Buying a New Camera

[Translude15]

Hi everyone. So I'm in the downtown area quite regularly, and feeling compelled to contribute some photos for the forum, I'm looking to purchase a camera.

A point and shoot is ideal for me, so if anybody has any tips on particular brands or models, please feel free to share.

Also, any advice on posting pictures would be greatly appreciated. I know that you can post pictures on various sites such as flickr and imageshack, but I'm not entirely certain on the exact procedure. Essentially, I don't want the photos to be small thumbnails, but rather, the large, detailed pictures, which we all appreciate so dearly on this forum.

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Don't let anyone sell you on more than 10 megapixels, for your purposes you don't need it. A decent camera is in the chip and the lens, and the sky is the limit so you'll have to poke around and ask questions to see what is out there, what features you want and come in around your price point.
With regards to uploading someone here long ago recommended Photobucket. I'd already tried imageshack and a couple of others but stayed with Photobucket after I tried it. Sign up, it's easy to use and they give you lots of space and bandwidth. If your serious and have tons to post you can go Pro, and it's still cheap.

 

[doady]

Hi everyone. So I'm in the downtown area quite regularly, and feeling compelled to contribute some photos for the forum, I'm looking to purchase a camera.

A point and shoot is ideal for me, so if anybody has any tips on particular brands or models, please feel free to share.

Also, any advice on posting pictures would be greatly appreciated. I know that you can post pictures on various sites such as flickr and imageshack, but I'm not entirely certain on the exact procedure. Essentially, I don't want the photos to be small thumbnails, but rather, the large, detailed pictures, which we all appreciate so dearly on this forum.

How much are you willing to spend? Does it have to fit in your pocket? Vast amount of options out there, so let's narrow it down.

 

[Translude15]

How much are you willing to spend? Does it have to fit in your pocket? Vast amount of options out there, so let's narrow it down.

Thanks for the responses everyone.

Price wise, I would be willing to spend anywhere from $200 to about $500. I'm aware that DSLR cameras are quite pricey (ranging price wise from the high hundreds into the thousands), and given my inexperience in the photography department, I see no need to purchase one at this point. As I said, a point-and-shoot should be adequate for taking and posting quality, detailed pictures.

Size wise, it really makes no difference. What I'm more concerned about is choosing a brand that has a proven track record in reliability and quality. I want to purchase a camera that is going to last, and won't encounter an abundance of technical problems. I have heard for instance, that Kodak is a brand to avoid. I'm not too sure of the validity of such a statement, but this is why I'm asking for advice from within the UT community.

 

[APTA-2048]

I have had good experiences with Canon for point & shoot cameras. Best Buy has some for under $250 at 10+ megapixels. I currently use a Canon SD1000 and am happy with it, but it got a bit wet in the rain over a year ago so the screen has some marks on it.

My DSLR is a Nikon though, but I think I chose that because I liked the features and also use a Nikon film SLR.

 

[doady]

I recommend the following cameras (with links for reviews):

Canon S95 - on sale at Vistek for $430 (only $20 off though)
Olympus E- PL1 - an interchangeable lens camera on sale for $430 at Blacks (it used to be $650)
Panasonic LX5 - the cool-looking (imo) white version is on sale for $430 at Vistek (pretty good deal for a new model)
Samsung EX1 - on sale at Henrys for $450

 

[dt_toronto_geek]

Several friends and I have various Canon models and everyone is happy with their camera. Mine is a little more advanced than your probably looking for but it's a solid, well made piece of equipment. I'm still so happy with it, 14 months after buying it.

 

[jaycola]

I Just got this Fujifilm finepix S3400. It is available for $279 at Walmart, Best Buy among many others.

With just one lens it has huge zoom at 28 times (672mm equivalent) as well as a 24mm wide angle on it's lowest setting. It has many automatic and manual settings, macro, smile detection and blink detection.

I was just playing with it today and it seems to do everything I need from a camera.

