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Camera question

teacher34

By teacher34,
in Photo & Camera Discussions

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teacher34

teacher34

Posted
Posted

I need some help. I know nothing about taking photographs and work 2 jobs, so there is no time to learn now, but my DH and I are going to Alaska in May and I really want to take some pictures, because this is a once in a lifetime experience for us. Can anyone advise me about a camera to buy (we don't even own any camera). I know I will want one that can zoom, but how much zoom? Also, it would have to be completely automatic, because I am a dunce when it comes to taking pictures. Also, we don't have a ton to spend on this. What do you think? Can anyone help me? I have seen such fantastic photos on cc that I am determined to take some pictures. Thanks in advance for anything you can tell me.

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aidansaunt2004

aidansaunt2004

Posted
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I just picked up the Fujifilm HS20. You can get it for $350-$400 and it has a lot of the same options a DSLR has for half of the price. My camera has 30x zoom and has tons of different filters and options. It's worth checking out.

 

Canon and Nikon have nice cameras as well. :)

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mikecoin56

mikecoin56

Posted
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Picked up a great deal on a Panasonic DMC-ZS9 14.1MP Digital Camera with 16x Optical Zoom and 21x Intelligent Zoom Function (Black) for $129.00. Great zoom, wide angle, 3" LCD screen.

 

Don't think I can give you the vendors name on here but just google the camera name ( Panasonic DMC-ZS9 )and price ( $129.00 ).

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mondello

mondello

Posted
Posted

There is quite a range of choices in small, easy to use digital cameras. You can get a starter camera for well under a $100. I'd look for a good name brand like Nikon, Fuji, or Olympus in the $100-$150 price range. Many can be used to shoot pictures and record like a movie camera. You will want a couple inexpensive memory cards, each card can hold hundreds of pictures and you download the digital images directly into your computer. You may wish to have a wide-angle lens capability for some nice scenic pictures on your Alaska cruise. You reuse the memory cards after each download and you can pick out the pictures you want to have prints made.

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groo

groo

Posted
Posted
I just picked up the Fujifilm HS20. You can get it for $350-$400 and it has a lot of the same options a DSLR has for half of the price. My camera has 30x zoom and has tons of different filters and options. It's worth checking out.

 

Canon and Nikon have nice cameras as well. :)

 

Fuji makes a great camera for the price. I recently got a Canon T2i and passed my fuji down to my daughter. She loves the thing.

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hbmom2

hbmom2

Posted
Posted

I have a Cannon PowerShot and I love it! It takes great pictures. I think it's 12x zoom? I am not a camera professional myself, so I don't know too much. It has a great focus. Here is a picture of it: http://www.canon.ca/inetCA/products?m=gp&pid=11482 I think this is the one anyways. There seems to be a lot of models, but the cheapest one is on sale at Best Buy for $119.97, but the model I have is about $250. Here is a list of them on Best Buy: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/searchpage.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=4859183842156134666&id=pcat17071&type=page&st=cannon+powershot&sc=Global&cp=1&nrp=15&sp=&qp=&list=n&iht=y&usc=All+Categories&ks=960

Hope you find the right camera! :)

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BallFour4

BallFour4

Posted
Posted

Get a camera ASAP and learn to use it.

 

Here are the ones in my bag I use most often

 

Pocket Camera - Sony WX9, cheap, amazing and really user friendly.

 

Canon 7d - forget this for a first timer and move down.

 

Olympus Tough 810 - waterproof, shockproof and decent (but not spectacular) on image quality

 

Panasonic Lumix ZS10 - far better camera than I expected, superior optics and great user flexibility

 

If I had to get just one one, it would be the best Panasonic or Canon pocket camera I could afford.

 

Get several medium sized memory cards versus one big one, that way you can store the used ones in the safe and not carry your entire vacation around with you.

 

DSLR cameras - Amazing flexiblity, the ability to change lenses quickly and resonable in cost for entry models.

 

Downside - big, bulky and often left behind in the cabin due to size. I use my 7d for portraits, my daughters collegiate track career and family stuff. I'd never carry that big of a camera on vacation.

 

Read this guys reviews and then decide:

http://www.kenrockwell.com/index.htm

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Tennessee Rose

Tennessee Rose

Posted
Posted

OP, I would suggest you go to a camera store such as Wolf/Ritz and talk to them. The ones I have been in are very helpful. Let them know the specific features you know that you want so they can help you narrow your choices.

