Digital camera. HELP!?

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nighthawk

I am going to europe backpacking for 6 months and am trying to choose a camera to take with me.
I cant decide between these 2, can someone please help :)

http://www.cnet.com.au/canon-ixus-100-is_buy-339294890.htm
http://www.cnet.com.au/fujifilm-finepix-f200exr-339297361.htm

Answer
Two things -

Batteries.
Both these cameras take rechargeable batteries only.
That's okay if you're near a mains supply or carry a car/mains charger.
Probably carry a spare battery that you can recharge where you can.
A camera that takes AA batteries would be better. Not only can you carry a set of rechargeables and charger but you can get disposables most places. There are even solar chargers available for AA batteries. Rechargeable AAs are also useful for torches, radios and with one of those little adapter thingies, emergency power for mobile phones.

Second there's robustness.
Neither of these cameras are built to survive any rough handling. And damp will kill them overnight if you get caught in the rain.
Those extending lenses are prone to getting sand, grit and fluff in there that jam them, rendering the camera useless.
Look at getting one of the waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, freezeproof cameras offered by most manufacturers. Cameras like these...

http://www.amazon.com/Pentax-W90-Waterproof-2-7-Inch-Black/dp/B0039237GU/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1279355659&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Casio-Slim-line-Endurance-Digital-Optical/dp/B002WC8PK6/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1279355659&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-D10-Waterproof-Stabilized/dp/B001SER460/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1279355828&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Stylus-Tough-8000-Stabilized-Black/dp/B001P06Q5C/ref=sr_1_24?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1279355828&sr=1-24

These will survive if you do.
The only problem is that none of them use AA batteries :-)

I do realise that those links are useless for you to buy from but it's the cameras that are important. Scroll down for camera details, down further for customer reviews.

Good camera for photography?

Stfu

My birthday is soon and the camera I have dies within 10 seconds and can't take photos inside or in low light, I want a camera good inside AND outside that can take photos without having to have an extremely sunny day to do it, and one that doesn't run out within a few seconds

Help mee? :)
@fhotoace

What is my budget? My budget is around 100-200 pounds.

My current camera cost £30, it was a gift. It is extremely shit and I the camera cannot be ajusted to shoot in low-light.

As for the "not being in the habit of using good energy management when using my camera" the camera takes batteries, it literally takes around 3 photos before using up all the battery power. I have to spend loads of money buying tons of packs of batteries just to take a few photos.

Thanks for the site, but I wanted peoples personal opinions on a certain camera that they have / had as I don't really know what to look for myself.

Answer
Their are a couple of problems to answering your question. First, the consumer camera market is VERY competitive but the well made products are very durable. Many basic models are created sold and discontinued in a matter of months so when someone finds a model they like they often find it is unavailable when a friend or acquaintance wants to get the same camera. The best solution for this is to look at some reliable brands and try to determine what you want to do. This will help you to make a list of specifications that are important to you. You already know one important criteria - Good battery life or possibly a rechargeable battery system. You should also buy your camera from a reliable source that will give you a good exchange privilege if you are not satisfied with your first choice. Some reliable brands for better quality cameras include (in alphabetical order) Canon, Casio, Fujifilm, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax and Sony. Most of these companies have introduced new models in 2009 or 2010. This makes it difficult to get personal recommendations for specific models from any source other than reviewers because few of us can buy new cameras every year. Here is a link to a very reliable reviewer's list of "best cameras" in your basic price range.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/knowledge-center/2009-digital-camera-holiday-gift-guide---part-2.html

You can look at individual reviews of models that interest you by clicking on the "Full Review" text. In the reviews there is usually a section called "Steve's Conclusion" where he summarizes pros and cons of the model and provides a suggested user profile. He is very objective and appears to be open minded about various products capabilities.

The other problem is the situation you are reporting with the batteries. Digital cameras put a significant drain on battery power so they require EITHER high capacity disposable batteries OR rechargeable batteries, preferably either Lithium Ion (Li-Ion) or Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH). There is a significant difference between typical Carbon Zinc, Alkaline and High Capacity Alkaline batteries. The problem you are describing sounds like you are using Carbon Zinc batteries. These simply do not have sufficient power to operate in high drain situations and will die very quickly in most digital cameras especially if you need to use the display screen to view and compose pictures. The other possibilities are that there is a circuit fault in the camera or you are one of those rare people who has body chemistry that causes some electronic equipment to short out and drain very quickly (in which case you may want to look at waterproof models because they tend to avoid those chemistry problems).

Also, if you get a model with rechargeable batteries I would recommend getting a spare battery when you buy the camera.

HTH.

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