Feeling WAY OUT of my element... need to pick a camera

[NarnyTheGreat]

I have reading for DAYS and DAYS at this point and feel like I am kind of leaning towards the Nikon coolpix cameras but I still need some good professional ish advice.

I am looking for a new camera and have been reading and reading and reading for days at this point and I am no closer to a decision on which one I should get. Every where I turn there are GREAT cameras, but most of those "great cameras" have REALLY BAD flaws.

The ones I was looking at...

Canon G12
Nikon P500
Nikon P100

Leaning more towards the Nikon.

All of these have pluses and minuses. I dont really care if the camera is DSLR or not I just need it to have the features that I want and I need them to actually work. Though I am more of a point and shoot kind of person. I dont really like to fuss to much.

Features I am looking for...

GREAT Macro is a must (preferably without having to add a lens but one that will take a lens for additional closeness)

Low light and light correction (for actinic lighting) along with action shots... octopuses swim and move fast and often. What I will basically be doing is taking pictures of my octopuses, fishes reefs and kids. Any advice would be very appreciated...

As far as budget I would like to keep it as cheap as possible obviously... but it has to be under 800$ for sure.

Thanks

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

For the most part, I consider almost all 'non-SLR' digital cameras to fall into two groups. The cheap 'point & shoot' type and the pretty good 'point & shoot' type. :er: I wouldn't spend too much time debating between which one you want...because withing those groups, they are pretty much the same. Heck, many of the parts, or at least who makes them, is shared between cameras from the different companies.

The important thing to know (that they don't openly tell you) is that 99% of all non-SLR digital cameras have a very tiny image sensor. This leads to inferior image quality...more digital noise, especially at higher ISO settings.

Stepping up to a DSLR brings many advantages. One of the most important is the larger sensor (and the most expensive DSLR cameras have an even larger sensor)....but another very important feature is the ability to change the lens. This allows you to get a lens that is more about quality than convenience, if you so choose.

The one thing that most point & shoot digital cameras does better (out of the box) is macro. Many of these cameras have the ability to focus while very close to the subject, which is basically what macro is. A DSLR, on the other hand, will like need a special Macro lens (or filters or extension tube) to get that close up...but of course, if you do get a Macro lens with a DSLR, you'll be capable of much better quality than any P&S camera.

A camera's abilities in low light boil down to a few key features. The first is the lens. A lens with a wider maximum aperture (low F number) will perform better in lower light (it can give you a faster shutter speed, which will mean sharper shots). Most digi-cams don't have large apertures and even the lenses that come with DSLR cameras don't either....but with a DSLR, you can buy a 'fast' lens that does have a large maximum aperture.
The next is ISO. The higher you turn your ISO, the less light you need (or the faster shutter speeds you can get). The trade off is digital noise and general image degradation...so while some cameras can be turned up pretty high, you probably don't want to use the highest settings. But here is where a DSLR camera will really outshine a P&S.
Another key is the auto focus. Does the camera focus well in low light situations. In most cases, a DSLR will be superior to just about any P&S.

When it comes to action shots, you'll want a quick auto focus, but more importantly, you'll want fast shutter speeds. You can get this by adding more light, but if that's not an option, then it really helps to be able to use a 'fast' lens and have the option of getting usable shots at higher ISO settings.

Along with that is the issue of shutter lag. It's much better these days, but a few years ago, most P&S cameras had terrible shutter lag. You would press the button and it might be a full second before the camera actually records the image...and by that time, you lost the shot. A DSLR will have a much shorter (faster) shutter lag, which makes it easier to get great actions shots.

So when you say "I dont really care if the camera is DSLR or not"....I think you need to do a bit more research, because you should want a DSLR...but then be weighing the pros against things like price, size and the Macro issue mentioned above.

 

[bazooka]

Howdy Pearland neighbor! In addition to what Mike said, judging from your other post you have an aquarium... you might also want the option to add off camera flash which can make aquarium shots look quite stunning. Some P&S cameras have hotshoes and some have sync cables that can attach to a hotshoe flash. All DSLR's that I know of have hotshoe flash capabilities. So if you do go the P&S route, it's somemthing to look for that would give you a lot more room to improve your photography. And if you get a few flash units and decide to upgrade to DSLR, those flashes would probably still work with your camera.

Check out flickr for some home aquarium photos to get some ideas of what you can do. (I haven't looked, but I'm assuming there are some nice ones...)

 

[NarnyTheGreat]

I have looked into many of the DSLR cameras and I just can not afford that. Plus with the way my life is (small children and a husband who thinks a camera is a camera to take hunting :lmao I think it would be damaged to quickly... I have thought about the Canon T2i or the T3i. That seems to be a good in between camera... less price, with different lenses and most of the features I am looking for. I have however heard they are horrible in low light... or is the the G12? I have read so much I keep getting confused.

