Newbie looking for advice

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dapex

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Hi all, I am in all honesty crap at taking photo's. I currently have a Fuji S500 (10x Opitcal Zoom, 6MP) which takes good shots given the right setup, but most the time I just get blurry stuff and I hate going out with it round my neck looking like a Japanese tourist, When we are on holiday I just literally take hundreds of shots so that I can at least hope to get some good ones.

The wife has said she would like a camera small enough to fit easily into her handbag and somehting that hopefully we will use more and start to get even more pics of the kids...

I was walking past boots the other day and they have some camera's down to about £100 and so it got me thinking. I then started to chat to a friend of mine who is really into his photography and he put me onto 2 camera's I hadnt even considered.

1st was a Cannon Ixus 960 which at £117 from amazon seemed really good but I have read a few few reviews where people complained about the shutter speed being to slow but its still very close to my budget, and its titanium body would be OK in the wifes handbag

He then put me onto the Cannon Powershot SX110, which has lower megapixel but 10x Optical zoom. Cannon are currently doing £30 cash back on this model as well so from amazon it would be £135 delivered... So not massively more than the Ixus960...

But to be honest I dont know what to go for.... I like the look of the 960 and I think the SX110 looks cheap in comparision, but I need a camera that can take great pics of the kids, the pets, the family, on holiday etc... Last holiday the 10x zoom on the fuji came in really useful when the daughter was bodyboarding etc....

If you can offer any help then please feel free.... I cant get any more confused:)

Cheers
 
Welcome to TP, dapex.

If you're currently taking crap photos, then buying a new camera won't necessarily help.

I suggest you post some examples here - this thread will show you how - and tell us how you took them. Then we can take a look and try to diagnose the problem. And then we can help you work out whetehr a new camera would help.
 
not that i know much about point and shoots at all but the last half decent one i came across that wasn't strictly a point and shoot was the canon g5, granted it's had it's successors now but you should be able to pick one up reasonably cheaply on ebay and it's like a rangefinder/bridgesque jobbie :)

that'd be where i'd start but as said technique > equipment
 
The modern compacts have arguably too many megapixels - I would say 8mp is fine, these will produce images that can be printed at good quality at A3 size.

Optical zoom is useful.

However, if your technique or understanding of settings isn't correct, then a new camera will not necessarily help.
 
Well, I went looking for bad examples and to be honest I cant find any:) maybe the pics arent that bad after all.... but that aside I do want a smaller camera that can either go in the wifes handbag or my pocket nice and easy...

As for the settings on a camera... I have to admit I leave it on auto at all times....

I am not looking for massive MP as my I do have a picture taken on my current camera blown up to poster size and it looks amazing... Just they all seem to be 8MP minimum nowadays..
 
WARNING this post is too long and too dull please feel free to ignore it.

There are some truisms in photography.

1. If your carp it won’t matter what camera you use.
Save your money until you develop your own style and way of working. Once you have good photos you will be able to judge better what you need in a camera. Once you have taken a photo and think that’s great, but I’d like more of the surrounding scene in the view then get a camera with a wider lens. On the other hand if you feel you would like to have been closer with your great shot them you know you need the long lens.
2. If the small camera took ‘photos as good as the big cameras the manufactures would not make the big ones.
As you pay more money for a camera and the camera gets bigger you don’t get better ‘photos. What you get is the same quality of image under a wider range of circumstances. So if you want good high day and holiday ‘photos a small compact may well be all you want. If you have aspirations to take ‘photos in more demanding circumstances or of a more creative style (like at night, on safari, your stamp collection, cross polarised light or whatever) Then you need the flexibility of a more sophisticated and generally larger and more expensive camera.
3. You get what you pay for.
The supermarket own brand camera won’t be as good as your Fuji, the Canon’s you have seen or the equivalent Nikon, Sony, Olympus etc. A bigger more expensive camera from a good brand will be better (more flexible) than a cheaper smaller one from the same brand.
4. There is a law of diminishing returns.
Let’s say you spend £100 on a camera and take 10 seconds to think about and compose your ‘photos you will get a base line quality of image. Then consider spending £200 and 20 seconds your ‘photos will be better but not twice as good, maybe 50% better. Double the time and money again (£400, 40 secs) you maybe get another 25%. And so it goes on until you get to the debate you will often see here saying will the £3000 lens be better than the £2000 lens. More time and money equals better ‘photos but don’t get carried away until and unless photography becomes your main focus in life.

I could go on but the main thing I would say is to start with what you have and learn to take good ‘photos with it. When you can do this reliably under average conditions try doing it under demanding conditions. Once you have the skill but hit the limit of your equipment upgrade and go bigger and better than you need to overcome the first set of limitations because you will out grow that one as well!
 
Dapex, type in the name of the camera at Google followed by the word 'review' and read.

Throwing money at equipment isnt any sense.

It sounds like you might need a camera with Image stabalising

Dave
 
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