Camera suggestions?

[sammers4247]

Hi all,

I'm Sam[antha]. I've been lurking here for a long time. You might have seen me and my boyfriend (Lrusso) at the Mounds by JFK. I'm not nearly as serious a plane spotter as any of you, but I really do enjoy it and have learned a LOT.. it's gotten to the point that I have sometimes been the one who tells Lrusso, the REAL plane bug of the two of us, that we should go spotting..

Anyway. I'm in the market for a new camera. We are just about the only people that I've seen spotting without one! I have a cheap-ish point and shoot, one of the lower Canon Powershots I believe. It's definitely on its way out after heavy use and doesn't give me the performance I need (my other primary photo subjects are woods/scenery, and dogs). I'm not ready to jump to a DSLR, but I'm looking to make a big upgrade.

I was originally going to spend ~$250, but I want nice cam that I can learn at least a little bit on, so I wouldn't be opposed to spending a bit more. I like crisp, clean photos. I don't want/need HD videos (though some kind of recording capability is nice), and I prefer a camera that I could get by with 8 MP photos as opposed to 12 MP (I simply take too many photos to have such large files, and am lazy about getting them in to long-term storage). Low light performance isn't a huge deal, but I'd like a camera with a decent zoom and good action photos.

Sorry for the novel.. any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

[gonzalu]

Sam!!!!! So nice to see you here :-) You and your boyfriend are die hard spotters... hats off to you.

Anyway, given your requirements above, your choices are seriously TOUGH!!

-Size
-Style
-Capabilities
-Budget

etc. etc. There are soo many great cameras out there in the NON dSLR category that I am simply amazed they all can stay in business.

That being said, my preference is Canon, Panasonic and maybe Sony/Olympus/Fuji, Casio... NOT NIKON! I am a huge Nikon fan (as you probably guessed LOL) but not for Point and Shoots. Most of the Nikons I have owned (actually , wife and family) have been very poor, quality wise.

So, you should look at the Pani Lumix line, the Canon PowerShot line and the Olympus PEN line... But definitely look here first and eat up as much reviews as you can:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/

[gonzalu]

Please pay attention to the fact that ENTRY LEVEL dSLRs are far better quality wise than 99% of the point and shoots and some like the D3000 Nikon is as low as around $500 with a lens if you shop wisely. So spending $400 or $500 on a great point and shoot when you do NOT have to absolutely have a P&S, may be worth comparing!

[sammers4247]

Thanks for the advice, Manny, and nice to talk to you again!

I've thought the same about the whole dSLR vs P+S thing - but I do want a camera with some level of practicality for frequent use (slip in my bag for a walk in the woods kinda thing), which holds me back from going ahead with a dSLR. My sister has a d90 that she bought recently and I'm just not sure I want to get that technical (and that big!) yet. Though from the looks of it the D3000 and the d90 are two totally separate beasts. I suppose it does warrant looking into more.

I think I'm going to check out to the Lumix line. Admittedly, I've focused more on Nikons and Canons in my limited browsing. Thanks for the review site, too.

[jerslice]

Not much to add to Manny's advice. I support also going the DSLR direction if possible. The body is a good start, and from there you can add lenses that are progressively better in quality if you want to pursue it further and money allows.

If you want to go point and shoot and spend a little extra, I've heard outstanding reviews on the Canon S95. The specs are crazy good, and I know of handful of professional photographers (aviation & otherwise) who have sold off their wide angle set up and just picked up one of these puppies instead. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...al_Camera.html

[Derf]

I use my iphone for a slip in my pocket camera...but I never leave the Dslr far away....

I have seen Canon EOS Rebel XSi 12.2 MP for $416
and a Canon EOS Rebel T1i 15.10 MP for $500 in the last few days.
You should check bensbargains.net for a week and you will find a steal....

They also have a bunch of point and shoot cameras but the zoom is never fast and you are always much more limited than with a DSLR.

For around $160 you can pick up an inexpensive 300MM LONG LENS for aircraft shooting... for $90 you can get a 50mm low light lens and take
pictures without annoying people at night without a flash... There is way to much flexability if you are looking at spending over $200, I can not
imagine going back to pre DSLR. I would spend a little more. Sorry, I know that is not what you wanted to hear

[Derf]

Admittedly, I've focused more on Nikons and Canons in my limited browsing. Thanks for the review site, too.

Actually this is a good thing.... You need to be less concerned with the body and more so with how much the len's are going to be later. You will go thru body's but the lens's will stay much longer. I would NEVER go any other way than with an evil Nikon or an Awesome Canon.... My father inlaw did a Sony against my advise and he is not happy he made that decision. Nikon or Canon only for me...but I do have LOTS of Canon glass so I guess I will stay!

Can't do this with a point and shoot...but you can for $50 more!

[sammers4247]

Sorry, I know that is not what you wanted to hear

Don't be sorry, I asked for opinions and I got them I'm just not sure how technical I want to get with lenses, etc. right now. It's a lot of investing into multiple products, a lot of research, etc. I know very little about photography besides the basics, and though PERHAPS I will get there at some point, I feel like that's a big leap for me to take from a little old Powershot SD1100. I'm not disputing image quality in the slightest - I know dSLRs will always prevail - still, I don't know if that's right for me or if I even really need that at this point in time. If I don't go that route, I'll just keep sitting back and enjoying all of you guys' work on this forum (which I catch myself doing more than I ever knew!).

This will probably linger in my mind until after the holidays, as I don't think I'll make a purchase before then, so I have some time to really mull it over.