The Great Camera Problem- Advice Needed!

[Darksin]

Hey Folks!

I know a lot of you folks around here know tons about cameras. I know pretty much nothing, I admit this. My camera is my cell phone, I'm told this is unacceptable. The husband is pushing for a new camera but everything he's lusting over is so far out of our pathetic price range I'd need to sell a kidney to afford one! So let me pose this question here, where I can get an honest opinion!

We're looking for a good digital camera. One that can do good low-light snap-shots and HD video.
Our price range is around $300 and we're willing to buy used to acquire something good.
My only request is that it be pretty simple to use, something even my cell phone camera using self can figure out without a thousand page manual!

The husband has told me to add in here he already owns Cannon lens. Apparently this is important?
Now, Opinions on what I should purchase?

...and thank you for the help in advance!

[drcorey]

Hey Folks!

I know a lot of you folks around here know tons about cameras. I know pretty much nothing, I admit this. My camera is my cell phone, I'm told this is unacceptable. The husband is pushing for a new camera but everything he's lusting over is so far out of our pathetic price range I'd need to sell a kidney to afford one! So let me pose this question here, where I can get an honest opinion!

We're looking for a good digital camera. One that can do good low-light snap-shots and HD video.
Our price range is around $300 and we're willing to buy used to acquire something good.
My only request is that it be pretty simple to use, something even my cell phone camera using self can figure out without a thousand page manual!

The husband has told me to add in here he already owns Cannon lens. Apparently this is important?
Now, Opinions on what I should purchase?

...and thank you for the help in advance!

either get a real high end phone. or get a high end point and shoot camera. DSLRs with removable lens start at like 500.00. also you could check the wholesale clubs too. they sometimes get good deals.

[WEDFan]

From the price range you're definitely looking at point and shoot. That's not bad at all, though, since the point and shoots have come a long way. It absolutely blows my mind what some of the small cameras can do these days. Just as a point of reference, in my youth I shot with SLRs and even did some of my own B&W dark room work. I enjoy taking pictures a lot, but these days I rely exclusively on my point and shoot. I'm nowhere near professional, so the point and shoot does basically everything I want.

I am currently using a Panasonic Lumix SZ7. It has a 10x optical zoom, 14.1 megapixel.
My wife uses a Canon Elph 130. It has a 8x optical zoom and 16.0 megapixel.

Both cost us around $200. Both have good light sensitivy. Both have very good startup and recovery times. In addition, both are about the size of a deck of cards. The Lumix was acquired about 6 months ago. Before that I was using a Canon Powershot which was just a little smaller than an SLR. I had that for the 10x zoom, especially for use in the Animal Kingdom. The problem is, It was big, relatively speaking, and I didn't want to drag it around on vacation all the time, so I only took it with me maybe a third of the time. I tried the Lumix since it had the 10x zoom and I love it for what I do.

Optical zoom is important. Digital zoom is basically useless. You can achieve the same results as a digital zoom after you get home and put it on a computer or mobile device. With a digital zoom your camera is essentially pre-cropping for you. You might just as well take the shot without zooming and simply crop and zoom afterwards when you have better control. Optical zoom magnifies the image using a lens so what lands on the sensor is only what you're interested in.

Others may have more informed opinions, but I pretty much don't worry about megapixels these days. Anything above 10 is going to give you a good quality enlargement. Basically anything on a screen will be fine, and if you plan on printing (yourself or through a service) as long as you're not going to poster size you shouldn't notice any pixelation. If you do plan on doing posters, I'm going to say your budget is probably insufficient. :D:

As far as light sensitivity goes, you just need to recognise that the lower the light, the more you're going to either get grainy images or have a longer exposure time that gives you blur on moving objects (or both). That being said, both my wife and I take indoor pictures without flash all the time. We do a lot of museums and so forth as a start, but we also like to take pictures on rides when we can. You may not have known this, but we like to visit Disney parks. That being said, museums are generally not an issue at all -- perfectly fine pictures. To give you an idea on some other venues, we have gotten some pretty remarkable shots inside the Hall of Presidents, Voyage of the Little Mermaid, and even Finding Nemo the Musical. The real dark ones like Peter Pan or the Haunted Mansion, not so much. Even with the lighter ones, you'll throw away three quarters of your attempts, but, hey, it's digital! No big whoop.

Hope some of this helps.

