I want to get a digital camera for everyday use (family picts, school events, etc). My hubby and I don't know a lot about them, but I am learning and sort of know what I think I want. My hubby says some of the camcorders can be used to take pictures or should I say that you can get frames developed into pictures?! I don't know about how easy this is to do or much about it. Any help in this area? I think for what I want to do we should get a digital camera and save the camcorder for movies. As far as the camera, I was thinking about 3-4 MP. I want to be able to zoom in on stuff, like at a game. I know Sony and Olympus are good choices. Any recommendations?

First off: most digital camcorders can indeed take still images and save them to a memory card. Whether these stills are any good is another matter entirely - most people will tell you, no, these shots are more or less useless. Simply put, a camcorder is designed to capture video. Taking still images from the video is possible, but presents to problems: 1) video is interlaced, so you need software to deinterlace your stills, and 2) miniDV footage is only 640 x 480, so you still can't print large images from it.

On the other side of the spectrum, many higher-end digital still cams are able to take "decent" video at 30 frames per second. I emphasize "decent" because while viewable, it's nowhere near the level of footage you'll get from a camcorder. Fine or emailing and that sort of thing, though.

As for recomendations... it's hard to say without a price range and what you want. A good 4 megapixel compact camera? Or did you want something larger, but with an 8-12x optical zoom?

All the best,
DemosX

We are looking for something that we can get a good quality 4x6 print off of. I have read that you only need 3-4 megapixels for those types of pictures and the higher megapixel cameras are for larger 8x10+ pictures. Is this correct information? I'd like to keep the price under $300, but I don't want junk either. I would like a good optical zoom range, but don't know how much I need. I would like to be able to take picts of the kids in their school activities and know that they are my kids. I will take any recommendations that you have.

Thanks so much,
Treelady62

3 megapixels will make for fine 4x6 prints. Some 2mp cameras will as well, it depends on the camera... my old Fujifilm 2.1mp (circa 2000) produced BRILLIANT 4x6s. My new HP 2.1mp makes horrid 4x6s. So if you do go with a 2mp camera, make sure it has a good maximum image size (should be 1000x1000 pixels or better). But a 3mp camera would be better, imo.

Suggestion wise, in that price range I'd be very tempted by the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z10. It's gotten some pretty good reviews (I considered buying it myself), and with an 8x optical zoom you can get some nice shots from a distance. It's bulky, though, certainly won't fit in a pocket.

Check out www.bhphotovideo.com and take a look at their "Ultra Zoom" models. These generally have 6-12x optical zoom and are bigger, but it'll give you an idea of prices and such if an Ultra Zoom is what you want. Otherwise, most compact cameras seem to have 3x zoom, which is enough for most uses (i.e. taking pictures on vacation, parties, etc.) I personally prefer the versatility of a long zoom, but it comes at a price.

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breathing the stale stench of recycled air

I too am interested in using a digital camera for video. I am looking at Sony P100, P93 and the new S60/S90 models. Can anyone tell me if the video from these cameras (in "fine" mode with a pro memory stick) is comparable to DVD? Is at least better than standard VHS, or Super-VHS? That's all I need for some occasional family gatherings, and it would save $500-700 for buying a mini-camcorder + accessories.

Get a digital camera trust me i got both, and my digital camera can take small amounts of video, so.... id say digital camera

i got my pentax optio mx4 yesterday... 4megapixel for picture & movie is 640x480 pixels(VGA) with 100x zoom(10X optical & 10x digital). i hope it will fit my need.

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Teresa

Having unpacked the box I see that the power cord from the AC/DC adapter to the mains supply has a 2 round pin moulded plug on the end? What do I plug this into? Do I use something like a 3 pin Shaver Adapter ? IF so what fuse rating does it require?