looking into buying a NICE camera

[chinchillalover0927]

im looking into getting a very nice camera just because i love taking pics of things like my animals lol

does anyone recomend a very nice one that takes outstanding pictures but wont burn a hole in my pocket lol also if anyone on here would happen to have one that they would like to sell id consider being interested but looking for advice!!! thanks

 

[alli713]

If you're just looking for a nice point and shoot (not going expensive like a dslr) then I relaly love my Canon PowerShot SD100 IS. It has a great macro function, which I don't think those with pets really care, but if you need a closeup of an injury or something it works great for that. I use it to take pictures for my Etsy shop in macro and they turn out great.

I looked at Best Buy.com and looks like that's now the older model, they have a 1300 now which is a 12 megapixel, mine is an 8. But they're about $200, I'm sure the older model is cheaper now though.

 

[Stackie]

I think I have the same camera as Alli, but a SX100, not SD. Not sure if that was a typo or if they're two different cameras )

http://www.google.com/products/cata...eJJ6K22AS_o_3cDw&sa=title&ved=0CAcQ8wIwADgA#p

If you do some shopping around I'm sure you can find a pretty good price on it. I think I paid somewhere around $350 and that was several years ago.

 

[alli713]

Nope, mine's an SD. I think I got it a year ago now.

Here's the link to the newer 1300 version of mine, I have a blue one too only because they didn't have the pink one in stock at the store lol
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Canon+-...Blue/9766891.p?id=1218171771851&skuId=9766891

And at the time I bought mine, they had a deal online where you got a free 4 GB memory card, but in store they didn't have that deal going on. But when I asked the worker about it, they were able to match the online deal. So perhaps check around and see what you can find online and see if any stores will match that price or deal.

 

[inzeos]

The Canon Digital Elph point and shoot line of cameras is amazing. My original is still working to this day, which is usually what goes out with me on impromptu lunch break nature walks. There consumer grade dSLR are also amazing for the price point.

If you have the money to spend a dSLR with external flash is the best way to photograph animals, since you want to diffuse your light and not have it bounce off their faces.

 

[Nervousings]

i have the canon sd1400. it is a 14.1 megapixel, with HD video camera. its such an awesome camera.. its on sale right now on best buy for 229.00. and thats great, considering i got mine when it came out about 6 months ago for 320! id definately look into this camera, as i would never trade mine for the world... its smaller and lighter than my iphone!

 

[RDZCRanch]

Look for anything Canon, basically, lol. I have an Elph and the macro function is awesome...I don't think I've ever had clearer pictures of my chins. It cost me $160 shipped and also came with a free 2GB memory card. The battery also lasts for friggin ever. My friend who loves taking pictures of animals also fell in love with my little Elph because it just is a great little point and shoot that takes really clear photos.

 

[mishellyshel]

i agree..........you can't beat a canon! although if you talk to professionals they will say the big debate is between Canon & Nikon. you are either on one side or the other! i think canon makes more user friendly cameras for the regular consumer.

 

[CerLynn]

Agreed, Canons are amazing. I "inherited" my fiance's Canon Powershot S3 IS when he upgraded to a DSLR, and it's been great. The macro is awesome, and it has 12X optical zoom. It's maybe 4 years old though, so I'm not sure what they've come out with since. If you're looking for something more compact, I also love my Sony Cyber-shot W90 (I'm partial to anything with a Zeiss lens). IIRC, it was a little over $200 when I bought it, probably 2 years ago. Sony's point-and-shoot lines are great, but if you're looking more toward DSLR-ish, go with Canon.

 

[kimbt622]

i agree with the general consensus of Canon My boyfriend just got me a new canon powershot for our anniversary and I'm in love with it. The zoom is incredible, it takes such great shots of my chinnies. It was only 200, it's on amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerSh...9?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1273180828&sr=8-9. I recommend it!

