Good, Inexpensive Point and Shoot Camera

[jmelenbrink]

My DF, our children and I are having a wedding and Disneymoon at WDW in September and I was wondering if anyone could recommend a cheap but decent pocket-sized camera that we could take into the parks with us. I have a good camera but it's heavy and I don't really want to lug it around all day - especially since we purchased the photo pass plus cd already so we are hoping a lot of our pictures come from that.

Thanks for your input. The community on the DISboards is so awesome!

 

[reader562]

My DF, our children and I are having a wedding and Disneymoon at WDW in September and I was wondering if anyone could recommend a cheap but decent pocket-sized camera that we could take into the parks with us. I have a good camera but it's heavy and I don't really want to lug it around all day - especially since we purchased the photo pass plus cd already so we are hoping a lot of our pictures come from that.

Thanks for your input. The community on the DISboards is so awesome!

Sorry you haven't gotten any answers and even though I'm no camera expert, I did think of one suggestion. if you get the same brand as your good camera, you'll be familiar with most of the settings.
Hope someone else chimes in with their thoughts!

 

[photo_chick]

Check dpreview.com's buying guides.

There are so many point and shoots out there with many different features. You have to narrow down what you want a little bit to get anyone to give you any kind of meaningful recommendation.

 

[disneybride96]

I have a good camera but it's heavy and I don't really want to lug it around all day - !

That is the exact reason I sold my canon DSLR and went to Micro 4/3. (Mirrorless) I love the size of my Panasonic G5, and there are even smaller options and a great selection on interchangeable lenses. As far as point & shoot, I have a Panasonic ZS-20 super zoom which has a Leica lens. Takes very nice snapshots and I love the GPS features for travel.

 

[cjnix29]

I was going to post a similar question. DH wants a new camera. He talks about getting an slr, but I am certain he will not like it if we bought one. He likes to have a camera in his pocket when we are out and about. He will not like carrying around a large camera. His main complaint about the one we have now, is that the shutter speed is so slow. There is such a hesitation. I don't want to spend the equivalent of an entry level slr either. Zoom and resolution are important to us too. Checked out the dpreview, but am still confused as to what to buy!

 

[hakepb]

Sometimes the slow shutter click can be resolved by changing to spot metering an center focus, but sometimes the slow is because you are using the flash (why people like external flashes) or its dark (and contrast detect PnS are slower than DSLr with phase detect) then you need a camera with a faster lens (low f/)

It sounds like you want a Sony RX100 with twice the zoom at half the cost...and that doesn't exactly exist

You might want to look at the Nikon P7700 or Panasonic LFA

If you prefer speed and zoom over max IQ then the Fuji F900EXR might be worth a look:
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/fujifilm-finepix-f900-exr-review-22134#Verdict

 

[havoc315]

It sounds like you want a Sony RX100 with twice the zoom at half the cost...and that doesn't exactly exist
]

I'm not talking about anyone specific in this thread... but it is always amusing when someone says something like, "For under $200, what camera will take great low light, great action, and fit in my pocket?" ....
I think there is a misconception by some people that "expensive" cameras are about unnecessary frills, as opposed to basic functionality. The reality is that many cheap cameras are filled with "frills" but things like low-light and fast focus is where the price is driven up.

 

[havoc315]

I was going to post a similar question. DH wants a new camera. He talks about getting an slr, but I am certain he will not like it if we bought one. He likes to have a camera in his pocket when we are out and about. He will not like carrying around a large camera. His main complaint about the one we have now, is that the shutter speed is so slow. There is such a hesitation. I don't want to spend the equivalent of an entry level slr either. Zoom and resolution are important to us too. Checked out the dpreview, but am still confused as to what to buy!

Practically every camera on the market today has plenty of resolution. You never really *need* more than 8-10mp... and there are bargain cameras with 12+ mp on the market.

"Shutter speed" complaints often mean different things:

--- Is the maximum shutter speed too slow? In other words, are you trying to capture pictures of race cars in bright day light, and can't freeze the action? This isn't the issue for most people except professional sports photographers.

-- Is the camera choosing too slow of a shutter speed, resulting in motion blur? The camera on auto will want to insure you have adequate light. If you have a "slow" lens, the camera will need to compensate by slowing down the shutter speed, resulting in motion blur. (As a foot note, you indicated zoom is important to you. Big zoom lenses on P&S cameras tend to be very slow lenses, leading to slower shutter speeds and more motion blur).

-- I find many people, when they talk about a slow shutter speed, they are actually referring to shutter lag and focus lag. How long does it take the camera to lock focus, and how long does it take to capture the image once you press the shutter.
dSLRs and advanced systems have the fastest focus and the least shutter lag. Budget compacts tend to struggle in this department, though they can perform adequately in good light. You can try the different focus settings to see which is fastest for you. And it will largely be light dependent. In poorer lighting conditions, if you have a slower lens especially, focusing can be difficult.

A budget camera is really about trade offs.
For example, Want more zoom? May need to take a slower lens, that will focus slower and lead to more motion blur.

It's not just price that leads to tradeoffs.... For example, one of the most expensive "compact" cameras on the market is the Sony RX1 --- $2800. It has NO zoom. It has perhaps the best image quality you will find in a compact camera or even in a dSLR... but no zoom. It's a fixed lens.

 

[Boo Bear]

My Panasonic Lumix cameras have never let me down. It's perfect for anyone. I'm a professional photographer and I love it. I let my parents borrow it when they went to Italy. They don't know anything about photography and they also got great images.

I second the recommendation to check out dpreview.com.