 

Also, DON'T BUY THE FIRST THING YOU SEE! Don't actually buy until you investigate several brands & models online; prices have dropped dramatically the last few years and you can get a really good camera for not too much $$$. Read the online reviews of different models. Make sure you know what kind of battery(ies) the camera you buy takes, and make sure you have a battery charger. If it uses AA or AAA batteries make sure you buy lots of extras to take with you along with the charger. Also, memory cards are quite cheap these days; take an extra one with you (4GB should be plenty). No matter what my camera battery guage shows each night, I still recharge my battery EVERY NIGHT! You don't want to be out in the middle of the day & have a fast battery drain!

 

Maybe you could get several friends and/or co-workers to bring their cameras over and show you their favorite and not so favorite features of their own cameras. They might let you try taking a few pics with each to see what feels comfortable to you.

 

Finally, if you are going to buy a camera to use for your May trip, buy one by the end of March so you will have plenty of time to read the manual and test all the features to get used to it. You don't want that whale jumping in front of you while you are reading the manual!!!

 

Here is a good site to see what cameras (and other electronics) are in the weekly sale ads: salescircular dot com

You find your state and city and can see what different stores have on sale in your area for that week.

 

Sorry, this IS the final point!! If you buy a camera & try it for a week, different lighting/features, and you are not completely happy with it, take it back! Most stores will refund or give store credit depending on how long you've kept it. Usually within about a week though.

 

Have fun above all else! One day I want to go on an Alaska cruise myself!

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livestocruisetoo

livestocruisetoo

Posted
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DW bought this camera in anticipation of our Med cruise. It is 16.2 Mp with a 10x zoom and takes Full HD movies. Very compact, shirt pocket, and has a 3 inch view screen. She took over 1200 pictures, daylight and nighttime, and they all came out great, even the ones where she held it at arm's length. the price has dropped about $100 since we bought it. Right around $200 now.

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misguidedangel

misguidedangel

Posted
Posted

I would suggest you get a middle of the road point and shoot digital camera. You want something simple, with a good zoom, and can take good photos.

 

I have always had good luck with Canon cameras, but what I would suggest to you is to get a multipurpose camera that you can use just about anywhere--on land and in the water! I would suggest either the Olympus Tough 8010, Canon D10, and I do believe Nikon now has a shock/waterproof camera.

 

The reason I suggest this is these cameras mentioned about are shock, water, crush, and freeze proof. ......yes, you can drop it (between 5-6 feet) and it will still work. You can step on it (220lbs and under) and it will still work. You can go underwater with it from 10 feet to 33 feet (depending on models) and take some excellent underwater/water based photos. Lastly, it will work well in cold weather and in the case of the Olympus Tough 8010 someone froze it in a bucket of water and then unthawed it. The camera worked just fine after that........

 

Whichever camera you choose do read the manual and understand how the camera works. Also, if you can buy a second battery if it is Lithium rechargable battery. You're going to Alaska and you'll be snapping pics as fast as any Japanese tourist and the one thing you don't want is the battery to die on you part way through an excursion or the day.....no, a backup battery is always a good idea...

 

You can also go to cnet.com website and check out the reviews of digital cameras or use their digital camera finders guide and it can tell you what camera would be good for you based on the criteria you select!

 

 

Happy shopping and cruise!

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KrystalWaters

KrystalWaters

Posted
Posted

i too just recently went through the "camera search":) For months..:eek:

I narrowed it down to the Nikon L120 and the Fuji FinePix S3380. I wanted something with a stability, large zoom, high mp, and less than $200. In my search I was told those are considered 'bridge cameras'. Bigger than the compact but smaller than a SLR with similar functions of a SLR. Best of both worlds.:)

 

I loved the L120 but it was slightly over $200...i looooooooved the ease of use. I was able to pick it up and figure out how to pictures/settings in less than 10mins(We were in Best Buy). Loved that...then the Fuji...i researched the Fuji brand on their website. Well one of the TV Shopping programs had one of the models i was looking for on flex pay$35/month with the different pretty colors. My hubby purchased it for me for Christmas. I'm sooo happy it was under $200 and came with a whole lot of 'extras'(ie. software, etc...) The Fuji S3380 is 14MP with 26X zoom. Now if we could have afforded it they have the HS25EXR which is a 16MP w/30X zoom. I believe that camera runs around $399.

 

Also you can't go wrong with the following brands IMHO: Canon, Fuji, and Nikon. They each have their own niche but again great brands.

