digital camera

[Mel]

Does this work well for night time shots w/out flash?  Cos usually when u use flash at night the scenery in the background can't be captured and if dun use flash, the pic is nice but abit shakey...I'm also looking for advice on purchasing a camera...also for everyday use just like Kool...

[Runner]

Two points to take note;
1. The higher the ISO, the more noise(grainy) the pict becomes. So u gotta balance bet the two.
2. The higher the ISO, the faster the shuttle speed. Fast shuttle speed = less blur pict.

For night shots, to have nice background & sharp pict;
1. Set the ISO to the highest.
2. Set to Night Shot mode. The camera will auto set shuttle speed slow & flash is ON.
Slow shuttle speed to allow capture of baclground. Flash to brighten the subject u are taking.
3. If possible, use a tripod. If not, try to lean ur hand or ellow against something stable(eg lamp post, tree, dustbin), so that ur camera will not shake.
4. Tell ur subject not to move even after the Flash has gone off. Keep still(including ur camera) until the pic is shown on the camera's screen.

[Runner]

i wud prefer a slim looking camera easy to carry arnd in bag , ya just home use to take baby shots ,, budget arnd 400- 500

A few points to take note when buying a camera;
Resolution
eg 7MP(MegaPixel), 5MP camera......
4R = 6" x 4"
1" needs min 200pixel, thus 4R = (6x200) x (4x200) = (1200) x (800) = 960,000pixel (0.96MP)
So a 3.2MP camera is more than enough for casual use.
Compact camera uses small CCD sensor to capture the pict.
Packing high pixel count into this small sensor will produce lower quality pict.
eg a 5MP DSLR can produce much better pic than a 7MP compact camera. Cos DSLR uses much bigger sensor.

Zoom
1. Optical zoom = 'Real' zoom. Uses glass elements to ZOOM-IN. No losses of quality & resolution. Just like a binocular.
2. Digital zoom = Uses 'Cropping'. Thus it ENLARGE the picture, to give the 'zoom-in' effect. As good as useless(to me  ).

Usually compact camera has max 3x optical zoom.

Memory Card
Take note of the type of memory card it uses. If u have other devices that can share the same type of cards.

Battery
1. Proprietary = Expensive, long battery life.
2. Common AA size = Easy avail, but usually short battery life.
Many ppl will argue that getting a camera that uses AA battery is better, cos of the low price & easily avail.
But a Proprietary can last u the entire day, u can charge it when back in Hotel. If u want to play safe, get a spare.
Whereas, u will have to carry a few sets of AA batteries around. They are not light. U may ended up spending more.

Ultra slim vs normal size camera
Ultra slim are more for ladies, who usually has smaller hands. Prefer the Chio Chio looks
Ease of use.
But lack manual settings.
Manual settings allow more room for creativity, which in turn = better & more interesting pictures.
Especially in difficult lighting conditions. eg night, indoor, backlight

[0209]

Compact Camera
Depends you go for look or go for quality. Go for look can buy the Sony W80 ard $420-$440. (forgot the price) friend camera shop selling.
Go for quality no need to think go for F31. Great for underwater too if with casing. About $450 with free bies