Suggestion for decent sub £50 digital camera?

TiddlyPom

I've got it wrong so many times and ended up with ones with short lives.
I don't need bells and whistles but would like a decent zoom.
I have been told that Fuji cameras tend to be the best, but is that right?

I know it's a wise open field with only a few preferences, but if someone is prepared to make a couple of recommendations, I would be so grateful.
Many thanks.

ETA: I would be prepared to buy a decent quality second hand.

Sharon87

TBH anything under £50 will only be short lived! Even second hand cameras.

My advice for buying a camera - buy a make that specialises in cameras, so Fuji, Canon, Nikon are usually pretty decent. Sony can also be quite good too.

I would avoid cameras that promote what I call 'useless' factors in cameras. So if they say 'wifi' 'touch screen' I would avoid, especially at such low costs it means they've compromised on the actual camera qualities.

I would also go for a camera with as large as lens as possible, which will get the best clarity of photo.

Whatever you do avoid Vivitar! Phone cameras are 10 times better than them!

motorguy

Something like this....

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3654659.htm

Kernow666

best thing i found it get the one with the best lens , megapixels dont really come into it unless the lens is good

[Deleted User]

Might as well get the budget Canon - http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/2482626.htm

It has more zoom than the Nikon (8x optical). It's smaller, lighter, and has a better battery life - from http://snapsort.com/compare/Canon-PowerShot-IXUS-145-vs-Nikon-Coolpix-L31

BUT.. the nikon has a newer CMOS sensor. Sadly, i think it also uses AA batteries.. that puts me right off it.

There's also this nikon reduced at Argos - Nikon Coolpix S2900. That seems to be smaller than the canon, and with better battery. However, it's 5x zoom rather than 8x.

At this price, all the lenses will be as 'cheap' as each other.. so don't worry about it much. Go for what meets what you need out of it.

poppellerant

If you spent another £10, you could buy a refurbished camera direct from Fujifilm.

The Fuji Shop - Refurbished cameras

TiddlyPom

Thanks you for all the advice. At least I have a clue now!

teddysmum

Second hand, but something like this is excellent value.


I bought this model new for around £200.

[Deleted User]

If you could scrape together £60, you could get a used Bridge camera, with a respectable 15X optical zoom.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/GE-Bridge-Digital-Still-Camera/dp/B0084IKKX2/ref=sr_1_23?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1436466991&sr=1-23

InsideInsurance

ringo_24601 wrote: »

It has more zoom than the Nikon (8x optical)
<snip>
However, it's 5x zoom rather than 8x.

You do understand how zoom on compact cameras is measured? That you are looking at just the ratio of its widest angle to its longest length and not directly a measure of how big you make a distant object look.

So the Canon has a 28mm wide angle lens and so at x8 zoom it means its top end is 224mm. The Nikkon however is 26mm wide and so at x5 it only goes up to 130mm.

You could though get a x5 zoom that was only 50mm when zoomed out but that would be 250mm when zoomed in and so by most peoples understanding of zoom it zooms in more than the Canon.

Unfortunately what makes things more complex is that you have to factor in both the size of the lens and the sensor hence people standardise the lengths to what its equivalent to on a traditional 35mm film camera.

I have a 640mm lens for my camera, people often ask "how much zoom it has", well by compact camera methodology its a x1 zoom as its a fixed length lens

[Deleted User]

I've got a 500mm prime OM lens on my old 4/3rds SLR.. which gets doubled due to crop factor to 1000m ... yay for my 1x zoom It's such a long lens it has its own tripod adaptor. Not bad for £30 !

If you discussed lens length with someone who's only spending £50 on a camera; do you expect them to understand? The multiliper factor is the easiest way for a simple consumer to grasps product differentiation.

I love how everyone tries to push people looking for simple cameras towards bridge cameras.. almost like they just hate cameras that fit in pockets