Getting a Camera Need some help?

[Argranade]

Well Im supposed to be getting a digital camera sometime today but I have no knowledge on these things and I need some tips.

Ok when I look In the flyers I see numbers like 4.0,6.1,6.0 ect.. and what do these numbers mean and which number is better and gives great clear pictures?

Also what does 3x optical zoom mean? Is 4x optical zoom better than 3x?

And sometimes a 3x optical zoom costs more than a 4x?

What camera would be good for me I want to be able to zoom in clear and upload the pictures on my computer [With all digital cameras can you upload onto the computer?] and it cant be blurry Im shopping at best buy and hoping not to may more than $2oo bucks. :o

[Russian Blue]

What camera would be good for me I want to be able to zoom in clear and upload the pictures on my computer [With all digital cameras can you upload onto the computer?] and it cant be blurry Im shopping at best buy and hoping not to may more than $2oo bucks. :o

The brand of camera (Canon, Nikon etc.) and features will dictate the price of the camera. As example, Canon and Nikon will be more expensive than Kodak for the same set of features.

If you will be only using the camera to upload pictures to the internet and printing 4x6 pictures any camera today will work for you. Most of today's cameras start at 3MP or 4MP which is more than adequate for your needs.

When looking at the zoom range for your camera, only look at the optical zoom not the digital zoom. Digital zoom only really crops a picture to enlarge it rather than coming closer to the subject. For the price you want to spend, most cameras will only have a 3 or 4 x zoom

Remember when you purchase a camera, you usually have to also upgrade the memory card (which stores your images) and purchase rechargable batteries and a charger. This will easily add an extra $100 to your camera purchase.


If you look at Best Buy Canada online, here is a link to a Canon that is currently for $179: Canon Powershot A430 (http://www.bestbuy.ca/marketing/pc_digitalCamera/staticPC.asp?PCname=Digital_Cameras_get_me_started&logon=&langid=EN). I've only had experience with the Canon Powershot cameras so I can't give you any opinions on the Kodak or Sony cameras that are within that price range as well.

The best thing you can do is try the camera out in the store. Also ask about their return policies since you may not like the camera once you take it home and try it out. Most stores have a 14 - 30 day return policy.