Camera advice!

**Erelyes** · 10th May 2014, 16:12

Want to get a camera that takes halfway decent pics but DSLR is out of the price range.

Can anyone tell me what I should be looking for around the $200-$350 mark. Or what paying the extra really gets you.

'What will you be shooting' - er, bikes, the kids, random stuff while we're on holiday. Also doing a relative's wedding (they don't expect studio quality but it'd be nice to give them something decent all the same), etc.

Not planning on doing anything arty, no visiting stormwater culverts in the middle of the night with ten flash rigs or setting the fucker up to do delayed exposure shots of stars and shit.

Both wife and I will be using, want something relatively fast that will just take pics without too much drama.

What would you recommend?

**Edbear** · 10th May 2014, 16:18

I have a Canon IS something. Sorry it's at home and I forgot which model as my wife has one of a different model. I think mine is the IS200. It is also video, and touch screen with a 5x optical zoom. Takes a standard SD card up to, I think, 64G.

About the size of a Cigarette packet, it has a rechargeable battery pack. Good pictures!

**Akzle** · 10th May 2014, 16:36

compact digitals make me shit.
DSLR is a waste of time if you're not a 14 year old emo girl.
or spend about 4000$ on one. then lenses.

megapixels are BS advertising.
cmos is acceptable for your shit. (good luck finding anything else compact) - the bigger number here, the better, usually.
optical zoom is the only number that counts (700x digital zoom!!!! - gtfo)

CF is the best memory cardage, but most cameras will use only SD - buy the most expensive SD you can get someone to sell you. the more letters it has in front the better, you want HighSpeed SuperDooper MaximumResolution FuckenSD card. (HSSDMRF-SD)
8GB will likely hold you. 16 if you're feeling like photowhore.
avoid micro sd, and sony's proprietary shit "duostick" or whatever the fuck - eat a dick, sony.

olympus, nikon, canon, in that order, are the only brands i would consider.

**Akzle** · 10th May 2014, 16:43

pricespy is throwing up canon ixus, powershot, nikon coolpix (good cameras, or were, 6 years ago) and olympus V series and "tough" series
the "toughs" stand up to a fair thrashing, but shutterlag like a motherfucker, even with everything set to "don't think for me" and flash off. no experience with the compact canons.

so i pick you an olympus sz14 for 310$.
http://pricespy.co.nz/product.php?e=1080200

you're welcome.

**Blackbird** · 10th May 2014, 17:11

If you can stretch to just a bit more ($500-600), the Sony DSC RX 100 is the best pocket digital camera on the market - have a look at the reviews on the internet... here's one: http://www.photographyblog.com/revie...100_ii_review/ . It has a 20Mp resolution and has most of the features of a DSLR, but still has a couple of auto "point and squirt" functions. I bought one a couple of months ago for a forthcoming trip to Canada and Alaska and I'm blown away with it. I bought it through eBay from the USA for about $500 although there are some good second hand ones about now because the Mk 2 was recently released. They're around $900 in NZ which is nuts. Really glad I paid the money and got a top of the line pocket job to replace my Canon Ixus as I didn't want to lug a big DSLR about.

Cheers,

Geoff

**R650R** · 10th May 2014, 17:16

$200-$350 won't buy anything decent unless you scour TM for something that hasn't been through the washing machine.
Most cellphones I hate to say will take as good or better pics than the el cheapo bracket compacts.
I had someone email me some shots they'd taken themselves at a prizegiving with a cheap compact. Thought I might be able to jazz them up a little in Photoshop CS6 but even with the originals it wasn't worth it.
Really you need to up to the $600 bracket and get a Fuji or Olympus mirrorless (compact).
Make sure Bridezilla knows they are getting a favour if you do a wedding on the cheap or freebie as she will still go postal if you don't get the shots or lose your memory card afterwards etc...
It is a trend now and ok for friends of the B&G to cover the event with cellphones and compacts, just don't be the one in charge/responsible for it...

**sil3nt** · 10th May 2014, 17:19

You might be able to find a Canon 300D or 350D in that price range.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compari...igital_cameras

**Akzle** · 10th May 2014, 17:28

Originally Posted by sil3nt

You might be able to find a Canon 300D or 350D in that price range.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compari...igital_cameras

((i don't think it's a teenage girl))

**pete376403** · 10th May 2014, 17:39

If you are taking pics of a one-off event such as a wedding, several memory cards are probably safer that one huge one, ie swap the cards while taking to formal group photos, cake cutting, etc. Its not unknown for memory cards to crap out and become unreadable.

**Oakie** · 10th May 2014, 20:11

I bought a Canon Powershot SX20 about 4 years ago for a family wedding. Did the trick but at just under $700 then is a bit past your budget. It's a 'bridge camera'. Not a DSLR with all the lenses but it does have a lot of the DSLR features.

For me 10MP is heaps big enough. The more optical zoom the better but at some point (I'd suggest about 20x) more becomes unusable unless you have really steady hands or a tripod. I wouldn't really pay too much attention to digital zoom figures. Anti-shake is a good feature. For weddings, an external flash unit is a good idea to ensure good lighting. That does require a shoe on the top of the camera so takes out most of the slimmer cameras.

I wanted a small second camera for a fishing trip and got a wee Canon for $60 off Trade Me with many of the features that my Powershot has so ypou can successfully go that route. I really noticed the lack of a good zoom though (5X compared to 20X).

Although it's not a Canon and it doesn't have a shoe ... this would probably be OK as a brand new camera http://www.dicksmith.co.nz/point-sho...lk-dsnz-xg0979

or this would be pretty similar http://www.noelleeming.co.nz/shop/ca...rod124721.html

If you could stretch your budget a little though ... I'd go here http://www.noelleeming.co.nz/shop/ca...l#features-tab

**spanner spinner** · 10th May 2014, 20:56

spend some time on trade me and get something better as per the links below, you might have to chase a few before you get one in budget. having proper lenses makes for much better images than the compacts. I have just a little cannon bias as after using quite a few different brands I think that cannons point and shoot system is one of the best and this is what you will use to start with till you learn how to drive a dslr.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics...-727737459.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics...-726277990.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics...-725871737.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics...-727487338.htm

**R650R** · 10th May 2014, 21:24

Originally Posted by spanner spinner

spend some time on trade me and get something better as per the links below, you might have to chase a few before you get one in budget. having proper lenses makes for much better images than the compacts. I have just a little cannon bias as after using quite a few different brands I think that cannons point and shoot system is one of the best and this is what you will use to start with till you learn how to drive a dslr.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics...-727737459.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics...-726277990.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics...-725871737.htm
http://www.trademe.co.nz/electronics...-727487338.htm

Some good bargains to be had in there. FYI the shop in town sold my old 500D and 18-200mm for $800 less their commission.
Canon and Nikon are the leaders but I recommend Fuji to a lot of people now. They have come up with a clever idea on their CMOS II sensors that deals with high ISO noise much better and other issues.
Also they are putting usefull controls back on dials instead of being buried in screen menus.

Recent shot with my X100S with new Fuji sensor on Flickr