OT - Camera Recommendations

Fred19Flintstone

This is what we have now. It's beginning to have issues with the auto lens cover and a couple of other things. It's a point 'n shoot with a decent zoom and we paid under $400 a couple of years ago. Not straying too far from that price, what do you photo buffs recommend?

henapple

Ask @cazzy... Or vi

Gogogordy

I have a Lumix DSCZ7 which Im delighted with. Metal body, 12 mp, GPS tagging, leica glass, and much more. Paid about 250 with an extra battery from Samy's Cameras. Replace a digital Canon Rebel with it and have never looked back.

Village Idiot

You didn't mention all of the uses you want for  your new camera.  I dislike all point and shoots for the "shutter lag" you get with them.  I have always been partial to SLRs, which have become very affordable.

I started with Nikon in 1972, and have stayed with them, because I understand their interface.  Canon is just as good  and they tend to leapfrog over each other as new features come out.

If you want to get into SLRs but don't want to spend a bunch, I'd look in to the Nikon D3100 or D3200 with the 18-55 lens. Go to here for model comparisons.  I'm sure Canon has a similar webpage.  There are other brands worth looking in to, but people tend to get hung up on minute details.  My advice is to just stick with the two leaders.

nolaegghead

Yep, I agree (for once) with VI.  Stick with Canon or Nikon.  Digital SLR...don't get hung up on megapixels.  Spend your money on lenses if you want to spend it wisely.  If you want to shoot pro quality, get prime lenses.  Good ones. 

I have an older Canon 10D.  Thinking about upgrading to a 6D.  Have a bunch invested in lenses, so I'll probably never switch to Nikon.  I've had both, but I like the ergonomics on the Canon better.

cazzy

The Sony RS100 is one of the better P&S out there. @Hapster has it and loves it...as do all the other numerous owners.

I have a Nikon P7700 and really like. It's a good P&S...but it's definitely bigger than yours. It feels great in the hand and has MAS so I love the control it offers. You can get it for about $300

henapple

Ask @hapster... Where the hell is he?

Gogogordy

Size often comes into play...I toss mine into to my motorcycle bags, and my Lumix ( and other P&S models) takes exceptional quality photos, equal to many late-model SLRs, (and with much of the same ability to manipulate if you wish to) with a much smaller footprint than a full size DSLR and most of the "bridge" DSLRs now being offered. Long and short....there are a ton of great, affordable digital camera to pick from...P&S, Bridge, DSLR. Something for everyone. Seriously.

Botch

Village Idiot said:

I dislike all point and shoots for the "shutter lag" you get with them.  I have always been partial to SLRs, which have become very affordable.

 

My P&S Sony Cybershot doesn't have "shutter lag" if you remember to slightly depress the shutter button (this also sets the autofocus) and then fully press at the right moment.  

That being said, its my motorcycling/travel camera; I too really love my Nikon SLR (obsolete D-200 body currently, too many expensive lenses to change now).  

Just recently I scored a Nikkor 80-200 f2.8, previous version, immaculate, for $625!  Yes, I suck!  

;;)

nolaegghead

I have a Lumix point-n-shoot....good camera.  I just can't find the damn thing.....

Chris_Wang

We have the t4i and love it. Very easy to use and even our amateur pics look pro. Canon is awesome and all the EOS rebels hold up.

Village Idiot

As I said in my original post, you didn't say what all the uses you wanted with your new camera.

Do  you want to do macro?

Complete exposure control (aperture, shutter, ISO)

Shoot RAW format?

Bounce flash?

Master/slave flash?

Bulb for time exposures?

Interchangeable lenses?

ISO control?

Remote shutter trigger?

Movie mode?

Filters (polarizing)?

Bracketing?

If none of the above, get a cheap $250 P&S.

Fred19Flintstone

This should draw @hapster out:

The Tigers suck.

Bourbon is swill.

Cigars smell like crap.

Mkline

+1 to waht VI and Nola.

I am a Nikon guy. When I was looking to upgrade I found the greatest deal with features in a Nikon at the time and have contained to stay w/ them and upgrade. Additinally after using my neighbors camera as test for a few weeks I found that the Nikon fits my hands better. If you have a membership at any one of those stores go checkout the 3200 or the 5200 they are unbelievable cameras for the price.

Eggcelsior

You can also find used bodies of SLRs on ebay and craigslist. The major investment will always be lenses.

cazzy

Village Idiot said:

As I said in my original post, you didn't say what all the uses you wanted with your new camera.

Do  you want to do macro?

Complete exposure control (aperture, shutter, ISO)

Shoot RAW format?

Bounce flash?

Master/slave flash?

Bulb for time exposures?

Interchangeable lenses?

ISO control?

Remote shutter trigger?

Movie mode?

Filters (polarizing)?

Bracketing?

If none of the above, get a cheap $250 P&S.

While I agree that DSLR is definitely the way to go, my P7700 enables me to do the majority of what you listed.

However, there definitely was a sacrifice not having my D600 during my recent trip. While I couldn't imagine lugging it around, I still missed it greatly.

td66snrf

I'm a Canon man myself but check out this site: DPReview (digital photography). It allows you to compare models side by side.

http://www.dpreview.com/

hapster

Fred19Flintstone said:

This should draw @hapster out:

The Tigers suck.

