I want a camera that I can take my senior pictures with?

My budget is 300 $ I know its little… But all I can afford. I want my sis to take my pictures since she's very good at it. So I need a camera with great focus. One I have in mind is the nikon J1 since its 299 $ at target but notsure if that's a good price… Any help?

You'd be best off with a bridge camera. Fuji makes a very nice line of bridge cameras.

You can rent a good camera for the day or longer if you want. Many camera stores that sell them also rent them to. They do that so people can try out several models before choosing which one to buy.

You can buy an inexpensive one like you state but if you want good quality pictures it may be a better option to rent a really good one.

For example the canon rebel xt models are amazing cameras but the newer models cost about $800. They even take movies. The quality of the pictures are way better then any point and shoot camera.

Your money is more than enough.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/...ilver.html

Just remember to shoot under lots of good lighting and always use the flash indoors or when light is low to get great pictures all the time.

The Nikon J1 has advantages and disadvantages. It is not the easiest compact system camera to access full manual controls. Some like a lot of manual control (I do, and my C. S.C. For travelling light is an Olympus E-PL3.) and some are happy to let the camera auto select most (as the J1 is well suited for).It does have a larger sensor than the compact compact digital cameras, so I think that the Nikon J1 is a step up in quality--better than small sensor bridge cameras. $300 is a reasonable price, and it is good value if it is what you want.

I think unknown friend raises some good possibilities by renting equipment for short term use. A DSLR and a remote flash (used as bounce flash) could provide better image quality. Of course you could go to Sears or J. C. Penney portrait studio. I have had passport photos taken by them. They use umbrella bounced flash with good results.