Help buying a new camera

[CarnivalCruzer]

Hello Camera experts:

 

I'm no professional, so I'm looking for a new Point & Shoot camera that's not too difficult to use.

 

My current everyday camera is an Olympus 1030SW. It has worked well for us at the beach & in the water. However, it has a lousy zoom. :( We're going an an Alaskan cruise next year and I know my camera will never capture all there is to see.

 

Here's what I'm looking for...

 

Something with a great zoom (but not professional grade)

Easy to use

Less than $400

It doesn't have to be pocket-sized, but purse sized would be great!

I'm hoping to catch some great landscape/scenery shots.

Occasional night-time use - so just average pics would be OK there.

Rarely for moving objects (hopefully a whale or two, but thats about it)

 

Here are a couple I was looking at online....does anyone own one of these?

 

Sony - Cyber-shot 10.1-Megapixel Digital Camera - Model: DSC-H20/B

Samsung - 12.2-Megapixel Digital Camera - Model: EC-HZ15WABP

Canon - PowerShot 10.0-Megapixel Digital Camera - Model: SX120 IS

 

Any other suggestions?

Thanks for you help!!

[TheRoff]

All of those cameras have the capability to give you good images. Mostly it is a matter of which one feels the best to you. I recommend you spend some time at a local camera store and play with each. Do the controls feel in the right place for you? Is it intuitive to operate for you? Do you feel more comfortable with one particular camera. Its all pretty subjective at this point.

 

Larry

[jagoodbar]

Hello Camera experts:

 

I'm no professional, so I'm looking for a new Point & Shoot camera that's not too difficult to use.

 

My current everyday camera is an Olympus 1030SW. It has worked well for us at the beach & in the water. However, it has a lousy zoom. :( We're going an an Alaskan cruise next year and I know my camera will never capture all there is to see.

 

Here's what I'm looking for...

 

Something with a great zoom (but not professional grade)

Easy to use

Less than $400

It doesn't have to be pocket-sized, but purse sized would be great!

I'm hoping to catch some great landscape/scenery shots.

Occasional night-time use - so just average pics would be OK there.

Rarely for moving objects (hopefully a whale or two, but thats about it)

 

Here are a couple I was looking at online....does anyone own one of these?

 

Sony - Cyber-shot 10.1-Megapixel Digital Camera - Model: DSC-H20/B

Samsung - 12.2-Megapixel Digital Camera - Model: EC-HZ15WABP

Canon - PowerShot 10.0-Megapixel Digital Camera - Model: SX120 IS

 

Any other suggestions?

Thanks for you help!!

 

I'm going to give you a link to a great web site for camera reviews. Also a suggestion. I'm no camera expert but I do have a nice camera and I've owned a few. A few years ago, I bought a Sony SLR Digital Camera and in less than one year it broke. I sent it in to Sony for repairs and they fixed it and sent it back to me with no charge since it was under warranty. Just over a year later, it broke again and I got rid of it. I then talked to some experts and ended up buying a Nikon D-60 which I love. One of the experts also told me that when it comes to buying a reliable camera you should stick to a company that specializes in cameras like Canon, Nikon, Pentax, etc. It makes sense to me. Sony makes all kinds of products and camera's are not there specialty. A real nice point and shoot camera, IMHO is the Canon Power Shot SX20. It has 12 megapixals and a 20X Zoom lens which is outstanding. You should be able to get some great shots with a 20X zoom. Anyway, that is my 2 cents worth. Here is the web site I promised:

http://www.steves-digicams.com/camera-reviews/

 

Jon

[pierces]

A contrast point.

 

I've owned Minolta and Sony DSLRs since 2005 and never had an issue with either. I had a timing belt and a transmission break on a Nissan I owned, but I wouldn't leave them off a list of cars I was considering because of it. Eliminating a company based on the fact that they don't "specialize in cameras" is going to be sort of limiting as well since Canon spends a lot of it's time developing printers and copiers (their camera division only makes up about 25% of their total revenue) while Nikon wastes resources on semi-conductor steppers and medical instruments (40% of their revenue comes from products not related to imaging). Since Sony introduced the first commercially viable digital camera back in the early '80s and is currently second by a hair to Canon as the worlds largest manufacturer of digital cameras, I would argue that cameras are one of their many specialties. Developing imaging sensors like the ones used in Canon point-and-shoot cameras and Nikon P&S and DSLRs come to mind as a specialty as well as being the industry-standard broadcast video camera manufacturer for the last three decades or so.

 

Since I have often stated on this board that it is getting harder and harder to find a bad camera at any price level, I will offer my 2¢.

 

Go to a store with a wide selection of cameras and try a few out. Go there with a list of possibilities based on research you've done on sites like the aforementioned Steve's Digicams, Imaging-resource.com or DPReview.com. Check them out and pick the one that you like based on handling, control availability, ease of use and most of all...how it feels to you.

 

Cameras are like wine...You can read all the advice in the world and spend as much or as little as you want, but the best one is the one you like.

 

Whatever you choose, use it and have fun with it!

 

Dave

[zackiedawg]

Good counter point Dave. I was going to offer the same, but you've covered it. Sony's experience in digital cameras is longer than any other manufacturer, save Kodak. And their sensors are found in many other manufacturer's cameras, including most Nikon DSLRs, and Canon P&S models. I too can confirm having had 5 models of Sony cameras since 2003, 2 of which are DSLRs...no problems with the lot of them. I did have a Canon P&S model go bad on me after a year...but I certainly would not cross Canon off my list of brands to shop - anything can break. I've hiked through swamps and traveled the world with my Sony DSLR, taken over 20,000 photos with it, done hired shoots with it, and sold and published with it - and it never took a wrong step.

