My gracious and generous mom would like to get me a new digital camera for my birthday (landmark one—next month). I would like your opinion on cameras. Sites like Best Buy have reviews, but they are not usually paper crafters taking sills of cards in a basement. So I am asking YOU!
Needs:
- Less than $400 (way less hopefully)
- I photograph cards and people (moving people—i.e. kids)
- size not too important
- ease of use not too important either—but I do have to be able to teach my dh to use it
- Not sure if I need a view finder—feel free to ring in on this point, too
I am interested in all of your advice and experiences. Feel free to ask me questions. I can edit this post to respond.
Thanks in advance for your opinion.
Hopefully soon I will have some stamping time and something to post!
5 comments:
I don't usually respond to these things but I've made so many camera mistakes in the past I just have to put in my 2 cents worth. Go for a viewfinder while you can still get one! There is nothing more frustrating that trying to take a picture on a sunny day and having no idea what your shooting or how the photo turned out! I also find that when I use the viewfinder I hold the camera up to my face SO the camera doesn't shake as much - better photos. Also, size matters - trust me that one of the newer megazooms are too big to put in your purse and you won't want to take it anywhere! If you don't take it you don't get pictures. My daughter and I both have a Canon SD 890 - she uses it for photos of things she sells on eBay and loves it. It has a sports/kids & pets setting that's pretty good and it is image stablized (also a good thing).
Jules I like my Canon G7. Not made any more, but there are newer ones out. Practically any Canon point and shoot is great. They have the macro you need for your cards, plus the scene feature you can use for the kids, etc. The G cameras are higher priced, but you can get some moderately priced ones that still have all the features and are still 10 and 12 megapixels.
Look at walmart. I found at at Christmas that they are cheaper than BestBuy and Sams Club both.
I agree, Canon puts out a quality product. Buying online gets you free shipping and no tax if you live in a place with a high tax and if you shop around online.
I like my little Digital Elph because I can slip it in a pocket. Learn how to use the settings to adjust the light... these cameras are very inexpensive compared to Single Lens Reflex ones -- which are more "professional" and really great if you are more seasoned and looking for the highest quality photos.
You can do quite a bit for under $200. DO buy an extra battery when you buy the camera, though, and keep it charged and with you so you can swap it out when in the middle of a big event! Also, use the viewfinder and turn off the display to save battery life.
Hope this helps,
Julie
How nice of your mom!
I have a Nikon CoolPix P80 (10.1 megapixel) that I'm extremely happy with. I don't remember exactly how much I paid. I got it at Costco last summer, and I know it was less than $400, but not way less. It's a full-featured camera and so far has done absolutely everything I need and a whole lot more. If I just want to point and shoot, I can use it in Automatic mode; it has a nice telephoto lens; it uses a lithium ion battery pack that lasts forever; the design of the camera body makes it much easier to hold the camera steady; I've had excellent results taking pics wit no flash; it has both a viewfinder and a good sized screen; and on and on and on. My biggest challenge is to stop being lazy and play with more of the camera's features.
Good luck with your search! There are so many nice cameras out there that it's hard to choose.
Jules, I just bought an Olympus FE -3010 12 megapixel at WalMart for $149. Absolutely love it! It is orange, very compact, has a large display and has all the bells and whistles.
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