Bourbon is swill.

Cigars smell like crap.

Well played
Was at the BIL's yesterday for the entire day and most of the night as well...

My recomendation... The Sony RX100... shutter lag comparable to DSLR's. will do and shoot just about any subjects you want and the video is great. Unless of course you want to go with a DSLR, then Nikon or Cannon and get good primes and a decent zoom. Now that the RX100II has been released, their has been a price drop on the RX100...

These were taken yesterday morning using my RX100 and a tripod... Got a few funny looks to say the least

mb99zz

I took to plunge a got a DSLR about 7 years ago.  I got a Nikon D40 which, at the time, was Nikon's least expensive DSLR.  I love it.  Since then I hardly ever use my point-and-shoot.  I've made some upgrades with a new lens, better flash, and so on.  The best part is, I didn't break the bank.  The only downside is the size.  If you want something to throw in your pocket (low profile) that's going to take a better picture than your phone, a point-and-shoot is the way to go.  That's the only scenario I use my pointer these days.  For me, I'm either taking pics with the D40 or the phone.   

NecessaryIndulg

The site I use for unbiased model caparison is:  Ken Rockwell.  

With that said, when it comes to DSLR cameras, I'm a Nikon user.  In my opinion, you can't beat them, but there are cheap and just ok DSLR Nikon cameras out there, too... 

So, like VI said, the D3100 is a really good option for its price point.  You won't be disappointed. 

When it comes to point & shoot, I haven't found a Nikon that does what I want it to do.  I think their thing is DSLR, and I like that about them.  I wanted a P&S because there are many times on our travels when carrying my D7000 with lens (18-200mm VR II) isn't practical, or safe.  So after reading Ken Rockwell a few years back, we bought the Canon PowerShot S95 (the newer version S100 is the one to buy now).  It is an excellent P&S if you are looking for a pocket camera. 

So that is the long way of saying:  read what they all do & don't do, and make a decision based on what your needs are.  

hapster

Best site I've found for unbiased reviews and user reviews is DPReview, everything relating to photography can be found there...

Really comes down to what your going to be shooting mostly... both DSLRs and P&S will require some compromises either way... I went with the RX100 because of an upcoming Disney trip and I didn't feel like lugging my 50# camera bag with me

Zaltydog

After many months of ponderance, researching, etc. over purchasing a camera, I finally settled on the S110.  It takes very nice photos and has allowed me to do some learning because of the ability to make manual control changes.  I really wanted to get the superb photos provided by a dslr, but in the end I had to realize that I was never going to carry the thing often enough to have it when I needed it.  The S110 rides in my pocket happily and is always at the ready whether I am backpacking or at wedding.  It does have a rather poor battery life.

Zaltydog

Sorry, double post ....

dlk7

SWMBO shoots with a Canon 7D with L series lenses.  She loves it.

Dave in Florida

Maybe this can help also.

http://snapsort.com/

Skiddymarker

DSLR is the way to go. Most will even shoot HD video if you want. Currently I have a Pentax, like those mentioning above, I had some good 35mm lenses that work with it. The feature I like is the ability to shoot 3 to 5 frames a second, great to get a good shot when the baby will not sit still. Used a Canon and Sony, but never owned a Nikon. 

I think the quality and feature set of similar priced units will be very close - look for the user interface you find intuitive. Spend time going thru the menus and decide if they make sense to you. 

There are some smart lenses and some glass lenses. Glass lens is less expensive as the smarts are in the camera. Smart lenses are more expensive but mount on a cheaper camera. Check different brands for different lenses to fairly compare prices. It all changes so fast. 

cazzy

hapster said:

Fred19Flintstone said:

This should draw @hapster out:

The Tigers suck.

Bourbon is swill.

Cigars smell like crap.

Well played
Was at the BIL's yesterday for the entire day and most of the night as well...

My recomendation... The Sony RX100... shutter lag comparable to DSLR's. will do and shoot just about any subjects you want and the video is great. Unless of course you want to go with a DSLR, then Nikon or Cannon and get good primes and a decent zoom. Now that the RX100II has been released, their has been a price drop on the RX100...

These were taken yesterday morning using my RX100 and a tripod... Got a few funny looks to say the least

hapster said:

Fred19Flintstone said:

This should draw @hapster out:

The Tigers suck.

Bourbon is swill.

Cigars smell like crap.

Well played
Was at the BIL's yesterday for the entire day and most of the night as well...

My recomendation... The Sony RX100... shutter lag comparable to DSLR's. will do and shoot just about any subjects you want and the video is great. Unless of course you want to go with a DSLR, then Nikon or Cannon and get good primes and a decent zoom. Now that the RX100II has been released, their has been a price drop on the RX100...

These were taken yesterday morning using my RX100 and a tripod... Got a few funny looks to say the least

Yep! Everything you've said is spot on. While I wanted the RX100 after reading so many good things, I just couldn't justify the cost, even after the price drop. Overall, the only negative is I just didn't like the way it felt in my hand. How much did the grip help with the feel?

hapster

@cazzy

I have it in the half case from Sony... it gives a little more gripping surface so I can shot one handed if needed.

@Skiddymarker the RX100 will do 10FPS, plenty fast to fill a card up with shots that will never be seen as we try and capture the "one"