What's a good camera?
- Thread starter wazup
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Sweet camera but it's $2500. for body alone. Another what? $600+ for a decent lens so well over $3000.
I believe the OP wants to stay in the $500-$1000 range.
I have a Lumix FZ 100, now FZ150,...that I love, has a fixed lens with 24x zoom, HD video, rotating screen.
No its not DSLR quality, but I gave up on caring lenses along on vacation.
All of the major manufactures have cameras similar to this, well within your price range.
I also have a Nikon COOLPIC AW100, which will fit in my pocket, has HD video, waterproof to 33ft, the new one has WI FI for down loading to your computer.
The videos, which I now shoot mostly, look great on a 50 " tv,...the stills also look great in this media.
Go to Blacks.
FAST
No its not DSLR quality, but I gave up on caring lenses along on vacation.
All of the major manufactures have cameras similar to this, well within your price range.
I also have a Nikon COOLPIC AW100, which will fit in my pocket, has HD video, waterproof to 33ft, the new one has WI FI for down loading to your computer.
The videos, which I now shoot mostly, look great on a 50 " tv,...the stills also look great in this media.
Go to Blacks.
FAST
Was curious to see there is any noticeable difference between the web images for 3 camera types. Day was overcast with some light drizzle, pictures cropped and sized only, no adjustments made.
In order, all pictures taken in Auto mode.
Taking the pictures with the DSLR Nikon D7000 with an ED gold lens in auto mode was a bit of a problem as the flash popped up. I looked at all the buttons on the camera trying to figure out how to turn the flash off, and finally just held the flash down and took the picture, checked the picture, and took a couple more.
Taking the picture with the Canon SX130 point and shoot camera was effortless and I felt comfortable the picture taken was good even though I hardly ever touch this camera.
Taking the picture with the Nexux 5 smart phone was effortless and the picture looked ok when checked.
In order, all pictures taken in Auto mode.
Taking the pictures with the DSLR Nikon D7000 with an ED gold lens in auto mode was a bit of a problem as the flash popped up. I looked at all the buttons on the camera trying to figure out how to turn the flash off, and finally just held the flash down and took the picture, checked the picture, and took a couple more.
Taking the picture with the Canon SX130 point and shoot camera was effortless and I felt comfortable the picture taken was good even though I hardly ever touch this camera.
Taking the picture with the Nexux 5 smart phone was effortless and the picture looked ok when checked.
The 7000 image seems the best - far more color and contrast picked up. Canons not bad, more muted not sure of its dynamic range. The phone meh dark and low contrast.
Depends on what you want the photo for - for instacrap any would do, for publishing and post work, the 7000 has the edge.
1st photo - heavy vignette at the corners. Good saturation and color reproduction. Good dynamic range and sharpness.
2nd photo
Good dynamic range. Not sure about your settings but color reproduction could be better. It is not that sharp...although it is acceptable for point and shoot.
3rd photo
Contrasty, appears sharper then 2nd photo, dynamic range in not there, but appears to have more detail in clouds maybe becuase of constrast vs. 2nd photo. Appears overly saturated and colors do not look right.
In conclusion the point and shoot looks ok. Nexus looks too harsh. 1st photo is nice.
2nd photo
Good dynamic range. Not sure about your settings but color reproduction could be better. It is not that sharp...although it is acceptable for point and shoot.
3rd photo
Contrasty, appears sharper then 2nd photo, dynamic range in not there, but appears to have more detail in clouds maybe becuase of constrast vs. 2nd photo. Appears overly saturated and colors do not look right.
In conclusion the point and shoot looks ok. Nexus looks too harsh. 1st photo is nice.
Was curious to see there is any noticeable difference between the web images for 3 camera types. Day was overcast with some light drizzle, pictures cropped and sized only, no adjustments made.
In order, all pictures taken in Auto mode.
Taking the pictures with the DSLR Nikon D7000 with an ED gold lens in auto mode was a bit of a problem as the flash popped up. I looked at all the buttons on the camera trying to figure out how to turn the flash off, and finally just held the flash down and took the picture, checked the picture, and took a couple more.
Taking the picture with the Canon SX130 point and shoot camera was effortless and I felt comfortable the picture taken was good even though I hardly ever touch this camera.
Taking the picture with the Nexux 5 smart phone was effortless and the picture looked ok when checked.
I'll mention again, I do have a small canon, 10 mega pixels with a 3.3 optical zoom, I have no idea what these numbers mean. I usually take a 3 month yearly vaca, this year I thought I might take a lot of pictures and see if a travel website is an option. Will this camera do as I want the pictures to be fairly high quality.
The mega pixel count is sufficient in your camera. You really don't need more than 8mp if you are not printing large photos. There are two types of zoom, digital and optical. Digital just enlarges the photo, taking away the sharpness, optical zoom brings the subject closer. It is better to have a higher optical zoom number than going crazy over mega pixels.
What do you mean by seeing if a travel website is an option? Is that just to post your photos for others to see?
I post on a couple travel websites with pictures from my Sony DSC-RX100. I seriously love this camera, a lot because it's true that the best camera is the one you have on you. I put it in one pocket of my motorcyle jacket when I ride or clip it on my belt loop when I hike. So easy, solid results.
3 month yearly vacation, hey? Are you in the business too?
Have fun! I'd say let us know where you end up posting the pics...it's a pitty we feel the need for secrecy off this board.I took my DSLR camera and off camera flash for vacation and come back with only 200 to 250 shots as It is very bulky and sometime I just don't brother taking the camera out from the camera bag to snap a shot.
Then I just use my Nexus 5 camera this year when I went on vacation I snap 400 - 500 shots and some videos. It was more fun than using DSLR. You can edit the photos on the phone with different effects without downloading the images and no laptop is needed.
