What Camera To Buy??

Hi Im new to this forum and new to photography.

Im looking at buying a point and shoot camera but with all the options and brands a features out there Im really confused as to what camera to buy so maybe you guys can help me out.
Im looking at having a camera that will be usefull for all kinds of functions, I will probably use it for taking pictures of city's/landscapes, sports/car racing, portraits/family/friends shots, nature and wild life ect, so maybe basicly everything (I think)
Some things to consider would be the optical zoom which Im unsure of if I need more than 3x and also I would like it to be a slim style camera as well as having a recharchable battery, hope all this can be accomadated in this camera.

I kinda want a camera that has lots of options that once I learn I will be able to make use of them, Im looking at spending anywhere from $US 200 to $US300 for it, some cameras that I may have looked at would have been the canon powershot sd800 (??) as well as sony power shot and a olypus brand one but any suggestions would be greatly apreciated.

What? No info or help on this? I saw a new thread posted on what camera to buy and theres 2 posts on that and none here??

Well then, why don't you just read the replies on that one. :)

Do you realize, if you just scroll down thru the threads in this category, (Digital Cameras - General), you'll find many, many questions similar to yours. You'll also find many replies, overall.

Its a completely different senario with a different set of needs so this is why I have a thread started, to answer my particular questions

ok some help here? Ive looked at some cameras and was thinking canon am looking at the SD 850/870/950 what would you recommend out of these?

Some HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm guessing that you're not getting much help because I don't know of a lot of "serious" photographers who would use a compact camera like the SD series for all of the things you want to use it for. I'm not saying the SD cameras are bad, but I don't think they are a great choise for what you are looking for. I think they will make a good all purpose camera that you can keep in your pocket, or purse for some general picture taking, but the camera is going to be strong in some situations, and very week in others.

If you are set on getting one of the SD cameras that you have listed, I think they would all be pretty equal. Whether they will do everything that you want it to is a different question.

A 3x zoom for wildlife isn't going to give you the shots you want. It just isn't long enuf, unless you are within a few feet of your subject. Compact P&S cameras are none for their shutter lag. Not sure if the SD's are as bad, but if they are, you will have a very hard time with fast moving subjects such as racing cars and sports.

I would suggest figuring out what type of shooting you plan on doing the most, and finding a camera that meets those needs. There is no one perfect camera that will meet all of the needs that you want for $300, so you will have to compromise somewhere.

My step daughters use Powershots and they are very good for family/friends type of shooting. But as far a using one for nature and wildlife or sports I feel you will be in for a let down. The shutter lag on any point and shoot can make picture taking frustrating. I think I would look for a nice used DSLR. You should be able to get a used Olympus E500 for about three to four hundred dollars. The extra cash with certainly pay off big in the long run. You have the option of adding lenes and it will open a whole new world.
But if you are set on a P&S. I have owned several Canon P&S cameras and they are very durable hard working cameras. Canon would be high on my list if I were in the market for one. Even there older ones are still great little cameras. Just don't expect miracels out of one.

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Originally Posted by tegstar83

Hi Im new to this forum and new to photography.

Im looking at buying a point and shoot camera but with all the options and brands a features out there Im really confused as to what camera to buy so maybe you guys can help me out.
Im looking at having a camera that will be usefull for all kinds of functions, I will probably use it for taking pictures of city's/landscapes, sports/car racing, portraits/family/friends shots, nature and wild life ect, so maybe basicly everything (I think)
Some things to consider would be the optical zoom which Im unsure of if I need more than 3x and also I would like it to be a slim style camera as well as having a recharchable battery, hope all this can be accomadated in this camera.

I kinda want a camera that has lots of options that once I learn I will be able to make use of them, Im looking at spending anywhere from $US 200 to $US300 for it, some cameras that I may have looked at would have been the canon powershot sd800 (??) as well as sony power shot and a olypus brand one but any suggestions would be greatly apreciated.

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That's a tall order. A slimline camera that can do all of that pretty much doesn't exist. The Panasonic DMC-TZ3 comes pretty close: 10X optical zoom in a nearly slimline body. I just bought one(haven't received it yet)for general purpose snap shooting.

I would also recommend the Canon S series except for the fact that they are hardly slimline being just a bit smaller than the smallest DSLRs out there. The link is to the S3 which has been discontinued, The new S5 is very similar offering the same features and design with more MP). The S series offer a great combination of large zoom range(35-432 12x), great movie mode, and great photo quality.

Panasonic also offers compact and semi compact large zoom do it all cameras, the FZ8 and FZ50. These have the added bonus of offering RAW capture allowing the photographer to extract the most from his photos bypassing the heavy handed Venus III noise engine. Again these are more like mini DSLRs but offer everything you are looking for except for the small size. Here's a link to the review here of the FZ7 which is very similar to the FZ8.

Now that I have answered you question adequately, I think you were being rude with your responses. Expect to do some research on your own. I know you are coming from a basically no knowledge background, but as mn said there are a lot of threads here that information can be extracted from, even if it doesn't directly relate to your needs. How do you think I and others here have gained their knowledge?

