Very OT - cameras

[ZackB05]

Hi Fellas,

I'm going on an Alaskan cruise soon and I was looking into buying a new camera. I haven't gotten a new one in about 5 years and with the technological advancements I feel like its about time. Problem is, there are so many options I have no idea what to get. Not looking for anything to advanced as I don't take many pictures besides vacations, weddings, etc. Probably looking to spend under $750. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[OklahomaUconn]

Id suggest taking the 750 and upgrading to a tropical island cruise ....alaskan? ...sorry i couldnt provide you with a suggestion and instead just spewed my dry humor at you

 

[UConnLen]

Hi Fellas,

I'm going on an Alaskan cruise soon and I was looking into buying a new camera. I haven't gotten a new one in about 5 years and with the technological advancements I feel like its about time. Problem is, there are so many options I have no idea what to get. Not looking for anything to advanced as I don't take many pictures besides vacations, weddings, etc. Probably looking to spend under $750. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Just bought my HS senior granddaughter a Canon Rebel T3i [digital 18 mp w/ many nice features] with two lens for about that last Christmas. She's taken many beautiful pictures with it [landscapes, Proms, friends folios, etc]. Really nice camera!

 

[Buzzyboy]

Hi Fellas,

I'm going on an Alaskan cruise soon and I was looking into buying a new camera. I haven't gotten a new one in about 5 years and with the technological advancements I feel like its about time. Problem is, there are so many options I have no idea what to get. Not looking for anything to advanced as I don't take many pictures besides vacations, weddings, etc. Probably looking to spend under $750. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I just bought a super zoom camera, a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ70 which has a 60x optical zoom and I love it. It literally came out earlier this month. It is presently available on Amazon for about $366 and the optics are sharp, it focuses quickly and the results are super. It has the ability to be used by someone who has little or no experience with a camera with great results but can also be enjoyed by someone who has a pretty high level of expertise to maximize it's ability. Very impressive camera!

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Id suggest taking the 750 and upgrading to a tropical island cruise ....alaskan? ...sorry i couldnt provide you with a suggestion and instead just spewed my dry humor at you

... says a guy living in Oklahoma!

 

[SubbaBub]

These days any camera will take a great photo. Decide what features are important to you and go from there.

I traded my Minolta Film SLR for a Sony Alpha when digital first came out because it was compatible with all my lenses and filters. I only use it nowadays for extreme wide angle, zoom and glare conditions.

Today I mostly use a Lumix waterproof for almost everything because its just easier to carry around. For snaps, I just.use my phone.

I'd look at weight, startup time, zoom, frame per second speed, display size, anti-shake and upload/sharing capabilities first then decide if I want to be able to change lenses or if I want it to be waterproof.

 

[huskypantz]

We bought a canon eos T3 through amazon and got a 32gb sd card and an upgraded lens for an extra $50. It's a great camera for everything except action photos, but I'm far from technical when it comes to cameras. I will say this - we bought the camera, then my wife bought a leather case, then a camera bag/backpack. That was an extra $150. So what I'm saying is if you're going to spend that much on a camera, plan on shelling out a few extra bucks on accessories.

 

[UConnLen]

We bought a canon eos T3 through amazon and got a 32gb sd card and an upgraded lens for an extra $50. It's a great camera for everything except action photos, but I'm far from technical when it comes to cameras. I will say this - we bought the camera, then my wife bought a leather case, then a camera bag/backpack. That was an extra $150. So what I'm saying is if you're going to spend that much on a camera, plan on shelling out a few extra bucks on accessories.

You are right on extras-same camera I bought from amazon. However it should be fine for action photos too with proper lens. Canon and Nikon make the best affordable DSLR cameras. The newer T4i is more expensive but has a couple of nice upgrades.

