Purley

I am interested in getting a new camera. I have a small (well it was small when I bought it but compared with the new cameras today - its not very small) Nikon Coolpix 4100.

I have always been a Canon fan! I would like to say that I would learn how to work a Digital SLR, but I know I won't. My son got a new camera and gave me his old Olympus 3030 or whatever it was called and I could just tell from looking at it that the passage of time has made me too darn lazy to be bothered to figure it out. In the old days of SLR cameras I took classes to figure out my old Canon and I took some good photos. But things are too easy now with point and shoots!

So, at the moment I sort of fancy a Canon G9 or an S5. So what do others think?

Assuming that the subjects are similar and the photographic talent of the photographer is the same - what difference would I notice between my Nikon and the G9? Does more money mean better photos? In what way would they be better? Or once you step down from an SLR are they all much of a muchness?

Can you get filters and the like for point and shoot digital cameras or are filters and lenses just in the realm of SLR?

Is it an advantage to have one of those screens that you can angle and turn rather than a fixed screen?

iaink

I dont know, have you checked out review sites like http://www.steves-digicams.com, or dpreview.com? They have all sort of usefull info Some of the powershots have a (somewhat pricey) attachable accessory ring you can add filters and teleconverters too,
http://estore.usa.canon.com/SearchRe...PARENTOID=4734

but they general answer is that with a few exceptions that have fixed lens housings, filters etc are usually an SLR thing. My Powershot A620 has that, and its a very useful feature I find, but its generally only the larger point and shoots that have it. I bought my wife a tiny Canon SD1000 digital elph, and to be honest, thats what I usually slip in my pocket if we are going somewhere with the kids, and it takes really good pictures, regardless of the tiny size of the thing. Doesn't have much in the way of manual control, but it doesn't seem to matter.

I have to confess I did enjoy playing with my dads fancy digital SLR while he was visiting....but not enough to sink a couple of grand into the body and some long lenses....

NickyP84

It all depends on what you want to take photos of

Lisa and I have a dog (soon to be 2), cat and horse and she loves taking wildlife and nature photos so for our anniversary, I upgraded her camera to a new DLSR for about £500

If you're just wanting to take pretty photos of scenery or parties or what have you then a regular digital camera is perfect. On the other hand, if you want to spend a lot of time on the perfect shot and it's one of your main hobbies then I'd say go for a challenge and get a DSLR!

Good luck with whatever you decide

Jingsamichty

Last week I bought my wife a Canon Powershot G9, think it was $499 or thereabouts.

I haven't been allowed to play with it yet, but she says that she is delighted with it, and the photos do look great.

Lorna_D

Hiya Liz, how are you?

I bought myself a canon powershoot thingy in Vision the other day it is an 8 megapixel point and shoot and I think it's great.

We had a canon slr for years with all the filters etc and I couldn't use them at all.

destinationnovascotia

You may find some useful info here http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=535698 as amydavid was asking for similar advice recently.

Surrey Expat

Not much to choose between Canon & Nikon, users of each have their preferences. I am a Canon user and prefer the Canon optics. The G9 will shoot RAW files as well as jpeg, so if you want to play around with the image on the computer, RAW is best.

Interchangeable lenses, SLR only, filters, all you need is polariser & a lens cover filter such as UV, the rest can be done on the computer with image editing software.

My OH has an SD1000, great camera, good pictures, until an error message came up and it has to go back to Canon. Don't get too hung up on the megapixel thing, 6 - 7 is plenty for most users and prints up to 12" or so.

The camera does not make the photographer, so if you take good pictures, you will continue to do so whatever the camera.

PaulandNikki

I've just bought a Panasonic FZ18 which is a bridge camera (sits between compact point'n'shoot and an SLR). Has had excellent reviews and also won Which? best camera. It's a bit big to slip in a pocket but offers 18x optical zoom (I think it's equivalent to 38-530mm so no need to change lenses) and can go from fully automatic to fully manual setting. It also has a standard sized filter thread so you can fit UV or fancy effects filters if you want to try and be a bit artistic.
Should be arriving tomorrow

Purley

Well I am happy with the little Nikon Coolpix 4100 but the shutter lag is really annoying. I don't know if this happens with all these little digitals because this is the only one I have used.

I have looked at Steves digicams and DP Review. I had thought the Canon S5 might be good - until I looked at it at the store and its huge and it doesn't have a viewfinder. I can't imagine why anyone would buy a camera without a viewfinder. My screen is completely useless on a really sunny day!

Same goes for the SX100IS.

I was going to take a look at a Nikon Coolpix P5100 at Best Buy for $299 only they don't have any, although I could get a raincheck.

All I really want is a small-ish camera but without that awful shutter lag on my present camera.

And Hi Lorna. I didn't even know Visions sold cameras. I should go and take a look. I bought my present camera from Don's Photo, and I guess I should take a look there. The advantage is that they know about cameras whereas the big box stores often have no idea.

Surrey Expat

If you want good value, the Canon SD1000 from Costco. It is being discontinued and is half the price of when it originally came out. I'm hauling around the EOS5 &30D plus a bag full of lenses, which is not light. Going to get one of these SD1000's to drop in the pocket when I need to take a quick picture.

Silverdragon102

We have a Canon EOS 300d and love it. Came with standard lens and we have bought a zoom lens and wide lens and get great pictures. Here is one I took only the other day with the zoom

Purley

Yes but I don't have a membership to Costco! I have a card but honestly with just two of us to buy for, I really don't need huge amounts of anything. And besides which I really begrudge paying $50 or whatever for the privilege of walking through the door when I mostly go for free food!!!

Actually I bought those Kirkland garbage bags on a roll. And the salads and pizzas and cakes are really good. Apart from that I can buy most things elsewhere.

I'll look up that camera though on DPReview and if it sounds really good I will get my granddaughter's mom to take me there, she still has a membership.

Hey Lorna, I just noticed that there is a Visions just appeared up on Rochdale by Tim Hortons. I will go tomorrow and have a look and see what they have in the way of cameras.

iaink

Very little shutter lag on the current Digital Elphs (like the one Surrey Expat pointed out), cameras are getting better and better for that. Its a one button deal to switch to continuous (autodrive) mode too, where it will just keep shooting while you have a finger on the button. The movie mode is also pretty decent, which is an added bonus.

There are many on ebay new with Buy it now proces below $200. I paid near 250 for mine and still think it was good value...

And if you want small, you will do well to find better Liz. Plus its a Canon, which you said you liked.

Purley

I went and looked at a Canon SX100IS today. I was very surprised that the guy at Best Buy actually knew a lot about cameras. He pointed out that the Canon takes AA batteries, and my old camera also does so I have 4 rechargeable AA batteries. The Nikon has some proprietary lithiumion battery which he said he thought didn't last as long. He also pointed out something which I knew but had forgotten, and that is that the Nikon I was looking at had high megapixels but low optical zoom. And quite frankly I never or almost never print my photos. I have probably printed six in the last year and those were for my Mom because she can't figure out computers.

So I think I would get much more use out of the optical zoom than the megapixels. The only thing I am hesitant about is the fact that the Canon doesn't have a viewfinder, but he says the new screens are anti-glare and he has a Canon and took it to Rome and Greece and never had a problem with not having a viewfinder.

I haven't even looked at the Elphs yet. I had to be somewhere and didn't get time but will check those out too.

AmyDavid

Okay not sure if this will work....but here is a pic of a dragonfly taken with my new Nikon D60, which I am finding out is a really great camera!