Is it possible to get a decent enough digital camera for teenage dd for around 50 pounds?

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I know nothing, so please speak slowly!

Thank you. :)

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5596519/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CPhotography%7C14419436/c_2/2%7C14419436%7CDigital+cameras%7C14419441.htm#pdpProductReviews

www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/5595060/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CPhotography%7C14419436/c_2/2%7C14419436%7CDigital+cameras%7C14419441.htm

Decent basic compact cameras - not sure if the Canon comes with a memory card so you may need to add £10-15 on top

We got an HP one from jessops last year- great spec, was 'half price', cost £39

They had v similar on amazon too.

Yes! My advice is...

Don't buy anything under 10mp ( megapixels) or she will outgrow it!
Don't buy a camera that takes AA batteries because it will eat them!
Buy one that uses SD cards rather than XD etc because SD's are more compatable with other things.

Personally I prefer Canon, lots of makes are good, you just get used to the way things work.

If I had to suggest I would say better to get a decent camera that is just second hand than a new one that is lower quality.

Ixus are excellent I've had 2.

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Canon-Digital-IXUS-105-PowerShot-Digital-ELPH-SD1300-12-1-MP-Digital-/220890783304?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN&hash=item336e1dde48#ht_500wt_1202

I've not had one of these and I'm told they are not as good, but they are still better than some!

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Canon-PowerShot-A480-10-0-MP-Digital-Camera-Black-/250925901674?pt=UK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN&hash=item3a6c59676a#ht_588wt_905

Ultimately buy what you think will suit your daughter but do consider the 3 things at the top. They are v important!!!

Oh- it's you!
I saw a lovely dress today in Kew, that would suit you I think... I tried it on and it was a teensy bit too low cut for me, but I think you've a slightly longer length from shoulder to bosom... whatever that bit is called.

Here- please ignore the 'as seen in daily express' thingy!

Oh- and on KAQ's point- we bought a duracell battery re-charger to go with it, and it's been fine.

Oh!! I had a nightmare with the rechargable AA's I particularly liked the note in the manual that said something like " available almost anywhere you'll never be without batteries using AA's" I bought them everywhere too! I remember buying Duracell AA's at the most exorbidant price ever and getting 20 photos out of them! I bought rechargables only to discover that they gradually discharge when you aren't using them!

My current cameras all use li-Ion. I can take approx 400 photo's on a battery and I carry a charged spare bought for a couple of quid on ebay which hold a full charge for when I need it.

My mums camera has AA's and she is always changing batteries, she very kindly bought my dd a camera which has AA's too and its a nightmare!

I know I'm biased, but after 3 camera's have been a pain its been lovely to not worry with my current cameras. Maybe I just have bad luck with AA's but I think they brought out the better cameras in each range with Li-ion batteries for a reason. :)

Thank you all.

Love the fact that I get dress recs on a camera thread! It's gorgeous, CaptainNancy and VERY me - but Kew stuff is always way too long for me and makes me look matronly.

Now going to investigate what you've all said about cameras. :)

Okay -

dd2 has a Canon and it's been really good - but yes, it does eat AA batteries.

Buy one that uses SD cards rather than XD etc because SD's are more compatable with other things. Sorry but I don't understand a word of that! Please tell me again in words of four letters or less! :)

So - it would need to be one that runs on batteries, rather than one that can be charged itself at this price would it? I realise that I may have just asked a v stupid question - apologies if so.

Kodak easyshare camaras are fab - take beautiful pictures even with my distinct lack of skill

Ooh I looked at one of those today, Lunar. Boots had got one for 60 pounds and I thught it looked good but didn't want to buy anything until I'd talked to people on here.

thought

I agree with Kickarse. You can't go wrong with a Canon Ixus - they are really nice compact cameras. But you'd have to get a second hand one for that price, since the entry level ones are about 130.

If to can avoid it don't go for one that takes AAs - they are bulky, eat batteries and generally lower quality.

The Ixus (and copycats) use a little square battery that you have to take out and charge every now and then (the charger comes with)

Digital cameras need a memory card - most come with a teeny tiny one that holds about 16 photos. You will need to buy her a decent sized memory card. Once youve decided on the camera and you know what kind of card, you could maybe ask another relative to get it

I have the Easyshare M580, bought it about a month ago (have just replaced an old easyshare which has taken 3 years of serious abuse and I finally gave up on it when the battery cover was cracked). Really easy and instinctive to use and you can see the screen in bright sunlight (not the case in all cheaper digital camaras)

The same was true of my old easyshare c913. It actually does many of the same things the new camera does but where as the new camera works out what you should be doing automatically you select the setting manually (e.g. setting for children in bright sunlight, night time distant scenery). It has slightly less zoom, only 9.2 megapixals and took the dreaded AA batteries (didn't eat them too badly at all). but was a really good camera

M580

Dress was on my knee, so great length btw

Really? Kew must have got a bit less frumpy since I last went in there, then!