 

[jleves]

Hi Fellas,

I'm going on an Alaskan cruise soon and I was looking into buying a new camera. I haven't gotten a new one in about 5 years and with the technological advancements I feel like its about time. Problem is, there are so many options I have no idea what to get. Not looking for anything to advanced as I don't take many pictures besides vacations, weddings, etc. Probably looking to spend under $750. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Four years ago, just before we went on our honeymoon, I got a Nikon DSLR with a couple of nice lenses and a Panasonic with super zoom (18X) that feels like a small DSLR. The DSLR has more range and ability and definitely takes a better picture, but just the ease and convenience of the point and shoot means we probably use it 95% of the time. The pictures are more than adequate for anything 8x10 and under. I wouldn't want to be printing large format from it, but for overall ease, comfort and convenience, the superzooms are really hard to beat. With phone optics getting better and better, there's no reason for the thin little cameras anymore. Unless you really love photography and are going to really use the extra features of a DSLR, get a good superzoom for half the cost and use your phone for quick snaps elsewhere. With the savings you can buy extra memory cards and something to copy shots off to keep your cards available - any tablet will do.

Definitely get a polarizing filter anytime you might be dealing with reflections (helicopters) and a UV filter to protect the lens for daily use.

 

[SubbaBub]

Definitely get a polarizing filter anytime you might be dealing with reflections (helicopters) and a UV filter to protect the lens for daily use.

So this ^^^^^

 

[CTMike]

I went on an Alaskan cruise maybe 7 years ago (and don't let anyone try to convince you that it's not phenomenal. ). And, in the last year, I've bought a new camera.

Small, pocket point and shoot with tiny zoom... not what you want here.

I think the "superzoom" all-in-one suggestions are a pretty solid choice. That's what I brought when I went - a 5MP Canon S2IS with 12x zoom. Cameras of course have come a long ways since then. There were a few occasions when I wished for more zoom - and you'll definitely get that with today's superzooms. (Are they really up to 60x? That's nuts!)

I've since gotten more in to photography, and last year before my honeymoon got a refurbished Canon 60D DSLR direct from Canon for a pretty nice price. Image wise, it's very similar to the Rebel T3i, T4i, T5i. (The T3, though it sounds the same, actually has a different sensor. Just skip it) For lenses, I'm pretty basic at this point. I've got the kit 18-55mm lens, as well as the 55-250mm lens, and the 50mm f1.8. Though I'm definitely eyeing a few lens upgrades (and that's where things start to get steep!)

The questions you have to ask yourself I think are : How interested are you in carrying and swapping out lenses? Are you interested in exploring beyond the "green box" mode? (fully automatic - and not that there's anything wrong with that). If yes to both, then maybe consider the DSLR route.

If not - you'll probably enjoy the heck out of that Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ70 that buzzboy mentioned, or the similar Canon SX50. I've got no agenda against Nikon, I just don't have experience with them.

 

[ZackB05]

Thanks guys I appreciate all the info.

 

[sledog]

The equinox is here. It's getting COLD up there.

I was thinking of moving from SLR to dig SLR, but decided on a small hand-held Sony. At 10 Mxpl, can't tell the difference, and I pocketed the extra $1K. Admittedly, a long way from the CCDs that have trillions of MPxls, but I'm not doing photos of galaxies at the edge of the universe's light cone either. Of course if you a a 'serious' photog, that's different. but for me, ...

 

[uconndoit]

This guy is legit - he gives the Sony RX100 M2 a 10/10. $750

The M1 is also available - for about $600. This guy rates it very very highly too.

Btw - this guy is very well-spoken, clear and thorough. I highly recommend browsing his tech gadget reviews.

 

[Goat]

I have a Nikon digit slr and several lenses and stuff, but don't use it much because of size now that my kid's college sports are over.

I use a Canon G series. I highly recommend it. All cameras are compromises when you factor in mobility. The new Canon G15 PowerShot is very reliable and simple to use. There are plenty of features, but no need to take a course before you start.

Have a wonderful trip.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Canon EOS Rebel T3 18-55mm IS II Digital SLR? Any / all helpful comments and feedback on this camera will be appreciated.