£350 to spend... Canon G11/Pana GF1 maybe?

V8burble

V8burble

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My niece is in the market for a camera, not a DSLR but not a basic PnS, more a good stepping stone to a decent DSLR once she has got to terms with this camera.
I'm not after brand loyalty, just a cracking camera for an up and coming tog :)

What do you think?
 
How old is your niece?

The GF1 is an excellent piece of kit but really needs a couple of lenses to make it worth while. However with 20mm F1.7 definitly makes it worthwhile and would be an excellent tool to learn photography. It's not a small setup though.

For a single solution the a Canon G series, or even the S95 would probably be better suited.
 
For under £350 you could get a proper DSLR, so no need to settle for a stepping stone. The Canon 1000D and Nikon D3000 come with kit lens and are within budget. If a DSLR is the end game then why not start there in the first place?

Canon - http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod1020.html
Nikon - http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod1167.html

Accessories purchased, such as a flash gun, or additional lenses, may also continue to be of use if/when she upgrades in the future. She'll get better used to the operational style from the off and will know whether a DSLR is the right camera for her before spending big bucks on a major upgrade.
 
tdodd said:
For under £350 you could get a proper DSLR, so no need to settle for a stepping stone. The Canon 1000D and Nikon D3000 come with kit lens and are within budget. If a DSLR is the end game then why not start there in the first place?

Canon - http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod1020.html
Nikon - http://www.camerapricebuster.co.uk/prod1167.html

Accessories purchased, such as a flash gun, or additional lenses, may also continue to be of use if/when she upgrades in the future. She'll get better used to the operational style from the off and will know whether a DSLR is the right camera for her before spending big bucks on a major upgrade.
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agree totally. a used 350D with kit lens and maybe add a 50mm 1.8 all for the budget in place. still got all the auto modes to get started with and it's nice and small for a DSLR (y)
 
another vote for 350d + 50mm + a zoom . a cracking combo. now I have 500d but remmember the 350d with warm feelings.
 
V8burble said:
My niece is in the market for a camera, not a DSLR but not a basic PnS, more a good stepping stone to a decent DSLR once she has got to terms with this camera.
I'm not after brand loyalty, just a cracking camera for an up and coming tog :)

What do you think?
Click to expand...

I own a Canon Powershot G11 and use this as my 'everyday' camera. It really is an excellent camera, but one the only problem with it is its size.

If your nice is going to be more likely to want to put the camera in her pocket and take photos of friends on a night out I would recommned something smaller. Pictures from the Canon Powershot S90 are very similar in quality to the G11 and it also has a lot of manual controls in a smaller package. I can also recommend the Panasonic LX3 and LX5, both being smaller the G11.

If your niece is happy to wear it round her neck there is nothing wrong with the G11. I have owned it for a year and have only just replaced it with a Canon EOS 450d and a Sigma 18-50mm F2.8, giving me better low light shots and portraits with blurred background.
 
Thanks for the replies, size is one issue... which is why she is edging more for the better compact rather than DSLR, however not so much of an issue that she would def need a smaller compact. When I say stepping stone I guess I'm thinking such that if her studies and interest guide to a DSLR, she would probably jump in at D300 (or Canon equiv) level having covered the groundwork.

She is mid teens by the way and appears to have a keen interest in photography.

Yes, did consider the LX3 and LX5 for sure. It's dificult isn't it, I know which I would probably go for, but I'm me LOL (GF1 for me).
 
I think that MFT could be the way to go as the young do like their quality kit :) My niece had a Pen and takes it everywhere with her.

I'm not too sure on prices but there are often MFT for sale on this forum so maybe that could be an option?
 
I second the LX5 - This is based on having the camera and comparing it to my husbands G11. I took a lot of time to decide on a more compact addition to my line up and was almost swayed by the MFT offerings. For me, that just didn't make sense, having to buy into another system and changing lens's etc - Kind of defeated the object of having a compact camera for me.

So I decided on the LX5. The size was good for me, slightly smaller than the G11. I also find it so very intuitive compared to the G11. I have never got on with the G11, can't work the menus and find it really cumbersome. The LX5 was a real breath of fresh air as it really was simple to use.

Got mine from Kerso - Good discount on UK RRP.

If I didn't have a DLSR, then I think I would probably have gone down the MFT route though - Fancied an Oly Pen.
 
Fuji HS10.

It is a great all round camera, one that she can do pretty much everything with, without having to buy another lens, which makes it a great starter camera.

Ok, she will lose a little Image Quality in some situations, but what is going to get her intersterested, only having 50mm -200mm as a max range, no video, no macro no live view?

With the HS10, she has a massive zoom - 700mm (ok, handheld at the long end may be a struggle, but how often you gonna use 700mm), a very good macro range, full manual mode, will take a flashgun, will shoot RAW as well as Jpeg, uses AA batts, takes filters etc etc. It also shoot video, and also, unlike the other cameras mantioned has a proper twisty zoom.
It even has a flip out screen.
If she has this camera, it looks and feels like a DSLR, so will make her feel like she has a proper camera, rather than a compact. She will get better shots than her mates on their phones, and with a £350 budget, Arefurb from the fujishop at £240 leaves enough so she should be able to get the camera, memory, rechargeables, a cheap tripod, bag etc etc.

It is worth considering this, although the DSLR brigade will say you may as well just get her a basic DSLR, think how much more impressed she will be when her camera has most of the features of a top end dslr, so much more likely to take up the noble art of togging!!
 
Thanks everyone for your valued opinions. Plenty to mull over and of course the final decision will be with my niece. Most kind thanks
 
swag72 said:
I also find it so very intuitive compared to the G11. I have never got on with the G11, can't work the menus and find it really cumbersome. The LX5 was a real breath of fresh air as it really was simple to use.
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I am VERY surprised by this quote. The G11 has very few menus and most of the manual changes to exposure are completed by the dials. OK if you want to change the colour style or WB you have to enter the menus, but this is all done by the function button and control wheel. I find my 450D more cumbersome to change settings than my G11.
 
When I have used the G11, I can't work it in Manual mode, can't easily work out what buttons / dials change the settings - All in all, I really struggle with it. LX5 has been easy as anything.
 
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