newbie thinking of upgrading his simple p&s

[ferez21]

Hi,
this is my first message here. looks like i got to the right forum
for 6 months now i have a Samsung s760. its really a nice and simple p&s camera that served me well in this period of time
(my Flickr gallery) ,but i really started to like photographing as a hobby and not only as a utility to "save moments" in time.
so, i decided to upgrade to an SLR-like camera (or Super-zoom, however you will call it) but with a very tight budget (wish i had more money :dunno.

it is important to me that the camera will have manual controls (aperture, exposure time and even manual focus), good image stabilization (doesnt matter if its ISO based, electronic or mechanical as long as it works fine), 6X zoom and thats it i think.

as i searched the web for upgrade cameras to fit in my budget, i came up with these ones:

1) olympus sz-560
2) fujifilm s1000fd
3) fujifilm s1500
4) fujifilm s8000
5) canon sx-110 (cost a bit above the rest, but i will strech my budget if its worth it)

thats about it for now. i will continue to search the web for more options.
just for general knowledge, all of the cameras above cost around 250-300 australian dollars (AU$).

so, can anyone reccomand me who is the best of the bunch? or maybe some other option i didnt mentiond?

thank in advance for all the repliers,
have a great day

 

[aryanto]

Have you checked this website? http://www.steves-digicams.com/
I found his review is very methodical. Some people say long winded, but sometimes it is necessary.
See if you can find the camera model you have above over there.

 

[lamergod]

if im not wrong,there are two models nikon p90(enough money to buy a entry lvl dslr)and the fuifilm s200HD or something not sure about price

 

[ferez21]

i read review in dpreview.com and they say that the fuji s2000hd is not good at taking still photos (the main gimmik is the HD movie), and also the nikon is disapointing (a friend have it).

 

[Snoweagle]

Think u should upgrade your simple PnS to a simple DSLR.

 

[ferez21]

one day i will but i have to stick to the budget for now

 

[Snoweagle]

one day i will but i have to stick to the budget for now

Why not u use your PnS first while saving a while longer for a DSLR. It's really worth it honestly.

 

[ferez21]

i got so in-love in photographing that i feel that my PnS is limiting me in evey pic that i take.
i am really eager to upgrade ASAP, and another reason that i would rather wait until buying a DSLR is that im out of my country for 6 months and i want a relativley "compact" camera to carry on with me and get great pics while im travelling.

 

[Snoweagle]

i got so in-love in photographing that i feel that my PnS is limiting me in evey pic that i take.
i am really eager to upgrade ASAP, and another reason that i would rather wait until buying a DSLR is that im out of my country for 6 months and i want a relativley "compact" camera to carry on with me and get great pics while im travelling.

All right then, it's your choice. But i feel that compacts are rather limiting too.

 

[ZerocoolAstra]

I agree.
A friend recently bought second hand Nikon D40 for < $450...! How cheap do you want a DSLR to be before it's within your budget?

 

[ferez21]

I agree.
A friend recently bought second hand Nikon D40 for < $450...! How cheap do you want a DSLR to be before it's within your budget?

about 250 AU$

 

[spheredome]

Before jumping into dSLR thinking it will take miracle photos, you need to know your interest in carrying heavy stuffs around. dSLR is not portable and there is no electronic zoom, so is not a one hand operation camera like P&S compact.

What is your expectation for a photo? Are you extremely particular about details like leaves of trees from afar. Are you willing to buy accessories for your dSLR at hundreds of dollars?

If you want to take those super tiny insects, a compatible P&S with Raynox for example will do better and much cheaper than bulky dSLR?

Is that camera to be shared with family and will they use dSLR too?

 

[ferez21]

Ok,
first of all, thanks for the response spheredome.
second, i think you got the wrong impression because i said that im still not ready for a dSLR camera (by budget and other means), thats why im looking for a dSLR-like/super-zoom/advanced compact cameras for now.
i really like photographing and my camera just not suitable for my needs anymore. i would like a camera with a decent amout of zoom (6x and up), good macro mode, manual controls, and a decent (if its possible) low-light preformance.
I will be the only user of the camera and i will currently be using it during my trip un australia.
So, i would like to hear any suggestions, and i also saw another camera that will fit my budget:

Ricoh caplio R8

it seems like a really serious and advanced compact camera.
any opinions on it?

Thanks

 

[stalejive]

panasonic fz28 ?

 

[ferez21]

would love to have one but it costs 460 AU$, a bit out of my budget. maybe if i could find the fz18 in a good price i would buy one.

 

[ferez21]

any other suggestions?

thank ya' all

 

[spheredome]

One week already and you have not reach a purchasing conclusion, you are thinking too much.:sweat:

This may help. In reality, the user will naturally achieve his/her usage pattern according to the camera behaviour. Unless one start nick pick on every single corner at 70% crop, all the P&S that you isolated including those recommended are marginally closed.

But if you want to have a p&s with powerful flash, then TTL shot shoe is required.

any other suggestions?

thank ya' all

 

[Cartman2000]

panasonic g1, lx3. canon g10.

a few of the only "PNSes/prosumers" i'd use. though, they are near DSLR price... try getting a 2nd hand one mebbe?

 

[ferez21]

maybe if i had been able to find a second hand canon g7 or nikon p5100, i would buy one of them...

wish i had more money :cry:
i really want to start photography as a more serious hobbby, but the budget stops me