Andy needs a camera

[Andy]

I don't need a big baller DSLR. I just want a nice point and shoot. Joan and I take zero pictures, we're essentially the opposite of RJ. Having said that, we want to properly document our move and road trip across this awesome nation of ours.

My needs:
Quick shot so it can capture puppy speeds
Rechargeable battery
Auto setting does everything for me cause I don't know shit about cameras.
Solid sleek form factor. Too many buttons will scare Joan.

I really like my mom's Canon Digital Elph S1000.

Thoughts?

[ScottyB]

i like the kodak products with the docking system. i can't remember the camera i have but it's point/shoot with a nice big screen, plenty of megapixel detail and a 10x optical zoom like the photo below. i like it because it's really easy to use as a point/shoot but still offers some cool features tha you can "grow into" and the zoom means you can do more than take pictures of people in a room no more than 20 feet away.



takes movies, has manual controls (to some extent) and is really easy to just put it in it's docking station to upload and recharge. Sams/Costco usually has them for good prices (200 or so).

it's not sleek, compact, and minimal so maybe its a terrible recommendation but i thought i'd throw it out there especially since you'll be seeing alot of the countryside.

[Andy]

Scotty-In case you forgot, I'm asian. I refuse to walk about with a big ass camera draped around my neck even if I knew how to use all those features. I might as well just round out the stereotype and start wearing sandals with socks.

[ScottyB]

haha



can't blame me for trying

[BLINGMW]

Two recommendations.

One, dpreview.com. It's the best site I've found for comparing features and their reviews are, well, way too in depth for you and me, but at least it gives me the impression that they know what they're talking about. And they even log startup times, times between shots, focus time, all that so you can compare.

Two, Casio EX-V7 (or V8].

I got one for Jess for her b-day and we're very happy with it. You may not see it sold in brick & motor stores, at least I didn't. 3 features that make it unique are 7x optical zoom, the largest you can find in a subcompact. It also takes great video, with stereo sound and more advanced (MPEG4) compression, which you also won't find in other subcompacts. It also allows optical zooming in video, due to the lens not moving and not protruding from the front of the body, another big advantage IMO.

The image stabilization is apparently not the best, (dpreview was pretty critical of it) I found it to work well enough. I was able to take 7x zoomed pics of moving cars at ISO 200 or less with no blur and little noise, holding it with one hand. Its no DSLR (I've used RJ's a little), but hey, the fact that it could take the shot at all was pretty sweet, and it actually looks good! Heck, I was even able to take shots of other moving cars from our moving car. Performance in low light settings is good too, though they say the flash is weak for its class, and the pre-flash/red-eye thing is a bit annoyingly bright. Image quality, distortion is on par with other subcompacts, nothing special, looks great to me. Burst mode/continuous drive, speed between shots and startup times are fast for the subcompact class. You can even adjust F stops, aperture settings and focus manually, but the auto mode is great too. The only thing I wish it had was a metal body. Oh, and it doesn't have quite as many buttons as I'd prefer on the back, some operations take an extra press or menu access. You can't have everything in a subcompact though. Also it's cheap. Less than $200 easy.

I don't have a whole lot to compare it to personally, we're upgrading from a S230 ELPH Powershot, which I also loved, but it recently stopped working correctly, and is also quite outdated anyway. So surprise, the EX-V7 kicks its ass. I also considered a newer ELPH, because I really like the build quality and mine served me well for many years, but it just doesn't do anything that all the other cameras aren't doing. Maybe I'm too easily impressed, but hey, all the features that make it unique actually work, it's fast, and it does everything else that you'd expect well.

[Apoc]

I still stand by the email I sent you a month ago... Canon SD850 or 870.

Don't buy anything but Canon or Nikon, IMO.

[.RJ]

I have a Canon SD800IS i've been very happy with, great little camera.

[Andy]

Damn Channing. Thanks for ideas. How did you test drive the thing if you didn't see it in a store? I'll check out DPreview. What about CNEt. I've always dug their reviews.