How ARE you btw? All okay?

I agree about the batteries. I've got one with its own rechargable Li-ion (sp?) and it really does last longer than the rechargable AAs, even the new NMHi ones. You notice it when there is a delay while they recharge the flash

You can get Lithium AAs which are supposed to be very powerful, but not rechargable. Worth keeping as spares when you go on hols though.

I think the proper batteries are quite expensive and that might be why they aren't included with lower-priced cameras.

Thanks Piglet.

Hi Remus, most cameras at the moment seem to have moved away from the base unit at home that you click it onto to charge the battery inside. I assume this is because if you can't physically change the battery when you are out using it you are basically stuffed! :)

The bit above about cards - SD or XD explained....

Some cameras come with built in memory, some don't. Some have a slot in the side for a memory card, either as an extra to the built in memory or as a stand alone memory for the camera.

Lots of computers / laptops / printers ( and the photo machines in Asda for example) have little slots in them which take these cards, so in order to transfer from the camera to you computer or to print in a shop all you need to do is pop the card out of the camera and put it into the machine.

The advantage to doing this instead of connecting the camera to you computer with a wire is that transferring data uses up your batteries v fast ( yes I'm obsessed! )

Photos, and videos take up quite a lot of memory. I would recommend at least a 2gb This is a good cheap 4gb which is even better! www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4GB-SANDISK-SD-SDHC-MEMORY-CARD-CASIO-NIKON-CANON-/280655056222?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_PDAsAccessories_MemoryCards&hash=item4158584d5e#ht_1513wt_1185 It is class 4 which means it has a good fast write speed ( so you can keep taking photos while the camera is sending the last pic you took from the buffer to the memory card) and sandisk are a good make.

XD cards do all of the above, but far fewer things have an XD slot, the world seems to be going for SD and if you buy XD you might make things more difficult for yourself, you can buy adapters, but really, why bother. :)

I will say that if your dd has been using a canon already changing Makes can be confusing for a while, its a bit like mobile phones, I can pick up most Nokias and use them straight away because I'm used to them. Hand me a Samsung and I'm flummoxed!

Hope that made sense. :)

Thank you so much for all that. This camera is for dd1, who hasn't had a camera before other than using her sister's.

So far, I'm thinking Canon or the Kodak Easyshare, so if anybody else has any knowledge of those, that woukd be great.

Do those have the right kind of memory card? My computer is ancient and doesn't have a slot to put a memory card in, so we'd have to use a cable to get pics onto the computer.

Hiya, No you wouldn't! look here www.ebay.co.uk/itm/USB-Memory-Card-Reader-Adapter-40MB-s-SD-SDHC-SDXC-2GB-4GB-8GB-16BB-32GB-/250901906016?pt=UK_Photography_MemoryCardReaders_RL&hash=item3a6aeb4260#ht_1322wt_952 This little adapter plugs into any usb port, you slot the SD card in the back and upload your pics that way :) I'll just check the kodak easyshare, Canon I approve of, but the canon Ixus is the better one.

This easyshare has a large onboard memory and an SD card slot and a Li-Ion battery, www.ebay.co.uk/ctg/Kodak-EASYSHARE-M320-9-2-MP-Digital-Camera-Black-/100238507?_dmpt=UK_CamerasPhoto_DigitalCameras_DigitalCameras_JN&_pcategid=31388&_pcatid=802&_refkw=kodak+easyshare&_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A5698&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14# Looks ok!

we got all three kids and myself new cameries free through airmiles or some such nonsense last year - just got round to using up our points...

so christmas was a breeze

just thought i'd mention it in case you have points languishing in some abandoned rewards programme...

Tesco are doing a 2-for-1 deal on Clubcard Vouchers, but my offer says only between 1st and 6th December, and possibly only for selected items.

Yes avoid XD cards, SD go in lap tops, printers, photoframe, Wii and new fancy tv digibox DVD thing. My Olympus XD fits the camera and a dedicated card reader it's a pain.

Thanks. No points and I don't shop at Tesco, I'm afraid. Not through any big anti-Tesco concern but because it's just not convenient for me.

Thanks for all the links. I don't want to buy off Ebay though. Boots or Argos are probably the easiest for me, so if anybody can link to the perfect one from either of those, that would be brilliant!