Digital Camera advice required

[Guest]

Hi there, I hope one of you photographic buffs can assist...

My DD (age 14) is starting to get into photography and would dearly love her own 'point & shoot' digital camera for Christmas.

DH and I have started looking around but if truth be told, we aren't sure what the best type would be for her.
We don't want anything over technical, just something for her to get used to and get the feel of, before moving onto more advanced techniques.

We have a budget that runs up to a maximum £150 for her 'main gift' but don't necessarily want to run right to the top end of that budget IYSWIM.

This camera caught our eye in Currys today but was in a case and we couldn't ask to get it out as DD was with us, but before going back for a closer look I wondered if someone could cast a more experienced eye over the specs and give us their opinion.

currys/martprd/product/seo/904713

Also, what should we be looking for specifically, the highest pixels we can get? Which should take priority Optical Zoom or Digital Zoom? Are some facilities more useful that another for a novice?

Any help/guidance would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Diane x

[Andre]

From another thread which has the same basic question, for a tenner more try:

Originally Posted by AndyJ72

I like the Pentax W10 in that price range.

6mp, good optics. Waterproof!

£140 in Jessops =)

Online review:
steves-digicams/2006_...o_w10_pg5.html

Have used them for two summers now, including some very harse WaterSki/Jetski/Jetboat action.

Love it.

See more...

I'd have thought the optics would be better on a Pentax than a Samsung, but I'm willing to be proven wrong of course. And yes, look for optical zoom levels, and probably even turn the digital zoom off altogether. 6 megapixels is more than adequate for most users, and for the use you describe I'd say anything in the 4-6 meg region should be fine, assuming the lens is good. Being waterproof, the Pentax would also be great for hols!

Andre

[AndyJ]

LOL Andre, I was just on the Jessops site getting a link =)

jessops/Products/Sear...d=pentax%20w10

Down the bottom is a picture taken with the underwater mode, the camera is actually in the water. It can also shoot movies onto the memory card, and was a great little toy at Discovery Cove and Seaworld =)

This picture was taken last summer of my boat, and shows the cracking quality for the money this camera gives.

[Guest]

Thanks for the recommendation! Some lovely shots there Andy, especially the underwater one!

I wonder whether they would keep one in stock in Jessops, might have a wander in there to see it 'in the flesh' as it were

The review says that even the inexperienced user can't help but capture some great shots and this is the sort of thing we'd like for DD, give her a bit of confidence before she moves onto something a little more technical.

Our camera is a Sony Cybershot and she was so very impressed with some of the pics we took in New York last April that she has been inspired to have a go herself.








I fiddled around with some of them and got them enlarged into B&W to hang on the wall at home, here are some of my favourites:








I'd like her to be able to see some similar results from her camera when she takes it up to London next year Thanks for your help

Diane x

[AndyJ]

They are all great shots!

I really, really like those B&W ones. I must play with that idea myself more.

[DIBBadmin]

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