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Post by ayjay on Oct 10, 2015 20:47:57 GMT
I've got a hankering for a small, cheap and excellent -  - P&S camera for days when I don't want to lug my DSLR and 2 kilos of lens around, days like today when it's cool and gloomy and I know there won't be any Dragons or Butterflies but I might see something worth snapping - I did, and I couldn't, cos I had no camera - (but it was inanimate and I'll be going back).  Any suggestions for a small cheap camera with a good close-up capability? |
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Post by teasel on Oct 11, 2015 12:04:19 GMT
what do you mean by cheap?  |
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Post by ayjay on Oct 12, 2015 15:32:48 GMT
what do you mean by cheap? Under £100 would be preferable - I'm quite prepared to go the second-hand route via eBay. This topic was a hopeful short-cut to a lot of research, I spent hours and several headaches trying to find the right camera for my wife - and she's barely used it since she's had it as she can't see anything properly now due to cataracts, (which are not yet operable). |
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Post by shirl100 on Oct 13, 2015 17:17:03 GMT
My P&S camera is a Panasonic FZ18, I have had it a few years and have had some really good shots with it, 18x optical zoom and close up function amongst other features. As I tend to use it for the as when something happens quickly, I leave it on intelligent auto.
Shirl
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Post by ayjay on Oct 13, 2015 21:20:35 GMT
Thanks Shirl, I was looking for something quite bit smaller than the FZ18, something I can slip in a pocket and not really know it's there.
I've actually got an FZ8 knocking about somewhere but I never managed one decent close up pic with it, (should have got an FZ150 at the time).
One thing I can see I'll have to watch is compatibility with my PC, just looking at a Canon Powershot SX610 and it makes no mention of Windows XP as a supported operating system, only Win8 and other equivalents.
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Post by teasel on Oct 13, 2015 22:22:08 GMT
I have a panasonic lumix DMC-TZ60 which is small enough to carry in a pocket. It is probably more than you want to pay new, but I really like it. It has a good zoom and an auto macro in intelligent auto. I'm not an expert on cameras - I went into Jessops and asked for something with a good zoom and a good macro and not really expensive. Try the reviews |
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Post by alf1951 on Oct 14, 2015 7:27:30 GMT
Don't worry about operating systems ayjay - that's only if you want to use the image editing software bundled with the camera. Plug it in via USB and your computer will recognise the camera simply as an extra drive to give you access to the images it contains. I was given a Samsung PL211 a few years ago which was less then £100 new then. Not a great camera but I get the odd macro in focus and 10x optical zoom. I can slip it in my back pocket when I'm out and about just in case something interesting crops up. I'm sure you'll find something far better than mine second-hand on line then, as teasel says - check the reviews.
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Post by ayjay on Oct 14, 2015 19:14:20 GMT
I have a panasonic lumix DMC-TZ60 which is small enough to carry in a pocket. ............................ Try the reviews I guess I'll have to, just as well I'm stocked up with Paracetamol, and in an emergency there's always some of the wife's prescription sweeties.  |
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Post by ayjay on Oct 14, 2015 19:18:27 GMT
Don't worry about operating systems ayjay - that's only if you want to use the image editing software bundled with the camera. ............................................ check the reviews.Thanks alf, that's good to know. Bring on the pills. |
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Post by teasel on Oct 16, 2015 10:38:56 GMT
I meant the reviews will answer your questions better than I can - good luck |
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Post by ayjay on Oct 17, 2015 19:42:18 GMT
I meant the reviews will answer your questions better than I can - good luck I'm sure they will, but I'm trying to avoid reading reviews, once I start on that I then start to read all the techie stuff and start trying to compare half a dozen different beasts and it makes what's left of my brain hurt. I was hoping that maybe three or four people would say I've got a Canon/Nikon Xy-Z369 (or whatever) and it takes great close-ups, I've had two Canon A95s (no longer working) that I used to use for digiscoping and I know they were also very good with other stuff, but they're beyond passée now (and a bit too chunky) but something with the same sort of performance would be nice. I'm amazed how far some of the small cameras have come with their mp count, my old A95s were 5mp, the 40D that I use most of the time is 10mp but some of these new little p&s camera are over 20mp! Not that it bothers me - 5mp is plenty. |
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Post by Tringa on Oct 18, 2015 7:19:43 GMT
Unfortunately the choice is huge. Just about every bridge camera (most of which I admit would need a big pocket, but weigh a lot less than a DSLR) and many compacts will focus very close and have some zoom capability. This was taken by an old Panasonic bridge camera (FZ28) which focusses down to 1cm. The box is 53mm x 36mm. There is distortion but software could fix it. Perhaps the best way would be to find a camera shop and try a few in the shop. There are probably some new cameras in your price range that would fit the bill, but the problem could be finding a camera shop. A shop may also have some used cameras but I don't think there is much of a market for used compacts. Good luck Dave  |
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Post by ayjay on Oct 18, 2015 11:39:32 GMT
Thanks Dave, I don't think I can remember ever going into a camera shop, although I must have owned about 20 cameras over the years, There's four strewn around the desk in front of me now; and a perfectly good 35mm film SLR with various lenses etc. which is to all intents and purposes completely worthless now - I really miss the split screen focus on that thing.
I'll keep looking and do a bit more research on the net to narrow things down - no rush.
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- P&S camera for days when I don't want to lug my DSLR and 2 kilos of lens around, days like today when it's cool and gloomy and I know there won't be any Dragons or Butterflies but I might see something worth snapping - I did, and I couldn't, cos I had no camera - (but it was inanimate and I'll be going back). 
