Best cameras for landscapes,people,indoor and low light.

[Lilchilichoco]

Hi everybody,
I am an amateur photographer taking pretty good shots with my cell phone and amazingly,do not own a camera yet!!! I want to invest in a camera that can give seriously excellent results in the following categories---

1. landscapes

2. nature

3. people

4. Indoor/low light/night shots

Price range would be below 1000 dollars.
Ease of use will also figure relatively high since I am not trained in this art.

Will immensely appreciate someone helping me out with this,am really confused.:confused:

[T06]

Then I'd say dslr. There are numerous entry level cameras out there to choose from, plus the budget you mention will get you what you need to set yourself up entry level. Get on the net & read read & read all the reviews you can find, when you've done with the reviews read some more. Eventually it will start to make sense.

[Lilchilichoco]

Thank you so much for your reply. In fact it is after reading AND getting thoroughly confused that I wrote the S.O.S. The jargon gets u most of the time.If u r not from the field it can really kind of blank u out! But anyway,from a little that trickled in, I think that Canon PowerShot S3 IS, Canon PowerShot SD800 IS Digital ELPH,Canon powershot G6 and Fuji Finepix F30 would compete,largely because I am interested in 6-7 megapixels. Any other that might fit the bill? Also,for an amateur starting out how important is manual control? how well would models like the ELPH with limited manual control fare? I intend to keep reading though,it should make sense eventually:)

[tim11]

Lilchilichoco,
What type of features do you want for a camera? In 'car speak' your selection consists of a coupe of SUV and a couple of VW Golf types.
S3 and G6 (shouldn't that be G7?) are more bulky while you can put SD800 and F30 inside your pocket.
Do you have the wills and patience to learn photography to get the best result out of your camera? If the answer is YES then I'd say it is very useful.

[Lilchilichoco]

Hi Tim11,

In car speak I'd say I want a 4x4. I need something that'll be good for whatever I ask of it. So I want my camera to be able to take wide, crisp, vibrant sunsets,sea,desert,night AND also as-good-as-my-eye still life as well, both indoors and outdoors, besides shooting my daughter.

Hence I am looking for something that would work with me to achieve perfect shots,and I am seriously serious about photography,since I was 16! So I am good to go for the hard work. I have the passion and the eye for this art,what I need is someone to tell me the best tool. Weight and size are of neutral importance,but I have small hands so maybe a big one would get cumbersome. The midgets do not attract me,so I am thinking something in between. I said G6 because G7 is 10 megapixel. What is the exact advantage of 10 over 6/7 megapixel?

[tim11]

For your budget, you can go into the realm of DSLR. But not knowing if you have the wills and patience, and at a young age such as yourself, I'm not sure myself if it is wise that you should go that route. Personally, I'd get a point-and-shot camera first, should I want to introduce a young relative to photography.

I doubt you can still find a new G6 in the shop.
For a learning camera, if you want Canon, I'd say S3 or G7. Don't buy SD ELPH, unless you only want to learn framing then press the shutter only.

Don't be mislead by the manufacturers with their misleading MP promotion. MP is not a measurement of image quality, it's just the 'physical size' of the image. Good image come from high quality lens and sensor.

The main problem with point-and-shot camera is their slower speed and lowlight performance. But as they say... you only get what you pay for.

Do you know about Canon A630 (4x zoom) and A710 IS (6x zoom)? They have all manual controls that anyone can ask for.

For a Canon, I'd choose A630, A710 IS or S3. They can be your side camera later on if you go DSLR in the future.

[Lilchilichoco]

Hi Tim11

Trust me, I do have the will and the patience for the long haul. I'm glad you think 34 is young! I have always known I really wanted to do this. I used to go around framing anything and everything with my hands! Just got around to actually take this up rather late. But I am ready to learn. It's a passion,not a passing interest. Actually nothing is just an interest with me.

Let me frame my question again:

Which camera,in expert opinion, would have the best of:

1. wide angle

2. lowest noise

3. excellent low light performance

4. good anti shake

5. excellent contrast and colour reproduction

6. good for people as well as landscapes as well as flying or landing birds.

7. good for spur of the moment shots

I am starting this too late, so I really don't want to go for a double expenditure especially when my eye can see what it wants to click. What then do you think might be the best option?

Also, how important is manual control?
There's something about white balance in canon models...is it important?

what do things like focal length,apperture priority and shutter priority mean and how important are they? And finally, Nikon or Canon ?

[John_Reed]

Let's say you spent your money on an ultra-zoom camera, like a Panasonic DMC-FZ50, or a Fuji s6000fd for one, and a smaller camera for closeups and indoor scenes as the other - could be the Fuji F30? Let's see how these choices stack up against your complex "wish list:"

Hi Tim11

Trust me, I do have the will and the patience for the long haul. I'm glad you think 34 is young! I have always known I really wanted to do this. I used to go around framing anything and everything with my hands! Just got around to actually take this up rather late. But I am ready to learn. It's a passion,not a passing interest. Actually nothing is just an interest with me.

Let me frame my question again:

Which camera,in expert opinion, would have the best of:

1. wide angle Fuji s6000fd

2. lowest noise Fuji F30

3. excellent low light performance Fuji F30

4. good anti shake Panasonic FZ50

5. excellent contrast and colour reproduction All

6. good for people as well as landscapes (All) as well as flying or landing birds. Panasonic FZ50

7. good for spur of the moment shots Fuji F30

I am starting this too late, so I really don't want to go for a double expenditure especially when my eye can see what it wants to click. What then do you think might be the best option?

Also, how important is manual control?
There's something about white balance in canon models...is it important?

what do things like focal length,apperture priority and shutter priority mean and how important are they? And finally, Nikon or Canon ?

