I am not looking for anything special, just a point and shoot in the $100 - $200 range. My wife went to see if our Sony could be fixed and they wanted $130 to look at it, it cost less than $200 new... so we are buying a new one. Because my wife went alone they talked her into a $500 point and shoot Cannon .... "that is a good alternative to someone who doesn't want a DLSR" .... AKA doesn't know anything about computers .... really i think it is complete overkill. My wife usually doesn't even check to see if the camera is on Easy, Auto or Manual mode. She does want to take a class about the camera IF we get it. I personally think it is a waste of money for our needs. Besides filing facebook with friends and family the only other thing that she would use it for is website product photos. My wife makes jewelry and sells some of it online. I like the fact that she went online and figured out how to make light diffusers & improve lighting options for our old 12 megapixel point and shoot. However, most basic cameras are 14+ now a days and I think with a little more knowledge about cameras and more seat time with photoshop she can produce quality website photos for her products. Yes a nicer camera can help, but is it really that big of a difference. I feel like a basic camera will do the job and a little bit of photoshop time could work wonders. Being that I know nothing about cameras besides a class I had in High School and previous cameras I have owned. I know some of you have photo backgrounds so let me know what you think. 1. Good advice on my situation. Am I wrong to assume that a $500 camera is way overkill for the casual camera user? or will a basic point and shoot + photoshop produce pictures that are fine for her website (like they have prior to this stupid sales person that talked to my wife last night)? 2. Brands and things to look for? Thanks.
For web sized images, megapixels are meaningless. Nearly every image you view online is less than 1MP. For product photography lighting is going to be far and away the most important aspect. Depending how serious you are about the product photography side of things, you would want something that has the ability to control off camera lighting. For a point and shoot I recently purchased the Canon G12 (probably the same one your wife ended up with?). It has the advantage of a hotshoe flash mount on top of it, that can be used for all sorts of off camera lighting control. But if you are mainly going to be using it for snapshots when you're out with friends, I would just pick a Nikon Coolpix or Canon Powershot that fits into your price range. If she is more serious about photography (wants to take classes, etc), then I would definitely suggest making the step to a DSLR. You will thank yourself later. For your scenario I do think a $500 point and shoot is probably overkill. I would probably just get something in the $200 range and use it for Facebook photos and "live" with the product photos it produces. If she wants to make the jump to something more serious, look for a used DSLR for under $500. Then you can still have the point and shoot for travel, and you can really make good images with the DSLR if you put it to good use. Just my 2 cents. Take it with a grain of salt.
Ben you were right about the cameras. She is looking at the following two cameras. Canon Powershot G12 Olympus xz-1 It makes me feel a little bit better than you own a G12. I guess she would get a class on the camera if she gets it.... how do you like it?
I'm kind of going the opposite way as I have shot only with DSLR's for a few years now, but I needed something smaller for travel. The G12 is perfect for me, because it allows all of the same manual controls that I have on a DSLR, but in a much smaller form factor. Since it is a Canon like my other cameras, it is all basically second nature to me. I think the pictures it takes look really good and the small size is great for travel. For someone who wants to learn more about photography it would be a good camera (due to all the adjustable settings). I would still recommend a DSLR if she really wants to get serious, though. They have a lot more room to grow due to the interchangeable lenses. If you get an SLR you will soon realize that the glass is what makes the photos great, no the body. But the G12 is still a great choice to learn on. You will have all the adjustability options available if she wants to learn how to use them.
Yeah the SLR was where we were headed with a cheap point and shoot for now... but it sounds like she was sold on the G12. I think she wants to learn some things, it is a baby step into the art of photography. As the day goes on I am starting to realize I already lost this battle.
if you are interested in getting a inexpensive dslr I have a rebel xt that I dont use anymore. pm me if you have any questions, it is a great starter camera and I think it would be in your price range.
I also don't shoot more than just for fun and hobby, but I ended up going with the DSLR and a small point and shoot. It may have been overkill at the time, but I have learned a lot about digital photography and the difference between the two. I have right now a Rebel XTi (wish I could say I had an STi to match...:]) and a canon powershot. Both have been great cameras, both durable and reliable. I used to travel ALOT and would bring both and they were great in their own sense. The powershot gave a great photo, and unless I was planning on blowing it up larger than about an 8x12, it gave me everything I needed. They are relatively inexpensive, and can last a long time. I am very accident prone, and have had a tendency to lose cameras, and so I have had a few different generations of them (and actually am in the market for another now as well). I keep going back to Canon mainly out of personal preference. I know their layout, and feel very comfortable with them. I know that many people feel the same way about Nikon and Olympus. Like Xluben, this is just my opinion and experience. I hope that it helps!
i always say, better to have more than what you need. dslr's can be had for way cheap these days. ive seen some go as cheap as $150. soemthing like this: http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/pho/2595393898.html would be a great start.
