Help Finding New Camera

[jtimmons]

I am looking to get a new camera. Let me tell you what I am looking for, If you have anything like it, please post the model number and a sample picture for me to see. Thanks!!

Specs...
Around $250-300
Around 5 - 8 Megapixels
Not Small Point and Shoot
Would like something with interchangeable lenses (I have 3 lenses for a 35mm Canon camera, will they fit???)
Digital
Would like as many choices on ISO, Exposure, Shutter Speed, etc.

I am not a camera expert, just a beginner, but I am good with electronics and I can learn things REALLY well.

 

[jann1033]

if your lens are eos, they will fit a rebel xt body( 8 mp) but the body is about $600( last i looked, you could check pricegrabber or someplace and maybe find it cheaper but i doubt it would be $300 or less)

the canon s2 IS is around your price range and has some lens converters but wouldn't use your lenses and probably fits most of the other categories closest plus it has the image stabilization to help with camera shake/movement and either a 10 or 12 x zoom so pretty versatile...you can go to www.canonusa.com to see more about the specs.

I think most better point and shoots have manual features like shutter also( i know canons do, such as A 600 series) and probably would be around your price range and about the mp range you want

i think the starter Pentax dslr ( not the IS one, i think it's idt or some weird initials i can't remember right now)was around $500-600 with the kit lens a few weeks ago but it wouldn't fit your canon lenses

 

[Master Mason]

I think that Jann summed it up pretty well....

 

[Groucho]

Unfortunately the camera you're looking for just plain doesn't exist.

I haven't been following the current state of PnS cameras very closely, but something like the Fuji S5200 might work well for you. Amazon has it for $256 at the moment and it's 5 megapixel, 10x zoom, image stabilization, etc. Seems to be very nice for its price. You can manually adjust most settings on these cameras but it can be slightly clunky.

If you want interchangable lenses, you have to go with a digital SLR. The cheapest is currently the Pentax *ist DL which has a $100 rebate until October 11th, but that's getting pretty hard to find. Other than that, the next cheapest is probably its replacement, the Pentax K110D, which is currently selling (with kit lens) for $507 at Beach Camera. Slightly more will get the the K100D with image stabilition or the bottom-end Nikon or Canon DSLRs. To quote someone else, "the worst DSLR is merely fantastic" so they're all good.

But if your budget can't swing that, the Fuji (and probably a couple others) can produce nice shots for half the price.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

You might be able to get a used Rebel, D60, or 10D at that price. They fit your specs.

 

[manning]

Just looked at the Fuji S5200 specs at dpreview site and it indicates no image stabilization. I think this is one of the gripes about Fuji. Some of their cameras are great low light cameras but no IS.

At this time you are not going to get a DSLR for anywhere near the price you are willing to spend.

 

[Groucho]

The review at Steve's, on the first page (which is usually press-release-sounding dry info), says that the Fuji S5200 has "...proprietary technology that suppresses camera shake and blur caused by subject movement." A glance at that in the past is what made me assume that it had IS - it sure sounds like it from that sentence!

Upon further examination, it looks like that might be one of the program modes, rather than a "true" IS... so I very well could be wrong. I did say that I haven't been following the PnS world very closely any more.

 

[manning]

I just checked http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/cameraDetail.php?cam=755 and in their spec listing they indicate no Image Stabilization. Anyone out there have this camera and can confirm??

 

[YEKCIM]

I have a S5200 and, while I'm pretty pleased with it, considering the cost, I'd like to chime in that it does *not* have IS, in the usual sense of the term. What it does have is what Fuji calls, "Anti-Blur", which is NOT the same thing. In this mode, the camera will ratchet up the ISO automatically, in an effort to keep the shutter speed high enough to minimize camera (operator) shake. I never use it, however, preferring instead to control the ISO manually. One nice feature of digital, however, is the almost penalty-less option of shooting several identical shots of the same subject (assuming it is static) in the hopes that at least one will turn our blur-free. I did that on a nighttime shot of SSE at Epcot, back in July. Took about 15 identical shots, but only printed/uploaded the one that was sharpest.

Having said all that about the Fuji's "AB" system, let me hasten to add that, for a $240 (0nline) camera, it does a pretty fair job.

My July 06 WDW album link is below; all shots made with the S5200:

http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j11/fasteddiew/DisneyWorld 2006/

~YEKCIM