First camera. Suggestions please :)

[Jairus Lim]

Hi guys,
I am currently looking for a camera as I would like to get a upgrade from my phonecamera. I usually take photos of food, scenery and the occasional videos with friends.

My budget is roughly $350(+/- 100). As much as I would love to own a DSLR my budget does not allow me too.I like something easy to carry around as well.

I have researched alittle here and there. So far I have opted for a mirrorless compact since its much cheaper though moving objects most likely will be blurry compared to a DSLR.
It would be great if there are some manual controls to play with exposure so as I can learn and explore more. Lastly 1080p for the videos I take.
As for brands I do not have any particular preference. Though I have been looking mostly as Canon and Nikon cameras.

As for now anything below $350 I cant really find much. But at about $450 I could find this "Canon PowerShot SX700 HS" (sorry can't post link)
Comments on this is appreciated as well.

Thanks for viewing my thread. Have a nice day

 

[ElCarnicero]

Hi I think you need to be better educated

You are looking at compact cameras

But you say mirrorless compact camera but all compact cameras and your cellular phone are also mirrorless

I think you should just say compact camera because to photographers mirrorless is a type of camera

For you i succest canon panasonic sony but not nikon because i have many issues with nikon compact cameras

 

[SilentSeth]

Hi Jairus Lim, welcome to Clubsnap.

There's this camera finder feature in dpreview website:

www.dpreview.com/products/search/cameras

Maybe it can help you finding camera which suits your needs. Other than that, it's always helpful to come into the showroom or counter where you can see & try the camera yourself because there are non-technical factors that you need to try yourself (for example: ergonomics, button layout, weight, etc).

After you narrow down the potential cameras, do call the reputable stores listed here (just search) to check the latest prices.

Good luck

Hi guys,
I am currently looking for a camera as I would like to get a upgrade from my phonecamera. I usually take photos of food, scenery and the occasional videos with friends.

My budget is roughly $350(+/- 100). As much as I would love to own a DSLR my budget does not allow me too.I like something easy to carry around as well.

I have researched alittle here and there. So far I have opted for a mirrorless compact since its much cheaper though moving objects most likely will be blurry compared to a DSLR.
It would be great if there are some manual controls to play with exposure so as I can learn and explore more. Lastly 1080p for the videos I take.
As for brands I do not have any particular preference. Though I have been looking mostly as Canon and Nikon cameras.

As for now anything below $350 I cant really find much. But at about $450 I could find this "Canon PowerShot SX700 HS" (sorry can't post link)
Comments on this is appreciated as well.

Thanks for viewing my thread. Have a nice day

 

[Jairus Lim]

Thanks for the helpful answers!! I'm sorry still kind of new with all this terms I still get mixed up. Will check it out

 

[Octarine]

Have a look at this thread, listed just below your own one.
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1414420

 

[Jairus Lim]

Thanks! I am also currently looking at other models with the camera finder feature which I did not knew about. Anyone tried the "SLR like (bridge)" I do love the build and the kind of grip it has..

 

[Octarine]

Anyone tried the "SLR like (bridge)" I do love the build and the kind of grip it has..

Well, that's like asking "Anyone tried taking taxi?" - Many do and achieve good pictures.
For detailed reviews (picture quality, features and functions) check the usual review sites (eg: www.dpreview.com)

 

[rhino123]

Thanks! I am also currently looking at other models with the camera finder feature which I did not knew about. Anyone tried the "SLR like (bridge)" I do love the build and the kind of grip it has..

These type of camera is normally being called a bridge camera. Like all else, there are quite a number of different brands offering for this type of camera. The higher end one would the be the Sony RX10, Panasonic FZ1000, Fujifilm X-S1. All these are in the range of 1k+ which as stated in your first post in this thread to be over your budget.

However, there are other offering from Canon, Panasonic and the such that had something in that line. My experience with an old Panasonic and Olympus quite some years ago are pretty positive, except that in extreme range, it is not easy to achieve very stable shots, and a monopod or tripod is needed.

Anyway, since you are looking at an upgrade from your phone's camera, might I interest you with the Nokia mobile phone (1020 and 1520 came in mind), they do have excellent camera functions that rival compact point and shoot and I have taken excellent shots out of them.

If these are not your cup of tea, you might want to consider the Olympus EPM2, which had a large sensor, interchangeable lenses, and a hotshoe for other add on accessories (eg. flash). This is a great camera with the capability to produce great IQ and room for expansion.

