[newbie265]

Hi folks I am going to buy my wife a digital camera for xmas but not sure what to look for.My budget is roughly 250 quid(might stretch a little further) so could you give me some recommendations.
thanks

[seany]

http://www.camerasdirect.co.uk/desc.asp?id=3039 You will not go wrong with this baby

Review http://www.steves-digicams.com/2003_reviews/a80.html

If you print the page that the camera is on (with the firms phone number) Take it down to your local jessops, they will price match it for you (this goes for any camera)

[newbie265]

Thanks for that sean ,the reviews seem quite good apart from no rechargeable batteries .I've decided to budget 300 pound to include batteries and an extra memory card.Is this still the best to get in this price brackett.I will be buying it tomorrow if i'm lucky and a high street branch does me a pricematch.
paul

[LV426]

If you aren't too bothered about printing out at huge (bigger than A5, say) sizes, a 3m.pixel camera will be quite sufficient.

There is a point of view that says that a camera is only of any use at all, if you have it with you when there is something worth taking a picture of. (How many times has your inner monologue said 'I wish I had my camera with me'?)

On that basis I wholeheartedly recommend the Pentax Optio S.

It is a 3m.pixel camera and is available on the high street (eg. Jacobs) for about GPB260.

It comes with a USB cable and rechargeable battery, plus charger. It has a small amount (not enough, really) of internal memory, so you should also budget for, say a 128mb card (GBP40 ish). You may also want to consider having a second battery (use one, charge one).

PQ is good. And it is very light and very small - which means that you (she) can take it with you wherever you go - and never have to say 'I wish....' again.

[m@rk]

Originally posted by newbie265
Thanks for that sean ,the reviews seem quite good apart from no rechargeable batteries .I've decided to budget 300 pound to include batteries and an extra memory card.Is this still the best to get in this price brackett.I will be buying it tomorrow if i'm lucky and a high street branch does me a pricematch.
paul

Well the A80 takes standard AA batteries so you can just buy a couple of sets of rechargable AAs and a charger for not a lot of cash and away you go.

This also means that if you need more rechargable batteries in the future, you do not need to pay the earth for the manufacturers own brand stuff.

[Stuart Wright]

In the same position as you but with slightly smaller budget and buying for my parents.
Gone for the Nikon Coolpix 2100 from http://www.ukdigital.co.uk/ who are doing an offer.
The camera plus 128meg card, 2 extra pairs of batteries and case for £176 + £8 delivery before Xmas.
The camera is a Recommended best buy from DPB&U.

[newbie265]

Originally posted by nigel
If you aren't too bothered about printing out at huge (bigger than A5, say) sizes, a 3m.pixel camera will be quite sufficient.

There is a point of view that says that a camera is only of any use at all, if you have it with you when there is something worth taking a picture of. (How many times has your inner monologue said 'I wish I had my camera with me'?)

On that basis I wholeheartedly recommend the Pentax Optio S.

It is a 3m.pixel camera and is available on the high street (eg. Jacobs) for about GPB260.

It comes with a USB cable and rechargeable battery, plus charger. It has a small amount (not enough, really) of internal memory, so you should also budget for, say a 128mb card (GBP40 ish). You may also want to consider having a second battery (use one, charge one).

PQ is good. And it is very light and very small - which means that you (she) can take it with you wherever you go - and never have to say 'I wish....' again.

No she just wants it for standard size photos but good quality.

[LV426]

In that case, go down to a decent photo store (if you have a Jacobs - I know they do them - otherwise Dixon$ or John Lewis but expect to pay a bit more) and take a look at the Pentax Optio S. Magnificent piece of engineering.

[newbie265]

No,no Jacobs near me unfortunately(i'm in Gravesend in Kent),someone has told me the flashes aren't great on cheaper models and as my missus will be using it inside a lot (for family photos and holiday snaps basically ) this concerns me.Sorry for all the questions but want to get the right one thats all.

[LV426]

Well I can't admit to having used the flash extensively, but the photos that have used it have turned out well enough, provided you don't try to illuminate anything further away than, say 10 feet - but that's true of most inbuilt flashes.

[seany]

Originally posted by newbie265
Thanks for that sean ,the reviews seem quite good apart from no rechargeable batteries .I've decided to budget 300 pound to include batteries and an extra memory card.Is this still the best to get in this price brackett.I will be buying it tomorrow if i'm lucky and a high street branch does me a pricematch.
paul

A very good camera mate. I have the canon ixus 400 £292, was £335 when i bought it. Jessops price matched it for me (they had it in store at £448!!) So you'll have no probs getting a price match for the A80.

You could get the ixus for £292 but you'll be more then happy with the A80, you can change the lense, pull the screen out, it's very nice

If there's not jessops near you, just buy it online, or drive to one

[newbie265]

No,no Jacobs near me unfortunately(i'm in Gravesend in Kent),someone has told me the flashes aren't great on cheaper models and as my missus will be using it inside a lot (for family photos and holiday snaps basically ) this concerns me.Sorry for all the questions but want to get the right one thats all.

[seany]

It will do all you need, it's manual features will also be able to deal with taking pictures in the dark.

[LV426]

newbie265: keanyboy mentioned Jessops. This is NOT the same as Jacobs. Jessops DO have branches in Kent.