Getting new camera.. Help?!

[peyton_r]

 

<p>I need a new camera. I mostly take motion shots(horses, dogs, kids), macro shots (flowers, leaves, plants) and landscapes. Here is my must have list...<br>

<em>(♦= must have)</em></p>

<p>•Good macro pictures ♦♦♦<br>

•Good motion pictures♦♦♦<br>

•Good landscape pictures♦♦<br>

•And it would be nice to have a hardy camera. If I drop it a couple times it won't break or get ruined or messed up. Since I ride horses it will get bumped around, and I don't want that to affect it. ♦<br>

•It can't be too big. It needs to be small enough I can fit it in my purse and carry it around easily. Small enough I can take pictures with one hand if I need to.<br>

•A good zoom. If I zoom it up it won't be too blurry. ♦<br>

•Since I will be shooting lots of animal shots I need it to take quick pictures. It would help if it has a good multi-shot/fast burst. ♦♦♦<br>

•It would be nice to have a setting where I can change the quality or pixels, so if I put it on my computer it won't be blurry and the quality will still be okay. ♦<br>

•Easy to switch modes (macro, motion, landscape). A turn dial with these settings is a MAJOR plus!! ♦♦♦<br>

Thanks!</p>

<p>Oh, and I have been looking at the Canon Rebel XSi. Does it have all (or most) of my requirements(especially the ♦♦ requirements)??</p>

 

[JDMvW]

<p>Many of your criteria are not really characteristics of the camera, per se, but of the lens or the camera-lens combination.<br>

If by motion, you mean "moving pictures" the XSi is not capable of that, you have to go to a more recent model.<br>

If you mean pictures of objects that are in motion, any camera with relatively fast (aperture) lenses, fast shutter speeds, and higher ISOs will do that. That's virtually any new dSLR these days.<br>

As for macro and landscape, any decent camera and the right lens will do both and either.<br>

Frankly, you should consider one of the more advanced 'bridge' cameras like the Canon G12 given the kind of imagery you're talking about.</p>

<p>Cameras are not made to be dropped. Most are 'plastic' nowadays and probably more tolerant of abuse than older mechanical cameras, but data on which can be dropped from what height, etc. are hard to come by.</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>It's a bit hard to give a very straight answer, but maybe the whole answer can become a lot easier: what camera do you have now, and where there specific things about that camera that you disliked?</p>

[szrimaging]

<p>Well, since you are looking at DSLRs, I am going to suggest three other cameras: Nikon 1, Olympus' latest PENS (E-PM1, E-PL3, E-P3) and the Panasonic GF3 (and the newly announced GX1). Why these three? Well, they are small and light, offer decent optics and meet most or all of your criteria. The two spots it they don't hit are the dial to switch modes (you would need to switch lenses) and they probably can't take too much of a hit.</p>

<p>And of those three, I would say, having not handled one, the Nikon 1 would be your best bet.</p>

<p>I have one question though, what are you doing with these photos? Web? Display on computers/TV? Prints?</p>

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</blockquote>

[henryp]

<blockquote>

<p>It can't be too big. It needs to be small enough I can fit it in my purse and carry it around easily. Small enough I can take pictures with one hand if I need to.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>IMO that eliminates the Canon Rebel XSi and most other traditional slrs from contention. You should look at the new <a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Nikon-1-Cameras/index.page">Nikon 1</a> system, or other mirrorless cameras like the <a href="http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/index.asp">Olympus </a>4/3rds models, Panasonic's Lumix DMC-GF2/F3 and GX1, Pentax Q, or Sony Alpha NEX-5/5N/7 or C3.</p>

<p>All of these offer almost all the conveniences and performance of a traditional slr like the Canon Rebel including interchangeable lenses but in a considerably smaller and more portable package.</p>

<p>Henry Posner<br /><strong>B&H Photo-Video</strong></p>

[keith selmes]

<p>The only ones I know are definitley rated for drop test are the Ricoh G series,like this one<br>

<a href="http://www.ricoh.com/r_dc/g/g700/features.html">http://www.ricoh.com/r_dc/g/g700/features.html</a><br>

It survives a 2 meter drop, works 5m under water, you can wash mud off, you can disinfect it with ethanol or sodium hypochlorite, and its designed for use while wearing gloves.<br>

But might not be the best camera in other respects.<br>

The 4/3 and micro 4/3 cameras probably are worth a look, they can give better pictures in more difficult circumstances than the very compact cameras, but are still pretty small and light. Some of them do very good motion pictures as well.</p>

[andrewg_ny]

<p>To add to the mirrorless list, the Samsung NX entries like NX200. I don't know why everybody always forgets about Samsung when they start making lists of these. The current and roadmapped lenses are pretty attractive.</p>

<p>Most cameras can handle some jostling but none will consistently shrug off impact shock from dropping. Some of the ruggedized, water-resistant compacts might fare better than most but these will fail most of your other requirements for image quality & shooting speed.</p>

<p>Your desire for 'zoom' should also be considered--any interchangeable-lens camera (SLR or mirrorless) with a high-power zoom lens will be less purse-friendly, though some of the lenses that reach to 140-150mm for micro 4/3 are fairly compact. Of course one reason to have a system with interchangeable lenses is that you can change out that lens when you actually need it and use a more compact lens at other times.</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>Since you expect to drop the camera few times, you just eliminated most of competition.<br>

What is left would be the drop proof, water proof category. Some of them are really good, but you do your search.</p>

<p>e.g.<br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-TS3-Waterproof-Stabilized-2-7-Inch/dp/B004KKZ0KG/ref=sr_1_6?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1320782945&sr=1-6">http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-TS3-Waterproof-Stabilized-2-7-Inch/dp/B004KKZ0KG/ref=sr_1_6?s=photo&ie=UTF8&qid=1320782945&sr=1-6</a></p>

<p><a href="http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Product/Compact-Digital-Cameras/26293/COOLPIX-AW100.html">http://www.nikonusa.com/Nikon-Products/Product/Compact-Digital-Cameras/26293/COOLPIX-AW100.html</a></p>

[jcuknz]

<p>I will just limit myself to say that if you get that long zoom bridge camera, and the G12 doesn't come into that category though definitely in that class, you need to know that what you are after in close-ups or tightly framed shots is not how close you can get but how tight you can get. <br>

The bridge camera user often uses a moderate close-up lens to overcome the inability of the longer end of a zoom lens to focus as close as at its wide end. But the zoom gives you the tight framing but from further away. As digital cameras go my FZ50 with its x12 zoom is getting a bit long in the tooth these days, out of production for one thing, but it typically fills its sensor with a 1.5" subject from about 13 inches when using a 2 dioptre or 500mm Close-up lens which hopefully will not break the bank.. I would expect a x24 zoom to give you perhaps a 3/4 inch subject filling the screen. Doing this sort of close-up work is so much simpler with a bridge camera unless you have a dedicated macro lens in your lens stable which of course 'costs'. <br>

PS .... If you want to drop the camera from the horse perhaps you should look at the rugged waterproof cameras from Pentax and Olympus. but preferably you will use the neck strap which comes with most cameras these days so you do not drop it.</p>

[frank_skomial]

<p>.. and the winner is...<br>

<a href="http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q311waterproofcompactgrouptest/page12.asp">http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q311waterproofcompactgrouptest/page12.asp</a></p>

<p> </p>