Please help me find a digital camera..

gghh

Firstly, sorry if this is the wrong place to post this, feel free to move it!

I am looking to replace my digital camera with something that takes a decent pic but very easy to use and without me having to faff around with different buttons each time I want to take a picture, if possible!
I want something with a good zoom feature, I went to a gig last month and had to take all pictures zoomed in but they just came out blurry, also I need one that takes the pic quickly after you press the button as I have children and taking pics of them is a nightmare as they don't keep their smile for long of they close their eyes!!

Please gice me your recommendations as I can't find a decent camera finder tool online!!

Thanks

juliescot

If you want to take decent pictures at a gig then you will need a decent optical zoom and a decent lens - probably looking at an DSLR

Do you have any idea of budget?

gghh

Thanks, I guess I don't really want to spend any more than £200-£300 at the most and I'm hoping for a compact camera, do they not take good close up pictures? Am I being a bit picky?!

juliescot

Some do - but at gigs you tend to be too far back for a decent snap, not always the case I appreciate.

Link below might help

http://www.crowdstorm.co.uk/c1_digital_cameras/v2?gclid=CL696q_91Z0CFeZr4wodG0AitA

http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/equipment/1/compactcameras.html

keys_2

Hiya , I have found myself in the same boat as you over the last few years { also I have had my fair share of cameras cheap and expensive ones }!!

I know you said you were after a camera , but just to give you a different idea what I did was change my phone in the end .

My reason being - like the previous post said and SLR is better and definately clearer for taking pics of children and concerts . But I find these rather bulky to carry around - especially if you are in standing at a concert / football match / park with the kids etc . Also they seem to be on the dearer side.!!
So what I did was purchase a camera at a reasonable price between 8-12 mega pixels - you can get one ranging around £60 upwards . I didnt mind if it was quite large to carry as I use it in the house / friends houses / family days out tah tare not too adventourous / christmas and birthday celebrations / Ebay phots etc.
Then I purchased a different mobile phone at a later date which has a good high camera resoloution - they range from again around £60 upwards .
I found the phone is great for concerts and events photos whilst also grabbing them quick photos of my daughter when out shopping / at the farm and using at more busier areas . Also you will alwys have your mobile on you all the time and light to carry and avoids being stolen as it will quite easily fit in your bag / pocket.

Sorry to go off with a different idea I just found it works better that way for me after plenty of cameras ive had have been lost / stolen and broken . And this way you can use different memory cards so if the worst is to happen at least you still save some of your pics x

juliescot

keys wrote: »

Hiya , I have found myself in the same boat as you over the last few years { also I have had my fair share of cameras cheap and expensive ones }!!

I know you said you were after a camera , but just to give you a different idea what I did was change my phone in the end .

My reason being - like the previous post said and SLR is better and definately clearer for taking pics of children and concerts . But I find these rather bulky to carry around - especially if you are in standing at a concert / football match / park with the kids etc . Also they seem to be on the dearer side.!!
So what I did was purchase a camera at a reasonable price between 8-12 mega pixels - you can get one ranging around £60 upwards . I didnt mind if it was quite large to carry as I use it in the house / friends houses / family days out tah tare not too adventourous / christmas and birthday celebrations / Ebay phots etc.
Then I purchased a different mobile phone at a later date which has a good high camera resoloution - they range from again around £60 upwards .
I found the phone is great for concerts and events photos whilst also grabbing them quick photos of my daughter when out shopping / at the farm and using at more busier areas . Also you will alwys have your mobile on you all the time and light to carry and avoids being stolen as it will quite easily fit in your bag / pocket.

Sorry to go off with a different idea I just found it works better that way for me after plenty of cameras ive had have been lost / stolen and broken . And this way you can use different memory cards so if the worst is to happen at least you still save some of your pics x

What phone do you use?

I find that any phone I have had is always slower than a dedicated camera.

MrsBartolozzi

I have the sony ericsson C902, and while the picture quality overall is pretty good, it's a lot slower than my 5 year old camera and pictures of people in motion (as you'd get at a gig) are often blurry. I use it as a camera for most stuff these days as it's compact and always in my pocket, but I'd prefer a proper camera for a gig.
Also you don't get optical zoom on mobiles (I really wanted one and couldn't get any this time last year and haven't seen any since - but I could be wrong) and you'd want optical zoom for long distance shots.
I guess what I'm trying to say is I'd not recommend going for a mobile instead of a "proper" camera.

property.advert

Stick to cameras, phones are for making telephone calls !

I like the Canon IXUS range. Simple, point and shoot with way more things than I will ever use but simple enough to know that auto is best after setting up a few things when you start.

I had issue with my 5 year old one and the screen was cracked a bit but my research also threw up the issue of start up and taking repetitive pictures. Not all of this is down to the camera. You can take Button's Formula 1 car but if you put me in it, it will go around the circuit a tad slower.

So, batteries. The battery needs to be able to power the camera for the next photo. The flash needs to reset and draw sufficient power to work again. The camera itself needs to be able to operate fast enough for you. The camera then has to be able to write the data from the last photo to the memory card fast enough. The memory card also has to be able to accept that data as fast as the camera can deliver it.

All of these and probably more issues make the camera fast or slow or somewhere in-between.

So basically, you have to get your budget and not blow it al on a camera and then find you have to buy other necessary items from the cheapo bin which slow it down.

Personally, I'd go to Jessops and ask. They will probably not be the cheapest but they can often give out good advice. Don't get a Saturday till worker but someone who has been trained and has an interest in photography.

I'm not expert but with my old purchase I'd just bought the camera and thought that was it. It isn't and you should find out so you are comfortable with how the pieces interact and get some professional advice.

butterfriends

i've always used a fujifilm camera, the main reason i stuck with them is because it takes photos quickly, my parents have had a couple of canon's and while they have taken lovely photos it's just not as quick as mine

it's definitely worth trying different models, i'm really fussy about how they feel in my hand, so yeah take advice and try before you buy

jaymac_2

I got this one from Tesco direct http://direct.tesco.com/q/R.206-7091.aspx First time I've had a fuji and it really does take pictures quickly. I got one of my dog and it looks like she's flying. Only £67 but another fiver off if you scan a catalogue at checkout and get a voucher worth £5

cheeswright

Hi
I did a HUGE amount of research on this last year - trawled through tons of websites - reviews - went into camera shops to discuss etc...all the time stretching my theoretical budget more and more for those'extra features' - and when it came to handing over the cash I just couldnt - all i could think was this camera is goinG to get broken - coz its going in my pocket !
I have another very good camera - but the bulk is too much for most uses
If thats the boat your in - and want a good funtional camerato take everywhere buy a finepix from fuji best reviews of lower priced cameras by miles
thats what I did in the end - no regrets - good build quality intuative to use - and if it gets as much abuse as mine - consider going to the fuji uk websit and buying a reconditioned one - only 6 months warrenty - but massive discount so i dont worry about it - dont even have it in a case - and it uses aa batteries - so its always ready to go...worth thinking about - good luck