Looking for a new camera

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vit
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Location: SE WI

Looking for a new camera

Post by vit »

Ok, we need a new "point and shoot" camera. Our other camera is a Canon Rebel XTi, need a little one to go with it for when the big camera is too much. Any ideas for a good one? The current one does an extremely lousy job at indoor pictures, very grainy even up close. It's a Canon Power Shot A1100IS. The other issue is battery life, it uses 2 doubleA's. I guess a rechargeable battery would work better.The one before it was much better, but it died of old age - a Canon Power Shot A85.TIAVit
BurnOnyx08
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Location: Ottawa Ontario

Re: Looking for a new camera (vit)

Post by BurnOnyx08 »

I just bought a Samsung WB600 at a local shop for $219 + tax. 12 megapixel, 15x Optical zoom, very easy to set up and just click away. Also has a manual mode if you want to use your own settings. Was highly recommended by a trusted seller.

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ClunkClunk
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Post by ClunkClunk »

vit, your camera ownership sounds pretty similar to mine.I had a Canon A80 (predecessor to your A85) as my primary camera for quite some time, then I decided I needed more flexibility.I currently own a Canon Rebel XTi, and a Canon SD600. For our uses, it gives us the most flexibility - the XTi for quality shots, and the SD600 for ease and super small pocket sized. I've been pleased with both.Granted the SD600 is five years old at this point, but nearly anything in Canon's Elph/SD/IXUS lineup is going to be tiny and pocket sized, so you're more likely to carry it, and yet still take _decent_ photos. Nothing spectacular, but for point and shoot cameras, I don't mind paying for a Canon rather than a rebadged no-name, like a lot of the Kodaks and other brands. The Elph/SD/IXUS lineup also has a rechargeable battery like your XTi, so it's not draining quickly and is easy to re-juice.
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vit
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Post by vit »

Anybody has any experience with Power Shot S95? http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/...t_s95
longbow64
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Post by longbow64 »

I recommend the Canon G12. I use Nikon DSLR's but the G12 was the only small camera that I would consider usable for my style. Nikon does not have any thing that comes close.
BrettZ
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Re: (longbow64)

Post by BrettZ »

Quote, originally posted by longbow64 »I recommend the Canon G12. I use Nikon DSLR's but the G12 was the only small camera that I would consider usable for my style. Nikon does not have any thing that comes close.Excluding the size and zoom isn't the S95 basically the same as the G12? Maybe I'm mistaken.Depends how small you need your point and shoot to be. The S95 can practically fit in your pocket. Ergonomically the G12 has the upper hand. I'm on the fence and can't decide which one to get.
Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see. - Martin Luther King, Jr.
DoubleBaril
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Post by DoubleBaril »

I have the Canon Sd1400IS, which works great for bringing along wherever. It's small, takes decent pictures, also does 720p video. Can't take the DSLR everywhere
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kostby
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Post by kostby »

