Advice wanted regarding what camera to buy

1MOA · Jan 19, 2011

Hi, Im new to the forum and was hoping you would be kind enough to offer some advice with regards to selecting a camera.

I live close to a nature reserve in BC Canada. My wife regularly goes for walks and sees eagles, owls, coyotes and at certain times of the year black bears. She wants to be able to photograph the animals she encounters during her walks. We would also use the cameras for our usual family photos.

At the moment I have an old Pentax Optio 3.2 MP camera that has served me well over the years but is very outdated.

For my wifes birthday I want to buy her a camera but am not sure what to get her. Ill list what I am looking for and maybe you could give me your recommendations.

1.) Fast first picture. I am not sure what the correct technical term for this is but with my Optio I have to first power it up and then wait for it to focus before I can take the shot. This takes several seconds. If an animal walks or flies by we want to be able to quickly take a photo of it before it is gone. Also when I press the button I would like the shot to be taken at the same time instead of the lag I currently have.

2. ) A good optical zoom of at least 10x.

3.) Ideally a lighter and smaller camera as my wife will be carrying it a fair distance.

3.) My budget is about $400 so I cant go too expensive.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Big Mike · Jan 20, 2011

Welcome to the forum.

I can't be of much help, as I'm not up to date on 'point & shoot' style digital cameras. They are basically all the same to me...especially in that they are not Digital SLR cameras and they have small sensors (compared to a DSLR).

My usual advice, when buying a camera of that type...is to get into a good store or two and get a hands on feel of the different cameras. If you stick with a good brand like Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax etc., you shouldn't have to worry about the quality too much, so you can concentrate on the features and the ergonomics.

You can compare features on a site like Digital Cameras: Digital Photography Review, News, Reviews, Forums, FAQ

o hey tyler · Jan 20, 2011

Get her a 20D with a 75-300mm lens. You're not going to find all that you want in a P&S. Especially the ability to focus quickly, since if she gets good at Manual Focus she can focus faster than any P&S camera at it's longest focal length. It should still be in your price range, and it will give you and her something to learn on.

Big Mike · Jan 20, 2011

That doesn't really fit the 'lighter and smaller' requirement...but it would give them a superior camera & lens.

o hey tyler · Jan 20, 2011

Big Mike said:
That doesn't really fit the 'lighter and smaller' requirement...but it would give them a superior camera & lens.

Totally agree, I just can't think of anything in the P&S market that would adequately serve them for what he's asking for. :lol:

PJL · Jan 20, 2011

Check out superzooms. There are some that have over 600mm zooms (35mm equivalency).

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q110superzoomgroup/

Starman Photo · Jan 20, 2011

There are a few different options.Maybe you could get a Powershot or a Nikon P7000...

Check it out;

Amazon.com: Nikon Coolpix P7000 10.1 MP Digital Camera with 7.1x Wide Zoom-Nikkor ED Lens and 3-Inch LCD: Electronics

Amazon.com: Canon SX30IS 14.1MP Digital Camera with 35x Wide Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 Inch Wide LCD: Electronics

I hope this helps. Good Luck

eacesign:

3bayjunkie · Jan 20, 2011

my sister-in-law got this camera for christmas. you can buy it at walmart.

Canon PowerShot SX30 IS Digital Camera 4344B001 B&H Photo Video

it has a 35x zoom

the aprature is f/2.7 to f/8 (24mm-840mm)

14.1

its not a DSLR

it is under $400

This is what you're looking for.

DerekSalem · Jan 20, 2011

3bayjunkie said:
my sister-in-law got this camera for christmas. you can buy it at walmart.

Canon PowerShot SX30 IS Digital Camera 4344B001 B&H Photo Video

it has a 35x zoom

the aprature is f/2.7 to f/8 (24mm-840mm)

14.1

its not a DSLR

it is under $400

This is what you're looking for.

That's what I came to post. I'd recommend getting a DSLR and telephoto for this kind of application (since it has instant power-on, almost instant zooming capability, and faster focusing system), but for a P&S you can't beat the SX20/30 series. The SX30 has an insane zoom level, fairly good aperture settings, high enough megapixel

PASM · Jan 20, 2011

Lumix TZ8 (ZS5). 25-300 zoom. Pocket camera. Leica Elmar lens. about $300 US i think.
Excellent compact camera for size/price/optics :thumbup:

1MOA said:
Hi, I’m new to the forum and was hoping you would be kind enough to offer some advice with regards to selecting a camera.

I live close to a nature reserve in BC Canada. My wife regularly goes for walks and sees eagles, owls, coyotes and at certain times of the year black bears. She wants to be able to photograph the animals she encounters during her walks. We would also use the cameras for our usual family photos.

At the moment I have an old Pentax Optio 3.2 MP camera that has served me well over the years but is very outdated.

For my wife’s birthday I want to buy her a camera but am not sure what to get her. I’ll list what I am looking for and maybe you could give me your recommendations.

1.) Fast first picture. I am not sure what the correct technical term for this is but with my Optio I have to first power it up and then wait for it to focus before I can take the shot. This takes several seconds. If an animal walks or flies by we want to be able to quickly take a photo of it before it is gone. Also when I press the button I would like the shot to be taken at the same time instead of the lag I currently have.

2. ) A good optical zoom of at least 10x.

3.) Ideally a lighter and smaller camera as my wife will be carrying it a fair distance.

3.) My budget is about $400 so I can’t go too expensive.

Any advice would be appreciated.

1MOA · Jan 20, 2011

Thank you for for all the input and good advice. I'll go and do some research on the cameras suggested here and see what best suits my needs/budget.

At least I now have some information to work with and a few models to compare.

When I have the new camera I'll post some pics :razz:

Bitter Jeweler · Jan 24, 2011

samblack11 said:
My borther just spent $359 for this Canon PowerShot SX30 IS 14.1 MP Digital Camera ,so perfect, very nice!

What do u think?Good price?