Can anyone recommend an idiot proof digital camera? What am I doing wrong with Sony?

missile

markymoo wrote: »

hmm... how do you know it was expensive... a 7.2MP Sony Camera might not be that expensive!!
Cos I have a sony cybershot :rotfl:

davetrousers

Are you sure the pictures have just been saved a small thumbnails? Using Windows Explorer find where the photos are saved (possibly in My Pictures), and double click an image to open it. Just use Windows Picture and Fax Viewer (you may need to right click the file and Open With...

Also how big (in terms of KB or MB) are the pictures?

missile

Nenen wrote: »

I bought it (for about £140 about a year ago if I remember rightly) because I wanted a camera that would take decent photos that could be enlarged to A4 without pixilating.

Using this camera on it's highest resolution settings will give you very large files which limit the number of shots you can take with the onboard memory stick and eat up storage space on your PC. IMHO unless you are a profesional / perfectionist you would not notice the difference at A4 size when compared to say the older 3.3 megapixel cybershot.

You are right to look for a good quality lens.

No offence intended and just my opinion of course. My comments are in response to your first post requesting a point and shoot simple to use camera. I would suggest a profesional would want something better and a perfectionist would understand and make use of the features on the cybershot.

missile

Nenen wrote: »

I find that I can get to grips with new technology I use frequently (e.g. my recent Blackberry)
You might want to look at the N95. It takes pretty good photos and is very easy to use. http://shop.nokia.co.uk/nokia-uk/product.aspx?sku=3607403&culture=en-GB&cp=semapril&pp=N95

esuhl

Well, I doubt if they still make them, but my Kodak DX6340 is great. It's four (or maybe more) years old now, and only 3.1M pixels with auto-focus (and a bit of a brick), but it produces sharp images with vivid colours, in virtually any light condition. In "auto" mode, it really is point-and-click, but it also has a manual mode where you can change the aperture size and shutter speed (great for sunsets!) and a macro mode for close-ups of plants and flowers.

Normally I'm a bit of a control freak, but I've had such good results with this basic model that I'm in no hurry to upgrade!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kodak-EasyShare-DX6340-Digital-4xOptical/dp/B00009KYFC

Nenen

markymoo wrote: »

You do realise you can take photos for no actual reason...

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:For some inane reason that made me laugh aloud! You have really taken the stress out of my day with your wonderful replies to my idiocy.... many thanks

markymoo wrote: »

cameras are simple, but if you press a button that you don't know what it does.. is that the cameras fault?

Yep... I know it's my own fault that I haven't spent more time and effort studying it... I suppose like anything in life we tend to spend time doing something we either enjoy or need to do for some reason. I don't enjoy studying cameras and only need to use it occasionally... but I've learnt my lesson, that in order to be able to use it when I need to I must practise, practise, practise! I'll have the best photos of cups of tea the world's ever seen! That's if I don't give in and buy something much simpler!

Nenen

missile wrote: »

Nenen wrote: »

I find that I can get to grips with new technology I use frequently (e.g. my recent Blackberry)
You might want to look at the N95. It takes pretty good photos and is very easy to use. http://shop.nokia.co.uk/nokia-uk/product.aspx?sku=3607403&culture=en-GB&cp=semapril&pp=N95

Blimey Missile.... thanks for all your advice but that's £330! :eek: And you said I'd bought an expensive camera with the cybershot!

missile

and how much did your blackberry cost?

You can get either phone for "free" with a contract.

jackieblack

Nenen wrote: »

I know... you're right... I'm an impatient nitwit who needs to learn how to read instructions! :o:o:o:o

The truth is that since I've had this camera I've tried to keep it in auto and only use the (very few) settings I understand but, on the day of the graduation, my dh insisted the lighting was wrong and fiddled with the settings... resulting in the aforementioned contact pages!

I'd say you need to keep the camera away from your DH! :rotfl:

My DH is the same! :mad: He insisted on hogging the camcorder when were on holiday this year and now most of the film is completely unwatchable as he kept fiddling around with the settings and zooming in and out all the time!(Next year I'm not going to let him get his hands on the camcorder, and he's now got his own (cheap) digital camera so he can mess up his own photos, not mine!)

Seriously though, I'm really sorry about your photos, particularly when it's a one-off event like a graduation, you must be gutted.:(

Exactly which Sony is it? I've got a 7.2MP DSC-W55 and it's got a few features but not too complicated.

Nenen

missile wrote: »

and how much did your blackberry cost?

You can get either phone for "free" with a contract.

I got my blackberry free with a contract a few days ago... so far so good and i really like the built in qwerty keyboard! Must admit the camera is better on the Nokia one you mentioned though.