Recommendations for cameras

[Milenegue]

Good day to all the Veterans here,

I am new to the forum, i need some help with getting a camera. Browsing the web and Electronic store is making me more and more confused of what to buy.
Basically, i love taking nice photos, but i have only done that using my phone.
I am looking to get a basic camera for my upcoming Hong Kong trip in march and future trips as i assume most digital cameras will do a better job than a smartphone.
I am looking for something that looks retro like the Olympus pen or Canon C9X, but sadly its out of my budget.
My budget is around $300-$500+
Was thinking if there is any alternative retro looking cameras around.
If there is no good retro looking camera for my budget, any recommendations for camera like the Fujifilm finepix s4800 type of cameras?
Was thinking if cannot afford retro looking ones. At least something like s4800, at least the zoom features can put to good use when travelling over seas.
Hope you guys can guide me on this.
Thanks in advance. =)


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[sachokphantom]

If you do not mind owning secondhand. You can try EM5 which is around your budget.

 

[tlt4768]

If you think you are going to use the camera often and love taking nice photo, I would suggest you up your budget a little more and look into those interchangeable lens mirrorless camera. In general mirrorless cameras are small in size and very convenient for travel use. If you are into retro looks, take a look at Fujifilm X-M1 or the X-A2. In the long run if you get more serious into photography, you can still keep the lens and upgrade the camera body.

 

[Milenegue]

Don't think i will have time to go deep into photography. Therefore looking for one that don't require extra effort to maintain. Like a decent one for an average user.

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[zaren]

Canon C9X or G9X?

you can get a second hand G9X for well under $500.

 

[sadper]

If you do not mind owning secondhand. You can try EM5 which is around your budget.

Actually some second hand camera condition is quite good. But there are also some which condition is not so good but still price very high. Beware of this if you are going for it.

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[oceanpriest]

ricoh gr or ricoh gr ii

 

[thoongeng]

For me I think smartphone cameras have improved a lot in recent years and can rival most basic cameras. The only reasons I can think of needing a separate camera is if you need the optical zoom, or a larger sensor for less noise in low light environments. An alternative is to learn some free apps for editing your photos on your smartphone, for example Snapseed, which does not cost anything and is not another device + charger + batteries + memory cards to bring around.

The prices of compact cameras with 1-inch and above sensors has not dropped much, so probably you have to stretch your budget a bit more if you want to get one. The cheapest I can think of is the Canon G9X, which costs around mid-500s if I remember correctly, if you get it at the usual recommended camera shops. I read reviews that it's also the most compact of the 1" sensor cameras with good image quality, though the zoom range and low light capabilities are a bit less than the other more expensive models.

The Fuji S4800 you mentioned has a big zoom range, but is also bulkier and heavier. An alternative is the Canon Powershot SX720HS (only because I was browsing the Canon website while checking out G9X, other brands should have similar 'travel zooms' as well), which has slightly more zoom but is smaller. The sensor of both are smaller so quality is only marginally better than the usual smartphone, main advantage is the quality will be much better in cases you need to zoom in

 

[Milenegue]

Thanks for the inputs given. After some research. I have narrowed down to 2 canon powershot models.
SX720 HS
G7X mark ii
Which would be recommended for a overall general usage in most aspects?


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[thoongeng]

Thanks for the inputs given. After some research. I have narrowed down to 2 canon powershot models.
SX720 HS
G7X mark ii
Which would be recommended for a overall general usage in most aspects?


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Out of your 2 choices I will choose Canon G7X II, because I am a pixel peeper
Though it has less zoom range, it has a bigger sensor (1 inch sensor, same as Canon G9X and Sony RX100 series) and fast (i.e big aperture) lens so will give better quality images, especially in low light conditions
Even when you upgrade to a interchangeable lens camera in the future, you can still use it in situations when you don't want to bring it out, and the quality will not be that far off.
However it is almost twice as expensive and probably out of your budget.

I might get the SX720HS if I mainly use it in daytime, and mainly use the longer range of the zoom.

An alternative you might consider is that looks like mod zaren is selling her Canon G9X on the Buy/Sell section for $300, not sure if still available, check it out here:
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1656055&p=9418823#post9418823

 

[ziggy]

Thanks for the inputs given. After some research. I have narrowed down to 2 canon powershot models.
SX720 HS
G7X mark ii
Which would be recommended for a overall general usage in most aspects?


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The Canon G7XII is about a year old and is not cheap. A second hand would be over $500.

Get the Canon G9X which mod Zaren is selling for $300 as suggested by thoongeng. It's very good value.

 

[zaren]

Thanks for the inputs given. After some research. I have narrowed down to 2 canon powershot models.
SX720 HS
G7X mark ii
Which would be recommended for a overall general usage in most aspects?


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G7X Mk II

 

[one eye jack]

Originally Posted by Milenegue View Post
Thanks for the inputs given. After some research. I have narrowed down to 2 canon powershot models.
SX720 HS
G7X mark ii
Which would be recommended for a overall general usage in most aspects?

As a newbie like most of us before, we get a camera that suits our budget..ie. cheap one for starters.Now don't mistake cheap for inferior quality as the final result boils down to skill of the photographer not the camera.To be honest nowadays a cheap camera is already good enough to post online in webpage or social media.If that's what you want and your photos only reside in your PC or small photos in wallet.

So you want a step up in quality from a phonecam,by that do you understand what this means?

Size of image sensor: The compact point n shoot and bridge cams with long zooms have sensors the size of your fingernail compared to the 1 inch (diagonal) of GX7ii.It matters only if you want to print out photos of 8 X 10 inch or larger ,of course the larger sensor can print bigger photos before you see colour noise(chroma noise ) in shadow areas.

The lens: This is fixed in this catagory (can not change) so either have short zoom or long zoom.
Choice of focal length of lens gives you different angle/coverage of image capture and perspective
effects which simply means you get different look of photos.

Flash : Artificial light source built into the camera.Buy cam that has one for you never know
when you need this extra light for fill light indoors as well as outdoors like in shade or sunlight.

Viewfinder:Most compacts use LCD screen unless bridge cams with long zooms.
You may find it is useful but then again LCD shows 100% coverage ie.WSIWSG (what you see is what you get).So does EVFs (electronic viewfinder).

Your initial picks show you want the big boys brand but 1 inch sensors are used by canikons as they don't want to be associated to M43 cams like olympus and panasonic.A matter of pride but still want market share.:bsmilie:

I'm sure you want a brand new cam so choose wisely.Research patiently and you will find something you are happy with. Also learn the basics of photography, it pays in the long run.

 

[Milenegue]

Thanks all for your kind input. In the end i went cathay photos and end up getting a RX100 mark 3. Hope i didnt make the wrong choice. 😄

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[thoongeng]

Good buy, looks like you stretched your budget a bit more

Now to take more photos and learn more about photography to make full use of your new toy