Need a sub $150 point & shoot

J

jam3s121

Weaksauce
Joined
Sep 12, 2010
Messages
71
Hey guys, i really want a decent point & shoot.. mainly for build logs with my rigs but I also help my dad sell a lot of salt water reef tank corals and fish on ebay and some of the photos are lacking for his sales and my desires.

I don't really want anything special, right now the best camera I have access too is my sisters Galaxy 4... my smartphone can't change iso or shutter speed and takes crappy photos comparitively but I know a good p&s still beats a majority of smartphones.

I was looking at this - http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nikon-COOLP...824872?pt=Digital_Cameras&hash=item2ec87854e8

I don't understand a lot about photography other than in low light use a low iso lol, and I understand its more than megapixels that result in quality (sensors are really imoportant too right)?
 
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There is a big mega-pixel myth. Megapixels are only one measurement of quality, most notably if you think about it, how many samples there are in an image. Most hobbyists ignore this advice (instead seeking as many MP as they can get...), but 10MP is more than enough resolution to shoot editorial or commercial work for print.

Anyway, that tangent aside, if I was going to spend my money, I'd either get a Canon S100 (used, you'll have to hunt a bit, but plenty around) for a super compact, or if I was going for something a bit larger with more fidelity a Canon G12 (also used).

I'd pick those two cameras for the following reasons. Full manual controls (I know you're not a camera guy, if you want full auto, it's still there), best in class optics (100MP sensor means nothing if the glass in front of it doesn't resolve for anything), quick shutter speed (faster on the G12 than the S100, but considering these aren't dSLR's these are both much faster than other options), excellent durability for its class (the G12 in particular can take some decent knocks, so long as it's not on the lens. The S100 is also good for it's class, although I would say no compact camera can be handled with anything other than kid gloves). And both are capable of shooting RAW format and not just jpeg. Once again, I know you're not a camera guy, but if you ever get around to editing stuff, then RAW opens up a world of possibilities, even on point and shoots.

Both can be had in your price range on eBay if you look long enough. There isn't a quick deal to be had. Both of those cameras are "two generations behind" so people looking for the "latest and greatest" will often overlook these gems. If you're looking for the more modern equivalents (which are out of your budget) that would be the S105 and S100 and G15 and G1X respectively.


EDIT: As a side note, if you're going to get an S100 make sure you get the right one. There is an older model commonly sold on eBay called the ELPH S100 that is about 7-10 years old and is 2.0MP. That is NOT the camera I'm referring to.
 
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thanks for that advice, can you suggest anything a little less perhaps too? Like around $80 to $100 street price? This one looks like can be easily had for $120 ish though. Although I found a link review of that s100 and it looks very goood.

I don't mind buying older stuff, Im well aware MP isn't everything cause I have this shiny blue futijifilm 16mp camera that takes worse pics than a smart phone and it was like $60 bux new

Just to add, I really like the pocket size of that s100 if u can recommend anything else, but if you think its the best camera i can get for shooting shots in reef tanks under crazy lights and in low light then I'll get that, I want a good macro mode too don't care if its auto or if i need to learn.
 
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There is the S95 before that. I generally recommend the S series from Canon since it's their highest end model with significantly better features than the rest of their line.

If I'm honest, most compacts aren't that great... The S series is an exception. I probably wouldn't buy a camera before the S95 though (S90 etc...)



I just noticed your edit of shooting conditions. The S series will do pretty well for this class of camera (latter models are better than earlier models of course...). If you really want to shoot better in the dark you'll have to spend more money (unfortunately), whether that is on a camera with better ISO capabilities or on lights to illuminate subjects.
 
yeah thank you sir, I will go with either of them. I totally get that most compacts and lower end models are really not THAT much better than smartphones anymore compared to those srls and dsrls but for someone like me that would be to much, I have enough high end hobbies like headphones and pc parts lol.
 
jam3s121 said:
yeah thank you sir, I will go with either of them. I totally get that most compacts and lower end models are really not THAT much better than smartphones anymore compared to those srls and dsrls but for someone like me that would be to much, I have enough high end hobbies like headphones and pc parts lol.
Click to expand...

I understand. Cameras can get pricey but to get something that shoots well and takes fantastic photos isn't necessarily super expensive.

As a side note, this forum moves a bit slow. It's possible that someone else will chime in with other suggestions other than the ones I've listed.
 
