Lost in buying a camera

[photoflyer]

Yes and you can do it for $100 US if you will buy used. This was shot with a Canon 30D.

An Old DSLR Makes a Point

I got it for $50 at a thrift store but you can find them online for the same price. The "kit " lens that goes on it can be had for about $50 also. That is a Canon EF/S 18-55 mm. You'll likely need a telephoto for the action shots you seek as those subjects may be farther away. They 70-300mm can be had for about $100 as well.

People on this forum can point you to many other options perhaps including point-and-shoots that are capable of the results you want but a DSLR is much more flexible in that you can pair it with a lens specific to the shot you are taking.

The 30D is quite old now but it is capable of the shots you seek and was $1000 for the body only when new.

 

[AlanKlein]

The OP - if she ever existed - has not been back to the Forum after making the one post.

She's out shopping.

 

[greybeard]

In My Humble Opinion, point and shoot cameras are a waste of money these days. Cell phone cameras have easily caught up with them and may have already passed them by. To have the kind of control you are looking for you need a either a dSLR (digital, single lens, reflex) like a Nikon d3500 or one of the new mirrorless cameras like a Sony a6000. They have interchangeable lenses, will let you control the depth of field (really means depth of acceptable focus), the shutter speed, the point of focus, etc. They will also let you grow with the hobby. For instance, the lenses you might buy for a Nikon d3500 are compatible with their most expensive D6. One thing I have learned from this is that if you buy new, be ready to pay and I always recommend buying new for a beginner. I've been at it since the 70's so I swap with others and buy used all the time. Good luck

I find cell phones difficult to use. Ergonomically, you need a third hand to release the shutter. You can't see the screen in sunlight. Zoom is digital, not optical for most phones. Nighttime pictures have too much noise. A P&S with a viewfinder in addition to a screen, zoom lens, built for holding and operating is much better. Plus the articulating screen lets you shoot low at pets and children. My P&S is small - it fits in my shirt pocket.

opinions do vary

 

[photoflyer]

The OP - if she ever existed - has not been back to the Forum after making the one post.

Well, maybe someone else with the same question will see this and get some ideas.

 

[Pixeldawg1]

To give you an idea of just how lost I am... this is what I bought: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01BVUD3K6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1



Perhaps I am just being unrealistic, but is there any relatively cheap camera I can buy that is capable of photos like these? I'm wanting to be able to do both portraits and action shots.
QUOTE]


I used to write reviews for these kinds of cameras for Popular Photography and Imaging Magazine and having been a photojournalist for 30 years, I kinda poo-pooed at these cameras at first, but trying to keep an open mind, I eventually came to appreciate them as being well designed for simple snap shot images. Some of them also had some pretty cool features, such as a built-in stereo with speakers. Some had image quality that was nearly as good as the DSLR that I used. So, I have respect for these little bundles of technology and don't poo-poo them away like I used to do.

That being said, you have to decide what it is that you want to shoot. If you are fine with snapshots, it is convenient and will make a better image than your phone. If you want even more, I recommend you step up to a DSLR, which there are TONS of choices and you can buy both new and used. If I were you, my first camera would be a used DSLR that allows you to use automatic and manual exposure and have a few interchangeable lenses. Used is a good option because you won't waist nearly as much money if it turns out you don't like the camera. I would recommend KEH for this (and no, I do not have any affiliation with them, just think they have great service and products. Start off with a simple "D" series Nikon or equivalent by other camera makers and get a wide-angle zoom and a normal to slight telephoto zoom, which should do you nicely until you get a bit more experience.

Good luck with this and if I can help, please ask.

Cordially,

Mark

 

[ac12]

For action shooting (fast moving kids and pets or sports), my experience with several P&S cameras has been frustratingly poor.
The issue is something called "shutter lag." This is the time between when you press the shutter button, and when the shutter actually fires. On a P&S, this can be up to a few seconds. It varies by camera.

So you press the shutter with the kid facing you,
and by the time the camera fires, the kid has turned away from you or moved away.​

This has frustrated me MANY times, when I use my P&S cameras at family parties.

Half pressing the shutter reduces shutter lag, but many times that is difficult or not possible when shooting kids, because I still need time to set up for that half press.

Other than fast moving subjects the P&S works fine.

I have no experience with the high end P&S cameras, like the Canon G series. So I do not know if they have shutter lag.

For action shooting, I use a dSLR or Olympus mirrorless.
Even so, there are physical limits. Example, when the action is really fast, and when I quickly switch from subject A to subject B, my first shot of B is usually out of focus. The lens is still changing focus from A to B, and has not yet focused on B.

So frame 1 is usually out of focus (lens is changing focus from A to B),
frame 2 and on are in focus (lens has focused on subject B).​

 

[Grandpa Ron]

One of the things to keep in mind when dealing with a complete novice, is they have a vision in their minds eye of what they want; but no concept of what is needed to capture the image.

Often the advice given can be accurate but so technical it is simply Blah, Blah, Blah to a person who has never hear of DOF, ISO, f stops, pixels and stop action.

All they want to know is what is a good camera, and that answer lies with it intended use. Hence, the number of folks with a high dollar camera that never move off of the "auto" setting and would have been just as well severed with a lesser camera with a view finder and zoom lens.

 

[ac12]

One of the things to keep in mind when dealing with a complete novice, is they have a vision in their minds eye of what they want; but no concept of what is needed to capture the image.

Often the advice given can be accurate but so technical it is simply Blah, Blah, Blah to a person who has never hear of DOF, ISO, f stops, pixels and stop action.

All they want to know is what is a good camera, and that answer lies with it intended use. Hence, the number of folks with a high dollar camera that never move off of the "auto" setting and would have been just as well severed with a lesser camera with a view finder and zoom lens.

Agree
I was shooting a high school tennis meet, and talked to a parent shooting a high $ FF Canon with a 70-200/2.8 lens. His kit was easily at least 3x the cost of mine. But he only shot in Auto and did not know how to shoot in any of the other settings.

Heck I have a couple of P&S, for when a dSLR is overkill.