Please help me find a camera!

[tiffsix]

Hi! I am trying to figure out the best digital camera to buy. Right now I have a Canon Power Shot DS 800 IS Digital Elph. I also "had" a Nikon D60 SLR. Sadly, it was stolen this summer at hershey park! So, i am in the market for a new camera, but not a new SLR unfortunately. Does anyone have any recommendations for a compact point and shoot? what I loved about the SLR was how quickly i could snap the pictures. is there a point and shoot out there that will impress me after using the SLR? i mainly use the camera for family shots of my kids, vacations, etc. any suggestions? thanks!

 

[VVFF]

Provided you don't need huge zoom the most SLR like in terms of controls, settings and photo quality are probably the Canon G11, S90 and Panasonic LX3

 

[photo_chick]

What kind of budget are you working with? What specific features are important to you?

 

[edolyne]

Not sure if these options would be up your ally on not but they do make the mirrorless cameras using a DSLR sensor inside of a compact body. This type of camera will give you a similar experience to a DSLR which you liked but in a compact form factor.

Sony makes a NEX-3 which is quite similar to the NEX-5 but is less expensive and starts at about $550. Olympus also makes the E-PL1 which comes with a zoom lens and starts at $525 or so.

I just got the Sony NEX-5 for our upcoming vacation and am loving it so far. For disclaimers sake though, I use Sony camera's so I may be a LITTLE biased.

 

[tiffsix]

it has to be compact. it was difficult lugging around the slr! I love taking pics of my kids that is why i loved the slr b/c i was able to snap several pictures. i am not good with camera lingo....is it called rapid succession? the sony camera sounds interesting, not sure what mirrorless means but i plan to look it up online! i just want something that will take great pics of the family and of vacations during the day and at night. thanks for replying!

 

[edolyne]

it has to be compact. it was difficult lugging around the slr! I love taking pics of my kids that is why i loved the slr b/c i was able to snap several pictures. i am not good with camera lingo....is it called rapid succession? the sony camera sounds interesting, not sure what mirrorless means but i plan to look it up online! i just want something that will take great pics of the family and of vacations during the day and at night. thanks for replying!

A normal SLR camera has a mirror in it which reflects the image from the lens to the viewfinder. A mirrorless camera takes out the mirror and displays the images from the lens on the main screen in the back much like a point and shoot camera. The Sony camera is TINY much along the lines of a compact camera especially when purchased with the 16mm lens. One of the best features of the Sony camera is the tips menu which will give you guidance on how to take better images and allow you to grow with the camera.

To see more info about the camera you can take a look at a review done by dp review at http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/SonyNex5Nex3/. Take their conclusions on the negative side with a grain of salt though, I have no problems with the camera.

Let me know if you have any other questions that pop up.

 

[NateNLogansDad]

I have a Nikon P80 which takes (if I remember correctly) up to about 13 pictures a second. It's a decent little bridge camera that has served me well and there been at least 2 newer models since I picked it up in 2008. Is it as good as a DSLR? No. Can it fit in your pocket? No. Would I buy another one if I wasn't into the DSLR's now? Yep. Honestly, if the budget will support it and size was the biggest factor, I'd go mirror-less in a heartbeat!