Digital Camera for $1

[TromboneAl]

I got a Kodak DC260 for $1 at a garage sale yesterday. There were no cables, no memory card, and no batteries, so I bargained down from $3 to $1.

It's a model that came out almost 10 years ago, but this one looks brand new. I had a compact flash card at home that fits it, and a card reader so I don't need cables. My NiMH AA batteries work fine, and I've taken about 100 shots without changing them.

The pictures are not as good as with the newest cameras, and it's only 1.5 megapixels, but it will work well for when DW and I both need cameras.

Here are some pictures I took on a walk today:

 

[TromboneAl]

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[FinallyRetired]

Beautiful photos. California coast?

 

[wabmester]

I have about a dozen old digicams. Tried to sell some of them at a garage sale for around $5/each. No sale! And they all included cables, cards, etc.

So, I tried to give one to my 4-year-old as a kidcam. "Where's the LCD? No thanks, Dad." "Uh, I don't like having to hold down the button for 2 seconds. No thanks, Dad."

Finally, she accepted one. It has a bunch of stuck pixels, but she likes the effect.

Newer digicams are soooo much better than those of just a few years ago. Not just the number of pixels, but the lens quality, image stabilizers, shot latency, etc.

 

[TromboneAl]

You're right Wab, and I'm tempted to buy a much better camera.

But you can look at it like this:

When this camera came out, it was at the upper end of the point-and-shoot marketplace.

In a few years, the cameras of today will seem terrible in comparison to the cameras available at that future date.

So, all I have to do is accept the limitations of a technology that is a few years old, and I save perhaps $499. That's about 7 lobster dinners in a great restaurant, or about 1/6th of a trip to Hawaii. In a few years, I'll get one of today's cameras that's sooo much better at garage sale for $2.

 

[twaddle]

[Dammit. Wab wasn't supposed to post anymore. I broke his post-count symmetry!]

I love the idea of salvaging old tech, and you're right about the short life cycle of new tech, but you don't have to spend $500 like you used to.

Canon A550 is pretty nice for $130. And I've been considering getting a wide-lens point-and-shoot like the Panasonic/Leica FX07 for about $200.

I figured the best way to salvage old tech was to give it to the kid, but even she can't go back after playing with Mom's newer Canon....

Another thought was to keep the old digicams in the glove boxes of our cars, but eventually the batteries die (or worse), so they may not be available when you need them.

 

[Culture]

And I've been considering getting a wide-lens point-and-shoot like the Panasonic/Leica FX07 for about $200.

I have one. Best point and shoot on the market. Leica can make lenses!