Digital camera suggestions

[CarolinaCy]

I'm looking to get a new digital camera to replace our old one, and just wondering if anyone has any recommendations. Probably want to stay under $200, and it will mostly be used for just family type stuff and random pictures, nothing professional or anything.

Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

 

[Knownothing]

We just bought a new one also. It was $150 bucks at target. I made my wife agree to red due to the Cyclones. Basically she knows I will agree to most things in life if they are red.

 

[CyinCo]

I LOVE my canon Powershot SD1100 IS. It is a point and shoot. Fully automated. It comes with a long life lithium ion battery and compact charger. It has a huge viewing screen. 8.0 megapixel on highest res. Takes SD cards instead of proprietary cards. And, it is fast to take the picture and ready for the next.

It is my second version of this camera. I wanted a lightweight camera that I can slip in my pocket and take on backpack trips. This fits the bill. (I still have the old one as well but I use it for work only).

And all for $200.00.

 

[Iastfan112]

My advice, which might push that pricetag a bit higher, is invest in a camera with good image stabilization, it really leaves more room for error in terms of zoomed shots and action shots. Just my two cents.

If your looking to stay around your price range, I've really been pleased with the Nikon Coolpix line which runs just north of 100 dollars for the nicer ones.

 

[joefrog]

I LOVE my canon Powershot SD1100 IS. It is a point and shoot. Fully automated. It comes with a long life lithium ion battery and compact charger. It has a huge viewing screen. 8.0 megapixel on highest res. Takes SD cards instead of proprietary cards. And, it is fast to take the picture and ready for the next.

It is my second version of this camera. I wanted a lightweight camera that I can slip in my pocket and take on backpack trips. This fits the bill. (I still have the old one as well but I use it for work only).

And all for $200.00.

There is a sweet Canon for sale at $150 at BestBuy. This may be the model. I have an older version, and got my gf this one. Both are fantastic. Works great and fast. Blurry pics are very rare, if ever. Manages light in pics very well, and face recognition is awesome. The pics are amazing quality. Great battery life, nice size, and tough. Dropped mine several times, works and still looks new. Check it out for yourself.

 

[Tornado man]

I just bought a Canon also - PowerShot A590 IS - 8.0 megapixels, 4x zoom, image stablization - for $150. Rated Best Buy by everyone. Absolutely love it. TONS of features for the money. It's slightly larger than the SD1100, which I considered also. Runs on AA batteries, which I love. Bought rechargable batteries and a recharger to go along with it. Didn't want to invest much more, as there's a chance to damage it or even lose it at sports events, tailgating, etc.

 

[jumbopackage]

I'm a Canon guy, and the powershot line of PaS cameras are tough to beat.

I'd echo the Image Stabilization sentiment. It will let you take much better pictures in lower light conditions without using flash.

I'd recommend something like the SD770 IS. You should be able to get that for under 200. It's 10MP (Megapixels are overrated, IMO), uses SD cards (which are dirt cheap).

 

[keepngoal]

I'm a Canon guy, and the powershot line of PaS cameras are tough to beat.

I'd echo the Image Stabilization sentiment. It will let you take much better pictures in lower light conditions without using flash.

I'd recommend something like the SD770 IS. You should be able to get that for under 200. It's 10MP (Megapixels are overrated, IMO), uses SD cards (which are dirt cheap).

is this the one you were recommending?

86th Street Photo & Video

-keep.

 

[jumbopackage]

is this the one you were recommending?

86th Street Photo & Video

-keep.

Yup. Same thing.

I have it's older cousin, which is only 4 megapixels, and use it from time to time. It's nice to have around because it's so small, and I don't like always having to carry around my SLR(s) which are bulky and heavy (but take great pictures).

 

[cycopath25]

I stand by the Canon brand. Good stuff!

 

[Iastfan112]

I'm a Canon guy, and the powershot line of PaS cameras are tough to beat.

I'd echo the Image Stabilization sentiment. It will let you take much better pictures in lower light conditions without using flash.

I'd recommend something like the SD770 IS. You should be able to get that for under 200. It's 10MP (Megapixels are overrated, IMO), uses SD cards (which are dirt cheap).

Yeah, MP are overrated, was a big deal back when you were dealing with 2-5 mp but now for most people the 7 pm most cameras come with will be more than enough.

 

[ceeboe]

I have a cannon digital elph, works real well. Could use image stabilization, but that wasn't available at the time.

Still well worth the money although now they sell for half of what I spent.

 

[cloneluke80]

just bought a panasonic lumix lz10 at vanns.com for only $170!

best price and great service. Takes awesome pictures and is one step below professional:

Panasonic DMC-LZ10 10.1 megapixel black Lumix digital camera (DMC LZ10K) at Vanns.com | features

 

[TxCycloneFan]

I need one that is faster than my Fuji or my Kodak. When I'm taking pictures at soccer games, I snap the shutter and by the time the camera takes the picture, the action has passed.

Is this the way all low priced digitals are?

Should I go back to my 35mm?

 

[ISUFan22]

My advice, which might push that pricetag a bit higher, is invest in a camera with good image stabilization, it really leaves more room for error in terms of zoomed shots and action shots. Just my two cents.

I just bought a Canon also - PowerShot A590 IS - 8.0 megapixels, 4x zoom, image stablization - for $150. Rated Best Buy by everyone.

+1 to both of these - it's a great camera.

For reviews on cameras...go to...

Digital Camera Reviews and News: Digital Photography Review: Forums, Glossary, FAQ

If you want a point-n-shoot camera that you can get professional quality shots from (as well has having a shoe for an external flash) - check out the Canon G10. Or, get the fantastic Canon G9 used.

