I am looking to find the best camera for my needs.?

Question

I have 2 small children, and I love to take their pictures. Every camera I have had is sooooo slow between shots. Is there a camera that is really quick between shots, takes a good quality picture and is easy to use? I am more of a point and click type person; all those settings just confuse me.

I am interested in what would be the best all around, regardless of price, and also the best within say $400 or so.

Thanks so much!

Answer 1

You absolutely need to stay AWAY from point-and-shoot (p&s) cameras and get a digital SLR. All p&s camera have slow focusing compared to a digital SLR.

Don't worry about the difficulty of using an SLR. They ALWAYS come with one mode where all you do is point and click.

You'll likely have to spend at least $500 for an SLR camera with lens kit. Some good ones that come to mind are the Olympus E410 and the Nikon D60. The E410 actually costs $430 on Amazon. This should be a great camera for your needs. Also it's very small, light, and easy to handle.

I repeat you must NOT get a p&s camera. These won't do your needs any justice. Also, since you will likely be shooting indoors, an SLR excels in low lighting conditions WITH subject movement which the p&s is virtually useless.

Edit: In case you didn't see my last comment about p&s cameras, I suggest you stay away from them! The Canon PowerShot SD750 7.1MP Digital Elph is a p&s camera, and you're only setting yourself up for disappointment. Remember kids don't tend to stay still, so most p&s cameras can't focus quick enough on moving targets... I mean subjects. =)

Answer 2

Um- where do I begin.  First of all - you should not listen to that Idiot above.   Second- you should show way more Flove for your FBF.. and Lastly... DMMCOTAKYA.    SNAP SNAP SNAP!!!

Answer 3

If you're not at all interested in an SLR then I suggest that Canon Powershot. I have the SD1000 and while it's not near as fast as my SLR it still turns on quickly and is fast enough to get most shots as long as they aren't one after the other.

If you don't mind getting an SLR then I suggest the Nikon D40. You can get it for about $450 I think. Just make sure it's in auto mode and that your lens is set to auto focus and you'll be good to go.

Answer 4

Weeell, within $400 or so you MAY actually be talking DSLR territory, which are very fast between shots and have virtually zero shutter lag. I was able to get a Pentax K100D for $420 a year ago after $50 rebate (now they have the K200D, not sure how much $$$ tho). A DSLR will give you complete control over the image if you want and they have bigger sensors so less noise and better colors and better depth of field.

But for just taking pics of kids, a DSLR is probably way more than you need. Unfortunately I don't know much about the current crop of point and shoots, but there are tons of sites out there to help people just like you. Try dpreview or something similar. Good luck!