Recommendation for a good point and shoot camera for Disney

[SJDisneyFanatic]

We are going on our first WDW trip this December and I don't want to rely on the memory of my phone and also don't want to lug a huge camera around. Does anyone have good recommendations for a decent camera that you brought during a December trip to capture all the holiday magic without having to be an expert photographer?

I know my iphone will do much of the time but I feel like I will want better quality photos and the ability to put a huge memory card in and not worry about running out.

Thanks!

 

[larryz]

Nikon Cool Pix S-series...

 

[illinidp]

I don't know what your budget is, but I'm a fan of the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 series.

 

[MommaBerd]

Just a suggestion- there's a photography forum here (under Planning, all the way at the bottom). They are very experienced and very helpful.

 

[wdwjeffc37]

We bought a bridge camera for our last trip and really liked it. It has a couple of settings where you can preset for different scenes so I was able to have a slow shutter speed setting for good action on fast moving rides and a night/fireworks setting preset and you can just click the wheel. It also has settings for automatic. It is a Fuji with a 30x optical zoom. It served us very well. If you get a new camera spend some time learning its capabilities. A lot of our pictures were better with our camera than the PhotoPass cameras. Cheers!!!!!!

 

[sunshine1]

I use a point and shoot sony camera but it has a carl zeiss lens.

 

[SJDisneyFanatic]

Thank you all for the quick responses! I will take a peek at all the options and look for the photography forum!

 

[kelmcg]

We use a Canon PowerShot. (Just a small camera that can fit in a backpack or cargo pockets.) I always have to have a camera with me at WDW, and I don't rely on my phone.
Not sure if you've looked into Memory Maker.............I found on our last trip that I was taking less pictures myself because we purchased Memory Maker. With MM we were able to have the whole family in the pictures, we had magic shots, and some candids that the photographers would take as we were setting up for the shot. We came home with 700+ photos on our MM and then we were able to add borders and/or character signatures to the photos before we printed them.

 

[barbaraann]

I have always used a Nikon Camera. It is user friendly, takes AA Lithium batteries, and takes memory cards that are also easy to use. When they say "point and shoot' they are right. The one I have now is 16 megapixels, and it takes nice clear photos.

 

[NYCANC]

Honestly, I pulled out my P&S like 2 times during the week. Between MM and my iPhone 6- there was no need for another camera. I thought I would like having a zoom but only used it on the safari and one or two rides. All the sales people I asked said my iPhone 6 would be fine for the pics I was going to take (the same as the quality of P&S's I was looking at). They were right. Glad to say, I picked up a Nikon Cool Pix on clearance (last model) so did not feel too bad.

 

[Miskey]

Thank you all for the quick responses! I will take a peek at all the options and look for the photography forum!

I second looking at the photography forum! I received some very helpful and detailed advice on buying my last camera

 

[fla4fun]

I don't think you can go wrong if you stick with one of the name brands, like Nikon, Canon, Sony, etc. Go someplace you can actually pick them up and get a feel for them. It may sound great to have a really compact camera until you are holding it and all the buttons are so close together your fingers keep hitting the wrong thing. Or the camera that looks so small and pocket friendly online is too big for the pocket and heavy as a brick. You also want to see the optical zoom in action to see if there is enough capability to suit your needs. Buying a camera is a very personal preference. What works for me won't necessarily be the best choice for you.

Personally, I love taking photos, so I have three cameras besides the iPhone. I have a very basic point and shoot that I carry if I'm going somewhere the camera could possibly get damaged. I have a super zoom camera for those times I want good photos but don't feel like carrying a lot of equipment. I have the Canon SL1 dslr, which is a smaller and lighter weight dslr, and assorted lenses, that I use when I want great photos and don't mind carrying an extra lens or two. All my cameras happen to be Canon, but other family members use Nikon and are just as happy with their results. The Canon's just feel good in my hands and the controls are well placed for how I use the camera.

My point and shoot and super zoom both use AA batteries, which comes in handy if you're taking photos where you can't charge a battery. Even with having two charged batteries for the dslr, I've had some days where both ran down and I didn't have any way to charge them until I got back to my hotel. I use rechargeable AA batteries regularly, but there's nothing like the convenience of just picking up a pack of batteries at a gas station or convenience store and continuing to shoot.

 

[epcotty]

I have a phone with very limited memory so I use a camera, Olympus FE-20. Really good quality

 

[piccolopat]

I love my Panasonic Lumix when I'm not up to carrying my full size or bridge cameras. It's served me very well for the last few years and is also waterproof, great in those Florida downpours. The new model of it is the TS-6 and has a Leica lens.

 

[serene56]

Nikon Cool Pix S-series...

i got one of these===love it

 

[rotlex]

Depending on your budget, the Sony RX100 M3 or 4 is FANTASTIC. They are upwards of $800, but fit in your pocket, and rival a DSLR in quality, speed, and function. I stopped taking a DSLR just about anywhere when I bought one two years ago. Truly a fantastic camera by and standard.

 

[DVC Mike]

Sony A6000

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Got questions about DVC?
★ ☆ ★ THE DVC INFORMATION CENTER ★ ☆ ★
in the DVC Forums has the answers to your questions about the Disney Vacation Club.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
​

 

[blackpearl77]

I just bought a Nikon cool pix s9900. It was on sale at best buy for $299. I went to look at the Nikon cool pix s7000 that's $199. It's super small for your pocket but I felt that it was too small to hold that my finger kept covering the flash. It was tiny but everyone is different so maybe go look at that one. I ended up getting the next model up which is a little bigger but still small (same length is my iPhone). The s9900 has 30x zoom and 16mgp and I played with it all weekend and I really love it. The zoom is awesome and still comes out clear not blurry! I'd recommend the Nikon cool pix series!

 

[lovesdumbo]

Depending on your budget, the Sony RX100 M3 or 4 is FANTASTIC. They are upwards of $800, but fit in your pocket, and rival a DSLR in quality, speed, and function. I stopped taking a DSLR just about anywhere when I bought one two years ago. Truly a fantastic camera by and standard.

I have a Sony RX 100 II which is in the $600 range. The RX 100 I is about $450.

 

[rotlex]

I have a Sony RX 100 II which is in the $600 range. The RX 100 I is about $450.

Great camera's aren't they? If you can find the I or the II, they are a fantastic buy. I got hooked with the III primarily due to the pop up viewfinder. I honestly can't believe just how well this series performs. I had gone from years of using a DSLR, to a Sony NEX6 which I also loved, but was still way to big to be pocketable. When I discovered the RX100 series, I was sold and hooked!