Recommendations for an extremely cheap digital camera, to be left in the car.

wilt

wilt

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I looking a camera and no more than two lens combo that can be left in my car that's cheap as chips and relatively decent.
I don't always take my Nikon Z8 with me everywhere I go and as luck would have it I come across photographic opportunities.
I'm looking a very cheap setup that if lost, stolen, broken I wouldn't cry, like I would if it was my Z8.
It wouldn't have to be a Nikon or mirrorless or within the past ten years, just something decent with either a one lens solution or two maximum, going from 24-300mm.

What would you recommend?
 
As you have no takers...I wouldn't leave it in the car. On the odd occasion when I have taken a camera straight out of the freezing boot of a car when it has been left for some time, it has immediately attracted condensation.

I have a Panasonic LX3 that I keep handy and often pick up on the way out.
 
Whilst John above does have a point, I've not personally experienced that problem.

As to a suggestion, my immediate thought was an M43 system - Olympus EM1i with a couple of non-pro zooms or even the EM10ii, if you have small hands. However there may be menu familiarity considerations, so it might be better to look at a used Nikon kit setup, eg D5100 with 18-55 kit lens plus another of your preference wider or longer. It depends very much how much you fancy spending on this outfit (which in any case I would keep in a suitably battered bag in the car, plus maybe a battered tripod too?
 
If the system doesnt matter, I'd be looking at something like a Canon 7d or Nikon D300, both should be cheap and easy to find, and I'd go for a kit 18-50ish and probably a 18.-300 ish zooms. This gives you a good mix of light and longer range walkabout lens.
Personally I'd look for a Canon 750d, maybe a bit dearer, but WAY better than the 7d in low light, and enough MP to crop, not sure what the Nikon equiv is, maybe the D3400?
I used to keep a 30d (canon) with a Sigma 18-250mm in the boot, but now I just use the Panasonic TZ80 compact, 24-1440mm FF Equiv with the Izoom. I've posted a lot of pics from it in the pics you took today thread, it's goor enough for a pocket camera. Ok, I wouldnt want to shoot a wedding on it, but for small, light and decent shots it lives in my jacket pocket.
 
You might try looking for a second hand Sony HX90 or a Panasonic TZ70.

There's very little they can't handle, both going from 24mm to 600mm equivalent and they're pretty cheap these days. They also drop unobtrusively into a jacket pocket, if the jacket isn't too tight...

Cameras Sony HX90 and Panasonic TZ70 DSC01601.JPG
 
lindsay said:
Whilst John above does have a point, I've not personally experienced that problem.

As to a suggestion, my immediate thought was an M43 system - Olympus EM1i with a couple of non-pro zooms or even the EM10ii, if you have small hands. However there may be menu familiarity considerations, so it might be better to look at a used Nikon kit setup, eg D5100 with 18-55 kit lens plus another of your preference wider or longer. It depends very much how much you fancy spending on this outfit (which in any case I would keep in a suitably battered bag in the car, plus maybe a battered tripod too?
Click to expand...
I've used the M43 in the past and while a brilliant setup, my hands are quite large and it was cramp inducing. So probably aps-c or full frame would be best. I've already a few battered and worn bags and tripods, so that's a good idea, although there's a nice compartment under my drivers seat that I had earmarked for where I was going to stash the camera.
 
AndrewFlannigan said:
You might try looking for a second hand Sony HX90 or a Panasonic TZ70.

There's very little they can't handle, both going from 24mm to 600mm equivalent and they're pretty cheap these days. They also drop unobtrusively into a jacket pocket, if the jacket isn't too tight...

View attachment 449765
Click to expand...
I've had Panasonic TZ's in the past and an early Sony RX100 and while it was decent, the controls and focusing was terrible imo. I'm looking for a little bit more than a compact, so I can maybe play with the files when I get home, have full control of the settings etc. I've large hands and compacts never felt good in them.
 
swanseamale47 said:
If the system doesnt matter, I'd be looking at something like a Canon 7d or Nikon D300, both should be cheap and easy to find, and I'd go for a kit 18-50ish and probably a 18.-300 ish zooms. This gives you a good mix of light and longer range walkabout lens.
Personally I'd look for a Canon 750d, maybe a bit dearer, but WAY better than the 7d in low light, and enough MP to crop, not sure what the Nikon equiv is, maybe the D3400?
I used to keep a 30d (canon) with a Sigma 18-250mm in the boot, but now I just use the Panasonic TZ80 compact, 24-1440mm FF Equiv with the Izoom. I've posted a lot of pics from it in the pics you took today thread, it's goor enough for a pocket camera. Ok, I wouldnt want to shoot a wedding on it, but for small, light and decent shots it lives in my jacket pocket.
Click to expand...
Although I love Nikon, for this purpose I'm happy to go with any brand that fits the bill, so I'll check out the 7D, 750D. Compacts have their place for sure, but I'm looking the DSLR feel and control.
 
wilt said:
Although I love Nikon,
Click to expand...
Have you considered an early "5000 series" Nikon?

They're cheap as chips now, surprisingly tough and very light. Here's my old 5100 next to a Canon 1Ds as a size comparison...