The only negative is lack of rechargable battery but I will pick up rechargables fo a few bucks.

 

[PCC]

Sorry for the lateness of my reply, but I'd go for a DSLR. P&S are too slow in my experience, and when you press the shutter release there is mondo lag between press and shoot. Henry's has a Nikon D3000 with a 55-80mm lens for $480 plus tax. I only use Nikon as an example because that is what I've always shot and and pleased with my D300. One thing I really find useful with a DSLR is that you can use diferent lenses, and being an F mount, there is a TON of good, used glass on the market at decent prices. There are auto shooting modes that make it foolproof in many typical situations to get a decent shot, though experimenting with manual settings will open a whole new world to you. Photography is such a rewarding past time.

I'm biased towards the DSLR's though, as for what I shoot is a P&S is not an option, but your needs may vary.

 

[lvteos234]

I am also looking for a camera as my point and click cannon has stopped functioning. I've been trying to decide what is the better option, to buy a point and click that can shoot video, or to buy a video camera that can take still photos? It seems that the two styles of cameras have been gaining into each other's territory for some time, and now they have more in common than before.

Any thoughts or ideas on which style to choose?

 

[UrbanAffair]

Hi All, I have a Canon T1i, and I have used it for about four years or so. I really like it but I am thinking of upgrading. I have a couple lenses for it, so I wanted to stick with Canon so they might be interchangable between cameras. Any thoughts on whether I should upgrade my base to a T5i or whether it's more worth it to just look for another lens? I currently have a 18-55 and a 55-250 but I notice at full zoom the picture isn't as clear as I would like. Any thoughts or recommendations would be highly appreciated.
Cheers!

 

[someMidTowner]

Hi All, I have a Canon T1i, and I have used it for about four years or so. I really like it but I am thinking of upgrading. I have a couple lenses for it, so I wanted to stick with Canon so they might be interchangable between cameras. Any thoughts on whether I should upgrade my base to a T5i or whether it's more worth it to just look for another lens? I currently have a 18-55 and a 55-250 but I notice at full zoom the picture isn't as clear as I would like. Any thoughts or recommendations would be highly appreciated.
Cheers!

The T1i and T5i have similar sensors, and the T5i's only major upgrade is in the autofocus. So aside from fancy features that don't really improve photo quality, there isn't much improvement. Lenses are much more important. 18-55 and 55-250 are lower-end kit lenses, so investing in a lens or two would probably be a better call than a new body, unless you upgrade to a body with a full-frame sensor.

 

[UrbanAffair]

The T1i and T5i have similar sensors, and the T5i's only major upgrade is in the autofocus. So aside from fancy features that don't really improve photo quality, there isn't much improvement. Lenses are much more important. 18-55 and 55-250 are lower-end kit lenses, so investing in a lens or two would probably be a better call than a new body, unless you upgrade to a body with a full-frame sensor.

Ok thanks smt. I think I will probably just buy a new lens then. Any recommendations on lenses (at a reasonable price)? Thinking of something to fix that long range fuzziness issue I was having with the 55-250. Also maybe a fisheye lens? I don't really know what lens would be best, but I mostly take pictures of buildings on travel, scenery from mountain tops etc.. Also some portrait style pics of people of course..

 

[someMidTowner]

Ok thanks smt. I think I will probably just buy a new lens then. Any recommendations on lenses (at a reasonable price)? Thinking of something to fix that long range fuzziness issue I was having with the 55-250. Also maybe a fisheye lens? I don't really know what lens would be best, but I mostly take pictures of buildings on travel, scenery from mountain tops etc.. Also some portrait style pics of people of course..

Good lenses are notoriously expensive, but I may have some suggestions. What is your price range?

 

[philmar]

dpreview.com has an excellent forum where people ask and have asked the same question. Some knowledgeable helpful folks there...and a few crusty troll fanboys as well (but thankfully they're obvious).