 

Good luck in your search.

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dclark

dclark

Posted
Posted

I just got back from a 9 day Princess cruise to the southern carribean. I brought my Canon hdv camcorder, Panny Lumix super zoom camera and a panny lumix water proof camera. If I were to have only camera, it would be that water proof camera.

I got shots of my kids swimming, snorkeling with it, even got 720p high def footage of myself jumping off the water falls. Being waterproof is a big, big plus. Being able to take pics and video even better.

While you will not be snorkeling or swimming with a camera in your hand in AK, it does rain and drizzle there and when you have a water proof camera, you don't have to worry about it getting damage. The one drawback is that the zoom is limited, 3- 5x. My super zoom can do 18x. However, to make the most of the zoom, you want a tripod or monopod as low light and motion can give you blurry pics.

If you get a super zoom or a dslr, I recommend getting a monopod, they are really helpful, I loved mine when I was in AK.

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NJEMT65

NJEMT65

Posted
Posted

I would recommend an entry level digital SLR. Alaska has some of the best scenery and wildlife in the world, and you may never get back there again!

 

For example the Canon T1i with an image stabilized 18-55mm "kit" lens is selling for $514 on buy dot com. This was found on a quick google search.

 

Also, some websites have camera and lens rental options! I rented a $8000 dSLR for a weekend once to shoot a wedding, and it cost me $150!:eek: With this option you can get a camera and lens that mere mortals can only dream of!

 

Or you can be a camera junkie like me and travel on cruises with: Canon Eos 1Ds Mark II (16.7MP Full frame professional body), Canon 60D (18MP), Canon 24-105 f4 L, Canon 70-200 f4 L, Canon 50mm f1.8 II, and Tamron 200-400mm f4-5.6! ;)

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gelo7

gelo7

Posted
Posted
Picked up a great deal on a Panasonic DMC-ZS9 14.1MP Digital Camera with 16x Optical Zoom and 21x Intelligent Zoom Function (Black) for $129.00. Great zoom, wide angle, 3" LCD screen.

 

Don't think I can give you the vendors name on here but just google the camera name ( Panasonic DMC-ZS9 )and price ( $129.00 ).

These are great Point and Shoot Camera's, really good reviews.
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remharri

remharri

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Posted
I would recommend an entry level digital SLR. Alaska has some of the best scenery and wildlife in the world, and you may never get back there again!

 

For example the Canon T1i with an image stabilized 18-55mm "kit" lens is selling for $514 on buy dot com. This was found on a quick google search.

 

Also, some websites have camera and lens rental options! I rented a $8000 dSLR for a weekend once to shoot a wedding, and it cost me $150!:eek: With this option you can get a camera and lens that mere mortals can only dream of!

 

Or you can be a camera junkie like me and travel on cruises with: Canon Eos 1Ds Mark II (16.7MP Full frame professional body), Canon 60D (18MP), Canon 24-105 f4 L, Canon 70-200 f4 L, Canon 50mm f1.8 II, and Tamron 200-400mm f4-5.6! ;)

 

I agree, a nice entry level DSLR is the way to go. If you want quality photos and a camera that will do you justice for many years to come.

 

Check out Costco and Sams club as they often have good kits for a good price on Canons and Nikons. I got mine my Best Buy because at the time they were having the best deals.,

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ULCajunCruiser

ULCajunCruiser

Posted
Posted

I went to Alaska this past August and like you, spent months camera shopping. I stressed over what to buy, so many choices!!!

 

I ended up with the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-HX100V, and I couldn't be happier. This camera had a very nice 35X zoom, but was completely automatic, like a point and shoot. It does have the ability to shoot in various manual modes once you get comfortable doing that, if you choose to. Also, I was able to shoot amazing HD video with it!!!

 

I put in a large capacity (32 GB) sd card, and bought a spare battery and charger and was all set.

 

As stated above, no matter what you decide, get it early and practice. Alaska was awesome, and thanks to this camera, I have over 1500 pictures and video to remeber it!! You'll have the time of your life!!!

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mara93

mara93

Posted
Posted

Although I have a "fancy" camera, I prefer to cruise with my Panasonic since it's Shock/Freeze/Water proof on cruises.

Here's the newest model of the one I have. No need to change lenses, only have to switch modes to record video.

It's great for my purposes.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004KKZ0JM/ref=s9_simh_gw_p421_d0_g421_i3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0PWF1BM8A912G484Q0VA&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

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