Overwhelmed by camera shopping...help.

[neenee]

I have been doing research on cameras (because hubby is going to buy me one for Xmas ) and I am so seriously overwhelmed and I could really use your help before I crack.

I know absolutely nothing about photography. I currently have a P&S Kodak 14 MP 3X Optical Zoom so I know anything will be a real upgrade because I despise this camera.

I take lots of indoor pics just of my family (mostly of my grandson in action ). I do take some outdoor photos when we play outside or go on our motorcycle rides, etc. I don't want to do anything professionally and my kids don't do sports. I just want to capture everyday life as I see it through my eyes. I hate seeing a beautiful scene, take a pic with my crappy camera and it not capture the beauty I saw it as. I know I want to be able to take rapid photos ... I don't know the technical term for that. LOL That is probably the most important thing to me honestly. Just take 20 photos really fast and pic the best one. But because I know nothing about photography there are probably tons of features I would love and would help me take beautiful pictures, I just don't know those features exist.

So....I just don't know where to start. I have no idea if I need a P&S or a DSLR??

I know this can generate lots of different opinions but I am hoping you girls can at least give me a place to start and help narrow my choices because I am ready to just not get anything because I am so scared it will be the wrong thing.

Oh....and I have about a $500 - $600 budget. That is very important to know I think.

Thank you girls for any advice or help.

Love,
Your overwhelmed friend

[JuliaM]

I've been partial to Sony cameras so I'd recommend this one: http://store.sony.com/webapp/wcs/sto...specifications

It's the next generation up from the camera I'm currently using. It does the burst shooting your looking for and has a whole bunch of other great features. It has all the automatic features but you can also switch it to manual

[nesser1981]

Get a starter Canon or Nikon. I'm a canon girl, so I'd recommend a Rebel, B&H photo you can find really good deals on an older model sometimes. My MIL got my FIL a rebel & a lens upgrade for pretty cheap back in September.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...3_Digital.html
That one comes with an SD card.

I've had 2 rebels myself before i upgraded to my 7D and I've loved them. I still use my rebel as an out & about camera. I took it to Disney instead of my 7d, just it and my kit lens and the pictures were great.

[Jenn Barrette]

I would go with a Rebel, and then add in the cheaper nifty 50mm lens. It will shoot great on auto, and the 50mm lens is good for lower light situations indoors.

[AmberK]

I've had an older model Rebel that I sold and replaced with the Canon G12. But really missed my DSLR and so Im getting the Canon T3i for christmas/birthday. Im not doing the 50 mm lens like Jenn recommended because I want the versatility of non-prime lens. But Im going with the 18-135 mm lens instead of the 18-55 mm lens that comes with the majority of the cameras.

[taracotta7]

Neenee, something you need to think about is what you would want to carry around. Like would you want a bigger camera when you are on bike rides or out and about? Or do you think you would like something a little smaller?

If you would like smaller with growth room (like learning photography if you ever wanted to get out of auto) I would HIGHLY recommend the Canon G12. It is amazing in low light and a great camera to throw in a bag or purse to have with you. It is NOT a pocket camera. Almost all my photos on my LO's are from that camera. Seriously. AND it is AWESOME for selfies. It has a flip screen so you can see what you are taking a pic of if it is facing you. It kind of rocks.

If you are wanting a bigger camera........I am with the girls. A rebel is a great place to start.

[YepBrook]

I have a Rebel with a 50 mm lens that I love, but ever since we got this beauty I haven't picked up the big clunky rebel. It takes great photos, has a great lens, stellar video too! I can't say enough about this camera and the best thing is I can carry it easily anywhere we go. It's a little over your price range, but consider it a video camera too. it's the Sony rx 100

By the way, this is a pocket camera. A mirror-less one. I'll update this post in the morning with pictures I've taken with it. It definitely captures what I see and even my kids who never stop moving.

Eta... Sorry had to edit this big time. I'm on my tablet and the link I posted for you didn't work. I'll try again in the am.

[LeeAndra]

You have totally sold me on getting the G12 (or G15, actually), Tara. I am actually downgrading from a DSLR *gasp* and this is the camera I have been looking for! I can't wait to get it for myself for my birthday in January.

