Home » Forums » Experiences and Memories » Photography Forum » a little camera assistance, please!

a little camera assistance, please!

Login to post comments
11 posts / 0 new
Thu, 12/26/2013 - 03:01
alicemouse's picture
alicemouse
Offline
Joined: 10/22/2013
Posts: 2832
a little camera assistance, please!

Hi there, friends!

After comparing the quality of my pictures to the beautiful photos that I have seen others posting (and even comparing how they looked on my camera screen to how they look on my computer--yikes!), I am in the market for a new camera before our April trip. Preferably something I can get at Best Buy bc Benn has so very graciously offered to sacrifice the lot of his Christmas gift cards to the cause. So let the recommendations commence!

I know basically jack about cameras. I understand zooming, but focusing and dials and lenses and things are beyond the scope of my camera operating ability. I'm looking for something that is as simple to operate as possible (think point and shoot) with priority placed on crispness (if that's a thing) of the photo and performance in low light conditions. (My iphone camera takes better nighttime pictures than my 12.1MP Sony Cybershot that I got for Christmas in...2009ish?) I'm looking for something reasonably small and light with a small strap. I like to keep it around my wrist for the bulk of the day. On this trip, I did 2400 pictures in 11 days. Most of that was just doing volume so that I would hopefully get a few decent shots to turn out because I know that the camera has seen better days.

Thanks for your help!! mickey

__________________

Be good at something. It makes you valuable. Have something to bring to the table because that will make you more welcome. --Randy Pausch

Find me on Facebook

Trip Reports:
December 2013: 10th Anniversary, 1st DVC Stay | April 2014: Birthday on the Boardwalk | May 2014: Star Wars Weekend, Navigating WDW with a wheelchair | August 2014: Villains Unleashed | September/October 2014: MNSSHP, F&W, Tower of Terror 10-miler | March/April 2015: Disneyland and California Coastal Cruise | November 2015: Wine & Dine Half, Food & Wine, 1st Disney Cruise | February 2016: Presidential Classic Gymnastics Meet | March 2016: "Work" Trip, Tours, F&G Festival | April 2016: Conference at Disneyland | Fall 2016: Festive Fall Fun | January 2017: Festival of the Arts | May 2017: AbD Backstage Magic | July 2017: AbD San Francisco | Sorry I had to give up doing trip reports. Too many time commitments right now.

Tags:
Thu, 12/26/2013 - 04:19
Spook's picture
Spook
Offline
Joined: 04/27/2012
Posts: 2786

I'm glad you posted this as I am in the market for a new camera as well. Magic Mirror has me very interested in the Canon G15 but it's not in any of the stores here as it seems to have gotten replaced by the G16 sad

Fri, 12/27/2013 - 02:53
Hazegry
Offline
Joined: 08/05/2012
Posts: 252

I am a Nikon guy but if you want a point and shoot you can't go wrong with a good canon point and shoot. Do a search for reviews on canon point and shoot cameras read reviews and buy the one that fits your needs. Best buy usually carries most of the point and shoots but you may have to order it. I have large canvas prints I shot with my canon point and shoot.

Fri, 12/27/2013 - 13:38
Kristen K.'s picture
Kristen K.
Offline
Joined: 09/01/2011
Posts: 23803

I won a Canon PowerShot SD780-IS a couple years ago and was really impressed with it. Small and light (fits in a pocket) it has brilliant color, clear pictures, has a small wrist strap, really a great point and shoot. Just meh low light performance.

I would buy another similar camera in a heart beat - so that's two votes for the Canon point & shoots

Sat, 12/28/2013 - 11:58
alicemouse's picture
alicemouse
Offline
Joined: 10/22/2013
Posts: 2832

Thanks everyone. I had been kind of leaning cannon or nikon. I really liked by sony when I got it, but the cybershot specs don't seem much different now than they were for my camera. Of course, any new camera would have the advantage of not yet having flown of my wrist and crashing onto Main Street USA. eek

__________________

Be good at something. It makes you valuable. Have something to bring to the table because that will make you more welcome. --Randy Pausch

Find me on Facebook

Trip Reports:
December 2013: 10th Anniversary, 1st DVC Stay | April 2014: Birthday on the Boardwalk | May 2014: Star Wars Weekend, Navigating WDW with a wheelchair | August 2014: Villains Unleashed | September/October 2014: MNSSHP, F&W, Tower of Terror 10-miler | March/April 2015: Disneyland and California Coastal Cruise | November 2015: Wine & Dine Half, Food & Wine, 1st Disney Cruise | February 2016: Presidential Classic Gymnastics Meet | March 2016: "Work" Trip, Tours, F&G Festival | April 2016: Conference at Disneyland | Fall 2016: Festive Fall Fun | January 2017: Festival of the Arts | May 2017: AbD Backstage Magic | July 2017: AbD San Francisco | Sorry I had to give up doing trip reports. Too many time commitments right now.

