Looking For A New Camera....Help Please

[Brooke Jackson]

Hello Everyone -

I would like some help on buying a new camera. I enjoy taking photos however I'm no photographer so I don't need anything extremely fancy.

The camera I have right now is a Nikon Coolpix S8100 and it was great for me easy to use, compact (needs to fit in my purse), and took decent pictures.

However I got dust/dirt inside the lens that I can not get out. It still works but does not perform as good as before :( So I think a new camera is going to be my Christmas gift to myself this year.

However it took me forever to pick out my old one and would like some help from all of you who are so very talented with a camera.

I would like something a step up from my old one, keep the price under $500, and smaller in size so I can easily take it everywhere with me in my purse.

One that I have looked at is the Nikon COOLPIX P510. So if anyone has any reviews on that one or suggestions I love to hear them.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Karen H]

Thats what I shoot with the 510. I love it mostly, everything is a compromise. It allows me a lot of control, but is small enough to carry with me and not leave me with a sore neck or back. I do find the limited aperture frustrating and I have found the limits in the shutter speed a problem when I try night photography.
Overall I love it.

[Trina P Holub]

This is a similar model to the camera that I have used for most of my 365 project:
http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-FZ47K-Digital-Camera-24xOptical/dp/B005F25IL4/ref=sr_1_4?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1353214092&sr=1-4&keywords=Panasonic+Lumix

Very reasonably priced and does great macros as well as far away landscape. You can go full manual with it as well, if you want to be ready for when you make the step to DSLR someday. Mine is the FZ-35. It's lightweight and not quite as bulky as a DSLR. I take mine everywhere---it is always in my bag.

[Monika]

I too use a panasonic Lumix (dslr), mine is a G10 which was under $500 and is a fairly compact (bigger than a point and shoot but a lot smaller and lighter than a Canon or Nikon dslr) which is why I chose it. http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-G10-Interchangeable-14-42mm-3-5-5-6/dp/B003AOAXJQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1353217969&sr=1-1&keywords=DMC-G10
I also recently got myself a Canon ixus 300 which is a point and shoot and has manual aperture and shutter speed settings, for a little camera it is great, I got mine on ebay for $110, but I was really lucky....probably more like $200.
This is a great site to compare cameras http://snapsort.com/compare

[The Blue Gnu]

I would recommend the Canon G12. Even smaller than the Nikon you're looking at. Slightly bigger than a pns but has amazing capabilities and the picture quality is awesome. Mine, after about 40 000 pics is getting tired and my new one is arriving from the US in about 3 weeks time! :) Fits into a purse, large pocket etc and it goes with me everywhere, 24-7. I never miss out on a photo op.
If you're used to carrying your camera around all the time, you won't with a dslr. You may in the beginning because it's new and you're excited but the novelty will wear off.
The big decision is: how portable do your want your camera to be? That will ultimately make your choice for you.
Happy hunting - I'm all excited for you. Getting a new camera is quite thrilling.

[Sophia]

I would recommend an Olympus Stylus Tough TG-810. It's small enough to fit in a sweatshirt pocket or purse, and it takes great pictures. It can also take underwater photos. It has several modes (auto, program auto, 3D, Panorama, Magic (editing in your camera), and Scene, which optimizes camera settings depending on where you are and the type of picture you want to take). http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-TG-810-Waterproof-Digital-Optical/dp/B004YNE0V4/ref=sr_1_1?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1353250498&sr=1-1&keywords=TG-810

[Allison Williams]

I have the Nikon 510 which I bought to replace the Canon G12. The Canon was more compact (you need a big pocketbook if you plan to carry your 510 around with you) but the zoom is soooo much better on the Nikon. It is almost like having a telephoto lens. I find the 510 does a good job in almost all conditions, including low light and macro. This is the first P&S which makes me feel like a real photographer.

[Allison Williams]

BTW, the camera I always keep tucked in my pocketbook and use when I want to be unobtrusive is the Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS. Packs a lot of punch for its size and price.