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11/16/2006 01:12:35 PM · #1 |
Hey Folks, I am starting to get those itchings for a new camera. But I need your help on finding a good one for a reasonable price. Here's what I have right now: Nikon Coolpix 4300 with 4 MP, 3x optical & 4x digital zoom, 12 scene modes, macro mode, but only 2 manual f-stops, and a handful of shutter speeds. With all the new things I'm learning on the forum, I just need something more advanced, because I'm feeling held back by the limits of this one.
Here's what I'm looking for. Something with a higher MP than my old one, a powerful zoom, a powerful macro mode, also with a manual mode so I can set my own f-stops and such. I want one with shutter priority AND aperture priority. I would also love one with minimal shutter lag, but that's not absolutely necessary. I also need one that will use Compact Flash cards, because I have 2 that I don't want to replace. Someday I would like to get filters and a remote for it, so it needs to be capable of handling those things, but it doesn't need to come with them. And on top of all that, I need one that's around $200 or less.
Am I being too picky? Or does my dream camera exist out there???
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11/16/2006 01:16:40 PM · #2 |
The 5400 will do that. You can buy little detachable lenses and filters for about $100 extra. I don't know about the remote, though.
Message edited by author 2006-11-16 13:17:36.
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11/16/2006 01:18:20 PM · #3 |
You might want to check out the features search on DPReview.com where you can enter all your criteria.
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11/16/2006 01:18:24 PM · #4 |
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11/16/2006 01:31:33 PM · #5 |
Aye. I believe it goes for about $200 these days. I've got a range of F-stops from 3.0-8.0, a wide range of shutter speeds, M, A, S & P modes, in addition to the usual Nikon scene modes, there's a free firmware upgrade to shoot RAW (once you start, you'll never go back), and I bought a lens kit that included a telephoto, wide angle, an UV, FLD, and polarizing filters for $100 on eBay.
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11/16/2006 01:46:53 PM · #6 |
My P&S is a Coolpix 5400. It has all those features PLUS the built-in wide angle is wider than most P&S cameras on the market. (Equivalent to a 28mm lens on a 35mm camera)I love having the wider angle for many reasons.
Also, the LCD swivels in all directions. This is particularly nice for low or high angle shots. You can put the camera on the ground or hold it over your head and still compose your shot. I wish my dSLR did that.
The image quality is excellent for a small sensor camera, too.
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11/16/2006 02:02:12 PM · #7 |
A used fuji S7000 would also fit the bill a brilliant little camera
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11/16/2006 02:09:13 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by kiwinick:
A used fuji S7000 would also fit the bill a brilliant little camera |
The Fuji uses X-D cards. The OP wants to keep his Compact flash.
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11/16/2006 05:05:28 PM · #9 |
The OP? Is that me? And I'm a she, not a he! ;-)
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11/16/2006 05:18:12 PM · #10 |
I've just been looking on Ebay at the 5400, and there seem to be a lot that are either in need of repairs or just being sold for parts. Have you had any trouble with that?
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11/16/2006 05:48:40 PM · #11 |
I didn't buy mine on eBay, I think it came from an online store based out of Louisiana, but that was several years ago when it wasn't considered so outdated. Anyway, I've never needed a repair on mine.
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11/16/2006 06:11:27 PM · #12 |
You could also look for a Canon G5, which looks to be about equivelant to the Nikon.
I had one for a year, I liked it. It has a 2.0-3.0 zoom lens which helps to get some shallow DOF in portraits, too. |
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11/16/2006 06:47:04 PM · #13 |
Aren't there any new ones for that cheap? Or is it going to cost me a whole lot??
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11/16/2006 06:56:26 PM · #14 |
Maybe if you save up alittle more, you can get something newer for 300 dollars, I got my parents the canon powershot A95, for $300. It has all manual functions, Aperture and Shutter Priority.
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11/16/2006 07:30:15 PM · #15 |
Yes, I could do that. The thing is that the longer I wait to sell my Nikon, the less I will get for it!!! Such a conundrum!
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11/16/2006 08:02:00 PM · #16 |
Canon Powershot A540 $170 You could try this, it is SD but you can get a gig card for $30 and still be at $200. I couldn't finad any newer cameras that don't use SD cards because the cameras are smaller now, look under specs. It has shutter, Aperture, and Manual mode, 5 megapixels, and you can mount a filter adapter
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11/16/2006 08:07:51 PM · #17 |
This updated Fuji Finepix S9600/S9100 will have all the things you wanted, including the CompactFlash card slot (it has dual slots)
EDIT: OK, you also wanted something around $200 USD, in that case, look for a used S9500/S9000 which is very similar to what I suggested earlier, but since it's older, you might find one at your price range.
Message edited by author 2006-11-16 20:10:01. |
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11/16/2006 08:09:42 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by crayon:
This updated Fuji Finepix S9600/S9100 will have all the things you wanted, including the CompactFlash card slot (it has dual slots) |
She can only spend close to $200 dollars though, but that camera looks pretty sweet :P.
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11/16/2006 08:11:18 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by jdannels:
Originally posted by crayon:
This updated Fuji Finepix S9600/S9100 will have all the things you wanted, including the CompactFlash card slot (it has dual slots) |
She can only spend close to $200 dollars though, but that camera looks pretty sweet :P. |
yeah I just saw that USD200 thingy... well I updated my post, so maybe she would search eBay or something for the older Finepix S9500/S9000 which is a year old now. |
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11/16/2006 09:34:32 PM · #20 |
So many choices! Thanks for the help. Do you think the CF card is going out of style? Should I just sell them with the camera? If that's the case, is there a better camera that wouldn't need the CF card?
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11/16/2006 10:43:07 PM · #21 |
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11/16/2006 11:00:27 PM · #22 |
Okay, so I've been looking at the DPReview, and none of the cameras you've mentioned end up on the list with the search criteria I enter. Is there any way to look up a specific camera?
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11/16/2006 11:02:59 PM · #23 |
on dpreview.com, on the left side, there is a "Cameras"
put mouse over it, then a list of brands appear. Go from there to find your camera of choice. |
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11/17/2006 12:01:51 AM · #24 |
In the $200 range, I would seriously look at a Canon Powershot A540. Newegg.com has it for $180 and you could spend the other $20 on a 1GB SD card.
This is a 6MP camera with a 4x zoom and full manual operation. Another plus is that it takes AA batteries. I don't own one, nor have I ever used one but DPReview gives it a really good review and I plan on upgrading to one from my Nikon Coolpix 2100.
Hope this helps.
Addition: Yes I think the compact flash card is going out and being replaced by the many variants of SD cards.
Addition 2: At DPReview click on "Reviews" on the left side and the click "Alphabetical" to see the whole list. Or click below
Reviews at DPReview
Message edited by author 2006-11-17 00:08:42. |
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11/17/2006 09:00:58 AM · #25 |
Yes, that helps. Thanks so much. So you think I should sell both my CF cards and my card reader along with the camera? How much do you think I could get for the whole package?
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