Derecola/RJ-I know you guys are camera fags but would your camera recommendations work for a novice/"don't want to think about it" camera user? The 800IS looks kind of bulky. I'll read up on teh 850/870

[Mike]

SD850IS can be had on some great deals. I just got one for roughly 150 shipped when factoring in the memory card and the printer that I'm going to CL.

Caitlin has the SD750 and it's a great little camera.

My roommate has the SD1000, which spec-wise is the same as the 750, but has a smaller screen. I'd go 750 if you're between the two.

[BLINGMW]

How did you test drive the thing if you didn't see it in a store?

I didn't. A little risky. Just read up on it as much as I could on forums and review sites. :dunno:

[Apoc]

Absolutely. My wife has the SD600 and my mom has the SD750 (?). Neither of them have any problems just pointing it at things and making a picture. All the cameras have more or less the same feature but I recommend Canon P&S because they do everything well, regardless of your skill level.

To put it in perspective, I've only ever owned Nikon and I recommend the Canon SD to pretty much everyone who asks.

[Evan]

I bought anne the SD1000 for christmas, Im a little dissapointed with the build quality compared to my SD500 but the image quality is pretty good.
Like chris, Id recommend the 850 or 870 with IS (the sd1000 is actually lower model in the lineup)

[.RJ]

Andy, if you want to borrow my SD800 you're welcome to take it for a few days - I dont use it very often - its not bulky at all.

[Andy]

Andy, if you want to borrow my SD800 you're welcome to take it for a few days - I dont use it very often - its not bulky at all.

Done. I'll check out the 850/870IS as well.

[Andy]

Why does the 870IS have less "stuff" but costs more? what is ISO and does it do anything for me?

[Apoc]

ISO is film speed. To over-simplify a bit, lower is generally better if you don't want grainy photos.

The 870 has more resolution options, a larger LCD (preferred IMO), is a bit lighter and has a different zoom range. The thing the 850 really has over the 870 is it does time lapse recording and can zoom more (at the expense of less wide zoom).

[Jake]

ISO is how sensitive the "film" or the image sensor is to light. On a DSLR, you can manually control the ISO. A P&S camera will crank it up in low-light situations if left on a full-auto mode. Normally, under regular lighting, you can shoot at ISO 100-200, with some 400 thrown in there. In low light, some cameras will vamp it up to about 1600 (or more).

So, you want to look for a P&S cam that performs well at higher ISO settings, because as the ISO goes up on digicams, so does the amount of noise in the picture.

As far as recommendations, I've had a few Nikon P&S cameras and they've been just fine. That being said, Canon's PowerShot P&S cams are fantastic. I couldn't give you a suggestion on any one model, but all the ones I've used are great.

I have a Panasonic Lumix FX07. It was on sale at Best Buy, that's why I bought it over a Canon. I do like it quite a bit - very fast startup time, a 3.6x optical zoom, and a Leica lens. It takes good movies, too, if that's part of what you want. Does a pretty decent job at higher ISOs, and has optical image stabilization (as opposed to electronic, which is less effective - a lot of cheaper cams are electronic IS). Works for me.

Keep the questions coming!

[Sijray21]

i've bought the Canon SD series for a few people and they're pretty nice cameras in my opinion. Check the canon website. They're priced well, great functionality, great quality, and a wide variety of choices.

[Apoc]

SD870 on sale at BB for $280 w/free shipping
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8469212&type=product&id=1184768166165">http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp ... 4768166165</a><!-- m -->

$270 at CC if you chose in-store pickup
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Canon-PowerShot-SD-870-IS-8-Megapixel-Digital-Camera-Silver-SD870IS/sem/rpsm/oid/190718/catOid/-13062/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do#promotions">http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Canon-Po ... promotions</a><!-- m -->
...includes free printer if you want to deal with $100 rebate

[Goodspeed]

Canon Powershot A-series. I have a A610 and I'm sure you've seen my photos scattered around this site. I'll swear by nothing other than Canon as mine has been incredible for the price.