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Sounds like you just need a new Phone. Most current ones are as good as a P&S in that price range anyways...

Edit - oh! Yeah, for what you're wanting to shoot, a tripod would help more than a new camera. You just need something to hold the camera steady so you don't get motion blur. Even high-end cameras will have that same issue when shooting things like fish in low light. Get a low-end tripod and some kind of mount for it that will hold your phone, and that should be problem-solved. Also, make sure to turn on as many lights as you can when taking photos. Shooting in the dark isn't easy to do even with several thousand dolars worth of photo gear.
 
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There is truth to what madFive is saying. If you have the patience for a tripod it will help the steadiness of your shooting, although, no guarantees about motion blur if the fish decide to dash about. That's only curable with shutter-speed.
 
I don't think you should return it. Seems like a good gift, considering your budget. I'm like you, I don't return gifts.

You should be able to get some great photos with it once you learn the settings and composition. Keep the ISO less than 800 if you can and you should get some noise free, great images. Maybe buy a copy of "Understanding Exposure, 3rd ed." off Amazon, that will help you understand more about the settings in the camera, as well as composition in different light. That is all photography is (kinda), understanding your light and how to modify it around your subject.

Check out the examples here:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/sx260/
 
Yeah I actually spent some time on youtube learning about iso, different aperatures and stuff. I def don't have enough knowledge to buy a dsrl and know what im doing but I wanted to make a nice build log and then have a decent video player for when im doing stuff with my brother or girlfriend. I'll be sure to snap some shots eventually and show you guys.
 
Thanks for the reply! I've spent a lot of time shooting already since christmas... ive had to charge my battery three times.. but I've only gotten a handful of shots I really like. I finally spent some time reading the manual to find out why some of my shots sucked and it was because I was taking shots when the focus could not focus and was giving me a on screen error but I didn't bother... so now I know when its a yellow box i need more light to focus properly.. I figured out how to use aperture manual mode though which was good.

One problem I have is virtually any flat surface is my house is wood, so it reflects a lot of the yellow light we have anyway.. which is the second problem that not one room in this house is adequately illuminated either so having good light is a bit of a issue currently. I think i might get a small lightbox to photograph parts for my rig though.

i uploaded two other shots
http://www.flickr.com/photos/112841237@N08/11617106886/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/112841237@N08/11617094786/
 
Watch your shutter speeds to keep the images sharp, even the IS cannot save you when you are at specific focal lengths. Your GTX 770 shot was shot at an equivalent 55mm approx, and your shutter was at 1/4 of a second. Your IS is probably good for 2 stops of "shake", which means at 57mm (10.2 real) 1/60th is normal, you could go as low at 1/15th (2 stops) of a second and still have shake motion in check. Lower than that you default to your own steady hands!



Your focal length is determined by taking your set focal length and multiplying it by 5.55, I think your camera will actually tell you what it is, Flickr just shows the real focal length.

Keep going! More you shoot better and better you will become. Don't stop, and keep learning.
 
so what you are saying is change to a faster shutter speed?

oh wow... i just figured out that along with the optical zoom on the top and the dial that changes the mode there is another dial that adjusts the shutter speed, I changed it like you said and the pics are snapping a lot faster! I did some of the weird angles because I was reading some tips and people said to experiment because dead center isn't always the best composition mode.
 
thanks for the links and help, been messing around with more shots.. its been fun. I am typically taking 3 or 4 of each subject then I take one with auto just in case the manual sucked. But its fun tweaking all the settings.
 
I took some photos of my new rig, nothing very impressive because A) its not done yet (need new case fans, finish my custom sleeved cables) B) because I experiement a lot with the shutter speed and aperture.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/112841237@N08/11943922946/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/112841237@N08/11943474484/in/photostream/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/112841237@N08/11943881576/in/photostream/

I actually bought some cheap tripod on amazon called a gorillapod, which is cool but you actually cant press the shutter button and hope the camera won't shake.. i set it to a timer so that by the time my finger leaves the button it starts the photo capture. I notice my camera was picking up a lot of dust it seemed like when I focused on the white led light.. i had some gray looking blobs but the lense appeared clean.. looked like those bokeh shape colors you see.

I also found out about the CHDK available for my camera and made a time lapse of my build instead of some long drawn out work log

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P-beUBVvKg

thanks for all the help everyone
 
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