Best camera for £300 ?

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thesmileyone

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I have a Nikon D300s but i increasingly find myself not using it as its too big, heavy and obvious for things such as street photography, or general quick shooting. So i think im going to buy a digital camera thats alot smaller.

I have no idea whats best or what have you, I have a budget of £300 + money for an SD card.

Obviously I want the best for my monies. Not bothered about video.

Any ideas ?
 
GF1, and you still have the option of changing lenses if you so wish :)
 
Is this a replacement or a camera for when you don't want to take your biggie.
 
I'll swap you my lovely compact D5000 for you D300s.... ;)
 
+1 for the GF1.

£300 is a pretty decent budget, and for street photography, you'll probably want to go with micro four thirds, because of their small size but good image quality. It also has pretty much the fastest autofocus speed of any micro four thirds, which will come in handy in getting candid shots.
 
If you want to slip it in your pocket and still have the ability to zoom, look at a Lumix LX5, Nikon Coolpix P7000 or Canon S95.
GF1 is a superb camera but if you want to slip it in a pocket you really need a 20mm or 14mm lens, this could push you over budget. GF1 with a 14-42 ( or 14-45 for a bit more cash) would be closer to your budget and will fit in a large jacket pocket but come summer you'll have to carry it around on a strap / in a bag or keep the big jacket on.

You could also consider the Olympus M43 system, again with a small pancake lens it will fit in a loose pocket.

Have a look in the For Sale section, there's usually a pretty decent range of these cameras around and you get the benefit of buying off a very friendly TP member! Some even come with an SD card!! :thumbs:

Allan
 
Won't fit in your pocket, but the fuji HS10 will do the job. Full manual, uo to 720mm lens and a flip out screen, so you can use it as a waist level finder and be really discreet.

Other than that, a Canon G series fits the bill.
 
Another vote for S95. I take mine out most of the time, having 2 young children means I have far more flexibility than with all my 5D2 and its gear.

Checkout my recent Flickr stream for some S95 shots.
 
For real street photography, and with a budget of £300 you could just about afford it, its got to be an old film Leica.
Failing that try an old film Olympus RC/RD35 or any of the 70's fixed lens rainge finders. Less than a ton and two left for film and D&P. Keep you going for a few years.
 
Loving the D300s at the moment. Even used it for video yesturday.

Want something small will fit in pocket, can use it when im out clubbing, has enough features for good control over AUTO, has AUTO mode anyway for drunk usage. Face recognition a plus.

I borrowed one for a while and used it mostly in bars at night, if that helps ?

GF1 seems pointless if i want to change lenses id have to take them all with me, so might as well take the D300s instead!
 
NEX-3 good price now & has an APS-C sensor so good in low light
 
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Olympus PEN, won't fit in your pocket, but I've got some good street photography shots from it.

About £300 new I think.
 
I agree, I have the Olympus EPL1 and its superb, the jpegs are quality, look on Flickr for some pics.
 
I love that exploding lens cap and I WILL buy one for my LX5 :love:
 
If you want something to fit in your pocket the Olympus XZ-1 is getting pretty rave reviews and is only slightly over your budget if you shop around..... F1.8 Zuiko lens, built in 3 stop ND, etc, etc.....
 
I've got an EPL1 and love it, but I couldn't reccomend it for clubbing etc - slightly too big (even with a pancake lens on it) and the lack of AF light would get frustrating if you're just looking to fire and forget. But if you want the functionality and 9/10ths of the capability of your Nikon then a Mirco Four Thirds camera would be good.

The XZ-1 does look great for an enthusiast compact, but again, is a little chunky.

Couldn't advise on the relative benfits of compacts, I've got friends who speak highly of the s95 and of their lumix compacts.
 
For pocketability, and manual settings sub £300 it has to be the Canon S95.
 
Not sure on other branded compacts, but was recommended the Canon S95, and after reading reviews etc, took the plunge, and its a great camera! :)
 
If you do get an S95 then also get one of those Richard Franiec grips. For a small outlay they make a big difference. :thumbs:
 
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