 

[Jairus Lim]

Thankyou so much for all the help! I have narrowed it down to Canon powershot100 and 110. So far im leaning more towards to the 110. Any comments are welcome

 

[rhino123]

Thankyou so much for all the help! I have narrowed it down to Canon powershot100 and 110. So far im leaning more towards to the 110. Any comments are welcome

Canon S110 if you can afford. It is small, light and a really good camera. I would have recommend the Olympus XZ-10 or XZ-2, but since you have already narrow down to S110, so be it. Anyway, you wouldn't go wrong with the S110

 

[SilentSeth]

Thankyou so much for all the help! I have narrowed it down to Canon powershot100 and 110. So far im leaning more towards to the 110. Any comments are welcome

Powershot S110 has manual controls?

 

[rhino123]

Powershot S110 has manual controls?

Has. Not as easy to use as a DSLR or the OMD. But it do have manual control.

 

[SilentSeth]

I see.. I thought it's about the same like Ixus Well I guess it's all set then.

TS, next you might want to:
- Go to Canon showroom at Vivocity to try the camera yourself.
- Call and ask for the latest price from reputable stores listed here in Clubsnap. Just use the search function on top of the forum.

Has. Not as easy to use as a DSLR or the OMD. But it do have manual control.

 

[Jairus Lim]

I see.. I thought it's about the same like Ixus Well I guess it's all set then.

TS, next you might want to:
- Go to Canon showroom at Vivocity to try the camera yourself.
- Call and ask for the latest price from reputable stores listed here in Clubsnap. Just use the search function on top of the forum.

Thankyou! Will do! Just a quick question. Does more megapixel really mean better photo? Initially I was looking at SONY DSC-HX60V cause of it's 20 megapixels

 

[SkyStrike]

Thankyou! Will do! Just a quick question. Does more megapixel really mean better photo? Initially I was looking at SONY DSC-HX60V cause of it's 20 megapixels

This link will help to answer some of the questions you have in mind http://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/image-sensor-size-matters/

But in short, more megapixel don't mean anything if the hardware (sensor) cannot capture that much details. And the hardware can either be limited by the sensor size, the sensor technology and/or the lens used.

 

[Jairus Lim]

Thanks for the link! So am I right to say Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX60V sensor which is 1/2.3" is much better than s110 1/1.7" ?

 

[SkyStrike]

Thanks for the link! So am I right to say Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX60V sensor which is 1/2.3" is much better than s110 1/1.7" ?

In this case, yes. That would be so.

But do note that Sensor size isn't the only factor determining a better image quality (composition technique aside). The technology used by the sensor is important too. In most cases, a newer technology should be better than older technology..


With the above being said, the difference is probably not significant enough to affect my buying choice of the 2 camera if I have decided on one based on other criteria like ergonomics.

 

[rhino123]

Thanks for the link! So am I right to say Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX60V sensor which is 1/2.3" is much better than s110 1/1.7" ?

In this case, yes. That would be so.

But do note that Sensor size isn't the only factor determining a better image quality (composition technique aside). The technology used by the sensor is important too. In most cases, a newer technology should be better than older technology..


With the above being said, the difference is probably not significant enough to affect my buying choice of the 2 camera if I have decided on one based on other criteria like ergonomics.

Er... no. 1/2.3" sensor is smaller than 1/1.7" sensor, so in theory, the larger a sensor surface, more light can be capture at a given time. This would translate to having better low light performance.

The Sony cramped in more pixel into a smaller sensor would theoretically not fare that well in low light situation.

 

[SkyStrike]

Er... no. 1/2.3" sensor is smaller than 1/1.7" sensor, so in theory, the larger a sensor surface, more light can be capture at a given time. This would translate to having better low light performance.

The Sony cramped in more pixel into a smaller sensor would theoretically not fare that well in low light situation.

oops, saw the numbers wrongly :bsmilie:

 

[Jairus Lim]

Er... no. 1/2.3" sensor is smaller than 1/1.7" sensor, so in theory, the larger a sensor surface, more light can be capture at a given time. This would translate to having better low light performance.

The Sony cramped in more pixel into a smaller sensor would theoretically not fare that well in low light situation.

Thankyou so much for the insight! Cause I am afraid when I do try the s110 I may not feel as comfortable as the HX60. I do like the grip at the side of the HX60.