Camera Suggestion

[LCD Gauges]

What do you recommend for a decent camera for about $300?

I'd like something that can handle low light environments, and has a flash.

This will be primarily for when the baby arrives,
but also for taking shots of the car build process.

Resolution for printing 8 x 10 photos would be something to consider, but perhaps my price may have to increase.

No need for high zoom capabilities, but close-up/macro for sure.

Thanks for any tips, and experiences. There is
so much to choose from; I'm sure most cameras models
will cover the short list of requirements.

[skullandbones]

I don't usually make recommendations but I can on this one. I like the Nikon Coolpix P510. My wife got it. I tried to talk her into the model under it but she insisted. Since I started using it to make pics for the car, I can't keep my hands off of it. It really has a lot of features but it manages the pics very well on the automatic modes so you don't have to think about it. Even low light situations. It may be over the top on features but I think anything along the Coolpix line would be good for your needs. Good luck on the coming event. WEK.

[Bob Cowan]

I recently purchased a panasonic pocket camera. It takes great high resolution pictures, and is very small. It has an excellent macro feature, and works well in the garage under the flourescent lights.

The trick with a good camera is the lens. Panasonic uses real Leica glass lenses.

[LCD Gauges]

Thanks guys.

The stuff I've been checking out starts at about 12 mega-pixels (D-SLR), and about $150 more
than I figured.


Then, a decent lens in addition to that is another expense.


Maybe not an SLR type as the only issue with my current cell phone camera is the lack of flash, and
low resolution for printing. Too many photos have come out blurry when trying to focus in low light
(as you'll notice in many of the GTM pictures).

Nikon Cool Pix P150 is a touch out of my price range, but it's very tempting. The nice thing about the P150 is
the lens. Very reasonable for a D-SLR style machine!

The Cool Pix S6500 seems to be more budget friendly, however not as appealing

Panasonic Lumix (pocket size) would compare to the S6500

One day I'll have to spend some time in the store to compare them, and test them.

[skullandbones]

Just to clarify, the P150 is a point and shoot not a DSLR (can't remove lens). I thought it was a little pricey too. That's why I was trying to talk my wife into one a model down from that with basically the same lens and most of the features. But it takes great pictures so I had no defense to support my initial suggestion. That's what impressed me so much. I do astronomy and photography so I am sensitive to the quality of the optics for these instruments. I think your plan to test them is good because you can find a really good point and shoot camera $100 cheaper and still take very good pics. Another camera I got hooked on is the Flip video. That is one amazing video camera for being so small and simple. You can extract pics from the videos. Good luck.

[LCD Gauges]

It has been a while, but I wanted to update this thread. My scope changed from the original criteria as some birthday money allowed me to budget a little more. In the same
class, I found that Canon, Sony, and Nokia were the best bang for the dollar. I went as far as downloading all of the user manuals, and reading them quite thoroughly before
going to the store.

Once there, I tried each one. They are all very similar in features, and price, but the Nokia D3100 took my heart due to the quality feel of the pushbuttons, and lens
rotation. If you compare these D-SLR's, you'll know what I mean when you press the buttons, and manually focus the lens. Thanks to all that helped out.

Here are some pictures. My Samsung Galaxy Gio Cell phone vs. The Nokia D3100 D-SLR...i know, it's not a fair comparison, but what a difference!
2236922370

Also note: the side-by-side was reduced from 4000+ pixels to 800 for the right side.

[LCD Gauges]

It has been a while, but I wanted to update this thread. My scope changed from the original criteria as some birthday money allowed me to budget a little more. In the same
class, I found that Canon, Sony, and Nikon were the best bang for the dollar. I went as far as downloading all of the user manuals, and reading them quite thoroughly before
going to the store.

Once there, I tried each one. They are all very similar in features, and price, but the Nikon D3100 took my heart due to the quality feel of the pushbuttons, and lens
rotation. If you compare these D-SLR's, you'll know what I mean when you press the buttons, and manually focus the lens. Thanks to all that helped out.

Here are some pictures. My Samsung Galaxy Gio Cell phone vs. The Nikon D3100 D-SLR...i know, it's not a fair comparison, but what a difference!
2236922370

Also note: the side-by-side was reduced from 4000+ pixels to 800 for the right side.