Touring - time for me to buy a digital camera,any suggestions?

I searched BF and got a lot of good info as to size,battery life,lens,zoom,etc, but most posts on the matter were pretty old. with all the new technology that trickels down, all the good feature then would be good now,only cheaper. or so it seems to me.

I am not wanting to spend to much money because right now the only time i use a camera is on my bike. I have been using cheap throwaways,cause they are cheaper then the advantix camera we already have. plus the nice one EATS batteries cause of the lcd screen.

anyway. whats good for 2005 around $100-$150? would something around $200-$250 be so much better for a complet novice? I think I understand the basic feature to look for but am still guessing about brands, current models,and good value for my money.thanks

Canon A75 or A85.

It depends on the features you really need. For my bike I have a camera that is around 3 megapixels. Good for post on the internet as well as the occassional print up to about 8x10. Optical zoom is much better than digital zoom. From having purchaes many digital cameras and returning most of them, It appears that the old time camera manufacturers as a rule have better optics, giving you sharper pictures. I didn't want rechargable batteries because when I tour I rarely have access to electricity. You can buy a solar charger if you wish.

Do you want to download while on tour? Do you need more megapixels because you hope to have large prints made? What find of storage system do you want? I find that camera stores have more knowledgable staff, while discount electronics have cheaper prices. Recommending one brand or model really limits your ability to get the camera you need.

here is one i found while looking for the 2 mentioned above
Kodak-EasyShare-CX7330 (http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Kodak-EasyShare-CX7330-Digital-Camera/sem/rpsm/oid/93612/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do)

its in my price range,has alot of the feature mentioned here such as 3x optical zoom,3.1 mega pixel.

not looking to download on tour. probably use a memory card and burn them on cd and send them home. right now I am not away from home far enough or long enough to worry about that although at a later date that will be important. we have a pretty good camera store here in town that has been suggested to me,but I havent made it in there yet. the internet is a good way to do the reaserch before hand and be able to ask opinions of people who have used them in the same senario as I am thinking of.

as far as price-vs- knowledge...I take know how anyday. it almost always pays off in the longrun. thanks

edit: I found a couple of these on ebay. price not withstanding,they say they are factory refurbished. Is this a reason to stay away from a product like this? they have full warrenty and such. are the ones in the store refurbished or new ? or either,i just wont know the differance.?

Canon A85, A75, A520 or A510 are great cameras. All of them use AA batteries.
www.dpreview.com has some excellent forums.

Canon A85, A75, A520 or A510

thats 2 for these models. and well into my price range. thanks

Canon Ixus 40 - might be a bit more expensive but is abslolutely THE BEST digicam short of a digital SLR, and is so small and light that you won't even notice it in your jersey. Great low light and action pictures too, if you buy this you might just find that you start taking a lot more pictures than you used to....

I currently use a Pentax Optio 33WR. They've released a Pentax Optio 43WR and they are about to release the Pentax Optio WP. WR stands for Water resistant while WP mean Water proof.

My camera is 3.2 megapixels, uses SD cards, accepts standard AA batteries and has taken a number of great pictures. It is relatively small meaning that I carry it in a pouch around my waist when touring, kayaking, windsurfing and mountain biking.

More details about this camera, including some of my favourite pictures taken with this camera can be found on my Selecting a camera for a bicycle touring adventure page in the Photography section of the web site. The photography section includes several articles from other cyclists that try to convey ways to produce better pictures.

http://www.bicycletouring101.com/PhotoSelectingACamera.htm

I think the Optio 33WR can be purchased new for around $199 canadian although I recommend double-checking that number.

I also have a Canon a70 (now a75) and it has really treated me well. Tons of example pics on my Cycling Site (http://www.spiralcage.com/Cycling/). The one thing that I have learned is that I want more optical zoon (ignore digital zoom) I'm often wanting to get pics of birds, or things across the way and 3x optical isn't cutting it. I want at least 8x. A great site for plugging in the features you want (brand, zoom, megapixels, etc) is DealCam (http://dealcam.com/) (no affiliation) You can then get links to sites to read user reviews. A good process to go through so you can narrow your choices down and see if people have had any problems.

One thing I wanted when I bought my camera was something that took AA batteries, so that if my rechargeables ran out and I didn't have access to a charger I could buy standard batteries from most local shops. Just a thought when you're out and about.

