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

[mikehaugen]

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!

I wouldn't call a t2i "an in between camera", it is in fact a dslr, albeit a cheaper one but still a dslr. I would call the g12 more of "an in between camera." since it is in fact a point and shoot, but with some of the features of a dslr. Also I noticed that you said that you had heard that certain cameras "are terrible in low light", this is a very relative statement. a cheaper dslr may be terrible in low light compared to another dslr but will still be leaps and bounds ahead of any point and shoot (at least that I have used) for low light.

Also if you are worried about flash glare on the aquarium, then what bazooka said is very important. if you can get the flash off the camera (which a hotshoe will enable you to do) you should be able to avoid this so that needs to be a priority. Though I know that the g12 has one, I am not sure about the nikons.

 

[Aze]

Also, I'm not sure how close you get the camera to the aquarium, but another thing you can do to reduce glare is to get a rubber lens hood. If you place it right up against the glass it will create a seal around the lens and will block a lot of the glare that the glass will add to your shot. Of course to do that you'd need to be using a DSLR as I don't know of any lens hoods made for P&S cameras.

 

[mikehaugen]

Another point that I should add is that there is definitely something to be said for the portability and convenience of a point and shoot. Bringing a dslr around with you everywhere can become cumbersome for a lot of people. Unless you know EXACTLY what you will be shooting then you will want to bring at least two lenses, and I usually bring a flash everywhere I go as well.

The versatility of a dlsr gives you options to overcome many of the shortcomings of a point and shoot, though at the same time adds a little inconvenience at times. I myself have considered buying a g12 just to use for quick things, as well as a little bit of inconspicuousness. It does sometimes get old when people see you with a dslr and you have to hear "hey that's a nice camera" which leads into "how much does something like that cost?" then it's "are you a photographer?" then "I really want to get a nicer camera and was thinking about getting something like that, I think I will get better pictures". Not to start on this rant, it has been discussed too many times already.

 

[Sonoma]

as I don't know of any lens hoods made for P&S cameras.

You would be surprised what third party manufacturers make for Point and Shoot cameras.

Canon PowerShot G12/G11/G10 Lensmate Products and Accessories

Lensmate: Hakuba Collapsible Wide Rubber Lens Hood 52mm

 

[davidrh]

Not to add to the OP's confusion, but why has no one mentioned the Canon S95 yet? It has the same sensor as the G12, great low-light performance since (a) it does f/2 at its widest zoom setting, and (b) the sensor itself is larger than really any other P&S.

If you go to flickr, you can filter images by camera type and see lots of photos people have taken with each camera. Might help you decide.

I was torn between a used Nikon D40 and a new S95. I went with the D40 and I'm happy with it, but I think I'd be happy with the S95 as well.

 

[NarnyTheGreat]

Wow thats a lot of accessories to make the G12 act like a dslr... kind of cool. Definitely something to think about.

 

[usayit]

I'm a big fan of the G-series so my bias is towards the G12 over the Nikons. I will admit the bias is in part historical. In the past, Nikon has always been playing catchup to Canon in the high end P&S arena. It was only recently that I chose a camera outside the G-series line and Nikon made some headway.

Some other new players in the highend P&S market to at least consider before your final purchase: Panasonic LX5 and the Olympus XZ-1. Both are direct competitors to the Canon G12 and equipped with fast glass.

With that said, I feel that you should seriously consider a DSLR given one of your big requirements is low-light performance. As much as I love my LX3 (predecessor to the LX5), it doesn't compare to my full frame or even my micro 4/3rds cameras in terms of image quality in low light.

 

[rehab]

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.

I was going to offer this however the OP said the planned to use some video, and there is none with the XS, hence why i suggested the d3100

 

[MissCream]

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.

Well your talking about REALLY good macro and extra clear shots, so if you posted an example of what you are looking at shooting then I can tell you if you are able to achieve that with a P&S.

 

[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.

Well your talking about REALLY good macro and extra clear shots, so if you posted an example of what you are looking at shooting then I can tell you if you are able to achieve that with a P&S.

Ah I gotcha. Sorry for the confusion... if you look here http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...0714-very-begining-my-photography-photos.html I have posted 2 of the some what decent pictures I have managed to take with my pos camera that I currently have. This is what I shoot most of the time. Other than that... my daughter takes ballet and my son playing so action shots would be needed.

The macro is so I can get really good detail on the mantel of the octopus along with other body parts. Also to be able to blow the pictures up (art prints) might be nice but not necessary at this time... The more I think about what I need or might need in the near future the more I realize I should probably be looking at beginner DSLR cameras so I wont be limited.

 

[NarnyTheGreat]

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.

I was going to offer this however the OP said the planned to use some video, and there is none with the XS, hence why i suggested the d3100

I didnt realize it didnt have video. I was thinking that I might buy a separate camcorder but I think that would be a hassle to always have so many things to carry.

 

[MissCream]

This picture was taken with a Panasonic DMC-TZ7.

Macro Octopus | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[Ginu]

Save your money, wait a few months and go for a DSLR .

I am not bashing on P&S cameras, but you're really limiting yourself here. Even if you get a bunch of accessories for a P&S camera, you will not be able to sell them for a decent price if you decide to go the DSLR route.

The type of photography you're talking about is very demanding on the camera and lens. I am not saying it cant be achieved with a P&S because they can also take great photos if used right and with the right light, but in the long run you will be limited to just the P&S.

Photographers drop thousands on lens and cameras to be able to take crisp pictures in low light conditions using just the ambient light.
Point and shoot cameras will not give you the capabilities of a DSLR and DSLR's will not give you the mobility in terms of size.

Best thing is to rent a DSLR for a day and then rent a G12 for a day and see which one suits your shooting style the most and go with that.
Good lens are pricey but will last a lifetime if they are well taken care of.

Here is a link to Fish Photography which was posted not long ago.

 

[NarnyTheGreat]

Ok so I have a plan... I found a local company that rents cameras so I will be renting the G11 since its almost identical to the G12 and then the following week I will rent the Canon T2i. They also have the Nikon D90 SLR. They also have the Nikon D7000, Canon 7D, and Canon 60D. The rental prices are actually pretty good so I will rent each one for a week and see what works best for me. Wish me luck... Also of the above mentioned and for the work I want to do which do you all think would work best?

 

[rehab]

This picture was taken with a Panasonic DMC-TZ7.

Macro Octopus | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Thats also taken from outside a fish tank on a tentacle just laying out... different than shooting a live octopus, so not a good comparison.