Digital Camera Recommendations

moon_stick

I'm off to a wedding on Friday (in a castle!) and have decided that I'd like to take pictures on something better than my mobile phone. I'm not looking to take professional photos - really just need a compact camera, decent resolution and colour balance and any other neat features that might make life easier. Budget is about £200GBP (~€250 / $300) - any suggestions?? TIA

Sarchasm : The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

Rhuros

I've not had digital compact camera for years (I'm D-SLR man now) but I always rated the Canon range.. But take a look at [DPreview](traditional bread recipe) as they have always tended to be helpful...

Baconbutty

That site's name always makes me giggle.

He took it all too far, but boy could he play guitar!

Baconbutty

Don't Currys have some good offers on at the moment - Nikon compact thingies. I've got a Nikon L12 - it takes good enough pics for me but I'm just a point and shoot guy.

He took it all too far, but boy could he play guitar!

hairy_hats

Baconbutty wrote:

I'm just a point and shoot guy.

Your poor wife.

Baconbutty

Very quick - I couldn't be bothered changing what I typed and was just waiting...

He took it all too far, but boy could he play guitar!

Ennis Ray Lynch Jr

And I agree with that recommendation.

Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. I also do Android Programming as I find it a refreshing break from the MS. "And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs" -- Robert Frost

hairy_hats

Me too.

Maximilien

Panasonic LX4 (or LX3 or the new LX5) Canon G11 (or older G10) or any of the newer canon powershot.

Watched code never compiles.

Media2r

I have a Canon Digital Ixus 100 IS that I am very happy with. It takes just as good pictures (in my opinion) as any of them, what sold me on it is its very small size. My manager bought one too after testinmg mine, what sold him was that it does sport a viewfinder(!). Apparently, he thinks the viewfinder is useful if it's sunny outside. //L

Rage

Are the two of you just together somewhere, or is this some general statement from Nish ?

Ennis Ray Lynch Jr

He is a Nikon fanatic. This is my subtle way of setting him off.

Need custom software developed? I do custom programming based primarily on MS tools with an emphasis on C# development and consulting. I also do Android Programming as I find it a refreshing break from the MS. "And they, since they Were not the one dead, turned to their affairs" -- Robert Frost

Smithers Jones

I love my Canon Ixus 870IS, which cost last summer about 220 €. Maybe not the best camera (many people prefer the Canon PowerShots), but it does, what I bought it for, i.e. lightweight compact camera that you can take wherever you want (even for hiking, climbing...), taking nice pictures if you just want to do some snapshots/documentation but no fancy artsy stuff, easy and intuitively to use... Oh, and there is this cool wheel with which you can leaf through the pictures. :) For serious stuff I prefer my Canon EOS 400D, but for the rest the Ixus is great.

"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." (DNA)

V 0

I own a powershot pro, but it is kinda heavy. The Canon Ixus series have a good name. Whatever you choose, with Canon or Nikon you almost can't go wrong. (which doesn't mean other brands don't have good camera's) You shouldn't look at the mpixel value anymore there a normal 10cm x 15cm foto should take up about 2,88 MPixel for good quality I believe. Most new models are far beyond that so allow for bigger prints if necessary. However depending on your level of expertise have a look at: - The lens. Take a look at the optical zoom. - batteries, some prefer AA batteries, but personally I loath them. - manual options (focus, timer, ...) if interested. - Ease of use, if you eg have worked with Nikon before, the learning curve of a new Nikon camera is lower. - If you already own a camera, a preference might be that the memory cards are compatible. - robustness. - Might be good to have a look at the flash range. since your party is inside, this might proove important. good luck.

V.

Stuart Dootson

Canon for compact cameras...or maybe a Panasonic Lumix... If you wanted a DSLR, though - Nikon all the way :-)

Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p CodeProject MVP for 2010 - who'd'a thunk it!

Nish Nishant

:omg:

Regards, Nish

Blog: blog.voidnish.com

Nish Nishant

I am pro-Nikon, and Ennis is pro-Canon :-)

Regards, Nish

Blog: blog.voidnish.com

Nish Nishant

Ennis Ray Lynch, Jr. wrote:

He is a Nikon fanatic. This is my subtle way of setting him off.

Fanatic? Damn! Though coming from a Canon groupie, I am not surprised :rolleyes:

Regards, Nish

Blog: blog.voidnish.com

El Corazon

Baconbutty wrote:

That site's name always makes me giggle.

[innocent look]and why is that?[/innocent look]

_________________________ John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." Shhhhh.... I am not really here. I am a figment of your imagination.... I am still in my cave so this must be an illusion....

El Corazon

if you are going DSLR, do your homework upfront, from DPreview.com (shush!) to looking at specs, to going down and holding one. Always try to hold one at a store even if you have to reject half a dozen salesmen while you try it. Is the weight right? are the buttons placed well? Why? Because with DSLR you are going to have an investment in lenses. Yes you "could" change your mind later and switch from Canon to Nikon, but the laws or economic inertia (yes, I just made up that phrase) will tend to keep you on one brand or the other. When you upgrade Canon to Canon you get to use the old lens, plus the new one if you bought one with a lens, or you can just buy a body and lower the price. Ditto for Nikon to Nikon. When you switch, you lose your past lenses. That tends to keep you in one place. My rule of thumb is start with what you WILL photograph right away, don't compare cameras yet. Family, friends, events, models, sports, sunsets, landscapes, flowers, bees on flowers, pollen on bees on flowers... underground caves. Now make a list of those things you WANT to photograph. Compare the list, move things around if necessary, when you are satisfied with the list, now compare cameras. Timed exposures require low-noise, so any low-light situations require a low-noise sensor (and don't forget the tripod). Models require a reasonable depth of field in hand-held position, as does events and family and friends. It also requires very natural skin colors - look at the camera outputs. sports requires high frame rates, find out what you can do and when you have to increase ISO. Increasing ISO trades off noise for more light. Know where each camera ISO starts having too much noise for your photographic needs. You will slowly see cameras start to ride the fence or drop to one side of your list or the other. You want a camera that fulfills all the needs of your "will shoot" list, and as much as possible of the "want to shoot" list. If you can fill both with an extra $100, you get to make the decision about how important that $100 or that camera is. good luck!! :) P.S. 2nd Nikon camera here. :) not that I haven't considered, but inertia keeps me here, so I understand the gravity of the situation. :)

_________________________ John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others." Shhhhh.... I am not really here. I am a figment of your imagination.... I am still in my cave so this must be an illusion....