The camera I have is a Kodak EasyShare CX4310. It is the first digital camera I have ever used. I got it as a Christmas gift a few years ago. And for the most part it takes really good pictures. Even though my pictures of the lighthouses I have seen are pretty good they are nothing like the picture I have seen on these forums. And of course it is hard to get a good picture if you have to take it from a distance away. I would like to get another camera, but I am a little inexperenced as to what to get. I am open to any suggestions. I have only used point and shot cameras, so I need a lot of help to get half as good as the pictures I have seen here.

Hi Cyndi, ..I'm sure many people here at the CF feel your pain. Often times a photographer is forced into a situation where the light he or she wants to photograph is not accessible for a closeup shot.

I'm currently on my fourth digital camera. If my memory serves me correctly, my first was around 1.2 megapixel. I bought it so I could post pics on eBay. The next was a 3.2 megapixel and actually allowed me to make small prints. Then came the 4.0 which allowed me to make small prints and reasonable small enlargements. The thing that was lacking with all these cameras was the ability to do good telephoto work.

Thanks to a $1000 gift from the indians at Foxwood Casino, I was able to purchase my Olympus Evolt 300, a 8.0 megapixels SLR camera with interchangeable lenses. My highest zoom capability is now 300mm. The fact I have that zoom capability along with the 8.0 megapixels, I can now take distant pictures and crop them down for a good print of what the focus of the shot was all about.

I have found that most people at the CF prefer Canon and Nikon cameras. I just happen to like Olympus and the dealer I purchased all the cameras from. I would definitely recommend a person seeking a new camera to spend as much as he or she can afford, buy a SLR with lens changing capability, and the most megapixels offered. The investment may seem expensive now but the rewards later will make the expense seem less in the future.

Bob

Cyndi,

This is a topic often discussed. Everyone has their own ideas as to what is the "best" to get. But, the best for you may not be the best for me or for someone else. The more "high end" a camera is the more it allows you to do, the more flexibility it should have. But with this also goes more complexity and more price.

I have both a compact zoom camera (Panasonic 12x optical zoom) and a Nikon D-70. I use both and like both. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.

Especially for a person who is fairly new to the world of digital I advocate the compact zoom cameras. They now have incredible feature sets at very competitive (and reasonable) prices. You get a compact size camera that gives you more optical zoom than most DSLRs will unless you have fairly big bucks tied up in lenses. Plus more and more are offering built in Optical Image Stabilization or something with a similar name.

Not too long ago we debated what Shortcake should purchase in this thread .

Kodak has bunches of choices ranging from ultra compact with great zoom to higher megapixels with great zoom and image stabilization. Generally under $500 and from a company with a solid repulation. You are used to how the Kodak Easy Share works, maybe that is the best choice for you - move up the ladder with your current product line. Here are Kodak\'s digital offerings . As with so many manufacturers, I think the worst part of this is there are so many different cameras with such a wide set of features - not just among competing brands, but within the same product line. There are 29 offerings from Kodak alone!

Good luck with your shopping. Do try to go to a store to hold any camera you are interested in. Stores like Best Buy and Circuit City offer excellent selections at competitive prices. You can hold the cameras and see how comfortable they are. Down side is that they may not have the most knowledgeable sales people, but you are doing your research on the net. (And, FWIW, I think the extended warranties offered by Best Buy tend to be better than others and not too bad price wise. Worth considering, because if your digital has a problem after warranty you might as well pitch it because it will be cheaper to replace than repair.)

Cyndi, check out this website. You can do a side-by-side features search and get feedback from real users as well as prices.

DPreview Buying Guide

I think most every digital camera offers a program or auto mode which does the auto-focus and automatically sets the shutter speed and the F-stop. I would say that's a point and shoot. Then you can take it out of the program or auto mode and try some different things with the camera when you feel like doing so.

Bob .

Thanks for all the helpful ideas. I have learned a lot. Now I need to take the information and check out a few cameras to see which will be the best fit for me.

Don't forget to go to a store where you can handle the cameras. Pick them up and see what really feels comfortable in your hand. You'll know that feeling when it comes to you. It does make a difference.

Bob

Bob is definitely right about going to a store and physically handling the camera. What looks good and has all the features might not be the right "fit" for you. Some are heavier, some are clumsier feeling or more awkward to handle. You will know by feel, which is the right one.