# Want a New Camera - Advice?



## Ms. Wicked (Nov 14, 2006)

I really want a new camera. I feel kind of bad because Mr. W bought me my Canon Power Shot SD450 for my birthday a couple of years ago.

It's a nice camera but I've never got on with it. The pictures turn out grainy and blurred for most all indoor shots and night shots are hopeless. Whenever Mr. W tried playing with the settings then I'd go to use it, I'd have to mess around figuring out what he did because it saved whatever settings he changed.

I've been researching cameras, thinking I'd get two for the boys for Christmas and actually think I may get a new one for myself. I'm not a serious photographer, just want something I that I can use to happily take decent pictures at parties, holidays, vacations, etc. as well as to get good pictures of my props and sewing for reviews.

During my research I realized my current SD450 does NOT have image stabilized zoom or motion detection.

After reading lots of reviews I was drawn to the Canon PowerShot SD790IS 10MP- it has several of the features mentioned above plus many others including image size setting, tons of special settings (if desired) and a good shutter speed for its price (I've found it two places for $199.)

Does anybody have this camera? If so, what do you think?

I'm tired of bad pictures of my work (and everything else, except outdoor pics). Any recommendations for an easy to use point and shoot that gives good quality pictures would be greatly appreciated.


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## beelce (Jul 21, 2007)

I use a Sony T100 cyber shot 8.1 mgpx, and I love for these reasons...
1...3" screen
2...Slim. About 5/8" thick and I can stick it in my pocket and go.
3...Speed..I can flip it open and take a shot in about 2 seconds

Also use a Sony a350 14mgpx SLR type camera ...It is much larger and I only use it the studio for product shots

Good luck Ms W


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## HalloweenZombie (Jul 22, 2007)

Hmmm. I have the same exact camera that Dave (Zombie-F) does and yet my pics don't look nearly as good as his. But I know the camera is capable of great pix. It seems to be a higher end camera without the higher end price. It's a Fujifilm Finepix s700. The most important feature I think is the optical zoom. The digital zoom feature on most cameras is awful.


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## turtle2778 (Jul 9, 2006)

And you have to take into consideration that now adays people use photoshop on their photos to make them clear and sharp. So make sure you are comparing cameras and not photoshopping skills. Kellie, why not shoot WormyT a PM and ask her? She's our resident photographer and i believe has 2 different ones she likes to use for different purposes.


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## Ms. Wicked (Nov 14, 2006)

Thanks for your replies.

There are so many features nowadays, you just have to figure out what you want and practice...

...I do know that I don't like the one I have. Thanks for your input; I'll let you know what I wind up with.


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

I have stuck with sony.
Most cameras have sony parts in them...?


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## tuck (Oct 27, 2007)

I use to shoot with the Fujifilm S5100 series. It was a great little camera and took some good pictures. It is an older model now and has really come down in price. It's upsides are that it has a 10x optical zoom and has more weight to it so it feels more like an old 35mm camera. The downside to it is that it has more weight to it . If you are wanting something that you can easily slip into your pocket and take with you on the go then this isn't the camera for you, but if you want a little more versatility than a small pocket sized camera it's a good start. 
If you have a little extra money I would recommend stepping up to the fujifilm S7000 series.
Now, towards the end of summer I bit the bullet and bought a Canon 20D Digital SLR and can not tell you how much happier I am that I finally stepped up to the "big boys". Better shots and interchangeable lenses. It's a bit of an investment but in my opinion, one that is well worth it.


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## scream1973 (Dec 23, 2007)

Some of the important features i would look for in a point and shoot camera ( SLRs excepted since they are obviously higher cost and more feature rich). 

1 - Image Stablization - This helps greatly with night shots and if you have a shakey hand all the time and dont use a tripod ( which is a must for night time shoots)

2 - Good Optical Zoom Range ( 10x-12x is about normal now ) ( Digital Zoom is where the camera "builds" the zoom based on what the optics see and translates them to pixels and guesses .. Not nearly as sharp as optical so go with higher optical zooms before digital zooms) 

3 - Shutter Speeds up to ISO1600 (or higher) if possible


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

I have a Sony DSC-H50 (9.1 mega pixels) that I love. It has Super Steady Shot and a 15X zoom. It works very well in low light without a flash (video isn't so good in low light though). I still have a lot to learn about the many function options.


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