recommend me a new camera please

magoogy

I want to begin taking better pictures and would love a dslr camera but, they are too dear and too big and bulky to carry around.

I would love a really great zoom and different effects from a camera - professional like pictures would be great too.

Has anyone any ideas for a good compact camera that would do all the above for about £150?

It would have to be light enough to carry round in my handbag on nights out and would be good for all occasions be it in a dark nightclub or bright sunny day. Fully automatic and good battery life and continuous clicking would be ideal too.

Any reccomendations please? Its going to be my christmas present from the old man so i have till mid december to choose one.

Thanks:beer:

im currently looking at this one;

http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B005IFX0FO/ref=cm_cr_pr_btm_link_next_2?ie=UTF8&pageNumber=2&showViewpoints=0

InsideInsurance

magoogy wrote: »

I would love a really great zoom and different effects from a camera - professional like pictures would be great too.

What do you mean "effects"?

Professional cameras have no "effects" they simply give the photographer a lot of control over how the camera operates. Any effects they do are post loading the pictures onto a computer.

Personally for a compact within your budget I'd go for a Panasonic TZ20 which is at £164 on amazon so shopping around should bring it down or there is last years model of the TZ10

magoogy

thanks for your reply - by effects i just mean where you can choose 'night' 'beach' 'party' portrait',etc.......

im just looking at the one youve suggested now thanks......

im still wavering towards the one ive linked because of the reviews - the only downside is the flash seems to get in the way by the sound of it....... thanks

Lymmbo

Any of the Panasonic TZ range. I have the TZ5 which although it is now about 5 years old, is still a very good camera with various settings including video shooting. The TZ20 is owned by 3 friends and my brother and all are very enthusiastic about them.

Hope you find what you want.

magoogy

thanks so much - im googling the range as we speak and reading the reviews.......

thanks

InsideInsurance

magoogy wrote: »

thanks for your reply - by effects i just mean where you can choose 'night' 'beach' 'party' portrait',etc.......

Ok, I know I am a little anal but what you are talking about is picture modes rather than "effects"

So an auto modes where you give it a little bit of guidance - ie Portrait aims at getting a low aperture size, landscape gets a deep depth of field with no flash etc

"Effects", at least in my mind, is selective colourisation, sepia, HDR etc

Glad to see someone else rates the TZ series.... very good little cameras for their money

magoogy

im hopeless at the terminology but yes, thanks for your advice and correction lol...... i dont like the look of the TZ series cameras - a bit like what ive already got now....... i like the look of the professional looking dslr's but i also like;
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/categories/products/canon/powershot-sx240-hs-digital-camera-in-black-84231/show.html

i really cannot decide...... i have £200 to spend now so any more advice before i go buy it next saturday? thanks...

something like this is what i would love but most seem to be aa batterys and surely, they die too quick?

http://www.argos.co.uk/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Browse?s=Price%3A+Low+-+High&storeId=10151&catalogId=1500002951&langId=110&c_1=1%7Ccategory_root%7CTechnology%7C33006169&c_2=2%7C33006169%7CCameras%2Band%2Bcamcorders%7C33008331&c_3=3%7Ccat_33008331%7CCameras%7C33012615&c_4=4%7Ccat_33012615%7CBridge%2Bdigital%2Bcameras%7C33026542&authToken=

Anne_Marie_2

Can I suggest that you take a step back, and not be in such a rush to get the camera for Christmas? Have a good think about what you would be using the camera for, and do a good bit of research before ploughing in, and perhaps buying something that you are not happy with.
If you are intent on getting a bridge camera, that's fine, just bear in mind that it will certainly not be something you can pop in your handbag. I am not against bridge cameras, I have a Panasonic FZ38 and it's brilliant, and takes fantastic photos, just that it's not always convenient to carry around. Bought the Panasonic TZ30, and that gets much more use than the bridge camera these days, and easily pops into handbag.

There are plenty of places to look at reviews such as http://www.dpreview.com/ http://www.avforums.com/
and if you want to compare cameras, you could do worse than have a look at http://snapsort.com/compare

(Maybe I am a bit biased, having a couple of Panasonics, but what is it that you don't like the look of?)

photodgm

I agree with Anne_Marie slow down, decide which features are most important to you. Size and weight are important considerations as well as image quality, low light performance and size of zoom. In my opinion www.photographyblog.com is another good review site. The one from Jessops is a good camera - I have one along with a number of DSLRs. It suits my needs but that doesn't mean it is the right camera for any one else. The clearer you are in your own mind about what photos you want to take the easier it is to find the 'right' camera.