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We need a new digital camera!!

Discussion in 'Non-Vegas Chat' started by brownies95, Apr 7, 2013.

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  1. brownies95

    brownies95 Low-Roller

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    My wife just informed me the other day that our Kodak is not holding a charge anymore. Looks like it's time for a new camera.

    Any suggestions on what brand we should get? I have looked at Canon's, Nikon's, and Sony's.

    I am not looking to break the bank, but would like a dependable camera that takes good pictures.

    Any help would be greatly appreciated!

    Thanks,
    Tim:peace:
     
  2. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    I think its hard to go wrong just buying almost whatever camera is in the middle to top of your budget...

    Like if you go to your local big electronics store and see a bunch of digital cameras that are $60-70 I wouldn't just write them off as cheap junk, but instead those cameras were the ones that were $300-400 just 2-3 years ago... and the cameras that are $300-400 now are the ones that will be $120-150 next year, $90-100 two years from now and $60-70 three years from now.


    The overall number of pixels doesn't really matter once you start getting over the 8 megapixel mark, unless you are going to be having the pictures developed in to large sized images. If you are just going to post them on facebook and look at them on the computer then technically a 2-3 megapixel camera is good enough (though you will be hard pressed to find a camera that low anymore).

    If you take a lot of night time photos then you probably want a camera with image stabilization - for night shots unless you are using a flash the lens is left open longer, so without image stabilization even minute movements of the camera will cause blurring.

    I have a Sony camera and it has a mode they call "intelli-plus" where when I use that mode and take a picture it actually takes multiple pictures using a bunch of different modes and combos so afterwards I can pick the best one. So it might take a high speed picture, a picture using a special filter, a shot using a slow shutter speed and one using flash. None of this is anything noticeable to me, the only down side is that it does use up more space on the memory card, but my memory card holds around 900 pictures so its not a biggie and then in the morning I either move the photos off the camera to my laptop or I just delete the obviously bad ones right off the camera.

    I don't know if thats exclusive to Sony, my camera is a couple of years old now so maybe other companies have something like that as well. But the downside to Sony cameras is they use only Sony memory cards so if you have a bunch of other memory cards from your previous camera you can't just plug them in and do have to buy Sony cards.

    If the pictures you take will use a lot of flash (IE: indoor shots) then you want a camera that has a rechargeable battery pack... though cameras that take actual batteries are getting harder to find too.
     
  3. DonD

    DonD VIP Whale

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    I just bought my wife a Canon Power Shot A4000 for $99 and it's fantastic. She drowned her old one.

    16.0 Mega Pixels
    8X Optical Zoom

    The pictures and videos are really, really good.
     
  4. mesa

    mesa VIP Whale

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    Depends on your budget but we just just picked up a small compact
    Canon A1300 we went with this for 2 reasons optical viewfinder and uses 2 AA batteries so you do not need to pack a charger on trips or whatever. Good luck a lot of choices
    16Mp 5x zoom And 720 hd recording
     
  5. Jimbo338

    Jimbo338 VIP Whale

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    My wife bought me a Nikon for a little over $100. It is 8 megapixels or so and is simple to use, load pics into computer, etc. I use a memory card and found that kodak rechargable batteries work great and outlast the alkaline ones and I carry a 2nd set. My daughter has a Kodak about the same and loves it. I think in that price range they are all pretty good. Find one that is sized right for you, that is easy to handle.

    Jimbo338
     
  6. gregsmith

    gregsmith Tourist

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    Just got the Canon sx50 for $400....might be kind of high but has fully auto mode with image stabilization and it selects the best scene plus an awesome 50x optical zoom for distance!
     
  7. ABQJeff

    ABQJeff Low-Roller

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    I'm looking into the Canon EOS T3 right now. About $400-500.
    Sony Cyber Shot for around $130 - $200 is another option.
     
  8. VegasVegan

    VegasVegan Tourist

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    So many variables and options...

    I know a bit about photography. Feel free to ask and I will be glad to help.

    As for your question...we all can help you make your decision better if you tell us more about what you'll be using your camera for, your budget, etc.

    For instance, if you're needing something simple for vacation snaps and you already have an iphone or android phone, I'd say just use that. Front page NY Time photos have been snapped with the iphone and similar.

    One option to "future proof" your camera is to get an AA battery powered one. The current top choice is the Canon SX160is. 16 megapixels and does 720P video too.

    If you'd like a compact DSLR, the recently introduced Canon 100D is the smallest on the market.
     
  9. mdee

    mdee VIP Whale

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    I have several cameras lying around but currently I use a Canon PowerShot Elph 300HS that I've managed to hold onto since 2011.
    I was going through cameras like crazy there for a while. I used the Olympus Pocket Cameras until they changed the menu settings
    and features to the point where I felt it was more of a kids camera. The Canon fits nice in my pocket and I'm happy with the features.
     
  10. atom

    atom High-Roller

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    Like VegasVegan suggests, a recent model smartphone camera is likely to get you shots that are comparable to a low end point and shoot camera (under $100). If you're just looking for something pocketable for snapshots to post on facebook or whatever, and you already have an iPhone, Galaxy S4, or something like that... just use the phone.

    If you want the control and flexibility of a DSLR camera, but not the bulk, check out the compact ILC cameras like the micro 4/3 range from Olympus and Panasonic. The latest and greatest of these will be quite expensive, but bargains can be had on leftover stock and refurbished models that are only a few months out of date. (Panasonic GF3, GX1 and Olympus E-PM1 have all recently sold around $200-300 with a kit zoom.)
     
  11. xman30

    xman30 High-Roller

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    For the past two years I've been using the Canon Powershot SX130 as my main camera. I've been using the Powershot A1200 as a backup. I like the SX130 a lot. The only real drawback for me is that it is really slow when using the flash. It can take up to 10 seconds before I can use the flash again. In a couple days I'm going to move up to the DSLRs. I'm going to get the Canon T3. I've read a lot about it & a lot of reviews. It looks like a good entry level DSLR. It costs a little over $400.

    xman30
     
  12. angelo

    angelo Tourist

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    For an avarage "soap box" camera, buy something that has CMOS lens, not CCD. If you take only landscape picture, canon or nikon will do a great job. For macro, look for something that can take macro pictures from 1cm (0.39 inches).

    I don't want to recommend a specific camera, because people have different needs and understandings.
     
  13. saintpauljeff

    saintpauljeff VIP Whale

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    This is the exact model I just got as a Black Friday deal from Target; just took it on my first trip to Spring Training baseball in Florida and I was very pleased with the pics. I'm a novice photog so i'm just learning the usage of a DSLR but I can say this...I don't think i'll go back to a point-and-shoot if I was intentionally bringing a camera on a vacation
     
  14. xman30

    xman30 High-Roller

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    I got the Canon T3 this past Friday. I'm really impressed with it!!! I've taken some really nice pictures with it. Still a lot to learn about it. There are a lot of features. I'm very impressed with the longevity of the battery. I took over 600 pictures today & the battery didn't even come close to running low. Just to be safe, I do have two backup batteries & another charger coming in the mail. I also have a 32GB Class 10 memory card coming in the mail. So far I've been using an 8GB Class 4 memory card. I'll take my T3 with me during my trip to Vegas in early June. I'll have my Canon Powershot SX130 with me as backup.

    xman30
     
  15. saintpauljeff

    saintpauljeff VIP Whale

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    awesome xman! I agree about the features, I've only scratched the surface myself LOL
     
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