Tue, 12/31/2013 - 15:37
alicemouse's picture
alicemouse
Offline
Joined: 10/22/2013
Posts: 2832

Well, believe it or not, I ended up going with the sony cybershot DSC-WX300. I would love to try something in a non-point and shoot, but I don't trust myself to spend the amount of time fiddling around with it and learning how to operate that it deserves, nor do I trust myself to commit to carrying anything larger than a "pocket camera" around the parks. If I was going point and shoot, I've been very impressed by the quality that I've seen out of other people's canons and nikons, but the menus where much different than what I was already used to on my sony. In the end, it came down to design for me. I don't like to see curved lines and other space wasters on the body of my camera and of the very flat, very simple, the 18.2MP cybershot with the 20xs optical zoom, giant preview screen, familiar menu set-up, idiot proof pre-sets for fireworks etc., and built-in wi-fi that was on sale for $219 (vs. its regular $329) came out the winner for me! I'm also super excited to have added on a 16GB memory card for $10 as the last time I bought an SD card, I think I paid $20 or more for 4GB!! My father, who was the lucky heir to my old (hot pink!) cybershot, was pleased with my purchase as well!

__________________

Be good at something. It makes you valuable. Have something to bring to the table because that will make you more welcome. --Randy Pausch

Find me on Facebook

Trip Reports:
December 2013: 10th Anniversary, 1st DVC Stay | April 2014: Birthday on the Boardwalk | May 2014: Star Wars Weekend, Navigating WDW with a wheelchair | August 2014: Villains Unleashed | September/October 2014: MNSSHP, F&W, Tower of Terror 10-miler | March/April 2015: Disneyland and California Coastal Cruise | November 2015: Wine & Dine Half, Food & Wine, 1st Disney Cruise | February 2016: Presidential Classic Gymnastics Meet | March 2016: "Work" Trip, Tours, F&G Festival | April 2016: Conference at Disneyland | Fall 2016: Festive Fall Fun | January 2017: Festival of the Arts | May 2017: AbD Backstage Magic | July 2017: AbD San Francisco | Sorry I had to give up doing trip reports. Too many time commitments right now.

Tue, 12/31/2013 - 15:38
alicemouse's picture
alicemouse
Offline
Joined: 10/22/2013
Posts: 2832

Oh I forgot the best part--since we had a ton of best buy gift cards and the families of the kids that I coach were tremendously generous with their collective american express gift card, my camera was sort of like "FREE"!!

__________________

Be good at something. It makes you valuable. Have something to bring to the table because that will make you more welcome. --Randy Pausch

Find me on Facebook

Trip Reports:
December 2013: 10th Anniversary, 1st DVC Stay | April 2014: Birthday on the Boardwalk | May 2014: Star Wars Weekend, Navigating WDW with a wheelchair | August 2014: Villains Unleashed | September/October 2014: MNSSHP, F&W, Tower of Terror 10-miler | March/April 2015: Disneyland and California Coastal Cruise | November 2015: Wine & Dine Half, Food & Wine, 1st Disney Cruise | February 2016: Presidential Classic Gymnastics Meet | March 2016: "Work" Trip, Tours, F&G Festival | April 2016: Conference at Disneyland | Fall 2016: Festive Fall Fun | January 2017: Festival of the Arts | May 2017: AbD Backstage Magic | July 2017: AbD San Francisco | Sorry I had to give up doing trip reports. Too many time commitments right now.

Tue, 12/31/2013 - 21:26
Spook's picture
Spook
Offline
Joined: 04/27/2012
Posts: 2786

alicemouse wrote:
Oh I forgot the best part--since we had a ton of best buy gift cards and the families of the kids that I coach were tremendously generous with their collective american express gift card, my camera was sort of like "FREE"!!

Awesome awesome

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 00:15
Vettelover's picture
Vettelover
Offline
Joined: 03/28/2009
Posts: 4658

FREE is always the best price. awesome

__________________

Wed, 01/01/2014 - 05:21
MrHub's picture
MrHub
Offline
Joined: 10/29/2009
Posts: 9504

I'd take free any day of the week!

Thu, 01/02/2014 - 03:18
Mandy's picture
Mandy
Offline
Joined: 06/18/2013
Posts: 2485

I think that's a good choice! It really comes down to what you are comfortable with. Maybe if you meet up with any of the camera geeks on here, they might be willing to show you how some things work for a future camera purchase.

 
‹ Previous topic: Tough camera ? Next topic: Bought a gopro hero3+ black edition ›