Need recommendations on buying right camera for..

[nwcountry]

..someone that has unsteady hands. I have a slight tremor but it is enough to blur photos I take without a tripod. I like using the tripod but there are those quick shots I want to catch so I am looking for a camera around 400 dollars (sorry, that is all I can spend) that has image stabilization. I suppose most of them do but if someone else has an unsteady hand and has found a camera that works well for them, please feel free to tell me about it.

It's strange but with my cellphone camera, when I click it seems to grab the photo and I never have had not one photo blur on me. This feature must be available in a regular camera, I hope! By the way, I have an inexpensive cellphone (flip-phone) I got with straight-talk. It's a Samsung.

Thank you in advance for any help. I am so ready to step up to a camera with much more zoom but don't want to buy until I get more feedback. Also, I found one that sounds good, a Lumix by Panasonic for around 414 I think it was, 24X zoom w/image stabilizer. Opinions welcome Denise

 

[ceejtank]

Are you looking for a point and shoot? Or a DSLR?

For a point and shoot my sony cybershot has 18.2 megapixels and the stabilization feature you're talking about. I think it's pretty standard nowadays on a lot of point and shoots. Mine ccost $250 about 2 years ago.

For a DSLR (generally over 400$ so I'm assuming you are talking about a p&s)- you can correct the shake problem by setting your shutter speed quicker than a tremor would affect it. Something above 1/100 of a second should do, 1/250 is pretty much fast enough to freeze all motion in most pictures, so you could just need to adjust your ISO/Aperature accordingly to keep your shutter speed fast enough so blur would not occur.

 

[MLeeK]

The camera isn't going to matter so much as you learning to use it properly to accommodate your tremor.
ALL cameras will do the exact same thing unless you tell it that you need something different. You are going to need to work with a shutter speed that may be fast to very fast. Not a problem, look for any camera that allows you to shoot in shutter priority. Any DSLR will allow for that as well as any point and shoot bridge camera.
You will then need to find the minimum shutter speed that you need to use. Could be anything from 1/250 to ? The problem is going to come when you discover that using that fast shutter speed is seriously limiting to the amount of light you allow into the camera, causing it to use very high ISO's and very wide apertures and/or flash.
Flash will stop that motion problem.
1/125 is a good shutter speed IF you are very steady and your subject is not moving. I recommend using a tripod for steady hands under there.
1/250 will stop a moving toddler and a slight shake, however when you say tremor I assume you are talking more than a little shake of the camera by a normally steady hand and I'd suspect you are looking at more like 1/400 to 1/500.

 

[nwcountry]

Ok, this is excellent, I didn't know about adjusting the shutter speed. I am just a p&s'r, lol! Thank you so much. I am not sure what DSLR is so I will look it up. I think it has to do with video though. I like the sound of your camera as long as I can get more zoom. My kodak just has 5x. I can set the shutter speed on it though (I think I can) and still use it as well.

Denise

 

[nwcountry]

Yes, it can be more then a slight shake. Sometimes my photos come out clear but it has been just luck, not skill. I am glad to know/learn about shutter speed. I know I have a lot to learn. I am going to stick with my small camera, Kodak C195 and try some of these adjustments. If I can't learn on this camera I will just be wasting money on a newer one. Just from these 2 posts I am seeing there are things I can try with the camera I have before I spend more.

Thank you so much for your time, Denise

The camera isn't going to matter so much as you learning to use it properly to accommodate your tremor.
ALL cameras will do the exact same thing unless you tell it that you need something different. You are going to need to work with a shutter speed that may be fast to very fast. Not a problem, look for any camera that allows you to shoot in shutter priority. Any DSLR will allow for that as well as any point and shoot bridge camera.
You will then need to find the minimum shutter speed that you need to use. Could be anything from 1/250 to ? The problem is going to come when you discover that using that fast shutter speed is seriously limiting to the amount of light you allow into the camera, causing it to use very high ISO's and very wide apertures and/or flash.
Flash will stop that motion problem.
1/125 is a good shutter speed IF you are very steady and your subject is not moving. I recommend using a tripod for steady hands under there.
1/250 will stop a moving toddler and a slight shake, however when you say tremor I assume you are talking more than a little shake of the camera by a normally steady hand and I'd suspect you are looking at more like 1/400 to 1/500.

 

[ceejtank]

They do have image stabilization in point and shoots.

Here is an example of one with image stabilization (which would help with shaky hands) Sony Cyber-shot DSCW570 16.1MP Digital Camera wi... : Target

a DSLR is a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera. I do not think this is what you are talking about based on this conversation - you are looking for a point and shoot.

 

[2WheelPhoto]

Here is my "stabilization" technique, even works with my ancient film camera shown

 

[nwcountry]

LOL! Yes, I agree, this does work great

Here is my "stabilization" technique, even works with my ancient film camera shown

 

[nwcountry]

I think next term (yep, I'm in school again at 59 years old) I will see if there is a photography class. I love taking photos but I also want to take the best I can, Denise

 

[MLeeK]

If you want loads of zoom stick to the bridge cameras. The SX40 HS from Canon and P500 from Nikon should be ideal.

 

[Designer]

I think next term (yep, I'm in school again at 59 years old) I will see if there is a photography class. I love taking photos but I also want to take the best I can, Denise

If there is not a regular class available, hunt around for a seminar. Usually they last only a few hours and are very intensive, but fairly affordable.

 

[Patrice]

I too have the shakes. I suffer from St Vitus' dance (Sydenham's chorea) as a result of a childhood illness. I've learned to deal with it with proper camera holding techniques combined with slightly faster shutter speeds. I seldom have been very happy with the results from point and shoots without a viewfinder. Holding a small sensor camera up at near arm's length and taking a photo is almost a guaranteed bad photo for me.

 

[kundalini]

You might want to consider the Micro Four Thirds (MFT, m4/3). The sensor size is larger than the P&S, but smaller than the crop sensor dSLR. It has interchangeable lenses and the ISO range is quite good (read faster shutter speed for your tremors). Body size is not that much larger than a P&S. Major players in this format are Olympus and Panasonic and the lens collection is interchangeable between the two. New models will bust your budget, but the second-hand market can offer some good deals.

 

[captivating]

Hi Everyone, I so appreciate your feedback. I was Nwcountry until I had my account deleted before this thread started. I mean I asked to be deleted before I started this thread. Long story short, I had to re-register so I did that and picked the new username.

Anyway, all the info is so good. I will look through the replies again and try to decide just what I might do. My kodak doesn't zoom like I really want so that will be a consideration. Also, thanks to the person that mentioned a seminar where I can learn more about taking photos.

Thank you all again, Denise

 

[captivating]

I haven't found anything on this Kodak C195 p&s that says anything like shutter speed or 1/250 or any numbers like that. Maybe this camera doesn't have that on it? Denise