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Need help picking Point and Shoot camera.


bzawlocki

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So i"m looking for a digital point and shoot camera and need some recommendations based on your experiences. We have a weather proof Pentax point and shoot and it takes OK pictures but we want to move up.

 

Here's what I THINK I want:

 

1. Camera that is good in low light.

2. Don't need a big zoom - small zoom is good.

3. Would like hot shoe to add additional flash in future.

4. Need good auto focus.

5. Would like WiFi to make it a little easier to transfer files (this is not huge since there are WiFi SD cards).

6. Don't want interchangable lens.

7. I would like to stay under $700.

 

So, any suggestions of what to consider?

 

Bill in Georgetown, TX

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Drop by your local library. They probably have the Consumers Report magazine or books. An excellent resource to answer your question.

Or. For $20/year, you can get your personal on-line subscription. It will likely pay for itself by helping you make a good choice of cameras.

 

Of their "basic" digital cameras their Best Buys tend to be the Canon brand. Ditto with the ones they call "advanced"

 

They rate, and describe, perhaps a hundred different cameras.

 

It won't be easy for anyone to choose the perfect-for-you camera.

 

Enjoy your travels.

 

Who knows, you might be the next Ansel Adams. :-)

 

Ed

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Google up Digital Camera Reviews and you'll have days of reading. I did that before I bought my last two cameras and the information let me make an informed pick.

 

I grabbed a Nikon, CoolPix P7000 and it does great photos and up to 30 minute long videos that are very watchable. I have the SB-400 external flash too and it is plenty bright and does a great job of reducing redeye compared to the on-camera flash that is otherwise decent.

First rule of computer consulting:

Sell a customer a Linux computer and you'll eat for a day.

Sell a customer a Windows computer and you'll eat for a lifetime.

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dpreviews.com is a good review site that I have used. I have not looked in a couple years. I bought a Pentax DSLR K5 that had very good rating including low light that I wanted for wildlife photos. I also had many Pentax mount lenses already. I saw a Pentax DSLR recently on slickdeals.com for $500 something. You should be able to buy a decent DSLR that will take great photos in auto modes and manual modes. The obvious downside is the physical size. But there are DSLRs that are fairly compact. My K5 is much smaller than my older DSLRs and its waterproof.

 

I also have a small Panasonic Lumix point and shoot I like with full manual settings, auto settings, and GPS. When I shoot a photo of a landmark, the GPS identifies it and can label the photo with the name as well as embed the coordinates for software to place a link to photo on a map. It should be useful as we travel.

 

I like having the little Panasonic handy when using a DSLR. I spotted a moose up on a ridge in the Tetons that looked like it was headed down to the river. It came through 1/4 mile of aspens, out of my sight on the way. I had a 1000 mm lens on a big tripod set up waiting and hoping it came out by the river close enough to grab a decent pic. When it emerged it walked by about 10 feet from me. I could have had a great photo if I had a little point and shoot in my pocket.

 

Jim

Volvo+and+Travel+Supreme+400+x+103.jpg

 

2001 Volvo 770, Detroit 60 Series, Gen 2 Autoshift

Passenger assist elevator to enter cab - for when we need it, or sell it?

'05 Travel Supreme Select 40 RLQSO 5th wheel

2016 smart car

 

We started full timing on December 1st 2014

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness - Mark Twain
Not all that wander are lost - J. R. R. Tolkien

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The lenses on most phones and tablets are pretty poor, no matter how many pixels you capture if they are blurry and discolored by lens problems the picture will be sub-standard.

First rule of computer consulting:

Sell a customer a Linux computer and you'll eat for a day.

Sell a customer a Windows computer and you'll eat for a lifetime.

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Correction...it was slickdeals.net (not com) that I saw this deal for a Pentax DSLR.

 

I don't actually know how good a camera it is, but I bet it is a good deal, particularly with Lightroom 5 included. Again, I would check it out on dpreviews/com and see if they have tested it before buying.

 

Once you decide what camera you do want, slickdeals.net is a good place to search for the best deal. It has an option to subscribe to alerts to let you know when an item you are looking for is on sale someplace.

 

Jim

Volvo+and+Travel+Supreme+400+x+103.jpg

 

2001 Volvo 770, Detroit 60 Series, Gen 2 Autoshift

Passenger assist elevator to enter cab - for when we need it, or sell it?

'05 Travel Supreme Select 40 RLQSO 5th wheel

2016 smart car

 

We started full timing on December 1st 2014

Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness - Mark Twain
Not all that wander are lost - J. R. R. Tolkien

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  • 1 month later...

Sams or Costco has several Nikon and Canon camera of your choice under $400. All feature, digital zoom out to 35X, fixed lens, WiFi, 16 meg, and 720p video. I think the shortfall may be a hot shoe, but they have a built-in flash. You have to step up to the entry level SLR if hot shoe is very important. Entry level Nikon or Canon SLR with lens start at $500.00 plus. PM me if you have more questions about your camera choice.

Living the full time RV dream in a Holiday Rambler Motor home.

Our Travel Blog is http://rvroadriders.com

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I have been looking to replace our small pocket camera also which is a backup for my big camera. I am looking for one that has a view finder and not just the screen view on the back. View finders are important if you do much outside in bright light but they seem to have become very difficult to find.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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As a professional photographer that uses Canon cameras exclusively, I highly recommend the Powershot GX1 series. It has all the capabilities you're looking for in a point and shoot. Try this link and check them out.

 

http://usa.canon.com/cusa/professional/products/professional_cameras/pro_ps_digital_cameras

Photographer on the go! Visit my website @ www.jmhillphoto.com or visit my blog

@ http://jmhillphoto.blogspot.com/ to see what we've been up to lately!

 

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I highly recommend the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7. It meets all your criteria except wi-fi. But you can add a wi-fi enabled SD card and solve that problem (and there may be a newer version with built-in wi-fi). It's a suberb small camera with a very bright lens, i.e. it lets in more light than virtually all competitors in its size class. I added the optional external viewfinder on mine (attaches to the hot shoe) and it's a very handy addition. Has a full suite of manual controls if you want that, and also shoots HD video.

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Just to let folks know I found this camera on sale for around $400 during the holidays. It's probably more camera than I need or have the ability to use but it was priced right and I can always learn - LOL.

 

So far, it appears to be a really nice camera.

 

http://www.samsung.com/us/photography/digital-cameras/EV-NX300ZBSTUS

 

Bill

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