What camera? Where to begin...
Discussion
Hi,
Looking at a new camera but I have no idea where to begin. There was a time when I knew about shutter speeds and aperture sizes but now the knowledge is long lost and I want something basic.
It needs to be;
-Max £400.
-Have a decent "auto" function, I have no intention to alter settings beyond things like "night" modes.
-Be reasonable at snapping moving objects, preferably in lower light, i.e. overcast days on the track.
-Be good at night for taking pictures at dinner etc.
-Tough.
-Compact enough to fit in my jacket pocket, are they called "compact" cameras?
-I also like the retro look of some of the leather bound cameras but aesthetics are a firm last.
Any suggestions, types, or brands appreciated guys. I'm just looking for a starting point, I've got a few mates who are into photography so will help, but I'd like to go to them with some idea of what I'm after...
Thanks!
Looking at a new camera but I have no idea where to begin. There was a time when I knew about shutter speeds and aperture sizes but now the knowledge is long lost and I want something basic.
It needs to be;
-Max £400.
-Have a decent "auto" function, I have no intention to alter settings beyond things like "night" modes.
-Be reasonable at snapping moving objects, preferably in lower light, i.e. overcast days on the track.
-Be good at night for taking pictures at dinner etc.
-Tough.
-Compact enough to fit in my jacket pocket, are they called "compact" cameras?
-I also like the retro look of some of the leather bound cameras but aesthetics are a firm last.
Any suggestions, types, or brands appreciated guys. I'm just looking for a starting point, I've got a few mates who are into photography so will help, but I'd like to go to them with some idea of what I'm after...
Thanks!
Edited by Prof Prolapse on Monday 10th November 19:15
For a compact camera, the Sony RX100 seems to be highly rated on here. For your budget you should be able to get one, but not necessarily the latest.... Never used one myself but some of the photos on here are pretty impressive.
I have recently bought a Canon EOS M (compact system camera) from Argos for just under £200. So far really impressed with it - even with the standard 18-55 lens.
Mike
I have recently bought a Canon EOS M (compact system camera) from Argos for just under £200. So far really impressed with it - even with the standard 18-55 lens.
Mike
I purchased a Sony RX100 MK1 from John Lewis in October and am thoroughly pleased with it. It's a well made bit of kit. I believe that Sony are currently offering a £40 cash-back deal which makes it even more enticing, though of course this was introduced shortly after I had purchased mine!!!
There are a few threads on PistonHeads discussing the RX100 together with some image samples which you might want to take a look at.
Reasons to buy:
+ superb image quality thanks to the large sensor
+ fantastic auto/manual/aperture/shutter priority options
+ excellent battery life
+ 1080p video
+ well made
+ compact
Minor niggles:
- no date AND time option for water-marking onto images - c'mon Sony, issue a firmware update to add this option!
- no optical or electronic viewfinder (available on the more expensive MK3)
- only 3.6x zoom
- somewhat clumsy menu system compared to the Canon S100
- easy to accidentally press the video record button
Having used the Sony RX100 compact camera for just over a month now I can highly recommend it, and it's far superior compared to the Canon S100 which it replaced. It's probably one of the best compact cameras you can buy.
One tip, make sure you buy a fast 32, 64 or 128GB SD card because the jpeg files are large, and recording 1080p video eats memory.
There are a few threads on PistonHeads discussing the RX100 together with some image samples which you might want to take a look at.
Reasons to buy:
+ superb image quality thanks to the large sensor
+ fantastic auto/manual/aperture/shutter priority options
+ excellent battery life
+ 1080p video
+ well made
+ compact
Minor niggles:
- no date AND time option for water-marking onto images - c'mon Sony, issue a firmware update to add this option!
- no optical or electronic viewfinder (available on the more expensive MK3)
- only 3.6x zoom
- somewhat clumsy menu system compared to the Canon S100
- easy to accidentally press the video record button
Having used the Sony RX100 compact camera for just over a month now I can highly recommend it, and it's far superior compared to the Canon S100 which it replaced. It's probably one of the best compact cameras you can buy.
One tip, make sure you buy a fast 32, 64 or 128GB SD card because the jpeg files are large, and recording 1080p video eats memory.
Thanks rich. After the advice I had a look around and I'm looking at the RX100 mk2. The wifi functionality seems a bit of a deal breaker for me as anything that helps me upload to the computer would be helpful.
Interesting what you say about the zoom, the mk3 (which is out of my price range for the features it offers) appears to have even less. It should be fine for my purposes though, as it's planned use is for family pictures.
Interesting what you say about the zoom, the mk3 (which is out of my price range for the features it offers) appears to have even less. It should be fine for my purposes though, as it's planned use is for family pictures.
I wouldn't bother with the wifi because ejecting the SD card and inserting into your computer is even easier.
No need to purchase any expensive software or use the Sony imaging software either, just download Google Picasa which will import the pics from the card to your computer and will also organise folders for you in date order.
One quirk I have noticed with Picasa is that it doesn't seem to automatically recognise the video folder on the RX100 SD card so I have to manually select that particular folder to download the files!
You might also want to invest in a larger external 2TB HD for your computer to save your pics on. And remember to back them up onto a 2nd drive just in case the worst happens.
No need to purchase any expensive software or use the Sony imaging software either, just download Google Picasa which will import the pics from the card to your computer and will also organise folders for you in date order.
One quirk I have noticed with Picasa is that it doesn't seem to automatically recognise the video folder on the RX100 SD card so I have to manually select that particular folder to download the files!
You might also want to invest in a larger external 2TB HD for your computer to save your pics on. And remember to back them up onto a 2nd drive just in case the worst happens.
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