat compared to the A570IS, but miniaturization does come at a price.

By: Chris Campbell

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