Need Help Choosing a Camera

petrastewart · May 15, 2015

Hello. I do not have a camera (or a cell phone). I have been tirelessly researching which camera to get. I have read endless reviews, and watched countless youtube videos.
I am left mostly confused. I now have an idea of what I want, but can't seem to find everything I want in one camera. There are also countless cameras out there, and finding one I think will be good just leads me to 10 more options...
Anyways, I'm hoping you can help me. I'll write a list of what my 'requirements' are, and maybe you have or know of a camera that fits the bill, and can recommend it to me.

-Compact digital camera in the $300 range (the less expensive the better, but I'm willing to pay for the right one)
- 16 - 20 MP
- 3" screen (doesn't have to be touch)
- vibration reduction / stabilization
- CMOS low-light sensor (that actually works)
-ISO 4,500 or better
-12x zoom or higher (20x is nice, but no lower than 12)
- Full HD 1080p video (with speakers to play back in-camera)
-rechargeable battery (no AAs)
-A camera that will take nice crisp photos.
-optional: wifi (nice, but not required), editing options to alter photos in-camera (again, nice, but not required)

I have looked at so many versions of the nikon coolpix and canon powershot, I'm just not sure which way to go. This will be my only camera for many years, so I just want it to be the right one.

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

waday · May 15, 2015

I have a Canon S95, and love it.. so I would recommend Canon U.S.A. Consumer Home Office PowerShot S110 . I don't know if it has enough zoom for you, though.

Edited to add: Reasons I like this camera are mainly portability coupled with RAW. Also, it has decent aperture and ISO capabilities. Perfect for when I don't want to take my DSLR. I can slip this in my pocket or my wife and put in her purse, but we still get decent shots from it.

petrastewart · May 15, 2015

waday said:
I have a Canon S95, and love it.. so I would recommend Canon U.S.A. Consumer Home Office PowerShot S110 . I don't know if it has enough zoom for you, though.

Edited to add: Reasons I like this camera are mainly portability coupled with RAW. Also, it has decent aperture and ISO capabilities. Perfect for when I don't want to take my DSLR. I can slip this in my pocket or my wife and put in her purse, but we still get decent shots from it.

Thanks waday. While I agree that the RAW aspect is nice, and the ISO is the highest I've seen for this type of camera, I have a few concerns when viewing this camera: 1. 12MP 2. 5x zoom (which I can overlook) 3. bad reviews - even on the site you directed me too, the rating is 3.5/5, and most people preferred the earlier s95 model. I am taking reviews with a grain of salt though, I know a person is much more likely to review a camera if they had a negative experience with it than a positive one, so your recommendation holds more weight than the reviews.
Thanks for your help!!

waday · May 15, 2015

petrastewart said:
waday said:

I have a Canon S95, and love it.. so I would recommend Canon U.S.A. Consumer Home Office PowerShot S110 . I don't know if it has enough zoom for you, though.

Edited to add: Reasons I like this camera are mainly portability coupled with RAW. Also, it has decent aperture and ISO capabilities. Perfect for when I don't want to take my DSLR. I can slip this in my pocket or my wife and put in her purse, but we still get decent shots from it.

Click to expand...

Thanks waday. While I agree that the RAW aspect is nice, and the ISO is the highest I've seen for this type of camera, I have a few concerns when viewing this camera: 1. 12MP 2. 5x zoom (which I can overlook) 3. bad reviews - even on the site you directed me too, the rating is 3.5/5, and most people preferred the earlier s95 model. I am taking reviews with a grain of salt though, I know a person is much more likely to review a camera if they had a negative experience with it than a positive one, so your recommendation holds more weight than the reviews.
Thanks for your help!!

I've never used the S110, so by all means take the reviews into consideration. I have the S95. I've never had a problem with the number of megapixels, but I'm not a stickler for an extremely sharp image, especially from a compact. Is there a reason why you need 16+ MP?

waday · May 15, 2015

For example, here's a SOOC shot from my S95... that's pretty sharp.

waday · May 15, 2015

Or this guy... again, SOOC..

waday · May 15, 2015

The S120 got better reviews, but it's more expensive.

petrastewart · May 15, 2015

Thanks waday! Those pictures are lovely. You've got me second guessing myself. I am not a camera aficionado by any stretch, I suppose from what I read 16-20 MP are available in some cameras, and seemingly is a desired attribute. Because this is my one-and-only camera, (no cell phone or DSLR to round out my options), I just want the camera I choose to be everything... which I know is a tall order. I'm currently looking at the Nikon Coolpix 9700 and the Canon powershot xs600.... I will look again at the s95, which seems to have better reviews, including yours, however price point seems to be around $500-$600, which is a little rich for me.

waday · May 15, 2015

I haven't used either of those, but my sister has a Canon SX5xx series. I'm not fond of it, because it has trouble focusing. (Then again, it could be user error on my sister's part.

It worked ok when I used it, haha.)

See if you can find either in store to hold and try? If not these, at least other Canons/Nikons/others to get a feel for the system and how they work. They all have different menus and whatnot. Pick one that feels good in your hands.

petrastewart · May 15, 2015

Well, I've come back around to the S120. It's a little more money than I was looking to spend, but so far it checks all the boxes, and has tons of great reviews. Might be the one. Thanks for mentioning it.