Please help me choose a camera

[Pugs93]

Photography is more opinionated than cruising. I started with a Nikon SLR in 1996. From there it grew to mono pods, lenses, DSLR, etc. I am an amateur photographer. If you are interested in photography buy a decent camera, but spend a little on the lens. A good lens will make an average camera have the ability to take great shots. Just like cruise lines, you will be faced with choosing between Nikon, Cannon, etc , don't worry about the brand. As long as you choose a good brand you will be pleased with the results. Educate yourself in lenses, there is a big difference between a n f 1.5 and an f 3.0.

 

 

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[pierces]

A good lens will make an average camera have the ability to take great shots.

 

A good lens will allow a camera to capture technically sharp, well-focused images of what it is pointed at...great shots still require a photographer to point it!

 

Of course there's always that thousands monkeys, thousand typewriters, thousand years, works of Shakespeare thing...:D

 

Dave

[Nole0202]

The P310 has the same 1/2.3" sensor size as most compact cameras, with the exception of the Canon S100, G15, Nikon P330, and P7700, and Panasonic LX7 - which all have a 1/1.7" sensor.

 

Even then, the typical compact camera with a 1/2.3" sensor is 7 times larger in surface area as does the typical smartphone. Still a small sensor, but nowhere nearly as small as a cellphone.

 

Bridge cameras have slightly smaller sensors (1/2.5") as that is the only way they can get those huge zooms in a small package. There may be an exception or two, but I cannot recall a bridge camera with a sensor larger than 1/2.5".

 

 

Typical cell phone sensor; 1/6" - 14x crop factor, 4sq mm sensor size.

 

Typical compact camera sensor 1/2.5" 6x crop factor, 25 sq mm sensor size.

 

Typical bridge camera sensor 1/2.5" 6x crop factor, 25 sq mm sensor size.

 

Nikon P310 sensor 1/2.3" 5.6x crop factor, 28 sq mm sensor size.

 

Canon S260 sensor 1/2.3" 5.6x crop factor, 28 sq mm sensor size.

 

Canon S100 sensor 1/1.7" 4.5x crop factor, 43 sq mm sensor size.

 

Nikon P330 sensor 1/1.7" 4.5x crop factor, 43 sq mm sensor size.

 

Panasonic LX7 sensor 1/1.7" 4.5x crop factor, 43 sq mm sensor size.

 

Sony RX-100 sensor 1", 2.7 crop factor, 116 sq mm sensor size.

 

Nikon 1 (Aptina) sensor 1", 2.7 crop factor, 116 sq mm sensor size.

 

M4/3 , 2x crop factor, 225 sq mm sensor size.

 

Canon APS-C DSLR, 1.6x crop factor, 329 sq mm sensor size.

 

Nikon APS DSLR, 1.5x crop factor, 370 sq mm sensor size.

 

Sony NEX, 1.5x crop factor, 370 sq mm sensor size.

 

Full frame DSLR (all), 1.0 crop factor, 864 sq mm sensor size.

 

 

 

Thanks!

Hope all appreciate your post as it truly explains the main difference of camera image quality.

"A picture is worth a 1,000 words"

[Nole0202]

As a girl, I can't really fit ANYTHING in my pockets, phone, wallet, or (obviously) camera: according to most clothing manufacturers, women don't need to have convenient storage on their bodies and only want pockets for show. So I'll have to carry around SOME sort of bag, regardless. :p And as a college student, I'm used to carrying around a bag with a bit of weight. Is it harder/more inconvenient to take the DSLR out and just start shooting than it is with a p&s? Is there any reason I'd want to still bring my iPhone around as an equivalent of a low-end p&s if I had the DSLR? My mom's not too enthusiastic about carrying around (and potentially losing or damaging) our phones -especially hers as it's a work phone.

 

And I WOULD be interested in something like the RX100 for the convenience, but I DEFINITELY don't have $500 to spend on a camera: $300 is pushing it and supplementing what my mom would spend toward a camera with everything I'll earn between now and the cruise from my newly acquired job. Even then, it's going to take some time convincing her that paying that for a camera is worth it, when in her mind we're mostly trying to avoid risk to the iPhones and maybe get slightly better pictures (I was originally supposed to be looking in the $100-$150 range, but couldn't really find anything worth that cost to me, and now I've gone and doubled it).

 

Look for discontinued model, the new models are coming out now for the Holiday season. You should be able to get a discontinued camera for 50% off. Last week I found a Sony NEX-F3 with 18-55 zoom at Best Buy for $265.

[donaldsc]

I do not want to appear to be snippy but at your level of interest, expertise and at your price point, any inexpensive P&S will do. Unless you have a real need for an underwater camera, do not buy one.

 

DON