Spec me a camera?

Antony101 · 4 Mar 2013 at 17:50

I want a camera for taking photos of the dogs and other pets indoors and out. I would also be using it take take good photos of things I need to sell and also any other general crap.

I don't want to spend a fortune and would like it to be as cheap as possible. £100-£150?

I usually use my Nexus 4 for taking photos but wouldn't mind something a little better in low light as the phone is generally crap.

I know I won't get anything amazing or professional but still.

Thanks, Antony.

Ksanti · 4 Mar 2013 at 18:17

Canon S95?

Antony101 · 4 Mar 2013 at 18:37

I'm assuming you mean second hand with that as they seem slightly over budget new?

Nexus · 4 Mar 2013 at 18:58

Not really much in it for cameras around the price point you are looking at. Just choose whichever point and shoot you like the look of and has the features you want.

Ksanti · 4 Mar 2013 at 19:16

Yeah second hand - they're a couple of years old now so there should be a fair few people upgrading but it's still a very solid little compact.

Antony101 · 4 Mar 2013 at 19:18

I keep checking the MM on here as I'm not one for trusting eBay but everyone on here is rich and has DSLR cameras I cannot afford.

Ksanti · 4 Mar 2013 at 19:29

Haha I think the problem with here is that the number of people who have compact cameras here will generally keep theirs until it conks out, photographers selling their DSLR equipment tend to be doing so because they can more readily trust people from the forums that they know and vice versa.

If the S95 from ebay is too much of a risk for you, generally going with the best Canon IXUS you can afford in your budget tends to be a fairly reliable strategy. There's nothing hugely differentiating between new cameras in this sort of price bracket but Canon is generally among the top ones. When you get to £200 and up they start differentiating themselves properly and you get to look at the lovely Fuji X series cameras

Antony101 · 4 Mar 2013 at 19:35

It's so difficult for me to pick one, non of them have names that make any sense. Why isn't it just Canon 1 - £25 Canon 2 - £50. Then I just know ohhh, canon number 4 is in my budget and has the biggest number, I'll buy that.

Ksanti · 4 Mar 2013 at 19:45

Because they all do different things - you'll have ones with shorter range zooms but they'll have higher image quality, ones with better build quality/waterproof features etc., ones with massive 25x zooms on a compact but a tiny tiny sensor and pants image quality

Cameras don't tend to fit in a hierarchical order of "this is best, get that one, if you can't afford it, get this, if you can't afford it get this" etc. so it tends to come down just to what you want.

The Canon IXUS 230 tends to get a pretty good rep as far as I can tell, and can be had for £150 new? Won't be /quite/ as good in low light as the S95 but still perfectly capable.

Nexus · 4 Mar 2013 at 20:26

Ksanti said:
Cameras don't tend to fit in a hierarchical order of "this is best, get that one, if you can't afford it, get this, if you can't afford it get this" etc. so it tends to come down just to what you want.

I thought it was the one with the most megapixels.... right?