Urgent suggestions please

[tina_23]

Hello everyone,

I am looking to buy a camcorder for my mother who is a complete novice when it comes to photography. She would appreciate something easy to use and yet have a decent image display. I was thinking something along the flip models but not having used any of those and also unsure about their image quality (im certain they are easy to use though!), I am hesitant. I would greatly appreciate if any of you have any suggestions. Unfortunately, I have only 24hrs to decide so time is a constraint. Would truly appreciate your suggestions.

Now I am hoping to get some help for myself - I am an aspiring photographer (only a shade or two better than my mother but slowly, steadily I hope to climb the ladder .

I need suggestions for 3 cameras

1 - something that is ultra portable...something that can be easily slipped into the pocket (size is definitely an issue here) but takes relatively decent pictures nevertheless. Basically, a super small camera that had the features of a semi-pro (guess I am asking too much).

2 - I am hoping to buy the Canon G12 soon. Do any of you recommend something else along those lines?

3- A good DSLR recommendation for an amateur?


Many many thanks for all your help!

[eyalg]

An ultra slim for a semi pro is indeed asking a lot.
The S95 has the best balance between size and compactness.
It's not an ultra compact, but would definitely fit in your pocket.
Other options, which are true ultras, are Canon's SD4000 (Ixus 300) and Panasonic's FX700.

The G12 is an absolute gem. Buy it with no hesitations.

A good DSLR for a beginner could be Canon's T2i, or Nikon's D3100.
Both of these are excellent cameras. I prefer the Canon slightly better.
If you have the budget, and plan to advance in the world of photography,
I would suggest buying one level up - either the Canon's 60D or Nikon's D7000.

[WesternGuy]

Tina, I can't help you with the first one - sorry, but I would agree with eyalg on the second two suggestions - the G12 is great from what I have seen and read about it. My wife has an older model, I think it is a G9 or something like that and she just loves it - maybe I will upgrade it for her some day if she wants, but right now what she has works for her.

As far as a good DSLR for an amateur, I would also suggest the Canon T2i or the 60D, depending on what type of amateur you are - if you are just starting ou then either should do you for 3 to 4 years until you get "itchy" for the next DSLR and who knows what they will look like at that time. If you are a really serious amateur then the Canon 7D is a good choice, in my opinion. Shop around, go to a camera store, if you can, and get a feel for each of the models. Also, sometimes you can get deals, particularly now around Christmas, where you can buy a camera with one or two lenses, but if you do buy a DSLR, two suggestions, purchase an extra battery with it and keep the second fully charged all the time and get a second memory card for your camera, as insurance, in case the first one causes problems, and they do that when you least expect it. MY 0.02¢.

Cheers,

WesternGuy