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Looking for a new Camera

Any suggestions on what new camera I should buy. Mine doesn't seem to take good close ups of my knives. I have a Canon Powershot A720IS - 8 MP and 6x zoom. Its been a good camera for the past 4 years but its getting slow taking the shot, even with new batteries. It also does not take good pics - like ball games or graduations - they turn out dark. We are not to up on cameras and wonder if anyone has a good suggestion on an upgrade that will take care of the above problems??

Thanks.

Tags: 18, A720IS, Canon, Cool, DMC-FZ, Lumix, Nikon, Panasonic, Pix, Powershot

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FeaturedPermalink Reply by Charles Sample on July 4, 2013 at 14:21

I am sure I will. It actually is a D3100. I have Nikon binoculars and a Nikon scope on my deer rifle and am well pleased with them.

Steve Scheuerman said:

Nice DSLR there, Charles. You'll be happy with the purchase!

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Permalink Reply by Steve Scheuerman (Manx) on July 4, 2013 at 14:22

Do your best to stick with VR (vibration reduction) lenses.

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Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on July 6, 2013 at 10:09

OK - I am making a list and checking it twice. Looks like Nikon is the preference: Cool pics, D80, D40, D3000, D 3100 and then the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ 18.

And the macro setting for close ups.

What about those pictures in a gym or auditorium? I see these kids holding up there phones and taking great pics.

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by D ale on July 6, 2013 at 10:23

Nikon makes great glass .. I've their 6.5-20 on the 22-250 .. I've a set of binocs by them too .. not a single bad thing to say about them. Their cameras are great too.

In 35 mm .. I had Canon's Ftb .. my friends also had canon, nikon or pentax .. everyone was happy with their choice. i.e. stick with a brand name & fine tune from there.

Fine tune ............ identify what features are important to you .. research what parameters of the camera will most influence these features .. then look within the brand you've decided on for best match.

If you've an unlimited budget .. buy the best SLR out there.

If your budget is limited .. there exist some dmn good point & shoot cams out there.

Define what you're looking for in an exacting manner as possible .. budget constraints included .. & work from there.

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Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on July 6, 2013 at 13:41

Narrowing it down: Nikon D3100, Coolpix P7700 or P510. Do these all have a macro setting??

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by D ale on July 6, 2013 at 13:53

comparison # 1

The above search parameters resulted in the 5 comparisons listed + many more.

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The search parameters listed below get the macro info on the p7700

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varying the search parameters will provide the info you desire on the other 2 models.

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Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on July 6, 2013 at 14:07

Thanks Dale, very helpful.

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Permalink Reply by Rick Zolla on July 6, 2013 at 17:02

Ken,

Any current brand name camera can take good close-ups, but sometimes it's difficult to wade through all the menus and find the correct settings. If you are comfortable with your Canon then a newer Powershot should work just fine.

I use an old 6 MP Sony and I have found that a small tripod helps keep the image clear and I always take lots of shots and process the best ones using a photo site like Photobucket. I take all my photos outside, in the shade, on the north side of the house.

For events like ball games, or graduations, again the correct settings are important and most cameras have an 'automatic' mode that does most of the work for you.

Finally, of course, practice makes perfect. The more familiar you become with your camera, the better photographer you will become.

Before processing, and after

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Permalink Reply by Sue OldsWidow on July 7, 2013 at 9:13

my old Sony Cyber-Shot 5.1 mega pixels is what I use...

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Permalink Reply by Ken Spielvogel on July 8, 2013 at 9:47

OK - we are going Thursday to look. Best Buy and HH Greg. I think we are leaning toward a good Coolpix.

Someone said - the higher MP's - sometimes the harder to email pics. Anyone know about what MP's we should look for??

There are so many models of Coolpix - ????

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In MemoriamPermalink Reply by D ale on July 8, 2013 at 17:15

I wouldn't buy MORE megapixels @ the cost of some of the features you are really looking for.

Large pic files can be cumbersome & time consuming when loading onto the internet .. like here for show & tell. That's where after market pic manipulation programs come into play. I use FastStone .. a freebie shareware program that I think is great .. allowing me to crop / rotate / resize / & other edits. J.J. uses another that he is quite happy with. Performs the same tasks & is also free.

These programs & similar are used for what someone already mentioned .. post processing. Among many other features .. they allow one to reduce the raw size of the pic files before emailing or posting.

Relative to MegaPixels to purchase .. I'd go with what is currently the std in the industry for the type of camera you decide on .. which is lower for point & shoot cams than SLR's. But, again .. not at the cost of the features you desire though.

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Permalink Reply by J.J. Smith III on July 8, 2013 at 23:39

I have to agree with Dale. More megapixels are nice, if you want wallpaper size prints. For the most part, I simply use a 14 mp Kodak. The main thing to look for is a good macro (close focus) setting, which looks to be good in the Nikon.

I use IrfanView for much of my photo work. It's not photoshop but it does a dandy job of re-sizing your pics.

D ale said:

I wouldn't buy MORE megapixels @ the cost of some of the features you are really looking for.

Large pic files can be cumbersome & time consuming when loading onto the internet .. like here for show & tell. That's where after market pic manipulation programs come into play. I use FastStone .. a freebie shareware program that I think is great .. allowing me to crop / rotate / resize / & other edits. J.J. uses another that he is quite happy with. Performs the same tasks & is also free.

These programs & similar are used for what someone already mentioned .. post processing. Among many other features .. they allow one to reduce the raw size of the pic files before emailing or posting.

Relative to MegaPixels to purchase .. I'd go with what is currently the std in the industry for the type of camera you decide on .. which is lower for point & shoot cams than SLR's. But, again .. not at the cost of the features you desire though.