I guess in the end I just want a good durable camera that will take EXTRA CLEAR crisp pictures with great macro, and at least a some what good video. I do not need HD video as long as they look nice and have good playback.

Its so confusing with all the choices. I will be going to the camera store tomorrow (not to buy) to get my hands on them so I can actually have more than an on paper feel for the cameras. Wish me luck!

 

[MissCream]

Maybe you could give an example of the kind of pictures you are looking at taking

 

[NarnyTheGreat]

Maybe you could give an example of the kind of pictures you are looking at taking

I am not really sure I understand what more you are asking for but I will try to explain further... I take motion pictures of octopuses and fish (in aquariums) I also want to take dance pictures of my daughter and everyday pictures of my son. I would like to be able to get some REALLY good macro shots of my octopuses... so a good macro setting (optical zoom) would be helpful if I got a point and shoot camera.

 

[rehab]

I sell cameras (these exact ones too) and IMO the g12 if your not wanting to step into the DSLR game. It lacks the zoom capabilities of the nikons but if your in an aqarium and places similar where zoom isn't a huge factor, you will notice that you have alot more manual control with the g12. Its more portable and better sensor and better auto focus system. nikons have better video though but all are still have def. 1080 vs 720. I have owned a p100 and a g11 and would trade all in for the g12.

 

[rehab]

d3100 - BestBuy

only 100 dollars more than the g12, and if you are worried about its well being, best buy has a plan that cleans it and replaces it if it gets dropped or water spilt on it.

grab a $30 tripod and an SD card and go have fun!

 

[RockstarPhotography]

I'v heard good things about the p7000. But haven't used one myself.

COOLPIX P7000 from Nikon

 

[NarnyTheGreat]

I sell cameras (these exact ones too) and IMO the g12 if your not wanting to step into the DSLR game. It lacks the zoom capabilities of the nikons but if your in an aqarium and places similar where zoom isn't a huge factor, you will notice that you have alot more manual control with the g12. Its more portable and better sensor and better auto focus system. nikons have better video though but all are still have def. 1080 vs 720. I have owned a p100 and a g11 and would trade all in for the g12.

Do you REALLY feel that way? What about the low lighting? I have read that in low light its horrible. Have you tried the low lighting settings?

 

[PJL]

Do you REALLY feel that way? What about the low lighting? I have read that in low light its horrible. Have you tried the low lighting settings?

If you want some actual examples of the G12's high ISO performance against its competition, here you go.

Canon Powershot G12 Review: 7. Compared to: High ISO: Digital Photography Review

The only way you're going to get good high ISO performance is getting a DSLR. Also, high zoom doesn't automatically mean "macro." In fact, one of the best consumer-grade macro lenses has only 100mm of focal length; it just allows you to focus very, very close to your subject.

 

[KenC]

If the Canon G11 is still available you might save a little - it is essentially identical to the G12. In my experience, up to about ISO 400, which is pretty fast, the noise in a G11 image will not be detectable in anything up to a page-size print. Even at 800, with a little noise reduction, you could get a very good page-size print. So it depends on what you want to do with the images. Of course the noise on the T2i is less, but will it really make a noticeable difference for you? I can also attest to the good macro capabilities of the G11/G12. The lens also seems to me to be very high quality. Often I can't remember whether I took a particular image with an SLR or the G11, and I have to go back and look at the image data - I can't tell from page-size prints or on screen unless it is a high-ISO (at least 800) shot from the G11. The only drawback is a little barrel distortion at the wide end of the zoom range, but this is easily correctable in PS.

Edit - another good point of the G11/G12 is that the IS is very good and will allow you to take low-light images hand held at ISO 400.

 

[Aze]

I may be totally missing something here, but for the types of cameras you are looking at, from the G12 to the T3i, you've got quite a range of options. If you like the idea of a DSLR, but are attracted to the price of the G12, have you looked at the Canon Rebel XS? For about $50 more you get a DSLR, and unless I'm missing something extraordinary about the G12, you get a heck of a lot more camera.

 

[NarnyTheGreat]

Youre not missing anything lol. I am kind of all over the place . I just started looking at the Canon Rebel XS this morning. The low lighting is an issue because of aquarium glass. Often I get a horrible flash on the glass or when taking shots over the water down into the tanks, so not needing the flash all the time is really helpful.

I wish I could get my hands on some of these as a loan. Being able to take some shots of my tanks before I bought it would be great.

 

[Sonoma]

I wish I could get my hands on some of these as a loan. Being able to take some shots of my tanks before I bought it would be great.

A lot of local camera shops rent equipment. And there are even online rentals now, but that involves shipping both ways and may get expensive.