cameras

[Guest horseiron1]

Can anyone tell me what a good point and shoot camera is? I'm planning a trip to Cape Canaveral and wanted to get a pretty good camera to go with.

Thanks for your help!!

[Monk]

Wow .... This could end up having more post than an oil thread...... Well here's mine....

Sony Cyber-shot / optical zoom 10x / 3.0" LCD monitor / 8.1 mega pixels

It's a compack camera (looks like a real camera, but small)............ This one will take up more space than those all flat ones ..... But they can be as good if not better than the one I have ..... But the smaller and flatter they get, the more money they cost..... You'll need to figure what quality pic you what, how easy, size, how well it will take a pic in low light conditions, the main thing about any camera is the lins itself, Plastic is not on the top 10 list. But if it's a good camera some plastic lins are better than others. Throw out some names ; Kodak, Sony, Canon, or Nikon.

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Winner-For-Top-Camera-Brand&id=1987699

[Gerrys02800]

you could be right on that one Monk. There is a current thread on what kind of camera to purchase that you could read and throw any info / experience: My link

[Guest]

There are lots of choices. Here's one...http://4kam.com/

[HispanicSlammer]

It is difficult to keep up with new camera technology the point and shoot variety is getting better and better and well I wouldnt know whats the latest greatest at this point in the game. So you should start by finding out what do you want in a camera first.

I prefer a camera that uses standard batteries as opposed to a specialized rechargable. I use a rechargable variety AA for mine with a packable recharger that I can carry in my bag, if and when I find I dont have time to recharge a battery say like on a series of butt buring days on the road, I can always stop and buy new ones just about anywhere and be able to use my camera if I have too. I like a good zoom feature that is mechanical and not digital zoom, with a sophisticated lens for good shots. If you like a camera that you can just strap to the bike and use as you go with your buddies, get somthing water resistant and can be cleaned easily - I have taken some great shots on the bike while riding - somthing very simple here and lite wieght with a decent picture quality, the ability to take good shots while moving is important so it must have some kind of sport mode with quick exposure times and fast loading when you push the button. Some cameras you can set up to snap automatically like some of the video helmet type cameras, you just set it up mount it and just go riding. I like that too. So perhaps a good quality camera with a great lens that can be packed away for when you have time to set up good shots, and a cheaper lite camera you can just attach to the bike for on the spot shots.

Jeez even some smart phones are starting to rival purpose built cameras for decent picture quality, that is nice too - my droid x, and the iphones keep comming out with better and better stuff each year with hd video too!

[CJMajesty]

I always swear by Canon Power Shots for my point and shoot needs more specifically the elph.

Now im using an SD940 for its size, because I have a Nikon D-SLR. But if I had to choose a point and shoot for my main camera right now, I would probaby go with a SX230HS, or a G12 (or pick up a G11 or G10 on closeout sale if I could find one)

Oh for vacations get a second battery to carry around with you.

[RollinAgain]

My last 3 cameras have been Sony Cybershots and I have been extremely pleased with them. The only downside is that they use their own propietary storage memory sticks which means they can only be used in other Sony products unlike the majority of other cameras that use a more general purpose memory card.

Rollin

[Dom]

+1 for the Canon G11 (or the new 12). Excellent point and shoot, with some of the options of a DSLR, for times when you are feeling a bit more artistic. The size is a little larger, and at times I wish I had a smaller point and shoot. Overall I would recommend a G series. If size is a big concern go for a powershot.

[The mailman]

I picked up one of these prior to my 3500 mile Pacific North West ride this past fall. The regular price was about $199 and I found it on sale at Office Max or Office Depot for $99! I could not be happier with it. Good batteries last forever, it's a small camera that still fits a man's hand, and performance was amazing. Very easy to operate, even while riding - yes I grabbed it from my tank bag on the move sometimes.

(The one in the review appears to be black/ blue, I've only seen all black if cosmetics is an issue)

http://www.steves-digicams.com/camera-reviews/kodak/z915/kodak-easyshare-z915-review.html

[VFRBulldawg]

I can recommend three point and shoot cameras each with some different features and in different price ranges. I'm a Nikon guy for DSLR's and a Canon guy for point and shoots. One word of advice, don't be swayed by megapixels. Megapixels has nothing to do with image quality. As long as you got at 6MP least you can easily blow up images to 8x10 or larger, once you are at 10MP you can blow up an image to just about any reasonable sized to print and frame for hanging on a wall. Too many megapixels on a small sensor reduces light sensitivity and results in either grainy/noisy images or smushy texture detail due to noise reduction algorithyms trying to reduce the grainy look during image processing in the camera.

1) Canon S95 - $400. I have over $5,000 in Nikon DSLR pro quality camera gear but when I want to just take something small that I can carry in my pocket this is the camera I take. It's the world's best point and shoot that fits in your pants pocket. The sensor is larger than standard point and shoot sensors (the same one Canon puts in the bulkier G11 and G12) which means its more sensitive to light and takes better pictures at night. It also has a f/2.0 aperature lens. This means that the lens will open very wide allowing you to take some shots without flash in dim lighting. The screen on the back is also one of the best you can get on a point and shoot. It's as good as many DSLR's.

2) Canon SX210 - $280. If you want something that has a long telephoto zoom lens look at this one. It will optically zoom from a wide angle to 14X (28-400mm equivalent to a 35mm SLR camera).

3) Canon SD1400 - $200. This is a great all around camera that is an excellent value for $200. This is the camera I bought for my mother for Christmas a few months ago. It's very small and lightweight. It's so small you might forget you put it in your pants pocket.

All of these cameras will work well for still shots of people posing, nonmoving objects, and landscapes. Shooting moving objects and action can be done but is more hit and miss and requires a little bit of luck with the timing and auto focus. If you want consistently good action shots then you'll want to get a DSLR. The reason is the faster auto focus and instantaneous image capture when you press the shutter release that those cameras provide.

[dutchinterceptor]

There is a current thread on what kind of camera to purchase that you could read and throw any info / experience: My link

Yes, there is some good information in Bonus' thread above.

[ommata]

Another one to check out is Panasonic's DMC-LX5.

[Monk]

The only downside is that they use their own propietary storage memory sticks which means they can only be used in other Sony products unlike the majority of other cameras that use a more general purpose memory card.

Rollin

I didn't know that, thx.

[Guest]

I want to thank everyone for your responses. I didn't relize there was so many types of cameras. Holy Crap!!! I've got an old Kodak EasyShare that I used when I did the Talimena Trail write up. It's ok, but its bulky and slow to start up. Thats why I was looking to upgrade. Thanks for the link on Bonus's write up. Lots of good information. Once again Thank You!!!