Korean Job Discussion Forums

[freebeerandchicken]

hey all,

i am looking to buy a Canon A520 camera using one of Korea's online shopping sites.

so far i've checked G-Market (www.gmarket.co.kr) and the price is looking fairly decent.

does anyone know of any other sites i should check out??

thanks,


kevin

[SeoulFinn]

Hi there!


I suppose you understand some Korean, right? If you do, I think I know just the place you should check for good deals.

http://www.danawa.com/

They have listed almost everything that "a growing boy might need." PC, CPU, memory, laptop, camera, lense, flash... you name it! I bought two DSLRs and one flash through that site.

By the way, if I were you I would get something bit more advanced than A520. I'm sure it's a great camera and the Canon is the best brand, but...


SeoulFinn

[freebeerandchicken]

Hey!

Thanks for the link..

I am largely going for this camera based on my friend's recommendation. Here is what he had to say:

"Anyways, my camera is the Canon A520. I really really highly recommend it. In Canada it cost about $350 but you should be able to get it here for around 300. Overall i would say Canon make the best low to mid reange digi cams. Things you should look for:

greater than 3.2 megapixels. but no higher than 5.0MP unless you plan on enlarging you pictures to make posters.. 4.0MP is good enough.
greater that 3x OPTICAL zoom. .. digital zoom is a scam. it just enlarges the picture it doesnt actuall let you see farther. Higher optical zoom can really make the price go up and the camera a lot bigger so only go for it if you like to take shots of really far away things. That whats good about the A520. You get 4x optical zoom but the camera is still really small and its still pretty cheap. Also check out the battery situation. Some cameras take 4 AA some take 2 AA and some are rechargable Lithium. I'd either go with the 2AA or the Lithium. The A520 is 2AA. If you get a camera that takes AA then you'll have to buy rechargable NiMH batteries and a charge that'll cost about $30. but its still worth it. Lithium batteries are really tempermental. Also all digi cams come with a really small memory card. you'll have to buy another bigger one.. i'd get 512MB or bigger. talk to the guy at the store to find out what kind is compatible with your cam. Anyways thats probably all you need to know but if you have any more questions just ask.. "


I'd love some feedback on the above stuff!

[Horangi Munshin]

[freebeerandchicken]

What is a NiMH battery anyway? I suspect its a rechargable AA battery, but SUPER POWERED! Yes?

Any more thoughts on this cameras specs? I'm gonna pay about 230,000 Won total for it, with the NiMH batteries and a 512 MB memory card.

[hepcat]

I'd advise you do a little more research before you spend your hard earned cash. You will, after all, have this for several years. Friends are one source of info, but they likely have a very limited knowledge base.Try these sites for starters:

http://www.dpreview.com/

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/allreviews.php

They have systematically reviewed a lot of cameras, and don't seem too biased (unlike, say, the bootlickers who review for CNET!).

Also, you might want to wait a few weeks, as most camera companies just announced new models and they will hit the market shortly. Digital camera technology is improving very rapidly, so that models released 6 months ago are, in many cases, already left behind in terms of features, image quality and value. Very interesting and useful, I think, is the image stabilization ability on the newest cameras. Your friend is right about Canon, however. Almost all their point-and-shoot cameras are great, and they come with handy software for dealing with the pic.s. (rechargeable AAs are great too--I don't find they loose their charge in storage much at all) I have been using an A95 for over a year now, and it's sharp, solid, and oh so easy to use.
One last bit of advice. Unless you take a lot of sports or bird photos, try to find a camera with a real wide angle (not easy), because, although they are more expensive, they are so much more useful for indoor people shots and scenery, two of the most common picture taking situations. By wide angle I mean a lens that will cover the area equivalent to that covered by a 28 mm lens on a 35 mm film camera. The reviews will give this info. Myself, I'm looking at getting the Canon S80, the Sony DSC R1, or one of the new Ricoh's. Maybe I'll just wait for a wide angle Canon or Nikon with image-stabilization, this summer perhaps?