Good camera around $300-$350

[disfan07]

I cross posted this is the community board but it was suggested i come here to see if you guys could help me.

So I just came into a lot of money (PSA: make sure you check to see if you have unclaimed property!!!!!).

I am treating my parents (and myself!) to a Christmas trip to Disneyworld this year!!!

but in addition, I want to get my parents each something they have been wanting for a while but havent had the disposable income to get (medical bills have been eating up any extra money)

My dad wants a laptop that is his own. My parents have one laptop they share between them right now. I am already pretty sure I know which laptop I will be getting him

However, my mom has wanted a nice camera. She has an older digital camera. Its probably from about 5 years ago. I want to get her a nicer one before Thanksgiving because we have a huge fmaily thanksgiving and she always wants a better camera for that. The thing is....if I spend a lot, she will return it. She doesn't want me spending a lot of money especially on them. But she deserves it. So I'm trying to stay realvtively "budget" lol. I was thinking about somewhere between $300-$350 for max price.

The ones I've seen so far are:

CANON SX130 IS for $229
FUJI FINEPIX S3200 for $229
CANON POWERSHOT SX160 IS 16MP DIGITAL CAMERA for $199 (on sale)
NIKON L120 for $238
NIKON P500 for $349

Any opinons on these or others would be great. I know nothing about cameras.

 

[havoc315]

The best compact in your price range is probably the Canon S100.
If you want more of a super zoom, I'd recommend the Canon SX260 or the Sony HX20.

In your price range, you're basically in the compact camera market. But if you are willing to buy used or refurbished, you can have some nice options for dSLR or mirrorless.

 

[jcieutat]

To be honest, I would not buy any of the camera's you have listed. You can find an entry level compact system camera (mirrorless) for close or in your price range. Point and shoot camera's are going to be a thing of the past due to their slow shutter speed.

Olympus E-PM1
Nikon 1 J1
Samsung NX100

Keep an eye on Techbargains.net. They have a tab up top dedicated to low camera prices on the web.

 

[HPS3]

If you dont mind buying second hand, you could check out Fredmiranda.com. You can probably pick up an excellent entry level DSLR or mirrorless for under $400. I've bought and sold on Fredmiranda with great experiences. Just look at the sellers feedback. Plenty of people buy a camera and use it once or twice and sell it like new. I've done it myself.

 

[havoc315]

Point and shoot camera's are going to be a thing of the past due to their slow shutter speed.

Not sure what you mean. Newer premium P&S cameras have shutter speeds of 1/2000th of a second. Quite competitive with larger cameras. (Technically, my SLR goes a mere 1 step further, at 1/4000th of a second). Considering that most photos are taken in the range of 1/50th - 1/250th of a second, point and shoot shutter speeds are perfectly adequate.

P&S certainly have downsides, but I never heard of the shutter speed being the main negative.

Now, generally speaking, P&S are slower overall, as they typically have smaller sensors and lower quality lenses. But this isn't necessarily the case with all P&S, especially the newer premium cameras.

If anything, I kind of see the mirrorless 4/3rd camera going out of style. I just don't see a long term big market for these "tweeners" -- which lack the compactness of the true compact, and lack the power of a true dSLR.

 

[archimedes76]

Not sure what you mean.

I think maybe what jcieutat meant to say was that there is a longer shutter lag.

 

[hakepb]

I agree with Havoc's point and shoot statement.

But I disagree with the mirrorless point. I don't understand the mirrorless that cost more than a DSLr, but that E-PM1 gives you most of a DSlr' quality at the same price of a point and shoot that gives you a fraction of DSlr quality.
And then there's the Panasonic GH2 that (when hacked) provides better video quality in pro settings than any photo camera on the market.
They may not be for everyone, but I understand some of the appeal. (Especially if your budget tops out at $350) But what interests me most is the NEX5n..and then you are up to a full DSLr sized APSc sensor.

 

[havoc315]

I agree with Havoc's point and shoot statement.