/hijack

[Lyd]

A G15 is on my wish list too. I'm never going to even come close to even trying to be a professional photographer or learn every trick in the photography book. But, I want something better than my little point and shoot. B&H just gave the G15 a really great review as a "point and shoot" that professionals would be happy using when they don't have their DSLR handy.

[MamaBee]

Originally Posted by taracotta7

Neenee, something you need to think about is what you would want to carry around. Like would you want a bigger camera when you are on bike rides or out and about? Or do you think you would like something a little smaller?

If you would like smaller with growth room (like learning photography if you ever wanted to get out of auto) I would HIGHLY recommend the Canon G12. It is amazing in low light and a great camera to throw in a bag or purse to have with you. It is NOT a pocket camera. Almost all my photos on my LO's are from that camera. Seriously. AND it is AWESOME for selfies. It has a flip screen so you can see what you are taking a pic of if it is facing you. It kind of rocks.

If you are wanting a bigger camera........I am with the girls. A rebel is a great place to start.

Sing it sister!!!

I love the G12... it is my camera on the go. I do have a rebel, too - but I only use that around the house and if I go out and I know I'm going to be taking photos.
Just note that the G15 doesn't have a flip around viewer... I noticed that at best buy a few weeks ago...

[YepBrook]

Canon G15 vs. Sony RX100

Two things to notice with this analysis & comparison: Light Sensitivity (the Sony is better in low light due to a large sensor) and Image Quality (better color range & depth, better performance in low light). Although, the Canon is significantly less expensive. So, these differences may not be enough to justify the extra $$.

Here are some pictures I've taken with the camera that I LOVE... You can do manual or auto... and there are some great auto settings to help you get great shots:


This is my aunt's dog, MochaBella... it just shows the camera in Aperture mode, nice depth of field.
These below were taken at the beach during sunrise, very low light...


Oh, and another fun thing about this camera... it has a pop-up flash that you can angle upward toward the ceiling with your finger for more ambient flash light. That's pretty cool. And, a disclaimer... I'm not a photographer, these photos could be better I'm sure if I actually knew what I was doing.

[AmberK]

I will more than likely be selling my G12- if anybody is interested let me know. Its only about 6 months old

[Milmomma]

Originally Posted by taracotta7

Neenee, something you need to think about is what you would want to carry around. Like would you want a bigger camera when you are on bike rides or out and about? Or do you think you would like something a little smaller?

If you would like smaller with growth room (like learning photography if you ever wanted to get out of auto) I would HIGHLY recommend the Canon G12. It is amazing in low light and a great camera to throw in a bag or purse to have with you. It is NOT a pocket camera. Almost all my photos on my LO's are from that camera. Seriously. AND it is AWESOME for selfies. It has a flip screen so you can see what you are taking a pic of if it is facing you. It kind of rocks.

If you are wanting a bigger camera........I am with the girls. A rebel is a great place to start.

I totally agree with Tara. How much do you want to lug around? I use the T2i most of the time and my iphone when I don't wanna carry it. I did get to see Tara's G12 in action though It was pretty slick with that flip around screen. I've had several pocket cameras and never really use them. I just stick with my iphone as its always handy or my Rebel. I love rebels and always recommend them. B&H is a great place to shop as well!

[rach3975]

I recently upgraded from a higher-end Canon Point and Shoot (though still below the G12) to a mirrorless compact system camera. This class of camera is supposed to be the middle ground between dSLRs and point and shoots in both size and photo quality. I know this camera is capable of taking wonderful photos because I've seen other people's. I can get good results outdoors just shooting on the more automatic settings like scene modes (children, portrait, sports, etc) or on full auto.

But I'm finding that photographing my kids indoors is a lot trickier. Auto and the kit lens aren't producing good photos since my kids are never still enough. To get the photos I want, I'm going to have to learn to shoot in manual and probably upgrade my lens and flash eventually. In the end I'll have better photos than my P&S could take, but for now my P&S took better indoor photos. I can't say whether that's the case with dSLRs too, but from answers I got in the forum when I asked for advice I think at least some dSLR users have the same experience. I'm not sorry I got my CSC, but it's definitely turning into a bigger investment of time and money than I planned for. So if you really just want something you can get great photos with right away, I'd go with others' recommendations for a G12 or G15 or the Sony Brook mentioned.