Digital cameras 101

[RichieBeno]

I did own the fantastic kodak cx6230 a little while ago. I was however disappointed when playing back movies on the camera there was no sound. I had to plug the camera into the T.V or PC to get sound. Now i have tried searching but seem to be unable to find answers. I want to buy a new camera which has the facility whereby i can playback movies with sound on the camera without hooking it up to any device. Any info would be greatly received P.s i am on a budget of about £150

[ShutterbugGail]

Hi RichieBeno,

Welcome to the Q&A Board.

You'll need a digital camera which has a mini-built in speaker. Many of the newer digital cameras have this feature, though it doesn't seem to be listed specifically in camera databases.

Here's what I suggest you do:

Use the feature search at dpreview. You can find it here:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp

Select the price range, select "yes" from the "Movie Clips" drop down menu, then click "compare."  Make a notation of the cameras "with audio." (some cameras record video, but not with audio).

Call a local camera shop, or the manufacturer, and ask if the audio can be heard during in-camera Playback. Remember too, some digital cameras only record between 30 seconds and three minutes. Others have no limit and record until the memory card is filled up.

I don't know whether or not you'll be able to find a new digicam with an internal speaker in your price range.

btw, I understand that one of the best digital cameras as far as video recording, is the Canon PowerShot S1 IS. From what I read, it produces exceptional quality. It lists for $400 in the U.S. but has come down significantly in price. Sometimes you can get a good deal buying a used camera, but you do have to be careful.

My best guess is that the PowerSHot S1 has a built-in recorder though I don't know for sure. It also has a long telephoto lens with Image Stabilization.

Hope this helps a bit.