Focal length is a measure of the ability of the camera to either grab panoramas at wide angle, or flying birds at full telephoto. In 35mm terms, focal lengths less than 50mm are edging into the "wide angle" territory, though most people seem to think you need to go down to 28mm to get truly good wide angle images, and I agree. Focal lengths needed for capturing distant birds are "long," meaning in the 300+ mm range. I shoot birds with my FZ30 and an appended Teleconverter at an equivalent focal length of 909mm, if you see what I mean by "long?"

"Aperture" is the most widely misspelled word on any camera forum, I'm afraid. But it means "lens opening," or how much light can the lens accept for exposure in a given time interval. It's measured by "f-number," numbers like f2.8, f8, etc. are used. And the lower the number, the higher the aperture.

The word "priority" means that you're setting a particular shooting parameter like aperture or shutter speed (using, respectively, "aperture priority" or "shutter priority" modes) because you want a certain aperture, and you'll let the camera choose the correct shutterspeed for that selection. Likewise, if you use "shutter priority," it's because you want a certain shutter speed (say for sports) and the camera will then choose the correct aperture for proper exposure.

White balance is important, it relates the the "color temperature" of the light in which you're shooting, whether the camera will render colors faithfully in that light. All cameras have an "auto white balance" function, and most give one the option of customizing the white balance to suit particular lighting conditions.

Nikon or Canon? Two words that end in "on?" What's the question?:)

[tim11]

Of course 34 is young. :D I'm starting to miss keywords alot lately... a sign of the years catching up with me??? :o

I'd say go DSLR. How important is manual controls? To squeeze the best out of a camera's potential, you should select your own settings. Besides, cameras are not smart enough to fathom what you have in mind.

"1. wide angle, 2. lowest noise, 3. excellent low light performance, 4. good anti shake, 5. excellent contrast and colour reproduction, 6. good for people as well as landscapes as well as flying or landing birds. 7. good for spur of the moment shots" DSLR offer 6 out of 7. Not many manufacturers offer built-in Anti shake, you have to spend more on IS lens. I don't think any PnS cameras in John's list offer all 7; you may have to compromise one or two points.

If you buy point-and-shoot as a learning camera, the chance is it doesnt take long before you wish more from your camera.

[John_Reed]

Of course 34 is young. :D I'm starting to miss keywords alot lately... a sign of the years catching up with me??? :o
You'd better HOPE not, young man! (Says the 67-year old, happy that the world provides cameras with anti-shake mechanisms?) You've got a LONG way to go before you catch up!

[T06]

Especially when on holiday & your visiting all of your best friends & they happen to live in the most photogenic part of the country, thank the heavens for the morning after vibration reduction button.:D

[Lilchilichoco]

Hi again.

First,thank you all for your answers. Really appreciate the time taken.

John Reed,sir,thank you for correcting me on aperture. I am pretty particular about language but I guess I missed it this time.

Coming to my 4x4 camera,your answer suggests three cameras,which however passionate I may be about photography,my dear husband would not buy me.:)

After I read your detailed reply,I read up on aperture,shutter speed,focal length,depth of field and something tells me,I’ll never really get it till I hold the camera in my hands.

Which leads me back to the original question:which camera?
Let’s do this again,another way.

1. Given my requirements,what features should I look for in a camera?
2. Given my requirements,what features can be compromised upon?


John Reed,Panasonic has an ‘on’ too?That gives me three. I noticed you haven’t mentioned Nikon or Canon,first brands people talk about. Any particular reason?

Tim11, I am absolutely certain that if I buy a point and shoot camera,with my current levels of creativity roaring,I’d want an SLR soon after.

T06,vr would spell my redemption too,I don’t have very steady hands.

What do you think of Nikon D50, Canon rebel xt,Sony alpha 100?

[John_Reed]

John Reed,Panasonic has an ‘on’ too?That gives me three. I noticed you haven’t mentioned Nikon or Canon,first brands people talk about. Any particular reason?
Well yes, Panasonic contains an "on," but it doesn't end in "on," which was not my point. It seemed that you were limiting your choices as if there were only two camera makers to consider, i.e., Canon or Nikon. Both of those companies produce excellent lines of cameras, but they're just not the only ones who do, in my opinion.
What do you think of Nikon D50, Canon rebel xt,Sony alpha 100?
From my perspective, I don't own a dSLR mind you, but I'm quite satisfied that I need image stabilization with whatever camera I would choose. Of the three you mentioned, the Sony is the only one with "in-body" stabilization, meaning you can have the feature for any lens you might want to attach - not so for your Nikon & Canon choices. Along that line, Pentax has some lower-cost alternatives, starting with the already-released K100D (I think that's what it's called), and the soon-to-hit-the-streets K10D, which is creating quite a stir amongst us birders with its in-body stabilization, ability to accommodate a wide spectrum of lenses, and its affordable price. If you could wait until reviews of this camera are published, you might benefit from that.

[tim11]

You'd better HOPE not, young man! (Says the 67-year old, happy that the world provides cameras with anti-shake mechanisms?) You've got a LONG way to go before you catch up!

In fact, I have 2.5 decades to catch up with you John. :)

Antishake? What about Olympus DSLR? Is there any chance Canon might come up with its own soon?

DSLR is beyond my knowledge and experience as for now.... Hopefully, more experienced folks will guide you, Lilchilichoco.

[Lilchilichoco]

Just read about Nikon d40! Wow! Bang on time!I think I'll give a fair chance to the D40. Looks like a good bet. Studied the review on Olympus Evolt 500....colours not as bright as competiton--Canon Eos 20d and Sony Cybershot dsc R1.
I think in Dslr then,my choices would narrow down to:

Nikon D40/80
Canon Digital Rebel Xti
Sony Dslr Alpha A100.

Thanks everybody. And huge thanks to the site managers!
Kudos!:)