Digital Camera Buying Question - Page 2

Roxianna · #11 03-27-2009, 04:52 PM

Thanks for the battery question Mia. Since my granddaughter moved in with me, we seem to eat AA batteries in toys. I would prefer more environmentally friendly rechargables myself, but I have also had unsatisfactory results. I'll check out Hagan's suggestion.

As to the cameras, thank for the advice on new and used as well as taking product age into account on Amazon ratings. I am checking out everyone's suggestions and I'll report back.

Finally a thanks to the gamerDNA community for their help. I check out all kinds of question and answer sites, but as far as I am concerned I get the smartest answers here.

rabb1t · #12 03-27-2009, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roxianna

Since my granddaughter moved in with me, we seem to eat AA batteries in toys.

This may help?

bamaredwingsfan · #13 05-01-2009, 10:13 PM

From what ive heard digital zoom is more important than optical zoom or megapixel. Sure you want to get at least an 8 megapixel camera, but try to find one with a good digital zoom as well. Id rather have 8 MP camera with 5x digital zoom, than a 12 MP with a 3x digital zoom

IceDingo · #14 05-02-2009, 03:28 AM

This thread had been inactive for over a month so I think Roxianna has already got a camera. But anyway, I would've thought optical zoom is better than digital zoom. Digital zoom is like rescaling the image while optical zoom is looking at the image through a magnifying glass. Optical zoom would give a better picture.

Hagan · #15 05-02-2009, 12:43 PM

Depends on the technology used tbh. Cone companies (Canon in particular) are big believers in optical zoom, making better lenses and filters. Sony and a few others believe in convenience, so they invest in Digital zoom technology.

Optical zoom has been around a lot longer, so its the most researched and better implemented of the two. Digital zoom requires more processing power by the camera, as it has to 'number crunch' the image for clarity, before 'number crunching' again to process the taken image.

Its true to say that processing power is more important for Digital zoom than optical, but that extra power wouldn't be wasted on an optical zoom either. Better/Faster processing in a shorter space of time, so you don't have to hold the camera steady as long. Add the 'anti-shake' technology (further processing needed) and you can see why the optical zoom is still favoured over digital.