But I disagree with the mirrorless point. I don't understand the mirrorless that cost more than a DSLr, but that E-PM1 gives you most of a DSlr' quality at the same price of a point and shoot that gives you a fraction of DSlr quality.
And then there's the Panasonic GH2 that (when hacked) provides better video quality in pro settings than any photo camera on the market.
They may not be for everyone, but I understand some of the appeal. (Especially if your budget tops out at $350) But what interests me most is the NEX5n..and then you are up to a full DSLr sized APSc sensor.

I didn't mean to suggest there was no market for mirrorless. For example, I agree with you that the Nex5n and the Olympus PEN can be compelling for some users.
But I see a flood on the market, of mid-sized mirrorless cameras with mediocre sensors, lenses, and overall technology.
As quality of compact cameras continue to improve (More cameras should enter the league of the RX100 and prices should come down), I see less of a mid-sized market.
For the mid-sized cameras that deliver full DSLR quality... even full-frame mid-sized (the Sony RX1, but that's $3,000 and basically who knows whether it will ever be mass produced)... I think there will remain a market.

If I was shopping for a dSLR for the first time, and didn't already own some lenses, etc.... I'd be very drawn to the Nex5N. The Nex5N basically is a dSLR in a slimmed down body, without a mirror. (And then again, technically, Sony's newest "SLRs" aren't even SLRs anymore, they are now SLT).

I basically see all cameras getting lighter and smaller as technology improved. So SLRs will shrink down a bit. The quality of P&S will improve. Squeezing out most of the mid-sized market.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

If anything, I kind of see the mirrorless 4/3rd camera going out of style. I just don't see a long term big market for these "tweeners" -- which lack the compactness of the true compact, and lack the power of a true dSLR.

You seem misinformed about micro 4/3. It is easy to dismiss something you don't know much about. 4/3 players led the way in the mirrrorless market and seem to have found their niche in this venue, creating more and better cameras, up to and including the OMD, and a nice selection of high quality lenses. Smaller and more compact was what 4/3 was about in the first place.

For another opinion:

http://www.thenoisecast.com/2012/05...talks-micro-43-and-the-future-of-photography/

http://blog.giuliosciorio.com/?p=550

 

[havoc315]

You seem misinformed about micro 4/3. It is easy to dismiss something you don't know much about. 4/3 players led the way in the mirrrorless market and seem to have found their niche in this venue, creating more and better cameras, up to and including the OMD, and a nice selection of high quality lenses. Smaller and more compact was what 4/3 was about in the first place.

For another opinion:

http://www.thenoisecast.com/2012/05...talks-micro-43-and-the-future-of-photography/

http://blog.giuliosciorio.com/?p=550

I fully appreciate all that. And blackberry led the smart phone revolution, but where is blackberry now?

Compacts are starting to approach bridge/mirrorless/4/3rds cameras in quality. And dSLRs are starting to shrink down in size. (One can make the argument that the Sony Nex series should be considered quasi-SLR, since it uses a SLR sensor).
As technology now allows a full-frame sensor in nearly a compact body-- I see less and less of a market for mid-sized sensors in mid-sized bodies. As you can get a "large" sensor in a mid-sized and even small body. And you can get a 'mid-sized" sensor in a compact body.
This won't be an overnight change. But in 5 years, as the technology continues to evolve and miniaturize.

 

[photo_chick]

Point and shoot camera's are going to be a thing of the past due to their slow shutter speed.

If you mean shutter lag, as some have suggested, it's a non-issue for many point and shoots on the market. But if you mean actually a slow shutter speed, that's just not accurate. There are some outstanding point and shoots on the market that can hang with an entry level DSLR with a kit lens or a mirrorless with the kit lens.

