Need a decent budget priced camera. Canon SX30IS?

[Graham_A_M]

Hey guys. Well after taking 2 gigs of photos over in Italy last spring I must say I really need a decent camera. Some of the most amazing photos I wanted to take turned about rather abysmal.
I went down to Saneal camera in Southcenter today, and asked whats a decent camera for a guy like me that knows nothing about settings, and photography in general.

He showed me the Canon SX30IS for $420 + tax.

Is that a good choice? to me, the best thing I can do until I learn more about photography is just leave it in "auto" and let it make its assumptions. :dunno:


So would that be a good camera for that, as well as a good platform for playing around with the settings?

HUGE thanks for reading this and offering any advice you can.
Also, are there any good classes for learning about photography? thanks.

[blitz]

For that price I'd go with a Canon S95. Another one to look at at would be Panasonic LX-5.

[Graham_A_M]

^ Alright, is there anything that makes these cameras stand out? I dont know how to diffrentiate these all in a store setting. Can you provide a brief walkthough if its not too much to ask?
I have to go back there anyway. The SD card reader I bought there today doesn't work. :(

[dirtsniffer]

i just bought a camera at the camera store, and i got a free dvd specifically made for my camera and i also get a free 3 hour beginners photography course

I'm a beginner myself, so I don't really know to much. But, I would stay away from claims of huge zoom and crazy megapixels. The more pixels they squeeze onto the same size sensor doesn't really mean your going to get a better quality picture. In fact I like this canon s95 because it can shoot in raw format (much higher quality than jpeg and you can edit the photos much easier in photoshop or the like)

https://www.thecamerastore.com/products/cameras/digital-cameras/compact-digital-cameras/canon-powershot-s95

this panasonic also shoots raw format

https://www.thecamerastore.com/products/cameras/digital-cameras/compact-digital-cameras/panasonic-lumix-dmc-lx5

oh shit what blitz said, but the benifits of buying at the camera store i found to be worth it. Oh, and both these camera have sensors larger than most other p&s' which will also help the quality

[blitz]

The S95 and LX-5 both have fast lenses (start at f2, much better for low light shooting without flash), and have easy to use full manual controls (dedicated and programable buttons & dials), so when you get to the point of wanting to play around with it more you can. They both have the large sensors for P&S cameras which means better high ISO performance.

Both shoot RAW as well, giving you more options for post processing if you get into that.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Have you made a decision yet? The first thing I would ask you is how much you care about physical size. The size difference between something like a Canon SX30 and Canon S95 or Panasonic LX5 is enormous. They are very different cameras.

[Graham_A_M]

Quick question, can other cameras listed (or not listed) zoom in like this?
9lR9NlJ2a6g

Thats fucking insane. :eek:


http://www.amazon.ca/Nikon-14-2MP-Digital-18-55mm-3-5-5-6/dp/B004GEJIT0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1298333339&sr=8-1

Also, whats peoples opinion on this?

Its the Nikon D3100 SLR. how easy is it to use? what can I expect from it? thanks.

[Mitsu3000gt]

Do you know if you want a P&S or a DSLR yet? The D3100 is fine as a beginner cam, but DSLRs are entirely lens dependent. So, if you want huge amounts of zoom, extreme wide angle, or to shoot extreme closeups, you would need separate lenses for each, for example. Of course on the plus side, literally everything is night and day better than a P&S as far as responsiveness, shot to shot time, image quality, auto focus, manual control, etc. That all comes at the expense of portability and cost, typically, when compared to a P&S. A popular way to go is have a DSLR and also a small P&S, so you get the best of both scenarios.

The D3100 is extremely easy to use, as is any DSLR. They all have "auto" modes until you are more comfortable with setting things yourself (either AUTO or "P" modes, and scene modes on the entry level cameras).

As for what you can expect from it, it's a class leading *beginner* camera, and you will run into annoyances and limitations as you learn more and if you really start getting into photography. As a casual beginner camera, it is excellent, but it is one of the most entry level DSLRs you can buy. If you plan on really getting into photography, or can see it becoming a hobby for you, I would go one step up to the D90. It's not much more expensive ($675 body only) and is advanced enough to never hold you back unless you get into some pretty serious stuff.

Maybe run a quick search too, I think we've discussed the merits of a D3100 vs other cams in fairly recent threads as well, but basically its what I said above.

[clem24]

This:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830111413&AID=10657534&PID=749547&SID=forums&nm_mc=AFC-C8junctionCA

It's an EPL-1 (the EPL-2 is out now) and it's a refurbed, but for $360 shipped, it will SMOKE THE PANTS off ** any ** camera in that price range.

[Mitsu3000gt]

^^^ Nice find, that's a good deal. Too bad it doesn't come with the pancake lens though.

If you don't want a DSLR that is a wicked deal.