digital cameras?

PowermacG4_450

PowermacG4_450

OS X Jaguar
can someone recommend a good digital camera for my G4? Im guessing I would need a usb camera?

what brand/model is best? How much will it cost me? I'm hoping to get something in the $300 range... if possible. less would be better.

what features are a "must have"?

How about buying used on ebay? thoughts?

thanks.
 
I'm partial to Canon products. I have a Canon S100 which cost be about $400 when I got it a year ago and it's a great little camera. It's quite durable and very compact, which are pluses because I take it with me whenever I go biking or backpacking. I can't tell you how pleased I am with it. Right now, it's the S200 which is about $350 at Best Buy. I'd highly recommend it. BTW, it's a 2.1 megapixel.

I've got some pictures on my homepage if you want take a look at the quality: http://homepage.mac.com/scottmackey
All the pics were taken with my Canon except for the San Diego photos that were taken by my father with his Olympus 3.2 megapixel (I think) camera that he just got.

Features I would recommend:
  • 2 megapixel is the lowest I would go .. 1 megapixel cameras take too grainy pictures, they just don't look all that great.
  • Optical zoom is what you want to look for. Totally forget the digital zoom because it sucks, what it basically does is crop and enlarge the photo (which you can do in a graphics app) and that makes the picture look like total crap.
  • Batteries are something you also want to pay attention to. My camera came with one rechargable which lasts for about 40 shots, I bought a second battery ($35) just in case. My father's Olympus takes AA sized batteries which is VERY convenient if your rechargables happen to die while on vacation on or something.
  • Memory price is also something to look at. Most cameras use either Compact Flash or Smart Media memory cards that are like, 8 or 16 mb. You're going to want at least 64 mb. I have 128 and I don't think I'll ever run out, but those cards can cost between $50 and $100.

If you have any specific questions just ask. I'm by no means an expert, I just know from my experience with my own camera.
 
thanks for the info, its a start. the pic quality looks great, equal to or better than my 35mm.

I have heard that digital cameras LOVE batteries! Eat them up real fast.

is your usb? does it work on your mac ok? what about bundled software?

thanks..
 
Yeah mine is USB and works perfectly with iPhoto/OSX. No problems at all. It came with 3 software apps for OS 9: a Photo Library app (not needed due to iPhoto), a Downloading app (iPhoto replaces this again), and a photo-stitching app used to stitch together panoramic photos. Although I haven't tried this yet with other software, I'm told it can be done in Graphic Converter and Adobe Photoshop.

As for eating up batteries, this is true. Although maybe not as bad as you think. My camera uses it's own sized rechargeable that will last for about 30-40 shots with the digital screen turned ON (the little screen on the back). If you turn that OFF you can probably squeeze another 10-20 shots out of the battery. This is one reason why I'd recommend a camera that accepts AA sized batteries if [camera] size isn't a big issue for you. In this case I would suggest the A40 which is another canon for $300. I've heard great things about this and it takes 4 AA batteries.

One other note, I sent in some pictures to www.ofoto.com to have them developed. Ofoto is a Kodak company, so it's probably the same lab that handles the pictures from iPhoto. Anyways, after I got the pics I really can't tell the difference between the digital prints and 35mm prints. In some instances you can see some graininess like in large areas of solid colors, but for the most part it's pretty amazing.
 
so which is better, regular batteries, or rechargables?

does it matter?

thanks.... interesting info. youve been very helpful. :)
 
I've been on a digital camera hunt myself recently...what I would suggest is going to macworld.com and then clicking on product finder. Look for digital cameras there in your price range and then read the reader reviews of the ones that look interesing to you. I've narrowed down my search by using this page and it looks like I'm leaning toward a Canon as well (Powershot A40)

Heres the link to the camera page...just select your options on the right and search away. :)

http://macworld.pricegrabber.com/search_attrib.php/page_id=48/ut=424990920366ca98/
 
Well rechargeable batteries are the way to go. If you get the A40 (which takes 4 AA's) then you should buy some AA-sized rechargables. The advantage to this is that when the rechargables run out you can sub in some regular Energizers, unlike my S100 where I'm basically screwed unless I have a spare.

Like I said, the battery drain probably isn't as bad as you've been lead to believe. I can take 40 shots on one battery, which is pretty good.
 
40 shots on one battery charge is good. is that 40 pics what you get with the 8 meg memory stick? Or do you have more memory?
 
I use and reccomend the Olympus D-380 for a starter camera for $165 or higher. It is USB, 2.0 megapixel, quicktime movie capable, macromode enabled (extreme close ups), multimode flash (red eye redux etc), and takes double A batteries which last for about 80 pictures with LCD on and lost count with it off but they are going on four months of regular use (new baby you know how it is). This is a graet little camera. Completely Mac and windows ready. no software need for the mac but it come with some basic image manipulation software. Only complaint is that the flash is too damn bright.
 
well, I was gonna get the canon A40, but.... no store near me had it in stock.

So, I went and saw the olympus D 380. I bought it! So far I like it. takes great pics. price was $100 less than the canon. I paid the extra $40 for a 64 meg memory stick.

this camera was lighter than the canon A40, a tad smaller and less bulky, has a 5x digital zoom, 2.0 megapixels, and... what really caught my eye is it said "MacosX" compatible right on the box. ;)

I highly recommend this camera for those looking for a good 2.0 megapixel solution under $200
 
Glad to hear you are happy with your purchase...yeah, from what I've seen the A40 is hard to find...it's sold out wherever I've looked. Must be a popular model...

I'm hoping I can find it sometime next week...I'm working extra hours just to save up the money to get this puppy...I figure I'll need extra money to cover costs for batteries, extra CF card, and battery charger.
 
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