Camera Dudes

[Beezerk]

Is there such a thing as a half decent camera under £200?
Getting a bit of a bug for taking photos but I've only got my smart phone and an old compact thing, bear in mid it's for a rank novice so least crazy settings the better
Don't mind second hand but can't really go over 200 notes.

 

[ManinBlack]

Something like this. Put it on "Program" & just point & shoot. 1000% better than a compact camera & all the manual control you want, only if you want it. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Nikon-D-D...953786&hash=item36252ebf1f:g:~VoAAOSwdPBZ3I5A

 

[SaintHacker]

Should be able to get a decent second hand DSLR for that money, look for a Nikon or similar. Have a shop around though, if you can stretch to a little more you can pick up a great deal. A couple of years ago i got my Nikon D3200,standard lens and a 70-300mm zoom for £300 brand new.

 

[Hobbit]

Martyn, if you can stretch a bit further I've got a Nikon D5000 + 2 lenses, 18-55mm & 70-300mm. Add to that a Lowepro rucksack + tripod and filters...

 

[larmen]

Do you have a generic idea what you are after? An updated compact, something with some zoom or interchangeable lenses?

When I look for camera gear I spent hours on www.dpreview.com , nothing they don't know about cameras.

 

[Khamelion]

IF you can find a Canon EOS M10, that would be a good start, we got the bairn one for her 21st birthday £260 give or take. It would be a decent camera to get you going, decent lens on it for starters and you can buy an EOS adapter so if the bug really does bite, you can then look to buy EOS lenses and there after a DLSR EOS body.

 

[Beezerk]

Thanks for the replies, Larmen, no idea really just something which will capture what I'm seeing better than my phone lol.
Something kind of wide angle view if it's possible at that price.

Hobbit, I'll be pushing it to go over £200 mate, don't really want to go daft on my first purchase.

 

[larmen]

This sounds like you want a camera to be 'ever with you' rather than a system to build on.

For that money you can get a good optical zoom and image stabilisation, which make the biggest different to your phone you 'always' have with you anyway.
I would probably go Canon Powershot or Sony. Being a Nikon man myself on DSLR I still prefer these 2 over the Nikon Coolpix variations. They are still good cameras, but they 'look weird' to me.

Something like the Sony DSCWX350 maybe. Or what the newer version is of that.

Of course, these days you have also cameras which have picture editing stuff and wifi or bluetooth build in, maybe that's useful to you as well. I get all of my pictures through the computer anyway, never 'publish' directly from camera. And for those snaps the phone will do.

 

[Hobbit]

If you can stretch it, a LUMIX TZ60. A great (optical) zoom on it, with great flexibility too. It’s my back up, back pocket camera

 

[Beezerk]

Thanks fellas lots to mull over but thinking about it a smaller one (steady now) would be ideal, it needs to be a camera for all seasons if you know what I mean.

 

[ManinBlack]

If you get a small one don't go for too many pixels. The sensors on small cameras are tiny & the pixels are smaller too. Smaller pixels cause lots of noise in low light & you don't need more than about 14 million. I've used a pro camera in the past with this few pixels & printed 3 feet by 2 feet without any problem. More pixels = worse low light performance.

Have a look at compact cameras at http://www.kenrockwell.com he talks a lot of sense about practical photography

 

[Marshy77]

I'm looking too, really got the bug now but only been taking pictures with my phone and borrowed my old mans slr.

Been looking at Nikon's and Canon.

 

[MegaSteve]

Thanks fellas lots to mull over but thinking about it a smaller one (steady now) would be ideal, it needs to be a camera for all seasons if you know what I mean.

Take a look at 'bridge cameras'... Herself has just downsized from high end DSLR's [with multiple lenses etc] to a Lumix 'bridge camera'... She feels it covers three quarters of what she could achieve with the DSLR's without all the hassle of carrying a rucksack full of kit..

