Simple and Easy Digital Cameras

Pricewise, these types of camera can cost between £60 and £120. There are cheaper options, but if you want a current digital camera from a well-known brand then this is the kind of price that you should be aiming for.

These cheap digital cameras usually have fewer features than the more complex models. This means that they are generally, easier to use. Manufacturers have put a lot of emphasis on this area over the last few years and lots of cameras available are now quite straightforward to use. These digital cameras do however, come with their own set of limitations when you compare them to the more expensive cameras. The cameras are routinely made of plastic and there is often a noticeable difference in their build quality when compared to other types of digital camera.

The chances are that this kind of camera will struggle to take good pictures indoors, in a lowlight. This can lead to blurring in some photos where the camera cannot focus properly, making each photo slightly darker. However, there are some exceptions to this rule if you search around. There is also the issue of shutter lag which is the time taken between the shutter button being pressed and the picture being created. It is because of this that photo opportunities could be missed. Although there are a few cameras that are able to get over this problem, the majority suffer from this major flaw.

Most digital cameras now come with LCD screens and they are increasing in size and quality. You may find however that they do not have a viewfinder. Many of the cameras in this range will now accept memory cards to increase the amount of pictures that can be stored.

What to Look for in a Digital Camera

When you start looking for a new digital camera it is easy to be overwhelmed by the choice available to you. There are so many brands, types and feature available, it can be difficult to know which one will suit your needs best.

The main objective of this blog is to provide digital camera reviews that will help you to decide which digital camera is right for you and fulfils any specific requirements you have. This will include both cheap digital cameras and more expensive models.

Okay, where do we begin? Let’s start by identifying the different digital camera types into several different categories.

• Easy to use Digital Cameras
  
• Compact or Standard Size Digital Cameras
  
• Digital Cameras that fit in your Pocket
  
• Digital Cameras with Style
  
• Digital Cameras with Super Zoom Feature
  
• Sophisticated Digital Cameras
  
• SLR Digital Cameras
  
• Digital SLR’s for Professional use

Cheap Digital Cameras for Less

If like most people, you are looking for a cheap digital camera or maybe a bargain then read on.

Since I regularly test cameras in order to produce an accurate review, it is usually necessary for me to actually purchase the digital cameras at the full retail price. This is because the majority of camera companies have refused any request to loan a camera to provide digital camera reviews.

This has lead to me sell the cameras after I’ve finished with them. Now, I would not expect to get back the full amount that I paid but if you don’t mind buying a camera that has only been used a couple of times then you can get your hands on a cheap digital camera.

These cameras are usually in excellent condition, but if there are any marks then I will say so. Everything that comes packaged with the camera at the time of purchase will be included in the sale. This includes memory cards, manuals, software, etc and if the camera comes with standard AA batteries then I will supply brand new ones.

All cameras I sell are supplied through standard eBay auctions and I will only post within the UK. All digital cameras sold by myself will come with a personal one year guarantee which will cover any breakdown through normal use.

Looking for Digital Cameras under £100

Cheap digital cameras that cost under £100 are quite easy to find these days but you should try to be aware of some possible pitfalls you may encounter.

Firstly, a cheap digital camera that fall into this price bracket is less expensive when compared to other models on the market. Although this makes then more accessible, the quality may be slightly lower in certain areas.

The main differences between these cameras and the more expensive models are that they will have fewer megapixels, giving a lower quality of pictures. They may not have an optical zoom lens, but with digital camera prices falling, you may find some cameras do have them.

Build quality is generally not as good and shutter delay or lag may be prevalent. Battery life too may be lower due to higher power consumptions.

Looking for Digital Cameras for less than £50

Okay, you’re looking to buy a digital camera for under £50 but you don’t know what differences there are between the cheaper and more expensive models.

The main and possibly the most obvious difference is picture quality. This is largely due to the amount of megapixels on offer from camera to camera. Cameras with a low number of megapixels, although being more than adequate for viewing pictures on a computer or for emailing to friends and family but they will probably not be suitable for producing photographs or prints.

Another possible issue with a cheap digital camera for under £50 is that the chances of getting a zoom lens or digital zoom are slim. The overall build quality of the camera will not be great and the performance capabilities will be lower. This will lead to increased shutter lag or shutter delay and the battery life will almost certainly be less.

I would expect the quality of the photographs taken with one of these digital cameras to be acceptable outdoors with good lighting, but I believe that they would struggle to take a good indoor shot where the cameras shortcomings would become more obvious.

