[mactropolis]

Hi,
I am a complete novice when it comes to digital cameras and in the market to urgently purchase one in the next few days and need some advise. However, I am limited to physical brick-n-mortar stores because of time constraints (only a few days) and cash sales only. My target camera is an entry level model with a pricepoint between US$100 to $150. I am fully aware of much better and more expensive cameras, but for the time being that must suffice. In my initial online shopping tour (Wal*Mart, Best Buy, Circuit City, CompUSA etc), I have noticed most of the cameras at these prices are populated mainly by Kodak & HP brand models with the occasional Vivitar or Polaroid. So what I would like to know, is which is the better camera between the equivalent HP and Kodak models? My preference is for higher quality shots (more MPs/detail) vs. higher optical zoom however. OS X support goes without saying, off-course.

Thanks!

[The Godfather]

The Polaroid iZone 500 sells for $150 in Walmart. 5MP but no optical zoom. Plus, it is the only one with MP3 player feature.

[SuvsareRetarded]

Get a used canon. Seriously. Look around on ebay, find a seller with a high rating, and bid away. Kodak and HP make total junk.

Also, you might be able to find a used canon SD10 for around there. They're 4 megapixel, they have no optical zoom, but they take pretty decent pictures.

But ... yeah. Seriously. Getting a junk digital camera is bad news. They don't last as long, they're harder to use, and even if they have a high megapixel sensor, it doesn't mean the lense is good, which is what is responsible for taking good quality pictures. Again, USED canon.

[tooki]

Post peripherals questions in the Peripherals forum, please.

tooki