Since you will be riding with your camera you might want to consider size and weight. The Canon Elph cameras are really nice but I would recommend any of the Canon digital cameras. I have the A40 (old) which is a regular sized digital camera but my wife has the Canon Elph SD110 (compact). Since her's is so small and the quality is great, I end up using hers most of the time. It is also very sturdy and you can put it in your pocket. They are a little bit pricier but I bet you could find one with less than 3 megapixels (last years model) for under $200. Also, Canon has good software and a good reputation.

The only problem with her's is that it uses a custom battery and not the standard AA's. This is usually not a problem since the battery charge lasts several days and charging takes less than 2 hours, but if you don't have access to a wall socket for charging, you would have to buy several of these expensive batteries for a longer trip.

By the way, I wouldn't worry too much about how many megapixels it has unless you want to print really large images. 2 megapixels is great for anything under 5x7 but 8x10 is ok too. In general I never have wanted to print anything above 8x10 so I would say 3 megapixels is plenty. Also, the more megapixels, the longer it takes to transfer the image to your pc and the more space it takes up on your flash card and hard drive...

I'll plug the Minolta Dimage (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Konica_Minolta/konicaminolta_dimagex31.asp). I've been using the previous but nearly identical version for a couple of years without problem. Takes decent pictures, super small, easy to use one-handed, uses AA batteries, and the 3MP version is around $200. I just carry it in my jersey pocket where it's easily accessible . . . and have often gotten some nice shots without even having to stop riding :D

Canon A75 or A85.

bingo!
this is the one I use. The ELPH are nice. but more expensive, and if I was on the bike taking action shots, I'm NOT going to be swinging my EXPENSIVE camera around one handed. The A75 is a trooper and the price is coiming down. Bear in mind that you will need extra stuff with ANY camera you buy (bigger flash memory card, case, spare rechargeable batteries) so expect to add $50+ to that price point.

When I started touring (1971?) we used instamatic cameras and took more cool pics just holding them out in front of each other as we were moving. Bring along a disposeable camera for this purpose; if it bounces, they will still work okay. Remember to take some 'tracking' shots of your mates as they ride beside you; the blurring of the background and the 'freeze of the subject' is too cool!

My $0.02; AA batteries is a must. The only regret I have with my Sony Cyber-shot DCS-P72 is the time between shots. I suggest you bring a stopwatch when shopping and time the cameras between flash pictures. Side by side my brother's Sony, not sure the model can get 2 pictures off to my one.

You can often reduce the delay time between when you originally press the button and when the camera actually takes the picture by turning off as many of the automatic features as possible.

For example I generally set my focus to infinity (mountain icon) and turn off the flash (even in lowlight). If I am attempting to take a lot of action shots then I will also consider reducing the image quality and size as well as consider setting ISO settings manually.

You might be surprised the difference this can make.

if you turn off the display in back, the auto-flash feature and quicker picture takes will result.. at least on the A75.
I had heard about quick succession snaps but never could make it work. Then I turned off the display and I could take pics real fast

I have a Canon Powershot A70 (new model is the A75). It's a very good camera, and well reviewed by many users and editors. There are smaller, lighter and better cams out now, but A70/A75 is a great value and takes great pics. I recommend it.

Pentax optio S. Fits in an altoids tin. The 3.2 MPs are going for $200 some places.
For touring I'd recommend a Nikon Coolpix 2.0 or 3.2MP. They're dirt cheap and use standard
batteries you can get in any 7-11. No need to worry about a charger. Turn off the LCD to
preserve battery power.

I'll plug the Minolta Dimage (http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Konica_Minolta/konicaminolta_dimagex31.asp). I've been using the previous but nearly identical version for a couple of years without problem. Takes decent pictures, super small, easy to use one-handed, uses AA batteries, and the 3MP version is around $200. I just carry it in my jersey pocket where it's easily accessible . . . and have often gotten some nice shots without even having to stop riding :D

Another happy DiMage X user here. I have the original 2MP version that I got three years ago and it's still a wonderful camera for cycling. Shooting single-handed while on the move is no problem. I just keep it in my jersey pocket and can pull it out, turn it on, take the shot and replace it in the pocket without braking cadence. I make good use of the continuous advance mode too which allows me to strafe my shots so I can pick out the best one later. The startup time and capture time for the DiMages are probably the fastest of any of the point-and-shoots. The new ones go from cold start to capture in half a second and you can shoot continuously at a frame advance rate of 11fps. The newer models also allow you to do multi-frame shooting so you can combine nine shots into one. Pretty nifty for some action sequences. It's too bad that I'm still very happy with my older camera since the new models have so many cool features.

I bought the canon A85 (4 megapix) and very satisfied with.