Minolta DIMAGE Z1 (10x optical) £89.97 (available in 2-4 weeks)

Jon_C

This is a superb camera if you can get one, especially at this price.

I bought it for around £150 just over a year ago and it has served me very well ever since, particularly on my recent holidays to Kenya (lots of long-distance photography and action shots) and Rome.

The zoom lens is just fantastic, especially if used with a small tripod (you can get a six-inch one from Boots for £4.99 - hardly expensive or bulky).

A three-megapixel camera is more than adequate for most amateur photographers. I am a newspaper sub-editor and the images I take with this camera are of high enough resolution to be used as main pics, eg a landscape picture can be used the full width of a compact-sized paper.

Obviously, if you're cropping in on a particular detail you'll need a big image to start with but in most cases, the quality of the lens and the ability of the person behind it are more important than the resolution of the camera.

Edit: also great because it uses SD cards rather than the more expensive Memory Sticks and because it uses readily available AA batteries (four) instead of a specialist camera battery - meaning that you can just get a couple of sets of rechargeables and/or top up with alkalines if needed.

rich_jtg

Totally agree with you there Jon.

robonz

get the Minolta DIMAGE Z2 for £141 from ebuyer

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=60903

carnet

robonz wrote:

get the Minolta DIMAGE Z1 for £141 from ebuyer

Think you mean the Z2 .

robonz

i certainly do, ive updated it now