 

[Chisteve]

I would recommend Nikon 1 J5 I have one its great and not to big to lug around, there are alot of lenses available also

A little over you budget but a good camera

 

[Blue in Munich]

Take a look at 'bridge cameras'... Herself has just downsized from high end DSLR's [with multiple lenses etc] to a Lumix 'bridge camera'... She feels it covers three quarters of what she could achieve with the DSLR's without all the hassle of carrying a rucksack full of kit..

Funnily enough I did just that yesterday and came away with a Lumix FZ82.

 

[chrisd]

Personally go for Canon with a DSLR and a bridge camera for snaps, but the top makes dont really don't make bad cameras these days

 

[nickjdavis]

Whatever you buy....think about the practicality of its size. It sounds to me like you want something readily and handily available....a step up from the smartphone....something that can sit in your jacket/trouser pocket and be easy to pick up, turn on and shoot with. Beleive me the carrying round of a DSLR and associated lens can be quite cumbersome....even the more modern smaller ones....theyre still "relatively" heavy and when you want to put it away somewhere safe whilst you eat lunch whilst out for a day....well....sorry.....cant quite fit in the wifes bag, will need to sit on the table or in its own dedicated camera bag....oh and theres another bag to carry.

Unless you really think that photogrpahy might turn into a major hobby and you foresee yourself perhaps wanting several lenses for different situations and want to develop control of your photogrpahy in terms of magaing depth of field, making use of motion effects (freezing or using slow shutter speeds to blur things like running water) etc etc etc I'd strongly adivse that you head off down the compact route...carrying round a big old DSLR will soon become a chore and the family will groan as "dad gets out his camera again and fiddles around for five minutes getting the settings right".

Compact camera from Panasonic, Sony, Nikon,Canon....you wont go wrong....and whilst all will work in auto mode, some may also have more manual controls where you can set aperture and shutter speed for yourself....and help you learn a bit more about photogrpahy....and then maybe one day....you might want to go down the DSLR route.

 

[backwoodsman]

Not going suggest makes, but will suggest you get one with a viewfinder - rather than one where you rely on a screen on the back. My Mrs has a nice compact Nikon, which takes nice pics, but the screen is a b*gger to see in bright light, making composition a bit awkward.

 

[Beezerk]

I must have read every review of every camera over the weekend lol.
Narrowed it down to a Panasonic Lumix TZ70...I think. There's also the Sony RX100 II (can't really stretch the newer models) which is interesting me but I think the Lumix will be the one.

 

[Marshy77]

Whatever you buy....think about the practicality of its size. It sounds to me like you want something readily and handily available....a step up from the smartphone....something that can sit in your jacket/trouser pocket and be easy to pick up, turn on and shoot with. Beleive me the carrying round of a DSLR and associated lens can be quite cumbersome....even the more modern smaller ones....theyre still "relatively" heavy and when you want to put it away somewhere safe whilst you eat lunch whilst out for a day....well....sorry.....cant quite fit in the wifes bag, will need to sit on the table or in its own dedicated camera bag....oh and theres another bag to carry.

Unless you really think that photogrpahy might turn into a major hobby and you foresee yourself perhaps wanting several lenses for different situations and want to develop control of your photogrpahy in terms of magaing depth of field, making use of motion effects (freezing or using slow shutter speeds to blur things like running water) etc etc etc I'd strongly adivse that you head off down the compact route...carrying round a big old DSLR will soon become a chore and the family will groan as "dad gets out his camera again and fiddles around for five minutes getting the settings right".

Compact camera from Panasonic, Sony, Nikon,Canon....you wont go wrong....and whilst all will work in auto mode, some may also have more manual controls where you can set aperture and shutter speed for yourself....and help you learn a bit more about photogrpahy....and then maybe one day....you might want to go down the DSLR route.

I was all geared up to get a DSLR and then you put something so sensible.

This makes total sense, I want the camera to mainly take with us on dog walks and maybe the odd family holiday and don't want to be lugging a big camera around with me but I do want to try start to take some decent pictures.

A step up from my phone is what I want but I want to be able to take a good picture, shutter speed etc (been doing some reading, bought a book etc). Used my dad's slr the other month and it was very cumbersome, compact may be the way forward. Cheers.