Help with finding simple camera

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feromp

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Hi guys!

Unsure if this is the correct forum but I will try anyway

I am looking for a simple no-nonsense camera, similar to the iphone camera. What I really liked about the iPhone camera was simply the speed it took a shot, and the surprising quality it ended up as. My experience with simple cameras until now is they take a while to focus, and I just want a camera that can take shots right in the moment. Preferably small. But if there is a name for this type of camera, or a particular specification I need to look for, that would be great to hear.

Much love and thanks in advance! :)
 
Stick with an iPhone! You could get the iPhone 4S, it's an extremely good camera for what it is. Very very fast!

The type of camera you are looking for is called Point and Shoot. That's the term given to small, compact cameras! :)
 
Thankyou for your response!
As far as i know the cameras i have been using up until now have been point n shoot. But they usually take maybe half a second or a second to (auto)focus, whereas the iphone didn't. Is that me misunderstanding point and shoot, or is there some sort of feature/specification that deals with focus/capture speed?

Thanks again :)
 
As a side note I don't have an iPhone, and I don't really have the money for one right now
 
I've said it from day one, the camera in most phones are awful! I have an iPhone 4 and it takes ages to take a photo. The lens is poor and the sensor is so small it produces loads of noise. Also the lenses are wide angle and make the subject look further away. Saying that, they are convenient.

An actual camera by one one the big boys like canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sony or Fuji will produce a better image and you will have at least a 4x optical zoom and a better exposure system.
 
Go in to your local store like Jessops and try them out. You will see a noticeable difference.
 
Was the iPhone on some sort of zone focusing maybe (is that even an option). If it wasn't then how would it focus so much faster than even a cheap P+S.

If fast focusing is be all and end all then look for a camera with zone focusing/set distance. I use it most of the time and anything from 1m to near to infinity will be in focus so I never need to wait for focus.
 
I have an iPhone4 and whilst it takes reasonable quality photos in good light, it is excruciatingly slow. Far to slow for non-static subjects, and (if my recollection is accurate) slower than the Ericsson C502 it replaced. Low light is as dreadful as one would expect from a phone with a silly little flash and no IS.
It only gets used when I have no other camera at all.
Get a compact 'point & shoot' instead - it will be far superior. I have a Panasonic Lumix TZ7 - was pricey at the time but is now old so would be cheap second hand. Doesn't have manual controls but the auto is good, the zoom range huge and it takes a decent snap.
 
ernesto said:
If fast focusing is be all and end all then look for a camera with zone focusing/set distance.
Click to expand...

This is the main feature I am looking for, my main focus is to simply be able to capture pictures right in the moment - quickly, without waiting to focus or whatnot. The quality doesn't have to be dazzling, and it needs to be relatively compact - in contrast to the bulky DSLR type of cameras, and even more compact than a P&S would be nice.

I looked to the iPhone because i remember it being able to do this, whilst fitting a pocket well, but is it simply a setting that i can look for in a regular P&S camera? zone focusing/set distance - is that specific only to certain P&S's and not others?

And of course the cheaper the better ;)

Thankyou all for your help! much appreciated!
 
Likely part of the reason the iphone focusses quickly is because it has a tiny sensor so the depth of field is non-existent. It practically doesn't have to focus at all, the hyperfocal distance is probably about a metre regardless of aperture.
 
feromp said:
This is the main feature I am looking for, my main focus is to simply be able to capture pictures right in the moment - quickly, without waiting to focus or whatnot.
Click to expand...
A camera's response time from pressing the button to taking the photo - 'shutter lag' - isn't just dependant on focussing speed, but a range of other factors such as metering.
My experience of camera phones is that, whilst they may focus quickly (because everything is in focus already due to the tiny sensor), the OVERALL shutter lag is large. Plus, leaving your phone in the camera mode will probably drain your battery pretty quickly.
My recommendation is to get a compact P&S, but make sure to get one with a low shutter lag time. Most camera reviews will give you this data and there are even tables of shutter lag on various websites. Also take note of the power-on to first photo time - this is important if you turn your camera off between shots.
Don't focus (pun intended!) solely on auto-focus speed as it's not the whole story.
 
feromp said:
...and even more compact than a P&S would be nice.

...zone focusing/set distance - is that specific only to certain P&S's and not others?

And of course the cheaper the better ;)
Click to expand...

Making things small seems to drive up cost. Compare an entry level DSLR with even the best compact system cameras and the DSLR is faster all round but is cheaper.

Have to say I am not sure a camera exists that is smaller than a P+S with fast response times and zoen focusing, what would that look like as some P+S' are already very small (Canon IXUS)

I use a Ricoh GRD which would meet your requirements on performance (zone focus, low shutter lag etc,.) and cost (especially if you get a questionably painted limited edition such as mine) but it is not a small P+S so fails that requirement.
 
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