Is it all about the megapixels ?

[glasgowken]

Apologies if this should be in the help thread, but it's not really asking for assistance, more about opinions.
Just wondering if it's all about megapixels these days. There are loads of really cheap, no name brand, cameras around with 6 and 7 MP. But it it can't be that simple otherwise everyone would be buying them above the big name stuff.
So why did you buy your camera ? Was it price, spec, brand loyality ?
And given a choice, do you feel that a big name camera with lower MP is better than one of the no name jobs with higher MPs.

[McShad]

pixel rating doesnt mean anything in my view.... my SLR camera with 6.3Mp rips the arse out of a compact camera with 10+

Anything above 4 megapixels is a waste unless you are printing to poster size. My 2 megapixel printed nicely to A4

[Schiehallion]

Apologies if this should be in the help thread, but it's not really asking for assistance, more about opinions.
Just wondering if it's all about megapixels these days. There are loads of really cheap, no name brand, cameras around with 6 and 7 MP. But it it can't be that simple otherwise everyone would be buying them above the big name stuff.
So why did you buy your camera ? Was it price, spec, brand loyality ?
And given a choice, do you feel that a big name camera with lower MP is better than one of the no name jobs with higher MPs.

It's about a whole load of other things. It's the speed and quality of the lens. It's the sensor. It's optical zoom over digital zoom.

I think they use megapixels in marketing the way they used GHz in PC processors a few years ago, creating this demand to have the fastest, biggest etc. Just as there's no point having a 3GHz processor with a crap amount of RAM which can't capitalise on it, there's no point having the megapixels if other parts of the camera lets it down.

[Graham]

In short - no. A 10 mp cheapo with a crap lens will still give crap pics.

Better to go for a quality lower mp camera - take a look at something like the cheaper Panasonic Lumix, Nikon or Canon models. You'll be surprised how near in price they are to the no-brand stuff that Lidl and shops like that flog.

For example

Clicky

[glasgowken]

Good price that.
I bought a couple of second hand cameras, a Nikon, and a Prackica, so i'm ok for a wee while, but I was just curious.

[Graham]

Good price that.
I bought a couple of second hand cameras, a Nikon, and a Prackica, so i'm ok for a wee while, but I was just curious.

Yeah,very good - it may just be joining the stable as a backup to the backup camera

what Nikon did you buy?

[glasgowken]

Coolpix 3200. Oldie, but good reviews and it was dirt cheap. I've develped a real adversion to buying anything I care about dropping, losing, or getting stolen. The Prackica was even cheaper, so I'm keeping that on me whenever i'm oot.

I'd still be interested to hear if anyone has bought one of the really cheap cameras. How did it turn out ?

[Graham]

Coolpix 3200. Oldie, but good reviews and it was dirt cheap. I've develped a real adversion to buying anything I care about dropping, losing, or getting stolen. The Prackica was even cheaper, so I'm keeping that on me whenever i'm oot.

I'd still be interested to hear if anyone has bought one of the really cheap cameras. How did it turn out ?

Good wee camera but be very careful when changing the batteries as it is all too easy to break the door catch off the body, which is why you see so many of them for "spares or repairs" on ebay

[glasgowken]

Same thing happed to my Fuji, had to use a rubber band

[DickyHart]

i use a kodak z700, i like it as its simple and no fiddling about, although, i do get use of a nikon d40 on loan sometimes and its great.

[Flash_Andy]

I was thinking about upgrading my Canon Powershot A70 (3.2mp)t

To this model

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-PowerShot ... 979C8I3JNL

Canon PowerShot A640 Digital Camera (10.0MP, 4x optical zoom) I think it's still a bit expensive, I'm hoping it might drop under £170. The only reason I want to upgrade, is that I had some of my photographs published in Bus & Coach preservation magazine, but they said 6million megapixels is ideal for publication?

[glasgowken]

A very worthy cause, good luck with the choice

I've just bought another second hand camera, got three now. Don't really know why I need three, but it looked good

[Graham]

A very worthy cause, good luck with the choice

I've just bought another second hand camera, got three now. Don't really know why I need three, but it looked good

At least I know who I can sell all my old cameras to :)

[glasgowken]

I'll open a stall at the Barras

[potatojunkie]

… Bus & Coach preservation magazine, but they said 6million megapixels is ideal for publication?

That must be some size of magazine. Maybe they're going to preserve the buses and coaches by sheltering them under it.