 

[ISUFan22]

I need one that is faster than my Fuji or my Kodak. When I'm taking pictures at soccer games, I snap the shutter and by the time the camera takes the picture, the action has passed.

Is this the way all low priced digital are?

Should I go back to my 35mm?

Many of them, yes. Depending on the model of your camera - you can go into aperture mode or even manual. Set your f-stop to the lowest number possible (2.8 if you can, some only go to 3.5). By going to aperture priority, your camera will be locked at that setting and then calculate the shutter speed on the fly.

If you went manual, you could control both.

 

[jumbopackage]

I need one that is faster than my Fuji or my Kodak. When I'm taking pictures at soccer games, I snap the shutter and by the time the camera takes the picture, the action has passed.

Is this the way all low priced digitals are?

Should I go back to my 35mm?

Are you talking about shutter lag (the time it takes to take a picture once focused - shutter halfway down)? Or are you talking about the time it takes to autofocus (shutter halfway down) and then snap the picture (which is what it has to do if you aren't already focused and you just press the shutter all the way down)?

Many of them, yes. Depending on the model of your camera - you can go into aperture mode or even manual. Set your f-stop to the lowest number possible (2.8 if you can, some only go to 3.5). By going to aperture priority, your camera will be locked at that setting and then calculate the shutter speed on the fly.

If you went manual, you could control both.

I suspect the problem is less the manual settings and more shutter lag/time it takes to autofocus. It doesn't take very long to meter a scene and auto expose it properly, though for sports it might be nice to be in shutter priority mode and dial up as much shutter as you can.

Honestly, if you're going to be shooting sports and are quasi-serious about getting good shots, you need to get an SLR. Even the entry level ones are miles ahead of the point and shoots. A decent SLR (you can get a Rebel XT on ebay for under 300 probably...it's not as gucci as the newer XSi and XS, but picture quality is every bit as good) and a reasonable USM zoom lens (the EF 100-300 4.5/5.6, for example which can be had for 200ish) would be a start. Some of the lenses alone for shooting sports can cost a few grand, so don't expect to be shooting covers for sports illustrated, but daylight shots at a reasonable ISO (400 or 800) will give you some good results with that combo, I'd say.

Sports and birding are the two most demanding tasks most people have for cameras, and people spend tens of thousands on setups for shooting those two things, so don't expect miracles, but you should at least be able to get some decent shots out of a cheap SLR setup.

Though you shouldn't have THAT much trouble with a point and shoot.

 

[ISUFan22]

Well of course if you want better than average shots shooting sports, an SLR is needed. And not just an SLR, but good glass is even more important. Good = fast glass.

My Canon 28-135 3.5-5.6 lens doesn't cut it for anything sports related - the 70-200L 2.8 lens will do the job just fine. Not to mention, it's a much better portrait lens than what I have.

But, I wanted to give him suggestions for his current camera. Not everyone is interested in dropping close to a grand (or more in many cases) on photo equipment.

EF 100-300 4.5/5.6

Better than a point-n-shoot - of course. But unless the light outside is perfect - you'll find these shots are incredible soft.

 

[TxCycloneFan]

Are you talking about shutter lag (the time it takes to take a picture once focused - shutter halfway down)? Or are you talking about the time it takes to autofocus (shutter halfway down) and then snap the picture (which is what it has to do if you aren't already focused and you just press the shutter all the way down)?


I suspect the problem is less the manual settings and more shutter lag/time it takes to autofocus. It doesn't take very long to meter a scene and auto expose it properly, though for sports it might be nice to be in shutter priority mode and dial up as much shutter as you can.

Honestly, if you're going to be shooting sports and are quasi-serious about getting good shots, you need to get an SLR. Even the entry level ones are miles ahead of the point and shoots. A decent SLR (you can get a Rebel XT on ebay for under 300 probably...it's not as gucci as the newer XSi and XS, but picture quality is every bit as good) and a reasonable USM zoom lens (the EF 100-300 4.5/5.6, for example which can be had for 200ish) would be a start. Some of the lenses alone for shooting sports can cost a few grand, so don't expect to be shooting covers for sports illustrated, but daylight shots at a reasonable ISO (400 or 800) will give you some good results with that combo, I'd say.

Sports and birding are the two most demanding tasks most people have for cameras, and people spend tens of thousands on setups for shooting those two things, so don't expect miracles, but you should at least be able to get some decent shots out of a cheap SLR setup.

Though you shouldn't have THAT much trouble with a point and shoot.

I am not a pro with my Fuji, I have tried several of the manual settings, the aperture priority, auto-focus, etc. I feel that the problem is the lag time from pressing the shutter all the way down or halfway down doesn't seem to matter. I see the girls winding up for a shot and I press the shutter. I get a picture 2 to 3 seconds later. I have to be a fortune teller or just plain lucky to get a good shot.

 

[ISUFan22]

I am not a pro with my Fuji, I have tried several of the manual settings, the aperture priority, auto-focus, etc. I feel that the problem is the lag time from pressing the shutter all the way down or halfway down doesn't seem to matter. I see the girls winding up for a shot and I press the shutter. I get a picture 2 to 3 seconds later. I have to be a fortune teller or just plain lucky to get a good shot.

Read your manual. Some of these cameras have continuous focusing - so you can hold the shutter down halfway - the camera continues to focus and then you press it all the way to take the shot.

It's a common function in SLRs, but I believe some point-n-shoots have it.