Can anyone help me with basic camera questions?

The_Jen626

Hi Ladies,

I just lost my camera.    I have NO idea where it is, and I can't remember seeing it since this summer.  It was a basic Nikon Coolpix from Target, I bought it a few years ago for $180 ish, and it has served me just fine.  Honestly, I bought it because it was purple.  It was pretty easy to use, but for some reason I could never figure out how to turn the flash off and on, it was a PITA.

I'd like to spend $200-$250 and get a new point and shoot camera.  I don't know how many megapixels I need, or what kind of zoom, etc, all of this just confuses me.  I'd like something that is VERY user friendly.  Can any of you help me pick one?

From the post below, it looks like The Canon Powershot is a popular one...is that the one to get?  Is that the Ashton Kutcher one, lol?  Do they make it in green?

I always feel like an idiot asking the people at Target or Best Buy to help me.  I have a Costco card, so bonus points if it's something i can buy there...

edielaura

I have a Canon Powershot and I love it.

sunshine_day_dreams

I also have a Canon Powershot and love it.  I had a Sony and a Casio before this one and they don't even come close.  I forget the exact model I have, but we bought it for AK last summer, and it took great pics and has a great zoom.

With the MP - unless you're trying to make poster-sized photos, I think any of the newer cameras will be more than enough.  The last I shopped (last summer) they were all around 12MP.  What I would really look for is a good zoom, and play with it in the store to make sure it takes good, clear pics at full zoom.

Johlise

Canon is always a good choice, I had a Canon Point & Shoot before I got my DSLR and loved it!

Just a little tip: One thing to look at is the ISO that the camera has, the higher the ISO the better, because you won't have to be right in front of the subject in order for the flash to be effective.

estherandgeoff2

Aston Kutcher is Nikon, lol. I would stick to either Canon, Nikon, or the Panasonic Lumix series. They all offer compact point and shoots that are pretty easy to use. Things to look for are, how much optical zoom does it have and what is the maximum aperture of the lens. 

Costco now has the Panasonic Lumix ZS6 for $219.99 (normal price at Costco $269.99, offer valid until Dec 19). It has 12x optical zoom with image stabilization, this means you can take pictures from far away and zoom in. The image stabilization helps a lot to prevent blurry pictures when you zoom in a lot.  It also has high ISO capabilities. This doesn't mean that the flash is more effective, it means that you can increase your ISO to take pictures in low light without using the flash. It does increase noise in your picture as the ISO goes up. The aperture for this camera is f/3.3-4.9. The lower the number the more light it lets in which is important in low light situation.

Costco also has the Canon Powershot SX210 for $249.99. It has 14x optical zoom with image stabilization. It's aperture is f/3.1-5.9. What this means is that when you zoom all the way out, this camera lets in a little bit more light than the Panasonic, but when you zoom all the way in, it lets in less light.

Either one would be great for you. I looked for a Nikon too but I only saw a really cheap one ($90) which I wouldn't recommend and some really expensive ones. But they might have a different selection in the store.  

backinpgh

I only buy Canons. You don't even have to spend more than $130 to get a great camera from them. Just make sure to get a model that ends in "IS" for Image Stabilization and you're fine. Check the reviews on Best Buy and Amazon to get an idea of the features and how well they work.

emoflamingo

I have had a Kodak (my first digital camera from a pawn shop, thanks Dad!), a Sony Cybershot and now a Canon X1i DSLR. I would say that Sony or Canon are good cameras. My Kodak wasn't bad, but.. it didn't hold a candle to my Sony Cybershot.

See what they have online for Costco, then go look at reviews online at Amazon. Most people are going to be very precise about their reviews. My Cybershot was a DSC-W55 and I had it for about 2 years before my H surprised me with a DSLR for Christmas last year.  It took pretty good pictures, considering it was just a P&S. Any MP should be sufficient, as long as they're not needing to be gigantic prints.

GL!