Camera ideas

[cburbs]

I have a older p&s camera and I am thinking of upgrading over the next few months. I will keep the p&s for ease of carrying.

One of my questions is what are some of the big differences between the dslr's and the newer smaller alpha like the Sony NEX5n besides the size.

I would like to be able to get better shots of the kids, the great outdoors of oregon, etc. I don't want big and bulky so that is why I mentioned the sony.

[Mike4AU]

The few reviews on Amazon appear to indicate that this camera may have some bugs.

A good source for camara reviews is Steve's Digicams. Here is a link.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/best-cameras.html#b

Good luck.

Mike

[Kevin_Wadsworth]

Here is a nice review on the Sony NEX cameras: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/SonyNex5Nex3/

And a preview of the new NEX-N: http://www.dpreview.com/previews/sonynex5n/

The newer ones look line a nice evolutoin from the first-gen.

For me, I came down to: micro 4/3 costs more than DSLR, has inferior picture quality to DSLR, and still won't fit in my pocket so I went DSLR. If I have to carry around a camera case anyway, the difference in size didn't matter to me (if your wife carries a purse, it might be a different story).

[Mike4AU]

BTW, here is a good one to consider. I may get one myself, for just walking around shooting. Lugging around my stuff is quite heavy.

http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-LX5-Digital-Stabilized-3-0-Inch/product-reviews/B003WJR69E/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

[AKAlex]

While still a P&S camera, check out the Sony HX9V. I picked one up earlier this year prior to going on vacation and have been absolutely loving this camera. It takes great pictures, does very well in low light, and the panorama feature is awesome. I haven't picked up my dslr since buying it.

[cburbs]

Yeah I had looked at that sony as well as it gets great props for the video as well as pics.

I came across this camera today but not finding many reviews on it -

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 Digital Camera

[Kevin_Wadsworth]

If I type "Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3" into Google, almost the entire first page of results are reviews. I found dpreview, cameralabs, and imaging-resource to be good sites.

[cburbs]

I had a typo for some reason -

[WAF_Approved]

I enjoy P&S's, but going to a Dslr is a huge step in photography quality.

I have an entry Canon T3 and I am begging for the higher zoom lens. Hello check book!! :salute:

[Kpt_Krunch]

I am also thinking of a dslr and a pro photographer said to go with the gf3 due to size. Hope this jelps.

Yeah I had looked at that sony as well as it gets great props for the video as well as pics.

I came across this camera today but not finding many reviews on it -

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 Digital Camera

[cburbs]

Well here are some of the cameras I am going to look into -
DSLR
Canon T2i/550D
Nikon 3100
Canon EOS Rebel T3i

compact SLR
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3
Sony NEX5n

Point and Shoot Recommendations
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V Digital Camera (Black)
Nikon Coolpix S9100

Bridge Camera
Canon PowerShot G12
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V Digital Camera (Black)

Is this a good deal on a Nikon 3100 $699.99 after $200 OFF
Nikon D3100 Digital SLR
18-55mm VR Lens
+ 55-200mm VR Lens
Training Pack Bundle
Two Training DVDs
Case, 4GB SD Card
1080p Full HD Video
Scene Recognition System
Lens Specifications:

F-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens (3x Optical Zoom, Optical Image Stabilization)
AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-200mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR lens (Optical Image Stabilization)

[TomS]

I just went through this a couple of weeks ago in a rush. Our first grandchild was just born and of course the Panasonic Lumix Z3 P&S we've used for years just decided to call it quits. That day.

After a fruitless trip to Best Buy, we actually went to a real bricks and mortar camera specialty store here locally that caters to pros. They were a terrific help in guiding us to one both my wife and I could use that was sensibly priced. We quickly narrowed it down to the Nikon S9100 and L120. Though the 9100 was more money and took great indoor shots, he shared that the software was still very buggy and we might be best off with the L120 for our needs. They matched whatever price we could get on Amazon (other than tax), so we took home the Nikon L120.

So far the L120 has been a fantastic choice. Indoor and low light pictures, in particular, are far better than our previous camera, even in automatic modes. My wife, who is admittedly technology challenged, has totally figured out the multitude of scene settings. She is shooting great pictures already and has renamed it the "grammycam", as her own camera now. I have to ask to "borrow" it :salute:

The form factor is a bit of a "tweener". We have one of the first Canon Rebel DSLR's and lenses, but sometimes it's a bit much to haul around and manage. Most of the new P&S's are the card deck form factor which just seemed too small and boxy to handle correctly. The L120 is the same shape as the DSLR but a bit smaller and of course, no interchangeable lenses. Overall, it was just right. Easy enough to handle and shoot properly but it still fits in a small case. Very nice. So far, we love it.

Tom

[Mike4AU]

The D3100 is a nice camera. A couple of ladies in the office have one and they are happy. The deal does look good, provided the vendor is reputable.

[cburbs]

The D3100 is a nice camera. A couple of ladies in the office have one and they are happy. The deal does look good, provided the vendor is reputable.

That was from Costco and when I was there today they actually had that special onsite.

I just wasn't sure if it was a good deal with those lenses.

[Mike4AU]

Those are decent lenses. Certainly not pro-type lens, but, hey, they don't cost as much as pro-type lens. They will do a nice job for you.