Hi everyone
am looking to upgrade my digital camera.Have a fuji finepix 220 at the min...excellent starter camera but would like better piccy quality when enlarging (higher pixels) and a zoon lens.
Any suggestions ..any good experiences or definate no nos!!
Archer

I started with a Nikon Cool Pix 800 and then I down graded to a Pentax SLR type. When I say down graded the Pentax has less pixels than the Nikon (I think) but the quality is better and to me, who is used to a Pentax SLR film type camera, the 'feel' is much better. The mega pixels of the Pentax is only 2.4 and I think that today nothing is under the 4.0

Think all the new generation cameras will produce a reasonable picture but I think they all put too much emphasis on the pixel count and not enough on the quality of the lens. So if I was buying I would look at ease of handling and quality of lens before I would worry about the pixels as the quality of the final production depends on the rest of the equipment that is used and the ability of the person using that equipment.

Make sure it has optical zoom rather than digital for better quality pic.
Kind regards,
Linda :-)

I was reading an article in a digital photography magazine that basically said that what Jackie H says is the thing to take in to consideration, most camera manufacturers quote a high number for the pixels, when in fact the camera isn't able to use them all any way, some times as many as a million less in cameras with a large number like 4 million, when really they are more like 3 million.
We've got a 4 year old, 2 million pixel camera with an upgraded lens, and the picture quality is much better then some of the newer cameras with supposedly high resolutions.

Fuji Finepix S5000.  I love mine and have taken some fantastic photos of the dogs working.  Has a 10x zoom and a 2x digital zoom. 

Have a look on fuji's website for the spec of it.   It's certainly increasing in popularity.

Helen

Look at cameras with a minimum of 3000 pixels and both optical and digital zoom and you cant go too wrong. i have a cannon powershot A300 and i love it. Also its the quality of the printer that lets a lot of the cameras down.

I have a Nikon Coolpix 3700.  Its sooooooooo easy to use, has movie feature and voice recording too. 3.2 mega pixels, 3x optical and 3x digital zoom.  A good buy, I am well chuffed with it!
Dawn.

Yep, I find the voice recorder usefull particulaly if you are taking dogs at a show and the handler has the wrong number on, at least if you ask them you have the voice to confirm your notes.

Thanks everyone..going window shopping tomorrow..well thats the intention...won't be suprised if we end up buying!!
Archer

I'm very pleased with my latest dig.camera Pentax Optio 550. 5.0megapixels,4x digital zoom combines with 5x optical zoom to give zoom magnification equiv.to 20x.Records short movies and sound too! lots of extras such as filters,panoramic,3D effect etc.Re-chargable battery lasts well over a week! very important.

If I had it today to use,it would have been great,but younger son and his girlfriend have borrowed it for their weekend sightseeing in Paris!
Jacqueline.

I quite agree.  I love mine.

Joan
Take the rough with the smooth

Fuji S5000 Brilliant have a look at this site for an in depth review not only fuji but many of the top makes http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/fujifilms5000/
shop around before you buy
Good luck cabs

this is my second Diggy cam my first was just a plain 1 with no zoom
i now have the Olympus C-350 Zoom
and it is ok very easy to use has 3.2megapixels. 3x optical zoom lens 3.3x digital zoommm

I have a Sony Cybershot which is good. BUT I get 2 copies of the same photo when I download on to the PC and cant work out why? Had a quick look at the book but am a bit puzzled. Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks Gina

I have a Pentax too and it's great.

Just wanted to agree with Jacqueline about the re-chargeable battery.  My dad and FIL's digi cameras take ordinary batteries and even the very powerful ones only last for a very short time; some don't even power the camera at all!  I now have two batteries for mine, as inevitably I forget to charge one when I need it so that way I always have one ready to go.

Whatever you do - don't buy a Kodak.  We have one at work and it's rubbish!!!

Thanks for all the advice...unfortunately price was a big decider!! We bought a Samsung digimax 420 and are VERY impressed at the piccys it is taking.Has all the usual bits...continuous shooting etc,aswell as a movie mode but above all is easy to use,can use rechargable powerpack or AA batteries and is small....another major consideration.
Thanks for all the help.
Archer