Camera Recommendations

[BDK]

There seem to be a fair bit of photographers and bloggers that might be able to answer this question. I am starting a blog to keep friends and family that have moved away from the area abreast of the events, both personal and public, going on in the metro. I was wondering if you guys and gals have some recommendations for a good camera for this purpose. Also, how much should I expect to spend? 300? 500? 1,000?

Thanks in advance.

[MadMonk]

I guess it depends on how serious you are about photography. I've recently purchased a Nikon s9100 that I love, but I'm not a big photography geek and this camera exceeds all my needs (1080p video from a point and shoot is very nice!). It was around $300

[okc_bel_air]

I have been looking at the Canon G12 or the Nikon P7000. Anybody have good reviews of these? I have 2 kids that move fast and I am tired of blurry pictures. I have had two Sony cams and will not do a Sony ever again.

[BB37]

As Mr. Monk stated, it really depends on how much $$$ you want to spend. If you're wanting something better than a basic point-n-shoot, but don't want to spend a lot, there are some higher-end point-n-shoot cameras from Canon and Nikon that have pretty high resolution (10 MPxl and above) for under $300. If you want something better, the Canon Rebel series offers high resolution sensors (12 MPxl and above), interchangable lenses with image stabilization, etc., for $700 to $999. Beyond that are the "pro-sumer" and professional camera lines from Canon, Nikon, etc; the sky's the limit for those. You might also want to check Craigslist for used cameras; my brother has gotten some pretty good deals on pro-sumer cameras from CL.

[BBatesokc]

There seem to be a fair bit of photographers and bloggers that might be able to answer this question. I am starting a blog to keep friends and family that have moved away from the area abreast of the events, both personal and public, going on in the metro. I was wondering if you guys and gals have some recommendations for a good camera for this purpose. Also, how much should I expect to spend? 300? 500? 1,000?

Thanks in advance.

This really comes down to your specific needs. In all honestly most new cameras from retailers shoot perfectly good photos. My questions when deciding on a camera would be;
1. Does size matter? While a 'better' quality camera is typically a full size camera with interchangeable lenses, I know plenty of people who leave their larger 'better' camera at home simply because they don't want to carry it around. While smaller pocket size cameras might have less bells and whistles and the quality may or may not be slightly less, if the fact the camera is smaller means you'll take more photos, then go smaller.
2. Price? What range are you comfortable spending. I suggest anything between $200 - $600 will do just fine for 99% of people.
3. What extras should the camera do? Does it need to have video capabilities? Do you want built-in panoramic features? Do you need a good wide angle for large group or indoor photography? Do you need a really good telephoto (zoom) for far away pictures? Does it need to be able to take several photos very quickly? Do you need lots of flash - cheaper cameras tend to have weak flashes, while full size cameras allow you to add an even brighter flash.
4. How will you archive your photos? My iPad2 and MacBook pro both have SD slots, so, for convenience I try and only get cameras that will shoot to SD. Sure there are adapters and such, but that's just extra to cart around. I also like SD because I prefer EyeFi cards when shooting (they wirelessly send your photos to your computer, iPad or Internet).
5. How rugged does it need to be? Does it matter if its waterproof, shock proof or drop proof? You can get very rugged pocket size cameras for about $300 but you'll sacrifice things like telephoto and a tad bit of quality.

I like the reviews at http://www.dpreview.com

My personal favorites that I shoot with right now are....
1. Olympus Evolt http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Digita...8338380&sr=8-1 - A full size camera (not full size sensor) with two good lenses for less than $800! Hard to beat and shoots as well as many cameras that are far more expensive.
2. Nikon D7000 http://www.amazon.com/Nikon-D7000-DX...8338575&sr=8-2 - My most recent purchase and I love it. Shoots great and compatible with all my lenses. But, its twice as expensive as the Evolt and has one less lens.
3. Canon SX30IS http://www.amazon.com/Canon-SX30IS-D...338662&sr=8-14 - Larger than a pocket size camera, but smaller than a full size and only $400. I actually use this camera more than any other for general use. The things I like the most are the cost, quality and lens combination. Its a built-in lens that will go from 24mm - 840mm. You cannot beat that. I was at 4th and Hudson and I could point the camera at the Devon building and see inside the crane on the roof! The only down side is it does not take multiple picture (burst) very quickly at all (maybe a pic a second).
4. As far as pocket size cameras go. I find for the most part they all shoot the same. I look for burst mode and I kinda like the sweep panoramic mode (but you'll find you actually rarely shoot panos). Usually I just use my smart phone as it has really cool photo apps and takes better pictures than many $200-$300 pocket cameras.

[PennyQuilts]

I took an entry level camera class, last night, because I am getting used to using my Canon 60D (love, love, love that thing). The instructor said, repeatedly, that you can get very good shots with most any working camera.

I moved up from my G10 (the predecessor to the G12) but adore that camera. I've noticed a significant difference in quality since I took the step up but with what I have already learned from using the new one, I could have gotten better shots from the G10 (and I got good shots, already). You might want to go look at Flickr and run searches for photos taken by different cameras to get an idea of what they are capable of. Of course, a lot of the lower range cameras might not have as good a shots because the users aren't as worried about that sort of thing as they are in sharing photos of the dog or new baby with family and friends.

My best girlfriend has a Rebel 1 and her photos are so fantastic that I was inspired to get my 60D.

I back up my photos on Mybook, easy as pie. My G10 uses an SD card and it couldn't be easier to transfer photos (same with my 60D). The folks at Bakers Photo in Yukon are great if you want to go talk to them about your choices. They've been super helpful to me even though I didn't buy my camera from them. If you get a camera and don't know much about using it, Baker's has very reasonably priced classes to help you along.

[BDK]

Thanks for the input, everyone. I'm definitely going to check out the Canon SX30IS.