I need a camera...

[kretzy]

I'm pretty cluesless about most things photographic, so I'm just looking for a bit of advice. I'm wanting to buy a point and shoot camera - nothing too fancy, just something that will take nice photos and isn't too bulky. I've had a look around but there's just too many to choose from. Price range is somewhere around $500 AU (~$350 US), though I'm happy to pay a little more if it's worth it.

Thanks in advance!

 

[robbieduncan]

We need more info. What are you going to be taking pictures of and in what conditions. Are we talking wildlife in good light, or a lot of party shots in nightclubs? I've got a Fuji F30 which is very good at taking low-ligh shots, but if you are looking for a very wide angle lens (for landscapes) or zoom range then this is not the camera for you.

 

[puckhead193]

i have a nikon S3 its pretty nice, Its my bar/going out camera....
I think they updated it, but its worth a look. I got it for 270ish plus a 1 gig card and case.

 

[kretzy]

We need more info. What are you going to be taking pictures of and in what conditions. Are we talking wildlife in good light, or a lot of party shots in nightclubs? I've got a Fuji F30 which is very good at taking low-ligh shots, but if you are looking for a very wide angle lens (for landscapes) or zoom range then this is not the camera for you.

Sorry I should have given a bit more info.

I'll just be using it for general everyday things - parties, friends, outings, travel. From the sounds of it, something similar to the camera you have. I'm not looking to do any landscape shots or anything specific like that. I suppose the conditions will mostly be indoors I suppose, occasionally outside.

 

[ChrisA]

Sorry I should have given a bit more info.

I'll just be using it for general everyday things - parties, friends, outings, travel. From the sounds of it, something similar to the camera you have. I'm not looking to do any landscape shots or anything specific like that. I suppose the conditions will mostly be indoors I suppose, occasionally outside.

Next question: What are you going to do with the photos? Do you make 4x6 prints? 8x10 prints or do you only look at the photos on some kind of electronic screen. Are you into computers and post processing (Photohsop) are will you just make prints after very minor adjustments like crop and maybe adjust brightness?

In the simplist case of smaller size prints, viewing on-screen and minor ajustments on the computer you do not need to sped much money on a camera nor fo you need more then 4 meapixels

One thing you do want to shop for is a very short "shutter lag". That's the time between when you push the button and whenthe shutter trips. You'd like this to be zero. Look in the spes. The other thing is optics. Quality matters.

 

[Abstract]

Meh, he's probably like most people with cameras. A slim Sony or Fuji would do the trick. A slimmer camera makes it more convenient for guys to carry the camera around, and so you might take more photos this way.

I'd suggest a slim Sony, Fuji, Casio, or Nikon or Canon's IXUS 60 to 80 line. The Canon's are ok, I've never used the Nikon but hear that the new ones are good (maybe a bit too simple?), Casio slim cameras are always good, and my experience with Sony cameras (all 2 of them.....) is quite pleasant. Fuji is also good. I used a slim Fuji camera 4 days ago, and a bunch of other times before that.