Where to begin when buying a Digital Camera?
I'm looking to get a digital camera for Christmas and keep the price under $300. I have absolutely no idea what brand or model to get. I was thinking Canon, Nikon, or Sony, but if you have a better suggestion, I'm open to hear it.
I'm mainly going to use it to take pictures when I travel. Also, I'm an independent filmmaker and would like something that can take high-ish quality production stills.
Go to a CAMERA store, not Target, or Best Buy, or Wal Mart. Talk to the people that work there. They know photography, you can hold the camera, and they can explain it to you better. You can also see if they have any good used models also. Tell them what you'd like the camera to do, tell them about what you want to use the camera for and listen to them. IF they have a camera that you like, you can ask them if they would price match the exact model if you find it online. Most of them will, and if not then you will know exactly what you are buying when you order it online.
One of the best reasons to buy in a local store is that they can help you learn more about the camera, and a lot of them have courses for customers.
One great place you can start is here http://vivitardigitalcameravivicam.com/ They have a wide variety of options and are notoriously known as good dependable cameras that are very affordable.
I understand your concern. Too much information can sometimes be overwhelming. You need to decide on a few things just like you did for your budget. Here are some food for thought:
1) Is it a point-and-shoot (read compact) type camera or are you okay with a little bigger one?
2) How often will you print your images larger than 8" x10"? If it is not too often, then any 8-12 megapixel camera would be sufficient
3) How often do you travel? There are cameras with a normal zoom range and some with mega zooms. Mega zooms come at a price and a relatively lower performance
4) The cameras with faster lenses allow you to shoot better in low light, but cost a bit more. Pick one with f/2.8 or faster (the smaller the number the bigger the aperture.So, f/2.0 is faster and more expensive)
5) The sensor size determines the pixel density or the quality of the image. The larger the size the better the images and more the cost
6) Choose one with a wider angle lens. Look for 24mm or smaller on the wide-angle end. You'll love it during your travels
7) And, pick one with some kind of sensor or lens based (optical) stabilization. Lot of cameras say they offer stabilization, but they do it in the software, which is just gimmicks. You can do that in your computer
Once you decide on these and anything more you think are important factors, you can narrow down the choices.
A good website to compare cameras by specifications is http://www.dpreview.com/...review.com. Here is a page that lets you compare cameras:
http://www.dpreview.com/...ompare.asp
Then check the user reviews in popular stores like http://www.amazon.com/...amazon.com or http://www.bhphotovideo.com/...ovideo.com. Take them with a grain of salt, because people being people write from their perspective.
Then go to a store, feel the camera and see if you like it. Talk to the sales representative to tell why he thinks one camera is better over another. Remember, sales people work on commissions and certain manufactures offer larger ones that the others. This holiday season, Sony is offering huge incentives, compared to say, Nikon. So you need to factor that during your little chat.
That said, here are some of my favorite ones in your price range are:
Canon SD 980 IS
Panasonic DMC-FX700
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX5
Regards,
Elan
http://www.dslrgossip.com
I try to find for you and I found this
http://www.amazon.com/...gp/search/" class='ext_link'>http://www.amazon.com/...gp/search/
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/
Hope it help
I would definitley stick to canon or nikon… Check out http://weknowdigitalcameras.webs.com/ for reviews and videos and which one is the best buy,…