[Goofyernmost]

I think it depends on you own personal expectations. The following pictures were taken with a Casio EX-Z77. It is a little pocket sized camera with zoom lens and a number of settings that I don't have an idea what they do. The pictures, to me, are the best quality photos that I have ever seen on any previous camera that I have owned. I realized that my expertise is almost non-existent. The amazing thing about this camera is that it is smaller then a pack of cigarettes. About the same height and width but with the camera off the thickness of it is just a little over a half inch. It can easily fit in ones pocket but it came with a magnetic case that hooks in your belt, if you use a belt. You almost forget you have it sometimes. The cost was about $150.00.

[hobie16]

All of the junior sailing pics I've posted here were taken with a Nikon Cool Pix 3000. The latest model is now the 3300. It does pretty much everything my megabucks D90 does in a point and shoot. I use it in Sport mode so I can blow off multiple frames per second to capture action subjects.

[Penny]

In my opinion, I have an awsome point and shoot. It's a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5. It has a 10x Optical Zoom. With Sweep Panorama you simply pan the camera around while holding down the shutter button and it captures a rapid series images which it stitches on the fly into a single uninterrupted panoramic shot. It also has great stabilization. When I first got my camera I was traveling down I-95 and just out of the tunnel was a cruise ship to my left. I turned on the camera with the 'anti blur' setting, stuck my arm out the window and clicked. I was traveling at least 65 MPH. When I uploaded the picture to my computer, I couldn't believe the clarity. You would never know I was moving while taking the picture. This totally sold me on the camera. At this time, I hadn't decided to keep it or not. I use the 'anti blur' setting for just about everything. While at Disney World, I just keep walking and clicking. My pictures always turn out great and I don't have to waste time focusing on the shot.

[Darksin]

Thanks for all the advice! Seems like point and shoot's have gotten a lot better since I last purchased one (about 4-5 years ago now).
As I said, I just want something good but simple. However it seems like the husband has his heart set on a used DSLR which will probably be delegated to the realm of "Things I'm not allowed to play with" so I'll end up picking up a simple point and shoot for myself. Although I have to say, I'm still surprised how nice cell-phone cameras have gotten over the years even though I'm trying to break myself of using it for everything. That's probably a matter of convenience since my cell is always there and I rarely remember to bring a camera places!

I'll try out all the brand's you've suggested and see what I like! I'm trying to get something that will replace the need to carry both a Digital Camera and a Digital Camcorder but the best way to know is to ask then go play with them!

Thanks again for all the help, I'll keep checking back and let you know what I end up with! :D:

[WEDFan]

Thanks for all the advice! Seems like point and shoot's have gotten a lot better since I last purchased one (about 4-5 years ago now).
As I said, I just want something good but simple. However it seems like the husband has his heart set on a used DSLR which will probably be delegated to the realm of "Things I'm not allowed to play with" so I'll end up picking up a simple point and shoot for myself. Although I have to say, I'm still surprised how nice cell-phone cameras have gotten over the years even though I'm trying to break myself of using it for everything. That's probably a matter of convenience since my cell is always there and I rarely remember to bring a camera places!

I'll try out all the brand's you've suggested and see what I like! I'm trying to get something that will replace the need to carry both a Digital Camera and a Digital Camcorder but the best way to know is to ask then go play with them!

Thanks again for all the help, I'll keep checking back and let you know what I end up with! :D:

Well, I hope the husband goes with you and plays with them, too. It just might change his mind. I know that I still go by a camera display and see the DSLRs sitting there and go "Look. something shiny!" For me, it's kind of a pavlovian response. I think about the versatility of a nice macro lens and great telephoto, the larger CCD, better flash options, and I want. Then the practical side takes over and I start grilling myself...

"What do you want to do with that camera that you can't with your little one?"
"Well, ummm, I could, uh... I dunno... portraits of the dog???"
"Uh, huh. I'm sure you'd do that a lot."
"Other things, too. Like... ummmm... "
"And where would be doing thes other things?"
"You know. On vacation and stuff. Maybe some day trips."
"Right, and when the time comes, how often are you going to want to carry the bag?"

"Okay, okay."

As you can tell, I'm seriously touched. :p:

[hobie16]

My point and shoot is a great little camera but the big one does things the little guy can't.

Instant exposure - Takes pictures now! With the small cameras, there's a pause before the shot is taken. Probably because of a slower processor.

Multiple exposurers per second - The small camera does about 1.5 per second. The big guy does 4.5.

Long lens - I use a 300 mm to capture stuff at a distance. I can get even longer lens if needed.

Anti vibration - This makes hand held, far off, multiple shots possible.

The Nikon Cool Pix 3300 now has anti vibration. They're also cheaper than my 3000 I bought two years ago. It's something to consider.

[DisneyMom]

Nikon A100 Waterproof says Hubby. I don't know details,but he is happy :)