However, my mom has wanted a nice camera. She has an older digital camera. Its probably from about 5 years ago. I want to get her a nicer one before Thanksgiving because we have a huge fmaily thanksgiving and she always wants a better camera for that. The thing is....if I spend a lot, she will return it. She doesn't want me spending a lot of money especially on them. But she deserves it. So I'm trying to stay realvtively "budget" lol. I was thinking about somewhere between $300-$350 for max price.

Ok, your mom doesn't have a lot of extra cash from what you said. So honestly if I were shopping I'd stay away from any camera system with interchangeable lenses. With one of these cameras and the kit lens she won't get the long zoom like you can get with some point and shoots without spending more cash for more lenses down the road.

Of the cameras you mentioned, I'm partial Fuji but the model you listed isn't even made anymore and that price is too high for it. THe S4200 is still around and it's around $150. In your budget you could get the top of the line in the S series, the HS30. I was playing with one the other day at the store, considering replacing my daughters old S1000 that's a few generations back in the line. It's a nice camera for a point and shoot at that price point.

But everyone has their own preferences when it comes to cameras so you're going to get a wide range of recommendations. It can be difficult to sort through it all. Just look at cameras that have the features you want in your price range. Then go play with them and see which one you think she'd like. But keep in mind that buying a camera for someone else can be a lot like trying to buy shoes for someone else. Sometimes they fit, sometimes they don't.

Oh, and on the laptop thing.. there are some outstanding deals on Windows 7 laptops right now. They're trying to get rid of them before the Windows 8 machines are released in a couple of days. I just picked up a laptop for my daughter. 3 weeks ago it was $799 when I looked at it. Today it was $399. It's better than Black Friday out there right now.

 

[disfan07]

If you mean shutter lag, as some have suggested, it's a non-issue for many point and shoots on the market. But if you mean actually a slow shutter speed, that's just not accurate. There are some outstanding point and shoots on the market that can hang with an entry level DSLR with a kit lens or a mirrorless with the kit lens.




Ok, your mom doesn't have a lot of extra cash from what you said. So honestly if I were shopping I'd stay away from any camera system with interchangeable lenses. With one of these cameras and the kit lens she won't get the long zoom like you can get with some point and shoots without spending more cash for more lenses down the road.

Of the cameras you mentioned, I'm partial Fuji but the model you listed isn't even made anymore and that price is too high for it. THe S4200 is still around and it's around $150. In your budget you could get the top of the line in the S series, the HS30. I was playing with one the other day at the store, considering replacing my daughters old S1000 that's a few generations back in the line. It's a nice camera for a point and shoot at that price point.

But everyone has their own preferences when it comes to cameras so you're going to get a wide range of recommendations. It can be difficult to sort through it all. Just look at cameras that have the features you want in your price range. Then go play with them and see which one you think she'd like. But keep in mind that buying a camera for someone else can be a lot like trying to buy shoes for someone else. Sometimes they fit, sometimes they don't.

Oh, and on the laptop thing.. there are some outstanding deals on Windows 7 laptops right now. They're trying to get rid of them before the Windows 8 machines are released in a couple of days. I just picked up a laptop for my daughter. 3 weeks ago it was $799 when I looked at it. Today it was $399. It's better than Black Friday out there right now.

Thanks. Yeah I'm actually going to stay away from the interchangeable lenses for that reason. It's not worth it. I'm still searching around but I've Upped the max of the budget a little bit with $400 being the max. I budgeted $1000 to spend between my parents and my brother and the laptop (with tax) was $425 and I plan on spending around $150 for my brother so I can spend about $400 on my mom.

The three brands of cameras we've had are cannon, nikon and Panasonic (Lumix) and we've never had any problems with any of them.

I know my mom will love any camera but I also of purse don't want to waste money when I could have gotten something better.

Basically, it's an everyday use camera but she wants to be able to get better pictures at family events (holidays, parties, etc) and on vacations. The two big things this year would be thanksgiving and WDW in December so I would love to be able to get something within the next 3 weeks or so, so she can try it out before thanksgiving.

What are the favorite brands for a quality camera?