Study Abroad... Where to buy a camera?

Hello everyone!

So next year will be my senior year of high school, and I'm studying abroad in Japan starting in August and coming back in July of next year. So I'm probably gonna want a camera to take pictures/videos and etc.

The camera my parents currently has sucks, about 9-7 pictures and (fresh disposable) batteries are dead (for whatever reason I can get a lot more pictures with rechargeable batteries). It also is incredible bulky and annoying to carry around.

To be specific it's the Kodak Easyshare Z650...
http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/kodak-easyshare-z650/4505-6501...;lst

I'm definitely not going to bring that with me...

So to start the kind of camera I'm looking for is ''decently'' priced, can last a long time on batteries (preferably has a built in rechargeable battery), is NOT bulky like the one above, and still has decent picture and video quality.

If you have any recommendations fire away and I'll look into it.

The real question here is, USA vs. Japan which place should I buy camera X from. I mean more specifically which is going to be cheaper?

I've heard Akihabara is going to be very cheap, but I've also heard that the US can be cheap too.

NOT BUYING DURING CHRISTMAS or ''THE HOLIDAY'S''!

Please and thanks for any and all help,

Derek

go to fujiya camera in nakano ku when you arrive in tokyo and buy a small used compact from them. i bought one a few months ago for around 6000yen (70) and it was a fantastic camera (i gave it to someone as a traveling gift, i have tons of cameras, film and digital, already)

Remember that Christmas is not a major holiday season here- no need to avoid shopping at that time specifically.

Are you using a memory card in your Kodak camera? I have used a lot of small digital cameras from various companies and the built in memory only store a few photos.
With a card you can store several hundreds to thousands, depending on the card. And yes I had friends that had no idea they had to buy a separate memory card.

The batteries do die quickly if you leave your camera "on" all the time while sightseeing. It also discharge slowly if you leave it in the camera when not using it for days.
This has been my experience with a couple of cameras from different companies.

Batteries also drain fast, depending on how you set up your camera (Have a look at the menu) and if you shoot small videos. ..

Very rarely have I seen cameras cheaper in Japan. So look around and find something before you go. And ALWAYS use rechargeable batteries. They will last 3 to 4 times longer than throw away batteries. (you must be using cheap throw aways to die after 8 or 9 pictures)one of my cameras is a small point & shoot and takes 2 AA batteries(rechargeables) I can take about 150-200pix using the flash on every picture. Without using the flash about 250-300pix.

So to start the kind of camera I'm looking for is ''decently'' priced, can last a long time on batteries (preferably has a built in rechargeable battery), is NOT bulky like the one above, and still has decent picture and video quality.

If you have any recommendations fire away and I'll look into it.

I'd recommend Canon point and shoots in particular. They have excellent image quality and build quality are very easy to use. Check out the Canon A series if price is the most important. They have some models that cost around $100 USD and use AA batteries (great for when travelling to countries without reliable electricity). However if you can budget around $180 USD I'd recommend looking at the Canon SD1300IS. Its a smaller camera, comes with a rechargable battery, and most importantly is the cheapest Canon that comes with a wider 28mm lens and image stabilization.

Other brands produce some good cameras as well so shop around until you find something you like and that fits your budget.

The real question here is, USA vs. Japan which place should I buy camera X from. I mean more specifically which is going to be cheaper?

The prices can vary a lot by brand, and I've found that if you know where to look the prices in Japan are generally a little better. You can price check using www.kakaku.com but be aware that the model numbers may be different than in the US. However, since you'll only be here a short time I would suggest buying your camera in the US specifically for the warranty. Most of your camera's life after Japan will be spent in the US so in that case it will be way easier for you to get the camera serviced should you need it.

Remember that Christmas is not a major holiday season here- no need to avoid shopping at that time specifically.

I know, but in the US it is and that was info more pertaining towards the "Buying where will be cheaper?" question.

All other responses (except the first) more talked about cameras and gave tips but didn't really help me learn much...

yllwsmrf: Thanks for the answer, that was helpful! Although in regards to warranties, I'm not too concerned as I won't take too many pictures while I'm in the U.S. and half the time (like the camera above) it lies around the house. More than likely the camera will be broken while I carry it around with me from day to day in Japan vs. being left around the house in the U.S.

Moving along, I have done some research and I have narrowed what I'm looking for:

-Compact or Ultracompact Digital Camera
-Rechargeable battery must!
-720p minimum VIDEO recording quality
-As for still photos, I'm much less picky pretty much 5 megapixel or more is good.
-Optical zoom of 4-8x greater is better
-Larger LCD is usually better
-Decently priced ($100 to $300ish)

For still photos I'm really just more of a point and shoot person, Don't really care for shutter speed controls, camera fan feature 1, camera fan feature 2... etc.

If you have anything off the top of your head that sounds like this send me a link.
Although, I have yet to see Japanese cameras so I'll have to pull out rikaichan and have some fun with that.

In that case, 720p video will be your limiting requirement. Casio, Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic offer a variety of camera's that fit your needs. I'd probably give the Casio's a closer look as they get good reviews and are very affordable.

Also, I'd probably buy online in the US. The prices of Casio and Samsung cameras look to be about the same or cheaper there than in Japan. Sony and Panasonic may be a little cheaper in Japan but the domestic models aren't offered with English menus.

For still photos I'm really just more of a point and shoot person, Don't really care for shutter speed controls, camera fan feature 1, camera fan feature 2... etc.

Don't worry, every digital camera has a full auto mode, and those in your price range don't really come with "camera fan features".

If you have anything off the top of your head that sounds like this send me a link.
Although, I have yet to see Japanese cameras so I'll have to pull out rikaichan and have some fun with that.

Practically every camera available in Japan is available in the US, although they may have different model numbers in each country. Just go to your local electronics to store to check them out, then price check it online.

Having a limiting factor like 720p video while yeah it's very limiting it's also good to have stuff like that so that after I've weeded out what I desire I still have gazillions to chose from.

Well the thing is that I know that since Japan loves cameras so much that I fear they might have cameras that are slightly more advanced than ours.

I don't care if the menus are in Japanese, I can read Japanese you know xD. Actually I'd prefer them in Japanese as it becomes a slight learning resource just by using it. Which is one of the major reasons why I'm looking at getting it from Japan too...

So pretty much, unless anyone has anything to say with Japan having more advanced cameras (in my price range) then this topic is about wrapped up I guess xD.

Just want to thank everyone for their help. I've narrowed my search down to either a pocket camcorder that has 5MP stills or a 10MP camera for about the same price.

The camera is winning for now.

Having a limiting factor like 720p video while yeah it's very limiting it's also good to have stuff like that so that after I've weeded out what I desire I still have gazillions to chose from.

I meant limiting in that it is the one feature that really narrows down the field. Your other requirements are rather standard for the price range that you're looking at. 720 video is nice feature to have, just know that it takes up a lot of space so get yourself a big memory card.

Well the thing is that I know that since Japan loves cameras so much that I fear they might have cameras that are slightly more advanced than ours.

Nope, pretty much everything is available in both countries. If anything a particular model might be released a few weeks earlier in Japan.

This is the best camera I have ever bought and would recommend it a million times over.

http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?cata...

Sony Cybershot DSC-W350