 

[threewingedfury]

I was going to stay out of this, but I'm gonna leave my opinion anyway since everyone seems to be a Canon fan and I want to point out another option. I'm a Nikon fan, always will be. I have a P80 (point and shoot) and a D40 (DSLR). Wouldn't trade them for the world (except to upgrade of course, to a better DSLR). I think that Canon photos are very soft and their colors are too pale. Their cameras are easy to use, user-friendly, but I haven't been too happy with them. I tried out a G9 a few years ago and I was more impressed by the Nikon P80. Nikon on the other hand is more vibrant, the colors look brighter to me. I like colors that stand out and catch your attention. Also, Nikon has better ISO and flash sync settings. I think their settings are also more consistent. Just my two cents

 

[alli713]

I'm a Nikon DSLR fan, but for point and shoot I like my Canon. I haven't found the colors to be dull on mine at all.

If the OP wants to see what my pics look like, here's my Etsy shop, all the pictures were taken with my Canon PowerShot http://www.etsy.com/shop/InuInspirations

 

[chinchillalover0927]

I'm a Nikon DSLR fan, but for point and shoot I like my Canon. I haven't found the colors to be dull on mine at all.

If the OP wants to see what my pics look like, here's my Etsy shop, all the pictures were taken with my Canon PowerShot http://www.etsy.com/shop/InuInspirations

thanks everyone who posted i appreciate the help...ill be looking into the cannon and the ones twf pointed out!!

 

[Spoof]

I use a Fuji Finepix F31 - it had the largest sensor size in the point and shoot market, critical for clearer shots in low light regardless of pixel quantity.

I used a Canon digital elf from 2003 until last year when it died. Got the one above because it performed the best in low light situations (chins). Canons are the best outdoor cameras but suck when it comes to indoor photos.

Megapixels means nothing in today's market, don't be fooled.

Of course, if you really want to spend time (and see galleries) check out dpreview.

 

[Diamond Dreams]

I think Fuji makes some really nice cameras.

 

[threewingedfury]

Also realize that many of the more professional looking photos that you see are post-processed. I try to tweak my photos with Photoshop before I upload them, but a lot of times I don't. You'd be amazed to see what even cheap cameras can do if you know how to use Photoshop, as long as you know how to use the camera ;-)

 

[Riven]

I have a Rebel EOS, it's pricier than others but it's a good camera. My dad is a photographer and he recommends Nikon because they make so much of their stuff interchangeable, especially if you get a model that you can change lenses on and such.

I had a Kodak Z740 and it is a good little camera. We still use it for things that are "hazardous" to cameras, lol. Like skiing or stuff that we want pics, but I don't want to worry about my good camera being destroyed.

 

[Spoof]

as long as you know how to use the camera

This is the key here, you are either good at taking photos or you aren't. I work with some photography people that have "the best" in bodies and lenses but their photos look like they used some cheap wal-mart pocket cam.

Any $100 camera you get these days is going to be better than what your folks had access to. Just practice and more practice, I've racked up over 14,000 photos since I upgraded my Mac Pro three years ago. Going to have to dump some soon. When shooting chinchillas you'll take 10-30 of each chin. Lighting makes a huge difference. Go to the store, play with them, see what fits in your hand.

When I went shopping I made sure I picked a camera that had the correct color sensitivity for my lighting (sp-65 fluorescents and daylight) so I didn't have to retouch them. You can spend hours retouching shots of just a few chins. I've had the Fuji three years now and never had to retouch a single photo. I just crop them and send them off.

 

[Marie5656]

If you are looing for digital, I like my Kodak easy share. It is easy to load pics to my computer...and I can also pick pictures and email them right from the camera..sort of..I pick the pictures I want to email, and then just hook the camera to my computer with the USB port.

 

[chinchillalover0927]

This is the key here, you are either good at taking photos or you aren't. I work with some photography people that have "the best" in bodies and lenses but their photos look like they used some cheap wal-mart pocket cam.

Any $100 camera you get these days is going to be better than what your folks had access to. Just practice and more practice, I've racked up over 14,000 photos since I upgraded my Mac Pro three years ago. Going to have to dump some soon. When shooting chinchillas you'll take 10-30 of each chin. Lighting makes a huge difference. Go to the store, play with them, see what fits in your hand.

When I went shopping I made sure I picked a camera that had the correct color sensitivity for my lighting (sp-65 fluorescents and daylight) so I didn't have to retouch them. You can spend hours retouching shots of just a few chins. I've had the Fuji three years now and never had to retouch a single photo. I just crop them and send them off.

lol that does make alot of sense...