Wife wants a "decent" camera.

[Manks]

I have no idea where to start with this.

The wife has a Panasonic compact digital camera that has seen some use. She wants a new camera. She has also said she wants a "proper" camera. I think this comes from seeing her sister's photos which are taken on a digital SLR and obviously look excellent because of it.

I think what she would like in an ideal world is a compact camera that takes SLR quality photos. Ideally a pink one.

Any advice on where to start with this please?

[alock]

If the pink comment was serious then an entry level Nikon (D3100 or D3200) might be an idea because they are available in a girly red. Stick a cheap 35mm 1.8 lens on it and it will take fabulous pictures.

[Manks]

alock said:

If the pink comment was serious then an entry level Nikon (D3100 or D3200) might be an idea because they are available in a girly red. Stick a cheap 35mm 1.8 lens on it and it will take fabulous pictures.

Ok so my post spurred me to go and have another chat with her. I pointed out that an SLR will take nice pictures if she can be bothered to learn it (to be fair she is quite good at taking pictures) and if she can be bothered to heft it about. It would not be the ideal tool for slipping in a handbag on the way to a night out.

So, the options, either a very good compact or do I buy her an SLR AND another cheap Panasonic compact?

[Rich K]

I have an Nikon d7000 ......
for every day use I use a Leica v-lux40
there is a panasonic eqiuvalent, the Panasonic ZS20 (I think)

since having this versatile compact it is always in my pocket

I have been really please with it, what I like is

zoom range,
image stabilisation,
hand held night facility
auto panorama
HD video
HDR
GPS
very close focus ability
upto 60fps fixed focus
5 fps with auto focus
high speed 100fps(?) video
size & weight


the limitations for me are
no manual focusing
quality of pic (compared to the d7000) when cropping 100% and larger
Battery life of approx 200 pics
slow GPS fix (sometimes)

a great camera.

panorama from the millenium bridge


from south side of the Thames


from same place as above picture


slug or snail eggs


St Pancras Station (low light hand held)


St Pancras panorama (low light hand held)


under the Orwell Bridge


taken on maximum zoom from approx 6ft away


just a few pics with the "black not pink" compact camera

hope that is of some use.

Edited by Rich K on Saturday 10th November 10:11

[Gad-Westy]

Manks said:

I think what she would like in an ideal world is a compact camera that takes SLR quality photos. Ideally a pink one.

Putting the pink thing aside for a second, the Sony RX100 has a DSLR sized sensor in a genuinely pocket sized body. The zoom lens is decent too. They're not cheap but I don't think anything else that is genuinely compact comes close at the moment. The Canon S100 is also worth a look.

[Simpo Two]

Man goes into camera shop:

'Have you got a decent camera for my wife?'

'Seems like a fair swap'

[Manks]

Rich K said:

I have an Nikon d7000 ......
for every day use I use a Leica v-lux40
there is a panasonic eqiuvalent, the Panasonic ZS20 (I think)

since having this versatile compact it is always in my pocket

I like the look of that a lot.

The Panasonic looks similar, but it's a fraction of the price. I presume it is also a fraction of the quality?

[Rich K]

Manks said:

I presume it is also a fraction of the quality?

I think its very much the same.

the leica comes with photoshop elements 10 and accidental insurance cover.

I just fancied the red dot......

[DavidY]

This really is an area where you need your wife's involvement, if the camera is uncomfortable to use (she won't use it), if it has complex menus (she may not want to use it), etc, etc, without her involvement you could be buying a white elephant.

Take her to a camera shop, try some cameras for fit and feel, there is a big difference in weight for example between a compact and a DLSR.

What does she want to take pictures of?
How much zoom (if any) does she require?
Does she want to be able to pop it in her handbag?

These are all valid questions. A DLSR is a heavy cumbersome beast, I find that most of the time I dodn't take it with me and take a pocketish size camera instead (in my case a Fuji X100, but that only has a fixed lens - although a sharp one)

davidy

[sgrimshaw]

Take a look at the Sony NEX range, you may find they tick lots of your (her) boxes.

[RosscoPCole]

I have an Olympus Pen Mini mainly because I didn't want a cumbersome DSLR.
Fantastic quality photos from such a small camera. Also will fit in the average girly bag, when my other half is with me she usually carries it.

[ed1983]

Fujifilm x10. Is compact but has a lot of functionality of an slr and great for learning camera skills.

[browno]

I'd echo the recommendation for the Fuji x10 - it's nice and small, with a quality retro feel, but has a decent sized sensor and good lens, along with some very well judged scene modes and image processing, so it produces lovely results and isn't too chunky...

[garreth64]

How about the new Samsung Galaxy camera?

[simonrockman]

I love my Sony NEX-5, and would recommend the new model: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Sony_Alpha_NEX_5...


Simon

[toppstuff]

Key thing here is the compromise between having great pictures and portability.

For family pictures of friends and family, with picture quality that will delight, you can't go wrong with a Sony RX100.

It is a proper compact camera that will go in a jacket packet or handbag, but the sensor inside it is 4x larger than a typical crappy little compact so the picture quality is, frankly, lovely.

Promo video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfr9zu9Xdn0

Amusing proper test of of the camera here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdFFZcsNwlU&fea...

Real life pictures in this photo forum thread here: http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1139172/0

It is very expensive for a little camera ( about £450- as much as a basic DSLR ). But you can't put a DSLR in your pocket !

I have got a study packed with high end camera gear ( it is my secret vice ) but I love the RX100 simply because it is nearly always with me. It absolutely murders every other compact on the market for image quality and will happily produce lovely A4 or even A3 prints.

Edited by toppstuff on Monday 12th November 10:36

Edited by toppstuff on Monday 12th November 10:51

[Xaero]

I'd put my vote in for the new Olympus EPL5. If she can't take a good photo with that, she's not a good photographer.

[phil_cardiff]

Thread hijack for which I apologise.

My wife also wants a "decent" camera. I've been looking at the Nikon D3100 and D3200. Am I on the right lines? I like the sound of the guide modes on these machines.