Looking to buy a "nice" camera

[sahls01gmc]

My wife and I both have the standard issue smartphone cameras which are great for the everyday photos we want to take. We also have some occasions that we would like to have a nicer camera.

 

Can anyone shed some light on what would be a good upgrade for a semi-professional camera? My wife will be operating this thing 99% of the time, and she doesn't want to mess with lenses and flash cubes and all that. Agreed, the photos are a result of the photographer and not just the camera. We would like something that is fairly user friendly.

 

I assume this camera would cost somewhere in the $500-ish range.

 

 

Thanks for any thoughts!

[fujifilmnut]

If you do not want to have interchangable lenses you will not be looking at a semi-professional camera. Semi-professonal cameras are those with interchangable lenses and usually cost over $2500.

 

Consider these cameras that have lenses that can be changed but come with a good zoom lens for every day use and cost around $500. Both cameras take really great photos. The Sony is much smaller and it may be good or bad depending on how well you hold really small cameras still to get blurry-free shots:

 

Nikon D3300

 

Sony A6000

 

Either way, you will get photos that will almost always be better than a cell phone can produce, especially in difficult lighting situations (low light), fast moving subjects and scenes with wide range of lighting (water, beach, snow, etc.).

 

Here is a shot taken with the Sony A6000. I sold it because I wanted a Nikon for better (and cheaper) lens selection and better flash controls. This was taken with a really wide angle lens (one of the benefits of a camera that allows changing of lenses).

 

[fujifilmnut]

FYI, most of the photos on my website www.mudbrookphoto.com are from Nikon cameras.

[Chris]

I use a Canon T4i. with both lenses and a bunch of extras it was around $1000. But, that was 18 months ago. It is not a casual photography camera, it is Semi-professional, but on the lower end

[fujifilmnut]

CELL camera vs DSLR. These photos are of the same steam engine on different days. The first photo and crop from the photo of the engineer were taken by a cell phone. The second set by a DSLR. While cell photos may look ok on the screen of the phone, when printed or viewed on larger screens, you can see the huge difference between a cell and a real camera.

 

Cell phone photo. Note this is a bright day shot under near perfect conditions. In darker or less perfect lighting the disadvantage of the cell camera would be greater.

 

 

Crop of the engineer at 100% as you would see on a HDTV or large print.

 

DSLR images below:

 

 

Crop of the engineer @ 100% view as you would see on a HDTV or large print:

 

[blackout07]

We have a Canon Rebel T3i. It's a little more sophisticated and costly than what you said you wanted but we're casual users and it's very user friendly, straight forward, and takes great photos. Chris obviously has the newer version and there may even be a 5 by now?

[Spurshot]

So I think a little breakdown of the catagories of cameras would help. The following are generalities. Outstanding examples in the categories may differ a bit.

 

Cellphone cams

• convenient because you always seem to have it.
• inconvenient because it takes a bit to mess thru the menus and the touch screen
• good exposures
• resolution is generally fair to poor.
• Delay in shutter making it poor for sports or capturing kids playing, etc.

 

Point-n-shoot

 

subcompact

• very small
• fair to poor resolution
• poor low light
• delay in shutter from push to capture bad for capturing people moving

Midsize

• most common size
• fair to excellent resolution depending on $$$$
• less convenient
• delay in shutter from push to capture bad for capturing people moving like kids playing etc.

Fullsize

• larger of the point-n-shoots
• great optics for a bargain
• good to excellent resolution
• good low light
• almost DSLR size
• delay in shutter from push to capture not so great for sports or people moving

 

DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex)

 

consumer lines

• fits budges from several hundred up to $1000-1500 ish for "Kit" combinations of body and lens (often 2 lenses)
• great optics
• Inconvenient size but still relatively light compared to Pro-sumer and Pro cameras
• nearly no delay in shutter push to capture
• best low light (depending on lens)
• best good resolution
• most options.
• Great for sports and people moving

Pro-sumer (semi-pro) DSLR cameras

• for the real enthusiast with a healthy hobby sized budget (generally well over $1000 for a body without lens, up to low $2000s. Uses full line of lenses from low end to pro lenses)
• larger/heavier
• faster multi-frame captures
• better optics available
• more user control for exposure
• faster focus sensor systems

Professional DSLRs

• You can spend whatever your pocketbook will support in this category. Entry to this category will often be over $2000 for a body and from $1000 on up to the heavens for each lens

