Gennynut

Can anyone recommend a good basic camera for taking photos of quilts etc and downloading them to computer etc.? one with a telephoto lens would be great but don't need anything with a lot of bells and whistles and expensive.

vanginney

I really like the brand 'Pentax' since my very first manual camera to my digital SLR. But cameras are as varied as sewing machines. Good luck! Can't go wrong 'Nikon' either.

Maggiemay

I have a Sony Cybershot that I really like.

Tashana

All of us in the family have very simple Cannons - good price, great pics and easy to use.

rush88888

i would go to an independent camera store and ask all kinds of questions. they would be very knowledgable, but don't let them sell you something that you don't need. sometimes the bells and whistles need to stay where they belong.

Ccorazone

I use my iPhone and it seems to work out fine. I always forget to get out my digital camera when I need it.

Quiltngolfer

I like my Sony Cybershot. It's small and takes good pics. Mostly I use my iPhone because its handy.

Stitchnripper

We all have simple Cascios and like them. but we all also have iPhones and those work just fine.

lovemyhorses

I have a little Olympus, and I love it - but most any digital camera in the low to mid price range will do what you want to do, and then some. As far as a "zoom" goes, the optical zoom # is more important than the digital zoom #. Megapixels = clarity, so the more megapixels a camera has, the larger you can make a print if that is something that is important to you.

Hope this was helpful, and best of luck with your camera search!

Weezy Rider

I use anything from a DSLR to the Nexus S phone.

If you go to an actual camera store (only sell cameras) they might have a screen or something equal to the size of a quilt set up and they will let you check any camera. Bring a quilt block with you, too.

If you are using a big box - sometimes a clerk will help you move the camera to check out distance and coverage.

Most cameras today are pretty good about pictures. Some of the instructions can be the pain. Don't fall for the Megapixel stunt. More Megapixels aren't necessarily better unless you are printing extremely large photos. Lose any digital zoom. Optical works.

What you need to check out is ease of use - sharing photos, posting photos online. Also check out the view screen. Some of the newer ones swivel to any angle. Also, some of the newer cameras have dropped the digital viewfinder that took the place of the optical VF on top of the camera. This might be an issue if you take photos where you can't see the viewfinder on the back of the camera in bright light. Some makers now have cameras that can get wet, and Samsung has put out a camera with a browser and possibly an internet connection. Nikon has one with a browser, too.