Can you recommend a camera

[Mick.J]

Hi everyone,
My name is Mick and I am new to this site.
The reason for joining was due to my 17yr son asking me if I would look into digital cameras for him.

He is looking for a camera that has a good reputation for taking panoramic shots and moving objects. He is into extreme sports especially cycle parks and outside gigs etc.
He is not certain if it is a camera that can take fast shots which can be joined up, or a camera that has a movie function he wants. He is certain he does not want a camcorder, as he would not take enough of that type of material to make it worth while.

He is looking at a price range of about £200

Any suggestions would be gratefully recieved
Thanks from Mick

[Photo-John]

Mick-
Welcome to the site. I hope we can help give you some direction.

I'm not sure exacly what the pounds to dollars conversion is right now. But I think you'r talking about $300 US. That's a decent amount of money for a compact digital camera. Panoramic photos can be done with any camera. Some cameras have a built-in feature that helps you construct them. But it can also be done in Photoshop or with panorama-specific software. I have seen good panoramaic photos done with Olympus, Kodak, and Canon compact digitals, using the included software.

Action is one of the hardest things to photograph with compact digital cameras. He'll want a camera with minimal shutter-lag (the time it takes the camera to take a picture after the button is pressed) and minimal shot-to-shot time. These are features that people are willing to pay a lot of money for and one reason people buy digital SLRs. It's important to keep expectations realistic regarding action photos with compact digital cameras. They're going to be tough. But learning the right technique will make a big difference. For speed, the best compact digital cameras I've used have been the Casios. I also think some Olympus compact digitals care pretty quick. Here is a link to a review for the Casio Exilim EX-Z750, my favorite compact digital camera ever. There are even a couple of bike photos in the review. This camera has been replaced by the Exilim EX-Z850, but the cameras are pretty much the same, aside from the new camera having more resolution:
Casio Exilim EX-Z750 Pro Review >>


Definitely test them before you buy. Just visit a store that has the camera you're interested in, and take some pictures, paying close attention to the shutter-lag, startup time, and shot-to-shot delay. And make sure to be realistic about what you can expect from a camera that costs £200. It might not be easy for your son to get photos like he sees in the magazines. But if he learns his camera and practices good technique, he'll improve and be able to take good pictures. And then when he outgrows this camera, he can step up to something better.

Hope that helps. Let us know if you have more questions.

[Mick.J]

Hi John,
Thanks for you reply it is has been very useful. I have followed up the link you posted.

With kind regards
Mick

[zrfraser]

John brought up some interesting points and I want to throw my two cents in. I know right now the Canon S2 IS is about $350 US. You can get a S1 on ebay for less than $200 US. I think the S2 has the best bang for the buck and can do a lot of things well. It does 1.7 fps, and can take video for the length of the card with sound. Has an impressive zoom and fairly fast aperture, for a compact. It also has a panoramic feature thatallows you shoot pano's easier. It might be out of the ballpark money wise, but is something to think about.

Z

[Mick.J]

Hi zrfraser,

Thanks for your posting I will pass it on to my son. The price you quoted is within the range he is considering.

With kind regards
Mick

[Photo-John]

The S1 IS has very bad shutter-lag and I wouldn't recommend it for the kind of photography he wants to do. It is a cool camera and you get a lot for your money with any of the Canon S IS cameras. But I wouldn't want to use one for action photos. The S3 IS may be better in regards to shutter-lag. But in my experience, the Canon compacts are not the best if speed is critical.

[zrfraser]

Thanks PJ I forgot about the shutter lag problems of the S line.

[Dylan8i]

yep the canon s1 is def has bad shutter lag, if i know i'm going to need to shoot action i switch it to the continuous and hope i get a good one. (makes me want a dslr even more!)
.

it also has a very slow turn on speed. but other wise its a good little camera.