Canon Eos 1Ds II Nikon D5100 TZ7 1020261.jpg
 
Nikon D300s or D700 - the latter now being very cheap for what was a Pro camera. :)
 
I have one of these which fits easily into a pocket

Used Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ95 - Compare UK Prices

Compare 0 Used prices for the Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ95. Latest prices, Used Product Alerts, UK camera dealers.
www.camerapricebuster.co.uk

does everything from Macro up to 720mm -video etc. Must be one of the best "pocket"size cameras out there. So why leave a camea in the car? check it out on youtube
 
Last edited:
realspeed said:
I have one of these which fits easily into a pocket

Used Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ95 - Compare UK Prices

Compare 0 Used prices for the Panasonic Lumix DC-TZ95. Latest prices, Used Product Alerts, UK camera dealers.
www.camerapricebuster.co.uk

does everything from Macro up to 720mm -video etc. Must be one of the best "pocket"size cameras out there. So why leave a camea in the car?
Click to expand...
I'd forget to lift it on the way out the door. I'd leave it in the car so it's always there.
 
wilt said:
What was the focusing like on the D5000 series?
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Good but not spectacular on the two D5100s I was using. Solid all round, in my opinion.
 
Cheap Nikons could be:
D40 (best ccd camera in low light)
D300 or D90 (both really cheap: D90 has slightly less noise but D300 is way tougher)
D3300 (almost identical to a D3400 but cheaper).
D600 if you want full frame.

Cheap DX lenses could be:
Nikon 18-70 f/3.5-4.5 (works really well on older cameras which don't correct chromatic aberrations)
Tamron 17-50 f/2.8

Cheap FX lenses:
Nikon 28-80 f/3.3-5.6
Nikon 28-105 f/3.5-4.5
 
It sounds like a good idea, but I bet the one time you need to use it, the battery will be dead.
 
Erty said:
Cheap Nikons could be:
D40 (best ccd camera in low light)
D300 or D90 (both really cheap: D90 has slightly less noise but D300 is way tougher)
D3300 (almost identical to a D3400 but cheaper).
D600 if you want full frame.

Cheap DX lenses could be:
Nikon 18-70 f/3.5-4.5 (works really well on older cameras which don't correct chromatic aberrations)
Tamron 17-50 f/2.8

Cheap FX lenses:
Nikon 28-80 f/3.3-5.6
Nikon 28-105 f/3.5-4.5
Click to expand...
I had a D600 back in the day and the oil spots drove me crazy.
Thanks for the recommendations, I'll check them out.
 
As the Nikon 5000 series has been mentioned, FWIW I at least am over the moon with the D5500 I bought for my wife recently - I hope she is when she gets to grips with it. It's probably as small and light as a APS-C DSLR gets.

The earliest 5000 series compatible with AF-P lenses is the D5200. If you can live without touch screen and wireless I think those are the main differences from the 5500. Both have the 24MP sensor.

I was lucky enough to find an 'excellent' AF-P 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX for c. £40, they seem already to have gone up £10 on MPB...this lens was described by Rockwell as the best basic kit lens ever offered. I added it because it was so cheap...my do-everything choice was the AF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR DX which I think is terrific.

I had to update the firmware and lens data on the D5500 for the AF-P 18-55 which came out after the camera. It now corrects basic barrel/pincushion in the camera.
 
Have an old "knockabout" Nikon D7200 with 16-80mm f2.8-4E lens in an old Lowepro pouch in the back of the car for years, works just fine and has helped out numerous times ;)

GC
 
A USB battery charger means you can charge batteries without taking them inside the house (and then forgetting about them).

The D5200 can't use AF-P lenses. The earliest is the D5300. The AF-P lenses are great and cheaper than the (not as good) AF-S kit lenses.
 
Erty said:
A USB battery charger means you can charge batteries without taking them inside the house (and then forgetting about them).

The D5200 can't use AF-P lenses. The earliest is the D5300. The AF-P lenses are great and cheaper than the (not as good) AF-S kit lenses.
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I think I must stand corrected, I had looked at Rockwell's compatibility chart, perhaps not hard enough.

Nikon Imaging Support says compatible, but then lists 4 qualifications that would, frankly, put me off trying it - definitely go for the D5300 if wanting to use the AF-P 'kit' lens.

Apology for the bum steer:)
 
D7200 is a great little camera. Apart from the APSC sensor, fixed back screen and some video functionality, it is pretty much the same as a D750.
 
wilt said:
Going to look at a D7200 with 18-105mm tomorrow morning. £350, couldn't be bad to that. Under 20K shutter too.
Bonus is my Z8 batteries should work with it.
Click to expand...

I know the EN-EL15 a and b are comaptible, but when I tried to put my 15c in my D500 and D850 there was something stopping the battery going in fully.
 
wilt said:
I've used the M43 in the past and while a brilliant setup, my hands are quite large and it was cramp inducing. So probably aps-c or full frame would be best.
Click to expand...

I think everybody knows about this size comparison site but just in case some don't...

Compact Camera Meter

Compare unlimited number of cameras with lenses, see how compact or bulky a camera is and sort by height, width, depth and weight.
camerasize.com

Posting this because although some camera bodies are smaller / larger than others I don't think it's always as simple as MFT are too small and APS-C and FF are larger. Anyway, you can pick a selection and see what they're like on screen and possibly whittle down your list of possibles.
 
The camera that I always have with me that always seems to be ready and working is in my cell phone. Your "Best Camera" is the one that you have with you. Though sometimes I have wished that I had a better camera with me, I have surprised myself with the quality of photos that my cell phone has taken, but I too try to remember to take one of my better, but not best camera, with me when I leave the house. If I need a camera and didn't bring one, I always have my cell phone camera with me. It's a 16 megapixel and does quite good.

Charley
 
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