[at-l] Narrowing Down the Digital Camera Search

[shane@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Shane Steinkamp)]

> Canon Digital IXUS v3 (PowerShot S230 Digital
> Elph) 2x zoom 8.8oz (250g) WITH batteries
> 399 3.14 m pixels

Good choice.

> What I am NOT keen on are the proprietary Canon
> Lithium-Ion batteries, THO they are said to be
> cheap, and the camera is relatively easy on them.

In my opinion, you need to carry three.  I have found that LI rechargeables
suffer terribly in the cold, and while I usually get over 90 minutes out of
my Sony MVC-CD300 on one battery, in temperatures below 40 degrees, I get
about 30.

> That's because now I must monkey with a charger.

Don't sweat this too much.

> 1) Someone out there has bounced a recharger
> forward - how big a hassle was
> it? Am I going to be hating this camera?
> 2) How heavy are the chargers?

They aren't very heavy, and no, you aren't going to hate it.  I would even
carry mine on the trail because it's so light.

> 3) Where to buy the cheapest batteries, CF cards,
> carrying cases, etc.

www.etronics.com  I have used them several times, and always been pleased.

> 4) The husband of one of my clients is a techno
> geek, and delighted to be digital download home
> team support. What do I need to make sure he has?
> I know he has a CD burner...

That depends on what you're using and what you want to do.  My Sony camera
burns images to CD-ROMs.  Usually I just hold on to them, but for a long
trip all I would have to do is ship them home.

> 5) Anything else I'm not thinking of, but should.

Method to keep camera dry.

Method to clean lens.

Always use a wrist/neck strap.

Tripod?

The camera has a self timer.  Learn the manual settings.  There are some
rather cool things you can do with a long exposure and a camp fire.

Shane