You might want to try a few different settngs with your A-1100IS if you haven't already replaced it.Rechargeable NiMH batteries will absolutely give you more photos per charge. Buy at least a 4-pack and recharger, even though your camera only uses two, so you always have a spare set ready to go. I always keep two throw-a-way AA's in my camera bag for 'emergency use.' If you still want to use throw-a-ways, use the more expensive Lithium batteries, rather than alkaline. Your A-85 used 4 AA batteries. Your A1100IS uses just 2 AA's, yet the image display on the back is larger, and the camera is processing about 3 times more info per image.Now about your image gripes:Your *A-85 was 4 megapixels=roughly2200*1800. The A1100-IS is 12 megapixels = 4000*3000 pixels, 3 times more information that must be gathered and processed and stored by the camera.More megapixels means that image sensor resolution is higher. Longer optical zoom lenses mean that camera shake is more evident, because the lens is magnifying the image more.Longer zoom also generally means more glass and passes less light (= larger f-stop numbers on the low end.) These two factors conspire to make any unsteadiness more evident in the form of blurry photos, especially when you view images on a computer or digital photo frame. If you're printing on photo paper sizes larger than 4"x6", textured or matte-finish paper might help mask some of the unsharpness, as can more sophisticated photo software such as Adobe Photoshop.Camera manufacturers created 'image stabilization', abbreviated IS to deal with the unsharpness. There are different methods to implement IS. Generally, the more expensive the camera, the better the lens (= more light through the lens (smaller f-stop number) and the better the stabilization electronics. The important thing is that when they implemented IS in point-and-shoot cameras, Canon changed default settings so that ISO (a relative measure of film 'speed', higher number ='faster') is now set to AUTO in DIGIC 4 and IS cameras, where the default used to be 100 ASA, with a maximum of 400 available. In low light (=indoors) situations, the camera now automatically 'speeds up the film' to minimize image shake. Higher ASA (400-800-1200-2400-3200) means progressively grainier photos, regardless of any other settings. You can overcome this by using P mode (program) mode instead of Auto or Easy, and by intentionally setting a fixed ISO speed (try 200 first). If you've got a tripod, use it. If you're shooting fast-moving kids & pets, then the 'Kids & Pets' setting will help (forces the highest possible shutter of the choices available), as will using flash.Outdoors, the 'Sports' setting may help.You can also turn off Image Stabilization completely, and you probably have a 'continuous' and a 'panning' mode available in Program mode.In Auto or Easy mode, if the camera says you need flash, then you definitely NEED flash for the best image quality, resulting in crisp, sharp, well-lit images.*I still have the 5 megapixel Canon PowerShot A-95 and use it occasionally for panoramas, because it has the photo-stitch panorama mode, and I can operate the camera via computer USB for time-lapse sequences, two features the newer models lack. My newer camera is a PowerShot SX-120IS, recently discontinued and Canon replaced it with the SX-130IS, around $200.00, street price.Hope this helps!One other thing... If you have kids or grandkids that are always in motion, try to capture the motion, rather than avoid it. Here's an example of my wife's 2 1/2 year old great nephew opening a Christmas present. Hands are in motion, the rest of him is relatively sharp and in-focus. I used photo software to crop and vignette, hence the dark edges. SX120IS, handheld F3.5 1/15th of a second, available light.And the un-edited original. Both images were resized here to avoid huge images in the thread.
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RWatters
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Re: (longbow64)

Post by RWatters »

I have a Canon G10 and absolutely love it. I didn't want to deal with the size of a DSLR since I'm not a serious enough photographer but I didn't want the crap quality of a typical point and shoot camera either. It's the perfect balance between the two IMO.In super dark situations it's not the best though. It has focus troubles. It has to be pretty damn dark for that to happen though.
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WhiteLightning
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Re: Looking for a new camera (vit)

Post by WhiteLightning »

My suggestion would be to go Nikon. I'm a reporter and when I was looking for a new camera the photographer at the newspaper I work for suggested going Nikon. The reason being, he said, was that Nikon uses more crystal in their lenses resulting in clearer, crisper photos. I'm now a huge believer in Nikon!
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MotoAce51
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Post by MotoAce51 »

Just bought the Nikon S8100 on black friday and so far I love it. It has a super clear picture and tons of features. Plus it has a really good zoom.... Sweet deal...
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djkeev
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Re: Looking for a new camera (vit)

Post by djkeev »

I haven't had a "good" camera since I had my old Canon 35mm back in the 1970's!It's been a series of various point and shoots since that one fell out of use. Mostly in recent years, lower priced digitals and a mid priced digital or two.I wasn't really ever happy with any one camera. I vowed to get a Digital SLR but once I started really looking into them the products available became HUGE with various features, conflicting user reviews and the price was through the roof!! Then consider the bulk and the weight of lugging all the stuff around pushed me into a more "one camera does it all" kind of unit.After much search and review I purchased a NIKON COOLPIX P500 camera. http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-CO...r=1-2Why the NIKON? The main reason may just be that it has a Glass Lens while the other competitors in this neighborhood have plastic.Why not a smaller camera? This one is much more versatile and takes great photos. It is so much smaller and lighter than a digital SLR as well.My original intent was to get the Canon SX30IS for my daughter has one and LOVES it!! http://www.amazon.com/Canon-SX...r=1-7Once I went to the store and looked at them and held each one and talked to the salesperson it became clear that the NIKON was the superior choice.I'm very pleased with the NIKON and have virtually no complaints so far (2 months). The ONLY feature I wish it had was the ability to connect to WiFi and send photos to my email but that's not a major drawback.I use my iPhone3G for quick on the run photos that I email to myself several times a day. The image quality is "iffy" so I just ordered the new iPhone 4S with the 8mp camera. We'll see how that works once it comes.... hopefully this week!!!??!!Happy shopping, it is absolutely mind boggling sifting through the product being offered and you WILL compromise on something and choose a Camera that suits your needs. For example, my NIKON does NOT have a hotshoe for a flash unit nor does it have provision for filters on the lens, the Canon has both of these features. I went for the higher quality lens for I rarely if ever need either of these features. For someone else the ability to put on a filter is very important. If so the Canon would probably be the better choice.Dave
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