Digital Camera Auctions

I have been asked what I think of buying older, used digital cameras from online auctions such as Ebay. The question relates to models that are now a couple of years old or more and the question is are they likely to offer value for money.

When I took a look at Ebay I concentrated on used cameras available for less that £100.

Some of the digital cameras that were selling included a Kodak Easyshare DC240 that was sold for £20 plus £6 postage. There were also a couple of other Kodak digital cameras where people had bid under £20. The problem was that these cameras did not meet the auction reserve price and therefore were not sold. I also saw an Olympus C-765 selling for £91 + £10 postage. This is a fairly advanced compact with a long zoom lens.

So would any of these cameras be consider good value for money. This depends on the condition of the camera, but I would say spending £20 for the Kodak Easyshare DC 240 would be a very good piece of business. At that price it certainly gives people the opportunity to pick up a digital camera that they could not otherwise afford.

Also sold was a Canon Powershot S45 for £67 + £6 postage. The Powershot S45 would still be quite an advanced digital camera so again I would say it was a good deal.

Another camera sold was the Fuji Finepix A101 for just £5.50 + £6 postage. Well if you would like a digital camera I’m not sure you will be able to find anything cheaper than that!

The camera I am not quite so convinced about is the Olympus C-765. Personally I feel some of the current super zoom cameras offer better value albeit at a higher price. So you do need to be a little careful about what you buy.

What do you need to take into consideration?
This may sound strange, but I don’t think there has been a great advance in picture quality over the past couple of years. The type of photo I am talking about here is the standard snap shot taking in decent lighting conditions.

Areas where cameras have changed include offering more megapixels, longer zoom, faster shutter response times, better battery consumption, larger LCD screens and they have also tended to shrink in size. You will also find longer and better quality movies with sound, an improvement in some lowlight photography and shorter macro focusing distances. Therefore you need to weigh these factors up when considering whether or not to pick up a cheaper, older model.

When buying an older camera it is hard to tell just how many miles are on the clock. Digital cameras are fairly delicate machines and there is always a risk involved when buying out of warranty.

To sum up there are some bargains to be had, especially for those who are looking for cameras available for less than the cheapest current models. You do need to think about the factors that are important to you personally before jumping in.

If you would like to check out the latest auctions to find a cheap, used digital camera then follow this link: Low Price Camera Auctions

Buying Cheap Digital Cameras

Not everyone can afford a more expensive digital camera and not everyone wants to buy one with all the bells and whistles that never get used. In this blog post I thought I would take a look at some of the pros and cons of buying cheap digital cameras.

At the present time I class a cheap digital camera at anything around £100 or under. Over the past 18 months there has been a noticeable drop in prices and it is surprising just how many cameras from known brands now fall into this price category.

As you would expect aside from saving a few pounds there are not a great number of advantages of buying a cheap digital camera. Many of the people I talk to never change the settings on their digital camera and only use the factory defaults that were in place when they bought the camera. Less expensive cameras are likely to have fewer features than more expensive models. Therefore this means that you are not paying for features you will never use. Fewer features can also make the camera easier to use.

For the first time I am starting to see pocket sized digital cameras becoming available at a little over £100. An example of this is the Olympus FE-230. This is a very straightforward digital camera and has a metal body.

You will need to be prepared to make some compromises when buying cheaper digital cameras. With some models the build quality is not always great and the camera can have a plasticy look and feel. You can also find increased shutter delay times, poor battery consumption, limited movie modes and smaller LCD screens.

The biggest difference though is in picture quality. One of the most noticeable differences here is with the amount of light you need to take a good photo. As a rule cheaper digital cameras seem to need more light to produce a sharply focused photo than their more expensive counterparts. Therefore if you are planning to use your camera primarily outdoors in bright daylight situations then you should still be able to get some pretty decent photos from your camera. In fact if this is the type of photo you are likely to find yourself taking almost all of the time then you may question the need to spend a lot more on a camera.

As you can see I have mentioned a number of potential downsides, so are there any cheap digital cameras I would recommend? Out of the current batch that I have reviewed to date I would say the best of the bunch is the Canon Powershot A550. Looking at current prices this is available at a shade over £100 online and is able to overcome almost all the problems mentioned above. If this is still outside your budget then for a little over £80 you could try the Panasonic DMC LS60 or the Canon Powershot A460.

These are all decent cameras and will handle most situations. With the two cheaper models you will find limitations from time to time when it comes to the amount of light you need to take a photo.