Jimmy… what camera should I buy!?… I get asked this question a lot. Every family member asks it. People email me with this question weekly. So in this season of giving and buying more then we need or can sometimes afford, I figured I would just do a quick post on my opinions of cameras, to help everyone out there to better find a camera that suits their needs and their pocket book. Bigger, for the vast majority of people, is not always better!
Most people actually start off by asking me, what SLR should I buy. An SLR is a camera with interchangeable lens’. Well my first question is why do you need or want an SLR? The answer is usually… “ well I figured I can take better photos with it”. Well this is true, and false. In actuality you will take the same photos you took with your disposable camera, they will just be bigger. The truth is, the camera is only as “good” as the person taking the pictures. There are published books, of photographs only taken on the iPhone. So my point is… why get an SLR? Now for some people the next logical step will be an SLR, but for most out there, a really good point and shoot camera will do the job just fine. I will be honest, if I didn’t need a pro level camera for my work, you wouldn’t see me lugging it around all the time. You wont find me at Disneyland, or a family party with my big SLR. Sure it takes fantastic photos. But for my day at Disneyland with my kids I don’t need to blow my photos up to wall size. I don’t need to blow my back out either! More than that, I really don’t want to carry a bulky camera around. And heaven forbid if the lens I have on my camera isn’t the right focal length… then I have to carry a camera bag as well! The second big factor with an SLR is cost. The cheapest one on the market is about $600. Already the investment is higher. Most people get one for about $900. What I try to help people understand, is this is just the beginning. The kit lens that comes with the SLR for $900 is usually pretty poor in quality. It will always be relatively slow as well. That’s the point. The camera maker wants to get you buying more lens’. To get really good lens’ you can plan on spending over $1000 for each lens. The costs can be so much more than one expected when they first bought their fancy new SLR. Okay, so long story short, I get payed to carry a big camera around, not because they look cool around my neck, but I need the functionality that only a high end SLR can offer. For almost anyone even my family, who is going to ask me “what camera should I buy”?, the following are a few great options. I will try to give good reasons why, and to whom these cameras are best suited.
In this little suggestion section, I will give you a few options. For most people, Price and function are the most important things, so I will give you a few price point options as well as functionality. I will start with the higher priced cameras, and go from there. I think another factor to consider is size, so I will not be listing some great cameras, due to the fact that they really are not “pocketable”. I’m also not covering all the offerings out there, just the ones I think to be the best at their respective price points.
Canon G11 $499
The G series of Canon cameras, from the start has been about lots of manual controls, in a more rugged body. For those who want all the manual controls of a SLR, but don’t want the bulk, and extra cost associated with buying more lens’ this will be the answer. Its rugged, it takes great photos, and it has a ton of manual functions. It looks like a tank too! Don’t let Mega Pixels fool you. This has fewer than many out there. But thats the idea, to an extent with fewer Mega Pixels, the quality of the photo ends up better with a point and shoot. The G11 has the biggest sensor of the group as well. The larger the sensor the better. At its low ISO levels it shoots almost the same as a Rebel. It even has a hot shoe for mounting an external more powerful flash on. What the G11 lacks is HD video recording. If this is on the top of your list for features, than perhaps one of the cameras below will better suit your needs. It is also the least “pocketable” of the group. Don’t plan on putting it in the pocket of your skinny jeans.
Important Technical Specs:
10 MP
Lens: 28-140mm f2.8-4.5
640×480 @30fps (not HD)
Image Stabilization
2.8” 461,000 pixel swivel LCD
Optical viewfinder
Hot Shoe
Canon S90 $399-$429
The S Series of canon cameras are about size and function. This camera has the same sensor and processor as its big brother the G11, but in a less robust body. It has lots of manual functions, and even has a ring on the front of the camera that can be set for many functions, such as zoom, and ISO, along with a few others. It’s a pocketable camera, that packs a punch. With an f2 at its wide end, it could be argued that its better for low light photos then the G11. (the smaller the f number the more light will be let in for low light photos). Again this camera does not offer HD video recording. This camera is my pick for a point and shoot. It has a good zoom range, is great at lower ISO (film speed), and is as good as you can get for low light in a point and shoot camera. It also has a high resolution 3 inch LCD on the back. This helps not only for looking at your photos, but for composing in bright situations as well.
Important Technical Specs:
10MP
Lens: 28-105mm f2.0-4.9
640×480 @30fps (not HD)
Image Stabilization
3.0” 461,000 pixel LCD
Canon SD980 $299
This camera is sexy! My favorite thing about this camera is its 24mm wide angle lens. Its hard to find a point and shoot with this wide a lens. Its great for a landscape shots or large group photos. This camera does record HD video, so if that’s important to you, this might be the camera for you. It has a touch screen LCD, however the resolution is not as good as the S90. The SD980 is smaller than the S90, and is a great option if the $400 price tag of the S90 is too much. Don’t plan on a lot of manual functions though. The sensor is smaller, so low light with this camera might not be ideal without a flash. All of these cameras are going to boast really high ISO ranges, though I really wouldn’t recommend shooting with anything more than ISO800 with any of them. If you can stay under ISO400, even better. The higher the ISO number, the more noise or grain. Just like with film. It has a 5 times zoom range which is another rarity on such a compact camera.
Important Technical Specs:
12.1 MP
Lens: 24-120mm f2.8-5.9
1280×720 @30fps HD video
Image Stabilization
3” 230,000 pixel Touch Screen LCD
Canon SD780 $199
If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, and you want it really small, this is probably the way to go. It shoots HD video, has an ok zoom range, an optical viewfinder, and did I mention its small. Maybe too small for some people, but great to stick in any pocket. There is nothing manual about this camera, it is as Point and Shoot as it gets. This camera has an all metal body which is always nice. I wouldn’t recommend any of the cameras out there less expensive than this.
Important Technical Specs:
12.1 MP
Lens: 33-100mm f3.2-5.8
1280×720 @30fps HD video
Image Stabilization
2.5” 230,000 pixel LCD
Optical viewfinder
I hope this helps anyone looking at picking up a new camera. These are just a few options, and there are others out there. If you want to know more about these cameras, there are lots of places on the internet to see indepth reviews. If you are one of those people that really needs an SLR, I would look at Olympus for the low end, or Canon and Nikon for the high end. Each company out there has good offerings though. Its always good to get an extra battery with your camera, and a 4GB card should be just fine for any of these. If you are doing HD recording, it is a good idea to get a high speed card.
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[…] photography. It’s stunning! I was happy to read one of his blog posts called: “Time for a New Camera” and to find out that I don’t have to shell out thousands of dollars for an SLR unless I want […]
[…] A point and shoot is convenient because of the size and versatility of the attached lens. The fact is though a small point and shoot will never get images with a look or feel like a SLR. […]