 

That said, to the OP - you won't likely go wrong with any of those three choices. Samsung is the lesser known name in digital cameras, but I wouldn't write a brand off for that - they actually make sensors for Pentax DSLRs and for many other imaging devices, and are a huge electronics company. Sony and Canon are the top two in P&S cameras, and both make fine products. If one of the three goes on a super sale, then that makes the decision easier too!

 

Definitely hold them...see which ones feel best in your hands, which ones have the best button placement, which menus you like the best...that should be a part of your decision, as you want to be comfortable with the camera and enjoy holding it and using it.

 

Don't worry about the memory cards, as they're all pretty cheap nowadays - unless you happen to have one from your previous camera that is a nice, high capacity card and it is compatible with one of these three cams (though I think Olympus takes Xd cards, which wouldn't be a match for the others).

 

Best of luck - you won't go wrong between them.

[scraphappylady]

Carnival Cruzer-

 

I have to agree with many of the others. Try out as many cameras that fit your requirements as you can, until you are comfortable with one and do lots and lots of online research (google "camera name reviews" and see what comes up.)

 

That being said, just my $.02 worth - I love Canons and find it wonderful that so many of them use AA batteries. If for some reason, I didn't bring replacement batteries along (I use rechargables much of the time) they are available just about ANYWHERE! So simple to buy more!

 

Currently, my choice is the newer Canon SX20 IS, a recent upgrade from my old workhorse Canon S2 IS. The 20x optical zoom is wonderful for someone like me who loves the close ups, but isn't looking to get into the SLR market (just yet, that is. :p) I also like the variety of settings available (beach, fireworks, etc.) And even at the lower megapixel settings, my pictures have come out wonderful! It also takes the huge SDHC capacity cards, so no matter how many shots I take, I never seem to run out!

 

Since you'll be doing Alaska, a good underwater snorkeling camera probably isn't something you'll need, but also for future reference I really like my Canon Powershot D10. It's nice and small, pretty rugged, and only has 3x optical zoom but takes really nice pictures both in and out of the water. The flash isn't great, and I actually went away from AA batteries this time (unfortunately, it seems most underwaters are not made to take them), but I just bought an extra battery and try to keep both charged at all times. It seemed a pretty small price to pay to be able to shoot confidently in rain, sand and saltwater.

 

Hope this helps!

[donaldsc]

Carnival Cruzer-

 

 

 

Currently, my choice is the newer Canon SX20 IS, a recent upgrade from my old workhorse Canon S2 IS. The 20x optical zoom is wonderful for someone like me who loves the close ups, but isn't looking to get into the SLR market (just yet, that is. :p) I also like the variety of settings available (beach, fireworks, etc.) And even at the lower megapixel settings, my pictures have come out wonderful! It also takes the huge SDHC capacity cards, so no matter how many shots I take, I never seem to run out!

 

!

 

Why would you ever shoot at less than full resolution? You can always reduce the resolution after-the-fact- but you can never increase it. As you said, memory is cheap.

 

I would also disagree with your logic on AA batteries although I do understand it. The dedicated photo batteries do cost a bit more but they last a whole lot more. My wife had a camera that took AA batteries and she was always having to carry spares. The batteries in her new Canon SD1200 last forever.

 

DON

[scraphappylady]

Why would you ever shoot at less than full resolution? You can always reduce the resolution after-the-fact- but you can never increase it. As you said, memory is cheap.

 

I would also disagree with your logic on AA batteries although I do understand it. The dedicated photo batteries do cost a bit more but they last a whole lot more. My wife had a camera that took AA batteries and she was always having to carry spares. The batteries in her new Canon SD1200 last forever.

 

DON

 

 

My whole point of talking about lower resolutions was to reinforce the fact that I think this camera takes beautiful pictures, whether set on the highest resolution or not.

 

Personally, my choice of resolution is easy - I'll often write my photos to cd for friends and family, and obviously, I can fit more pictures on a cd at an average of 1.9 mb (8M) each, the setting I use, than I could at 3 mb (12M) each.

 

Also, while it's wonderful to have, I just don't need the higher resolution. I loved the camera's other features first and then it just happened to come with 12 megapixels. I've only printed two photos larger than 8x10, and was perfectly happy with the quality of those, as well as my 4x6's and 5x7's, at 8M rather than 12 M. I guess if I was shooting a "very special event," say a wedding or maybe once-in-a-lifetime scenery, where I could conceivably get a much larger print made, I might bump it up to 12M. But for most of my "everyday" shots, a lower setting is just fine.

 

As for the batteries, I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree.:)

[picsboy]

Also, while it's wonderful to have, I just don't need the higher resolution. I loved the camera's other features first and then it just happened to come with 12 megapixels. I've only printed two photos larger than 8x10, and was perfectly happy with the quality of those, as well as my 4x6's and 5x7's, at 8M rather than 12 M. I guess if I was shooting a "very special event," say a wedding or maybe once-in-a-lifetime scenery, where I could conceivably get a much larger print made, I might bump it up to 12M. But for most of my "everyday" shots, a lower setting is just fine.

 

One of the other benefits of shooting at your highest resolution (in your case, 12 megapixels) is if you ever needed to crop your photo, you'd still have enough resolution to make a quality print.

 

Just a thought. :)