I think this is the trend that all these point and shoot digital camera will be fading out in time because I can only see the total number of digital camera sales going down every year compare to smart phone.
Then I just use my Nexus 5 camera this year when I went on vacation I snap 400 - 500 shots and some videos. It was more fun than using DSLR. You can edit the photos on the phone with different effects without downloading the images and no laptop is needed.
I think this is the trend that all these point and shoot digital camera will be fading out in time because I can only see the total number of digital camera sales going down every year compare to smart phone.
If you have some money to spend you could get a higher end point and shoot camera that will still fit in your pocket. The newer cameras will be faster, better. Think the camera you have now is the bottom end for Canon. If you are going to buy a new camera, might want to have a lower focal length for taking pictures indoors and outdoor landscapes. The lower the number the wider the angle you can see through the lens. Your camera's focal length starts are 37, something closer to 20 would be better. http://www.dpreview.com/products/canon/compacts/canon_a800 Go to Henry's or Downtown camera and tell the guy what you are doing, and he will be able to help.
Consider the smart phone also, they are really great for surfing the net, reading news, taking pictures, etc. if you have wifi or data package.
That Canon a800 is a pretty basic point n shoot. You mentioned that you want the pics to be of fairly high quality. Then I would suggest getting another camera.
How big of a camera do you want. One that fits in your pocket or will a small dslr fit your needs?
A Nikon D5300 with the kit lens 18-140mm would be a great travel camera. It's a smallish dslr that takes amazing pics in AUTO mode. The kit is around $1050. and that lens is a great walk around everyday lens. The zoom range will come in handy on vacations when you want a closer shot of a far away subject.
You can also grow with this camera if you ever want to improve your photography skills later on. A 50mm prime lens is only $200 and it will capture super sharp images even in low light.
Buy it and leave it in AUTO mode. The camera will do everything for you and take incredible pics.
3 great choices depending on size..
Sony RX100 - $500 - Pocket able camera
Sony a6000 kit - $750 - Slightly bigger but still small and light
Nikon D5300 kit 18-140mm - $1050 - Small dslr with much more zoom range
I may try starting a travel type website with lots of pics so I want them to be of a good quality. I am leaning towards a phone as I can use it for many uses. I want to be able to carry it easily in a pocket, I usually wear shorts with fairly roomy side thigh pockets. If I get drunk it's not hanging around my neck but tucked in my pocket.
Go to Best Buy / Futureshop and try many different models and play around with them. Make sure the menu system is easy for you to use, various buttons (especially zoom, flash, shutter, etc.) are in a logical position, etc. At this point in time, I'd stick with a point and shoot model that you can easily put in your pocket or at least a bag. You'll likely never use the special features so why spend the big bucks?!
The camera will also need memory cards so make sure you pack extra ones (the cards get corrupted or damaged) or pick a camera that takes common memory cards like micro SD. Just be careful because there are many different memory cards out there like Compact Flash, MemoryStick, XD, MMC, etc. and they don't work with each other. Most cameras today use micro or standard sized SD cards and they are usually available even overseas.
You'll also need a international adapter for the camera or battery charger. Or just get a camera that takes AA batteries.
Since you want to upload your photos to a web-site, you should also consider if that particular site has any file size or resolution restrictions. You might not even be able to upload that super awesome photo that you took with that expensive camera if the file size is too big. You also should consider the people who might look at your pictures. If you have a super high resolution 50MB file, how long would it take for someone with a slow internet connection to download and view your picture?
Seems like a waste if you're going to spend big bucks on a camera to take pictures that no one will wait to see.
The camera will also need memory cards so make sure you pack extra ones (the cards get corrupted or damaged) or pick a camera that takes common memory cards like micro SD. Just be careful because there are many different memory cards out there like Compact Flash, MemoryStick, XD, MMC, etc. and they don't work with each other. Most cameras today use micro or standard sized SD cards and they are usually available even overseas.
You'll also need a international adapter for the camera or battery charger. Or just get a camera that takes AA batteries.
Since you want to upload your photos to a web-site, you should also consider if that particular site has any file size or resolution restrictions. You might not even be able to upload that super awesome photo that you took with that expensive camera if the file size is too big. You also should consider the people who might look at your pictures. If you have a super high resolution 50MB file, how long would it take for someone with a slow internet connection to download and view your picture?
Seems like a waste if you're going to spend big bucks on a camera to take pictures that no one will wait to see.
You might want to consider a water and shock proof camera though you won't get a zoom lens and the picture quality can suffer a bit.
I use my iPhone for some shots during the day but I welcome having a EVF (electronic viewfinder) when shooting outside in bright sunlight. If you will be traveling for 3 months taking 100's maybe 1000's of pics allot of them will most likely be outside on sunny days. You might want a camera with an EVF. Also my iPhone does not take very good pics in bad lighting.
The Sony RX100 M3 has a pop up EVF, takes incredible stills/ video and will fit in a pocket. Price is a little high at $900 but when you factor in the quality of the stills, video, EVF, 180 degree tilt screen and the fact that it is pocket able I think it is worth it.
It's in its own league.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjVwF9qwaos
How do you get billed? Will it work on a newer phones (standard SIM card)? The only reason I'd get one is to stay in touch with the local novia at a rate that's cheaper than what my Cdn provider will charge.
Yes, the first one is the best.
The last one is not much worse if not simply different than the 2nd photo.
If the Nexus phone has various shooting modes other than auto that would improve the brightness or contrast, it would be all you need.
Then again, simply touching up using a Microsoft Office photo editor (auto correct) would brighten it up a little after the fact.
