In need of a new camera

[_Becka_]

Hi

So I need a new camera, I had an Olympus digital camera before. I'm looking for a new digi cam but I want a good one which is worth the price, so I really need some help.

Price range is up to £200 - £250 at a push.

Basically, I want a good camera which takes good pictures at night and in daylight (the Olympus was dissapointing at times for night scenes). Something worth the money.

Suggestions are grately appreciated.

Thankyou =)

 

[Don Simon]

Hi there, just wondering what Olympus you had before?

 

[_Becka_]

I had an Olympus C-310 Zoom (If that makes any sense to you).

 

[Don Simon]

Ah right, that's a pretty old one. Assuming you want something of a similar size, here are a few suggestions...

Casio Exilim EX-Z500
Compact, 5 megapixels, 3x zoom, anti-shake technology - around £200.

Olympus Mju Mini S
Tiny, curvy, 5 megapixels, 2x zoom, weather-resistant!, will make people go "oooh" - around £150.

Canon Powershot S70
7 megapixels, 3x zoom, manual control options, very impressive photo quality - variously £220-£280.

Panasonic DMC-LZ2
5 megapixels, 6x zoom, anti-shake - around £180.

Nikon Coolpix 7900
7 megapixels, 3x zoom, good macro, better-than-average photo quality, useful focusing-on-faces thingy - from £215.

Sony Cybershot DSC-W7
7 megapixels, 3x zoom, will be able to tell you more when it arrives in the post tomorrow :mrgreen: - from £190.


If on the other hand you'd rather have a better all-round camera rather than one that fits in your pocket or bag, I'd probably suggest a Panasonic Lumix FZ20. It's only got 5 megapixels, but the photo quality is good and more importantly, it's got a 12x zoom lens... thats about 400mm . It's also got anti-shake and the lens has... drumroll.. aperture f/2.8 all the way from wide-angle to full telephoto! I'm not sure how much a lens like that would cost for an SLR but it would probably require selling all your possessions, your soul and those of all your family and friends. Basically what I'm trying to say is... . On the other hand, it's annoying slow to start up, difficult to compose shots with in very low light, and not exactly pocketable. Then again, they've now dropped down to £200, which is incredible value. Personally I had to really think hard about it, but eventually didn't get one on the basis that I wanted a pocket-sized camera without startup delay and shutter lag, and to make bigger prints, so I went for the compact from Sony instead.

I should point out that I haven't personally owned any of those cameras (although I've borrowed and tried several of them) with the exception of the Sony (which I also don't own since Amazon are taking forever to deliver it) so if I haven't mentioned any major faults with them, that doesn't mean there aren't any. Hopefully someone with more knowledge will post something more meaningful, but in the meantime that list is somewhere to start. None of those cameras are perfect, but any one of them should be good value for money. Anyway from one who's finally decided to stop window-shopping and actually buy one myself, I wish you luck in the world of digital .

 

[_Becka_]

I'm looking for a compact pocket one really, I'll take a look at your suggestions. Thanks muchly

 

[_Becka_]

I've just looked at the digi cams on the list you gave me and I really like the Casio EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z500. On the Jessops website it's £200 inc. a case.

Was just wondering if anyone has had any experience with this camera before I get too excited about it?

 

[Don Simon]

Not personally, but here's a review... http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=2253

I rarely trust reviews, but at least it should give you some idea of the camera's features.

 

[_Becka_]

Thanks =)