 

Some websites to help:

These two places are known to be reputable NY internet/mail order stores. Buyer beware of other NY (especially Brooklyn) stores

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

http://www.adorama.com/

 

Reference/knowledge sites

http://kenrockwell.com/

http://www.slrgear.com/reviews/index.php

[Shutter]

By what youve said you want a quality point and shoot. If you get a semi-professional DSLR you could get one for under $500 if you keep your eye out for a deal, I know a photographer whos made magazine covers with a cheap DSLR. BUT you will not be getting any lenses with that and the big investment is lenses if you want quality. I am a hobbyist and have been shooting for years, if you really want to get into photography, and by that i mean taking your camera out weekly to take photos, planning them ahead of time, practicing in low light, with a tripod, and speed light, that is the only way I would recommend a DSLR. I take my camera hiking, and on our vacations. Believe me it is not easy to be carrying a ton of gear with you. A camera and three lenses is heavy. And its a pain to be on your knees on the ground swapping lenses while everyone else takes out a point and shoot, snaps a picture, then puts it back in their pocket.

[Spurshot]

Another approach is to pick a manufacturer....Nikon, Canon, etc., then learn the line of models in your budget and how the lenses perform. It's all about image quality or "IQ" as it's coined now. I know there are a few cheap "kit" lenses in the Nikon line that will outperform some of their expensive lenses, in terms of sharpness. That SLRgear.com site has some good test data (not hearsay) on lenses and their performance.

[fujifilmnut]

Nothing beats actually holding a camera to see how it fits your hands. Some compact cameras have buttons so small, it is difficult to quickly hit the right button to get a quick shot. Smaller cameras are generally more difficult to hold still to avoid blurry photos from camera shake. Go to a good local dealer and take a few cameras out to the parking lot and try some shots, especially quick ones while changing settings. Maybe try fast moving kids or traffic. By doing this you may find your pre-conceived notions about size or convenience will change. Don't forget to compare shots with your cell phone while trying cameras. If you can, take a laptop or tablet to download the photos and compare them on a screen. Most will look different on the camera/cell phone than when viewed on a larger screen.

Rather than deal with an Internet site or NYC camera store, why not visit Crick Camera in Kansas City?

http://crickcamera.com/

[Spurshot]

 

Nothing beats actually holding a camera to see how it fits your hands. Some compact cameras have buttons so small, it is difficult to quickly hit the right button to get a quick shot. Smaller cameras are generally more difficult to hold still to avoid blurry photos from camera shake. Go to a good local dealer and take a few cameras out to the parking lot and try some shots, especially quick ones while changing settings. Maybe try fast moving kids or traffic. By doing this you may find your pre-conceived notions about size or convenience will change. Don't forget to compare shots with your cell phone while trying cameras. If you can, take a laptop or tablet to download the photos and compare them on a screen. Most will look different on the camera/cell phone than when viewed on a larger screen.

Rather than deal with an Internet site or NYC camera store, why not visit Crick Camera in Kansas City?

http://crickcamera.com/

 

 

Agreed. Also, if we all keep buying everything online, soon there won't be any brick and mortar stores.

[Z45]

I have a Sony Cyber-shot G 16.1 Mega Pixels (DSC H70) and it takes excellent photos. Got it at Walmart several years ago. About the size of a package of cigarettes.

 

[jasonvp]

 

Also, if we all keep buying everything online, soon there won't be any brick and mortar stores.

I'd be perfectly OK with that. None of the local camera stores around here are worth setting foot into, anyway. I'll take the Amazons and B&Hs any day.

[sahls01gmc]

Wow, great info everyone! Thank you for all of the suggestions.

 

Mudbrook, your side by side comparisons are exactly what I am looking for in a "next-level" camera. I am looking for this to be a low level hobby, as I would just like to get some better pictures of my kids during their games or on vacations. The cell phone camera is perfect for instant goofy pictures, but I would really like to have something nicer as well for special occasions.

 

 

I low level DSLR is the direction I am heading towards. Now I just need to go sample a few and see what I like. Thanks again everyone!

[fujifilmnut]

There are some great sales on DSLR cameras on Amazon. The D3300 I mentioned is selling for $500, free shipping, lens included. http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-Digital-NIKKOR-18-55mm-3-5-5-6G/dp/B00HQ4W1QE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419966612&sr=8-1&keywords=d3300

 

Here is a great video review by The Camera Store: