Digital Camera advice required

[Sharky]

Mine was a sub £80 Canon Powershot. This was about the only one I could find at the time which had an optical viewfinder in addition to the LCD screen. I find the latter is useless in bright sunshine.

 

[srw]

Mine was a sub £80 Canon Powershot. This was about the only one I could find at the time which had an optical viewfinder in addition to the LCD screen. I find the latter is useless in bright sunshine.

Also useless when you're wearing sunglasses - the polarisation of the specs turns the screen black.

I'd also query whether AA/AAA batteries are the right way to go. Yes, they're easily replaceable, but they might not last very long. A rechargeable battery which is rechargeable outside the camera (so that you can buy, and carry, a spare) has served me very well with my DSLR, and I'd be looking for the same if possible on a small camera.

 

[Crackle]

You just won't get a digital camera with AA batteries any more. Well you might but it's likely to be fairly low end. Screen requirements, zooms, larger ccd's mean they just can't deliver the power required.

What's your budget Pubby?

 

[NorthernDave]

Another vote for a Panasonic camera. I've got a 7 year old FZ38 bridge camera* and it's still my go to camera.
But if you'd prefer a compact, the Panasonic range get unfailing positive reviews and the image quality from the Leica lenses is exceptional.

I've had a couple of Fuji and Samsung compacts and haven't been hugely impressed, to be honest. But that could just be me.

I'd be wary about looking for a second hand bargain - my local camera shop often have 'preowned bargains' in the window that are frequently only £10 or £20 cheaper than a new one.

* - lots of pics here on flickr (once you've scrolled past the bikes ones I've taken with my phone).

 

[Vapin' Joe]

You just won't get a digital camera with AA batteries any more. Well you might but it's likely to be fairly low end. Screen requirements, zooms, larger ccd's mean they just can't deliver the power required.

What's your budget Pubby?

AA batteries seem to be standard fare on bridge cameras, I have a Pentax X5 using these. As SRW says, they have a short life.

 

[stalagmike]

I have had one of these for a while now. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0...=canon+g10&dpPl=1&dpID=41YMceluiAL&ref=plSrch

It's compact and pretty robust and it has a great sensor in it. It also has lots of manual settings for if you did feel like doing a course and getting a bit more creative. But at the same time you can set everything to auto and just shoot. Also has loads of preset modes for different scenarios which are a bit of both.

 

[swee'pea99]

For foolproof point 'n shoot with guaranteed excellent results, you can't go wrong with Lumix-with-Leica. I've had several, but the first one I bought is still my favourite - one of these. Takes great pics, and it's the most compact compact I've ever owned. You can get 'em for a song now - no-one wants 'em because they are 'only' 8 megapixels. I use mine mostly for B/W grab shots now...

But obviously they do colour 'n all...

 

[DaveReading]

Mine was a sub £80 Canon Powershot. This was about the only one I could find at the time which had an optical viewfinder in addition to the LCD screen. I find the latter is useless in bright sunshine.

I bought one of these a few months ago - it's great for taking photos with my P510 (which has a cr*p in-built EVF) in bright sunlight.

 

[pplpilot]

All cameras are capable of 'great' photographs. there are only 2 factors that effect this. 1- the person behind the camera, a few simple tricks can help turn a simple point and click into somthing a little more pleasing to the eye, simple composition, rule of thirds etc. a few hours on the Internet can educate here. 2- a simple basic understanding of the cameras non auto functions. again an hour or 2 on the Internet can educate here.
Asking for a camera that takes good photos is a bit like buying the same pots and pans as Gordon Ramsey has in the hope you'll be able to cook the same.

 

[ufkacbln]

The choice is yours.

I run a series that do a different range of things.

My main unit is a Pentax K50 DSLR, and the backup is an Olympus Pen EPL5

My "grab" camera is a Stylus 1S which lacks the interchangeable lenses of the other two, but makes up with a good range on the fitted lens

My final is a "pocket camera" the Olympus SH35 MR

The latter two actually carry most of the software and control features of the Pen series, and it is nice to be able to be able to utilise these options over such compact cameras

 

[Crackle]

AA batteries seem to be standard fare on bridge cameras, I have a Pentax X5 using these. As SRW says, they have a short life.

Pentax, as far as I know, are one of the last manufacturers to still use AA or AA adaptors but I think even they have now dropped it from the latest cameras. Certainly there's no AA option on my K5.

 

[mybike]

I use a Pentax K-m if I'm doing serious photography where I want different lenses. In that I use lithium AAs which seem to last quite a while. For a general. pocketable camera I have a Canon PowerShot G15 which is great. Both these have viewfinders which I feel is essential for serious photographs. But when I'm on my bike I take a Vivitar camera I bought for 99p in a charity shop sans battery & card. It has no viewfinder so I don't attempt to frame, just point it in the general direction and crop later. The lens is not good on telephoto either, but it is small and cheap.

 

[MichaelW2]

All cameras are capable of 'great' photographs. there are only 2 factors that effect this. 1- the person behind the camera...

for a camera that takes good photos is a bit like buying the same pots and pans as Gordon Ramsey has in the hope you'll be able to cook the same.

Step one is to go out and take some decent photos with your camera phone. Pick subjects that are fairly undemanding, static, well illuminated. Pick the most appropriate format, landscape or portrait (always landscape in video mode). Look at the viewfinder and select the best place to stand. Hold still and press the button smoothly. If it isnt good take it again, but better.

 

[subaqua]

Keep the iPhone . I apologised to Simon King at Lingleat for using an iPhone to take a pic of him with my wife and kids. He said that it was as good as if not better than any compact point and shoot on the market and as an everyday camera was ideal.

If it's good enough for him it's good enough for me.

Buy a lens kit https://www.amazon.co.uk/CamKix-Camera-Lens-Kit-iPhone/dp/B00PGY7148

And see what happens

My underwater camera is an Olympus PEN lite E-PL3 . And takes amazing pics in RAW format and the jpeg software in it works well too.

 

[ufkacbln]

I use a Pentax K-m if I'm doing serious photography where I want different lenses. In that I use lithium AAs which seem to last quite a while. For a general. pocketable camera I have a Canon PowerShot G15 which is great. Both these have viewfinders which I feel is essential for serious photographs. But when I'm on my bike I take a Vivitar camera I bought for 99p in a charity shop sans battery & card. It has no viewfinder so I don't attempt to frame, just point it in the general direction and crop later. The lens is not good on telephoto either, but it is small and cheap.

The advantage of an AA adapter is when you have problems with chargers or battery..... they can be locally sourced anywhere

Also in cold weather I find that AA batteries are less susceptible and charge quicker

When in the Arctic, I prefer AA to the camera batteries