Advice please...

lugworm

lugworm

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Tony
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just joined the group. With black Friday and Christmas rapidly approaching, I'm looking for a decent compact camera. I have a nice Nikon dslr, but really don't enjoy lumping it around with me, so it usually just gets left at home. Anyway, for photographing my 3 year old grandson(who is like a mini whirlwind), scenery, National Trust properties, and quite a lot of low light shots, what would the knowledgable members recommend ?

I am looking at something around £250 -£300, and it must have a viewfinder.
The cameras I think might fit the bill are Canon powershot G16, Nikon p7800, and Fujifilm x30.

I am also tempted with the Sony a6000 and Olympus em10 if I go down the csc route.
I look forward to your thoughts.

TC.
 
If you're after a compact, I'd suggest looking at a Sony RX100 M3. You might be able to get one within get your budget if you don't mind buying secondhand. It's a great little camera with good image quality. The A6000 is also a good choice but not as compact and you have to factor in the cost of a lens, but again maybe doable if you go secondhand. No experience of the other models but I'm sure someone will come along and chime in.
 
pr33tz said:
If you're after a compact, I'd suggest looking at a Sony RX100 M3. You might be able to get one within get your budget if you don't mind buying secondhand. It's a great little camera with good image quality. The A6000 is also a good choice but not as compact and you have to factor in the cost of a lens, but again maybe doable if you go secondhand. No experience of the other models but I'm sure someone will come along and chime in.
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Thanks for the reply, but the RX100 doesn't have a viewfinder. I really dislike using a screen in very bright sunshine, much prefer a viewfinder.
 
I'm on my 3rd X?0 Fuji! Had an X10, sold it to help fund an X20 then upgraded that to the X30. After that, the chap who bought the X10 off me then PXed it back to me against the X20. Love the little things! Allow full PASM control as well as assorted other preset modes if wanted/needed (but I would guess that all similar cameras do the same!) Love the SOOC JPEGs that the Fuji ranges deliver, allowing good A3+ prints with no PP. The X30 has an EVF as opposed to the pure OVF of the X10 and the OVF with information overlay that the X20 has.
 
lugworm said:
The cameras I think might fit the bill are Canon powershot G16, Nikon p7800, and Fujifilm x30.
Click to expand...

FWIW I use a P7800 and can't really fault it for what it is, but any of those cameras should produce results as good as the others. Try and find them in the real world and see which you like handling and features of the most.
 
I bought a Fuji X20 when they first came out, mainly for SWMBO to use & got to say I'm very impressed with it. So much so that on our last holiday I didn't use my dslr once.
 
lugworm said:
just joined the group. With black Friday and Christmas rapidly approaching, I'm looking for a decent compact camera. I have a nice Nikon dslr, but really don't enjoy lumping it around with me, so it usually just gets left at home. Anyway, for photographing my 3 year old grandson(who is like a mini whirlwind), scenery, National Trust properties, and quite a lot of low light shots, what would the knowledgable members recommend ?

I am looking at something around £250 -£300, and it must have a viewfinder.
The cameras I think might fit the bill are Canon powershot G16, Nikon p7800, and Fujifilm x30.

I am also tempted with the Sony a6000 and Olympus em10 if I go down the csc route.
I look forward to your thoughts.

TC.
Click to expand...
Sony RX100 mark iii or Panasonic LX100 would be my suggestions if you can get them within budget.

Whilst the CSCs are nice options you're not going to get fast lenses within budget and so you may struggle in low light, which you said you want to shoot. Obviously CSCs will have better noise handling to compensate a little.
 
I get the impression that of the cameras I mentioned, the Fuji seems to be the popular choice. I agree about the cs cameras, better lenses would be an extra expense, so I've scratched them from my thinking. I'm heading to my "local" John Lewis store (35 miles away)on black Friday so I can have a play with a few demo models.
Thanks for your thoughts, I think I know what I'm going to do....until tomorrow when I'll probably change my mind. Again.
 
lugworm said:
Thanks for your thoughts, I think I know what I'm going to do....until tomorrow when I'll probably change my mind. Again.
Click to expand...

Tony, + you'll probably spend a fair bit more than you were planning on doing. :D (don't listen to the sales staff telling you what you need ;) )
 
Thanks for all the advice, I'm grateful. I've decided on the Fujifilm x30, so when black Friday comes around I'll look around for a deal !
 
Might be worth seeing if the Fuji refurb store have any at a decent price.
 
lugworm said:
Thanks for the reply, but the RX100 doesn't have a viewfinder. I really dislike using a screen in very bright sunshine, much prefer a viewfinder.
Click to expand...
The mk3 has a viewfinder.
 
Nod said:
Might be worth seeing if the Fuji refurb store have any at a decent price.
Click to expand...

There's usually a discount code available for the refurb store for another 10% off. The camera I bought also came with a spare battery and looked absolutely brand new.
 
Big savings on the RX100's at the mo with Sony's double cash back. £100 off the mark 3 and 4.
 
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