The Best Place to Buy and Sell Digital Cameras & Camcorders

Digital Cameras from $25!! At GadgetEase we carry a WIDE variety of cameras and camcorders at many affordable price points. And since our staff is constantly testing and reviewing the latest gadgets we can answer many of your questions and help you find a camera that you will enjoy!

Why pay over $100 when you can get a nice camera at GadgetEase for much less?

What To Look For When Buying A Digital Camera:
1. Cameras over 4-5 megapixel (MP) will have a very high quality picture when viewed on the computer or e-mailed and is fine for MOST people (especially for e-mailing or sharing using online photo sites)

2. Secure Digital Memory Card Expansion Slot - Memory cards allow you to store your photos on your camera. Most cameras over 2 years old will be limited to a maximum of 2 gigabytes of storage or the equivalent of 464 8 Megapixel photos. For capacities higher than 2 gigabytes look for SDHC and SDXC compatibility, however for most people 2GB is plenty of storage. (also keeping less on a card minimizes your risk if it is lost, stolen, or becomes corrupted - backup your card contents REGULARLY to avoid mishaps!!)

3. Larger displays - Older cameras tend to have smaller screens with slightly less quality. Bigger displays make it easier to review your photos and easier to go through menu options.

4. Optical Zoom (not to be confused with digital zoom) - Most point and shoot cameras have a 3X-4X optical zoom. Any cameras with over 3x optical zoom are usually more advanced and bulkier. If you have ever used a camera WITHOUT a zoom like your cell phone you know how much the zoom can make a difference.

5. Rechargeable battery vs. Standard Alkaline - rechargeable internal batteries tend to last longer however for convenience some people like standard AA alkaline batteries because they can be purchased almost anywhere and you do not have to keep track of a battery charger which seems to always become misplaced.

6. Thin and Light - thinner and lighter cameras are nice because they can fit into your pocket and you will be more likely to bring the camera and snap that great picture.

7. Video Modes - Most digital cameras will also have a video mode. Try to find a camera with 640x480 or higher video resolution. Anything lower than this will only look good when viewed on the cameras tiny screen but will look blocky and pixellated when watched on your TV or computer

8. Internal Zoom vs. External Mechanical - Some cameras use a special zoom lens that does not have external moving parts and are less prone to damage. You will see the lens is sealed behind protective glass instead of protruding out when zooming.

9. Watch out for DIGITAL ZOOM - if you see a camera that says something like 3x optical zoom and 20x digital zoom, do not get too excited. The digital zoom worsens the quality significantly and in most cases cannot be used to create a decent picture.

10. Shutter Lag and Startup Time - Some cameras (especially older ones) can suffer from a problem called shutter lag, which is the time it takes from when you press the shutter release button to when the camera actually snaps a picture. This can become extremely annoying if you miss your shot and is why Digital SLR cameras are becoming more popular because they shoot almost instantly. (to avoid shutter lag, hold the button half way to focus, then way you press all the way it will shoot more rapidly). Startup times vary among cameras and should be tested since this can mean getting your shot or NOT. Review sites like www.imaging-resource.com post detailed information like this on their reviews and is a great resource.

11. Point and Shoot, Prosumer, or Digital SLR - most digital cameras can fit one of three classes. Basic point and shoots usually have smaller zoom lens, less manual controls, and more automatic or scene modes for easy operation. Prosumer models will usually be larger in size, have more manual controls, and usually slightly harder to use. Digital SLR cameras were mostly for professionals however more and more consumers are beginning to take a liking, mainly because you can take pictures VERY FAST, interchangeable lenses, & manual adjustment of settings.

12. Ask our staff - if you have ANY questions please call or visit our store! GadgetEase Locations


 Digital Camcorders and Video Cameras
At GadgetEase we buy and sell a wide variety of camcorders
From Vintage Hi-8 camcorders to view your old home movies to newer cameras with hard drives and solid state memory. We have many options in the $50-300 price range! Stop by one of our store locations or give us a call for more information!

What To Look For When Buying A Camcorder:
1. Recording Format - The recording format is probably the single most important consideration. If you can find a Solid State Drive model in your price range these will be the most reliable, transfer to computers quickest, and don't require tapes. A good alternative though for the money is a HARD DRIVE based camcorder which can store many hours of video also but has a spinning hard drive which is not as stable as solid state drives. If you plan on playing the video off of the camera then DV, AV

Hi-8 Tape (Oldest)	DV / HDV Tape	AVC HD	DVD	Hard Drive	Solid State Drives (newest)
Hi-8 format cameras are no longer produced but were very popular in the 90's. Some models have firewire for converting your old footage to digital. HI-8 camcorders sell for around $150-250 used.	DV tape camcorders were very popular for a while and still are. However getting video to a computer is time consuming. It is done at 1X or real-time, so every hour of video takes 1 hour to import! Requires FIREWIRE input on computer. HDV recording resolution is 1920 x 1080 where DV can only record up to 720 x 480.	Many lower priced cameras began using AVC HD and is targeted for consumers. Not as good quality as HDV however many more cameras use this format. Prices vary widely. AVC HD models can either store onto DV tapes, Internal Memory, Or Memory Cards.	Some cameras record directly to a DVD disk. This is convenient because to playback you can just put the disk into your player connected to the tv. Although fairly expensive when released these sell for around $200 since newer solid state and hard drive cameras have become more popular with less moving parts.	Hard drive models are nice because you can transfer video pretty quickly (faster than real-time). However Solid State Drives are taking over but are much more expensive per Gigabyte and are pretty much maxed out at 128GB currently.	Latest and greatest! Stores onto internal memory chips and some have expansion memory slot as well. No moving parts like hard drives. Tend to be expensive if over 8GB internal memory. FLIP video makes a decent solid state consumer camera that we get in fairly often for around $100.

Recording Resolutions: Smaller = Worse Quality

1920 x 1080p is considered FULL High Definition. In the past 720p was considered High Definition. Display resolutions are commonly abbreviated 1080i, 1080p, 720i, 720p, 480i, 480p. The I and P stand for Interlaced or Progressive. Progressive is higher quality and better for fast action.


We Also Buy Digital SLR Cameras & Lenses