 

[SFGamerBabe]

I love my Canon PowerShot SX260 HS! I'm no photography expert, but it takes great photos in all kinds of light - I'm especially impressed with how it handles low light even without flash. If you play with the shutter speed it takes great action shots, and it has an impressive number of features (I've had it since last Christmas and haven't even learned how to use them all) for being a pocket-sized camera. The screen is also nice and big. I've read it's the kind of camera professional photographers like to carry in their purse for "unexpected moments" and when they don't want to lug around their SLR. I highly recommend it!

 

[cjnix29]

Practically every camera on the market today has plenty of resolution. You never really *need* more than 8-10mp... and there are bargain cameras with 12+ mp on the market.

"Shutter speed" complaints often mean different things:

--- Is the maximum shutter speed too slow? In other words, are you trying to capture pictures of race cars in bright day light, and can't freeze the action? This isn't the issue for most people except professional sports photographers.

-- Is the camera choosing too slow of a shutter speed, resulting in motion blur? The camera on auto will want to insure you have adequate light. If you have a "slow" lens, the camera will need to compensate by slowing down the shutter speed, resulting in motion blur. (As a foot note, you indicated zoom is important to you. Big zoom lenses on P&S cameras tend to be very slow lenses, leading to slower shutter speeds and more motion blur).

-- I find many people, when they talk about a slow shutter speed, they are actually referring to shutter lag and focus lag. How long does it take the camera to lock focus, and how long does it take to capture the image once you press the shutter.
dSLRs and advanced systems have the fastest focus and the least shutter lag. Budget compacts tend to struggle in this department, though they can perform adequately in good light. You can try the different focus settings to see which is fastest for you. And it will largely be light dependent. In poorer lighting conditions, if you have a slower lens especially, focusing can be difficult.

A budget camera is really about trade offs.
For example, Want more zoom? May need to take a slower lens, that will focus slower and lead to more motion blur.

It's not just price that leads to tradeoffs.... For example, one of the most expensive "compact" cameras on the market is the Sony RX1 --- $2800. It has NO zoom. It has perhaps the best image quality you will find in a compact camera or even in a dSLR... but no zoom. It's a fixed lens.

Our issue is that when he pushes the button, it's several seconds before the camera actually takes the picture. It doesn't seem to matter what time of day it is, or whether it is inside or outside. We don't take a lot of action shots, so I don't need something so fast. I can have him play around with the settings a bit, and maybe that will help,but I will have to see. We have a Samsung wb 150 I think it is. We have an older lumix which I think works better. But we have an upcoming cruise, and he wants something good to take lots of pictures of beautiful scenery! Thanks for the tips!

 

[SplashMo]

Panasonic LX7

SONY RX100 (Over budget)

Olympus E-PM2 can find with lens for $425.00

 

[havoc315]

Our issue is that when he pushes the button, it's several seconds before the camera actually takes the picture. It doesn't seem to matter what time of day it is, or whether it is inside or outside. We don't take a lot of action shots, so I don't need something so fast. I can have him play around with the settings a bit, and maybe that will help,but I will have to see. We have a Samsung wb 150 I think it is. We have an older lumix which I think works better. But we have an upcoming cruise, and he wants something good to take lots of pictures of beautiful scenery! Thanks for the tips!

Based on everything you said, including your husband's suggestion of a dSLR.... I'd suggest going with a Micro 4/3rd or Sony NEX system. Definitely bigger than a compact, but much smaller than a SLR. Fitted with a smaller lens, these cameras easily can fit into a small bag, or larger pocket.
These cameras will perform very similarly to a traditional dSLR.

Something like the Olympus Pen PL/PM series -- I see it now selling with lens, for under $400. (I see the PL3 selling for $259 on Amazon) Image quality will be very close to a traditional APS-C dSLR, and the newers mirrorless cameras are known to be very responsive with fast autofocus and little shutter lag. (Not quite as good as a traditional dSLR, but very close -- the PL3 is rated for about 1/4th of a second, pretty close to SLRs. The Sony NEX F3 can give you slightly higher image quality, with a response time of still less than 1/3rd of a second).

So to the extent you and your husband want a dSLR without the size and bulk of a dSLR, these are good options.

Very few compact cameras will compare. The Sony RX100 will come very very close, IMHO. And with the new version of the camera being released, if you look hard enough, you can start to find the RX100 for under $600. It will give you image quality very similar if not better than some of the mirrorless (maybe better than the PL3, not as good as the Nex F3). It's response time is very very good for a compact camera -- .15-.35 seconds.

For a more affordable option, sticking with a compact point and shoot -- The Canon S110 is a good standby. The image quality and responsiveness won't come very close to those above. But the response time should still be less than 1/2 of a second. Image quality will be a step above most compacts (though a few steps below the RX100). And it's a couple hundred dollars cheaper, clocking in at about $350.

Bulking up a bit, the Canon G15 is a bit cheaper than the RX100, a bit bulkier, but around $450, and has a fantastic lens. I really don't know the responsiveness, and overall image quality won't quite match the RX100.

The Canon G1x is priced about the same as the RX100, it's a bit bulkier. It's not super-responsive --- Shutter lag of about .7 seconds according to imaging-resource. But it has a larger sensor, so can potentially do better in low light. (Image quality is rated slightly higher on the RX100, but very similar).

So really, the better cameras can keep shutter lag to under a half second... dSLRs and top mirrorless/compact cameras can keep it down to under 1/4th of a second.

 

[Daisy14'sDH]

Check out the Pentax q10, or wait for the q7... its tiny!

 

[rossb]

This one is very small and surprisingly good:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846