Boylen33 wrote:
Hi guys,
I have been scouring Best Buy for days trying to figure out which digital camera to go with. My wife wants a new one for Christmas, but she doesn't want a traditional point and shoot setup, nor a full DSLR (simply becuase I can't afford it!). Plus, my budget is $200-$300.
I've been looking at a factory refurbished Olympus SP-800UZ model for $230 in the outlet center, but I'm not sure if it's a good camera or not.
So, any ideas of which camera to get her?
She wants something with over 12 MP, something with a nice zoom, and something that has the look and feel of a DSLR.
Any suggestions in my price range? Thanks!
Why over 12MP? Keep in mind that megapixel count is no longer a very good indicator of image quality, as the resolving power of sensors often exceeds the optics and also low-light performance goes down as megapixel count goes up. (This is why Canon actually dropped megapixel count for 14MP down to 10 from the G10 to G11 - the G-series are Canon's flagship point and shoot cameras)
Physical sensor size (actual area) is more important than megapixel count nowadays - often people with old 6MP DSLRs can get better pictures than a 12+ MP point and shoot just because the physical sensor size of the DSLR is so much larger.
In my experience, most of the "bridge" cameras (sort of looks like a DSLR but isn't) have none of the advantages of a DSLR (autofocus speed, image quality) but most of the disadvantages (inconvenient to carry, still not cheap).
Also, keep in mind that ultrazoom lenses are notorious for compromising image quality. There are exceptions (such as the Tamron 18-270 and Sigma 18-250 SLR lenses), but many ultrazooms have strange distortions at varying points in the zoom range. We have a Fuji "bridge" camera at work that has some of the worst barrel distortion I have ever seen from a camera, and this is apparently relatively typical of point-and-shoot ultrazooms.
You may be best served by looking into the used market (Maybe an older Canon G-series - as said before these are typically Canon's flagship P&S units, and are what many pros go to if they can't tote their SLR around.) given your budget constraints, unless you stretch your budget a bit.
With some budget stretching:
Canon S95 - $370ish
Canon G12 - $470 (probably may as well just go SLR at this point)
Various entry level SLRs around $500 for kits - note that one of the advantages of investing in an SLR is that rather than constantly replacing the whole setup, you can slowly invest in upgrades to the system (flash unit, lenses, etc.)
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*disclaimer* I am not now, nor have I ever been, an employee of Best Buy, Geek Squad, nor of any of their affiliate, parent, or subsidiary companies.
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