having week from hell, now need to buy a camera

swingaloo

Im having a bad week, had my purse stolen last Saturday and besides losing a dollop of cash I couldn't afford to lose I also had to stop all my cards which haven't been replaced yet so cash is a bit of a problem this week.


Now I need to buy a new digital camera as the one I currently have has stopped working today. When I take a photo it says 'file error' and Ive no idea whats going on. Ive tried deleting some pics and taking the battery out and putting it back but nothing has helped. I have had it for about 8 years and recently it has started turning itself off whilst in use and refusing to turn back on unless I remove and replace the battery so its probably just old age.


So I need to get a new one and need it quite urgently so Ive been looking on the Argos website but could do with a bit of advice as mine was only a basic (I think about £80 when I got it) but Ive noticed there are some very cheap ones on the site.

I only use it for family snaps and for taking photos for Ebay so don't need anything special but Im wary about buying one of those on sale for about £40 because Im expecting they are rubbish?

But at the same time because of whats happened this week I cant afford to splash out.


Can anyone recommend one that's decent to use (bearing in mind its not for anything professional) but is cheap and cheerful.


Thank you.

sarah1972

Sorry I can't help with budget camera advice but I would just like to say that I am so sorry that you had your purse and money stolen and I hope you are ok.

swingaloo

Thank you Sarah, Im fine now but was so angry at the time. I consider myself a careful person and couldn't believe how they did it. 2 of them worked together and even though I got some info for the police and there is CCTV I have received a letter saying they don't have the resources to follow it up. They got nearly £600 as I was on the way to the bank but apparently as I was not hurt it is not a crime they have time to investigate.

Its no wonder there is so much crime.

sarah1972

swingaloo wrote: »

Thank you Sarah, Im fine now but was so angry at the time. I consider myself a careful person and couldn't believe how they did it. 2 of them worked together and even though I got some info for the police and there is CCTV I have received a letter saying they don't have the resources to follow it up. They got nearly £600 as I was on the way to the bank but apparently as I was not hurt it is not a crime they have time to investigate.

Its no wonder there is so much crime.

Thats disgusting !
Crime is getting a lot worse where I am in Surrey and on my local community board on facebook, more and more people are going to the police with CCTV of things being broken in to only to be told that they dont have the resources to follow it up.

tacpot12

I would suggest you look at the reviews on the Argos website. They are usually very helpful in determining whether the product is any good. You might also check on Amazon so see if they carry the same camera. Something the insight from Amazon reviewers is better, sometimes not. Amazon might even have the same camera at a lower price.

Polaroid is an ok brand, I'd expect even the cheapest Polaroid cameras would be better than a camera from a brand you have never heard of.

If your needs are relatively straightforward, there is no need to pay a lot for a digital camera.

PDC

Does your camera have a memory card? From the error you mention it sounds like it could be a problem with that. That said, from the other problems you have with turning it on and off, perhaps it is time for a replacement.

Looking at the Argos site if it were me and I was on a budget I'd go with the Canon IXUS 185 bundle they have at the moment for £89. Camera, memory card and case all included.

I've always found the point and click Canons reliable, well made and long lasting. The reviews for it seem all good and the price there seems better than Amazon.

I think the Nikon or the Sony they have at similar prices would likely be fine for you too. But then you would need to buy a memory card too as that is not included with those.

The reviews for the £40 Polaroid you mention seem quite mixed on the Argos site with some good reviews and some bad, serveral people saying its more like a toy camera. That one also needs you to buy batteries and a memory card so the cheap price is creeping up.

Cisco001

For that value, that is not much better than smart phone.
What smartphone have you got currently.