There are so many slim cameras out right now, and in your price range they are all going to function more or less the same. I would pick one with a rechargeable battery, some sort of image stabilization, and both optical and LCD viewfinders. Any Canon SD line will do the trick. Or, you could just semd me your money and I will pick out the perfect one for you....(now where's that Canonet).

Z

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Originally Posted by zrfraser

....(now where's that Canonet).

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That's it! :eek: Go on Ebay and spend $50 on a nice Canonet and then spend the other $250 on film :D:D:D

Its small, compact, sharp as hell, and built like a tank. Its perfect. I knew you would get it Aaron.Z

Don't forget the best part Z, NO SHUTTER LAG :D

How could I forget...

Z

Hmm thanks very much for your responses I had no real Idea on cameras and their capabilites and wasnt sure if you could do all these options with a p&s camera I suppose I want some thing that I can learn on to begin with and then maybe move up to a DSLR camera for those action shots, I suppose I was also asking for a camera that would be pocket size due to travelling around as a tourist and wanting to be able to take shots of my holidays ect and something that was fairly possible of doing "most" things I was looking for and of course I realized that everything I wanted in a p&s was not going to be possible but wanted something as close as possible

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Originally Posted by tegstar83

Hmm thanks very much for your responses I had no real Idea on cameras and their capabilites and wasnt sure if you could do all these options with a p&s camera I suppose I want some thing that I can learn on to begin with and then maybe move up to a DSLR camera for those action shots, I suppose I was also asking for a camera that would be pocket size due to travelling around as a tourist and wanting to be able to take shots of my holidays ect and something that was fairly possible of doing "most" things I was looking for and of course I realized that everything I wanted in a p&s was not going to be possible but wanted something as close as possible

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Like many things, photography is a game of compromises. To get one thing you often have to give up another. Usually, you have to give up more money :D

In any case, you can't have it all - especially if you want it to fit in your pocket. So the trick is to figure out your top priorities and your budget, and see what fits. There's nothing wrong with wanting it all. You just have to accept that you won't get it. And then you move on, figure out your compromises, and give the man your money.

I hope you're ok. I know you got a little bit of a beating. But no one really means you any harm. We're good people and there's a lot to be learned here. If you're serious about learning to take pictures, I don't think you can find a better place on the Web :)

Well after reading about it, I think that getting the Lumix TZ3 may be the option for me to go for at the moment, Im heading to New Orleans for a holiday and want to be taking snaps on my time there so will be heading out soon to buy one

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Originally Posted by tegstar83

Well after reading about it, I think that getting the Lumix TZ3 may be the option for me to go for at the moment, Im heading to New Orleans for a holiday and want to be taking snaps on my time there so will be heading out soon to buy one

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I think that would be a good choice. I got to use that camera a little before I passed it on to the photographer that reviewed it and I was pretty impressed. The lens is definitely nice and I've always liked Panasonic's compact digital camera's user interface. Performance is usually pretty good, too. Plus, that is a pretty compact camera for what it can do. It would be pushing it to carry it in your pocket all the time. But it is pretty small for such a powerful camera.

Well Umm I should actually say that Ive shortlisted it at the moment but may look at something closer by such as the S5 or the lumix fz18 (I know different category, but It doesnt bother me now about pocket size) One thing though is Im a begginer so but really dont wanna be buying cameras every year so thats why I wanna spend some money now and not do it again for a while and maybe push up my budget to $350 or so ( I know Im undecisive)

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Originally Posted by EOSThree

... the S3 which has been discontinued ...

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...but you can still get the S3 from some sources. If I didn't already have the S3, I'd probably get an S5, but it does have one drawback over the S3: they reverted to the "A" series design of putting the SD card in the same compartment with the batteries. I didn't think that would matter much, until I was shooting some short "videos" using a tripod. Of couse, the card fills rather quickly, and I would have to download between clips. If I had the S5, it would mean removing the camera from the tripod every time. So I'm sticking with my S3...

I own two cameras: a DSLR that cost nearly $1000 when I bought it, plus lenses, and a little P&S. The DSLR is for when I want my pictures to look awesome. For vacations, nature shots, cityscapes and sports. I figure why waste my time taking pictures unless I get some good enough to frame. The P&S is for visiting with friends, documenting holidays, fun group outings, maybe a fender-bender if I need it, or some unusual sight that I just need to get a picture of. I absolutely do not expect good pictures out of the little slim one, because it's just not versatile enough in lens. I get what I get with it, but the advantage is that I don't have to think, which is perfect when I just want shots of my smiling friends on New Years Eve.

My DSLR is a Canon Digital Rebel, which I would highly recommend to anyone who thinks they may get serious with photography someday. The pictures straight out of the camera will blow away most amateurs.

My P&S used to be a Canon S500 (or something), but I was never satisfied with the quality. Then it froze in my car and broke. Now I have an Olympus Stylus 790 SW, which I got for its durability. You can take it underwater! Or drop it from 5', or freeze it. So I am not picky about image quality, although it is more than adequately fine, because it's just there for when I want to have fun, or document some event.