Replacement camera for my Dad

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Shoxt3r

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Andrew
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Hi there,

My Dad currently has a Sony Cybershot DSC-W230 (12.1 Megapixel, clear controls) which I handed down to him quite a few years ago after an upgrade to a DSLR.

I'd like to treat him to a new camera which is equally easy to use, has a decent screen and good specifications for both picture and video (I fully understand that with a point and shoot he's unlikely to get decent audio capture quality). He's often struggled to see details on a screen, instead having to view it up-close, and has always been used to using a viewfinder so it would be great to have these issues addressed (viewfinders in my experience are becoming few and far-between though!).

The type of photography he'll be doing will vary but will mainly centre around his band, family photos and days out.

My budget of £100-180.00 is fairly minimal but I believe sufficient given the models I've looked at so far.

I've been doing a bit of research already and found the following models on display in my local Murrays ():

  • Sony HX60 Superzoom Camera, £179.00 - Slightly fiddly and complex controls but great specifications. Top end of budget though.

  • Sony H300, £169.00 - Good grip and easy to use controls, decent specifications again but pricey.

  • Sony W810, £79.00 - Good specifications but not much of an upgrade on what he already has. Fiddly on/off button.

  • Canon Ixus 190, £99.00 - Good specification, bit fiddly controls and unknown brand for point and shoot.

  • Canon SX620, £199.00 - Decent grip, out of budget in-store but have found online deals. Have heard that quality of images is average though?

The Sony H300 appears to be the favourite but open to other suggestions or convincing regarding the others. The main reason that camera stands out is because of the strong grip which is much like a DSLR.

Many thanks in advance!
 
Looking around online the Sony DSCWX350 seems to be another strong contender (£149.00) with good specification and controls.

I should also say there's no preference on brand - I just happen to have picked out Sony cameras as they seem to fit into budget.
My Dad uses Memory Stick cards in his current camera but I understand these are now defunct in favour of SD cards - is this correct?
 
Does it have to be a compact and do you only want to buy new?

With a bit more budget you could pick up a number of desirable compacts with bigger sensors 2nd hand:

Panasonic LX100 - m4/3 sensor; has EVF viewfinder
Sony RX100III - 1 inch sensor; has EVF viewfinder

mpb.com has a number of these in stock but there are other 2nd hand dealers.

Alternatively you could pick up a Canon 40D for about £60-£70 2nd hand which leaves £110 for a suitable lens.
 
Thanks for your help!

It doesn't have to be a compact - I'm just looking for something easy to use and as my Dad's not exactly into photography as a main hobby he wouldn't like the "fuss" of separate lenses, unlike me :). Also, as it will be a present I'd ideally like to get something new with a warranty so he doesn't have to worry about things going wrong.
 
I got a Sony HX60 for my wife a couple of years back. She’s happy using her phone for most things but wanted something a bit higher quality for shots of the kids etc but still pocketable. For this type of use (on full auto) its ideal, for her at least, but if you want to take things a bit more seriously it’s worth bearing in mind that there’s no option to shoot raw. The short of it is my wife finds it ideal for her purposes and I liked it enough that it persuaded me to opt for a Sony RX100 as my “spare” camera :)
 
Thanks Hadron! That's good to know about the HX60.

Do you think that getting a Bridge camera would be a good option or do you think the HX60 suffices?
I don't think my Dad would benefit from shooting RAW - he's always been used to shooting JPEG and to be honest rarely even crops photos haha.

How do you think the Sony HX60 compares with others in a similar price range such as the Canon PowerShot SX620, Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ70EB-K, Sony DSCWX350 or the Nikon B500 Coolpix?
 
Shoxt3r said:
Thanks Hadron! That's good to know about the HX60.

Do you think that getting a Bridge camera would be a good option or do you think the HX60 suffices?
I don't think my Dad would benefit from shooting RAW - he's always been used to shooting JPEG and to be honest rarely even crops photos haha.

How do you think the Sony HX60 compares with others in a similar price range such as the Canon PowerShot SX620, Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ70EB-K, Sony DSCWX350 or the Nikon B500 Coolpix?
Click to expand...

looks like they all use a tiny little 1/2.3 type sensor. Image quality wont be very good. As already mentioned above, best to get something used, and with a bigger sensor. I don't think it is worth bothering with such low end cameras.
 
The Sony HX60 looks good.
Is more compact than H300 which might be better for your dad as it will fit in a pocket better.
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
The Sony HX60 looks good.
Is more compact than H300 which might be better for your dad as it will fit in a pocket better.
Click to expand...

But it's only a dinky little 1/2.3 sensor, image quality will be a little poor.
 
Personally I have found that having a better camera certainly does not mean you take better photos. I took much better stuff with my old Canon 5 mp compact.
An expensive job finding out! ;)
 
Thanks for the replies everyone.

Do you think it's worth upgrading from the Sony W230 my Dad currently has, to something like a HX60?
I guess the main problem with the current camera is there's little to no options when it comes to cropping into an image, but also the video capture is very sub-par. Therefore, to cover all the bases I thought it would be better to upgrade him to something which can do at least 720p video and 20MP photos.

My Dad's not a photographer as I said but I'd like him to be able to use something which makes it easier to take decent photos without all the hassle of extra lenses or too many settings.
But, if you don't think it is worth upgrading from the W230 to another compact camera I won't :)
 
Funnily enough and out of the blue, my Dad has said he would like the Canon IXUS 185 which is on Sale from Argos at the moment (£99.99) as part of a bundle with an SD card and case.
The specifications look pretty good though I'd be concerned about the camera being so small and therefore fiddly with the controls.

Any thoughts?
 
If buying a camera without a viewfinder I would at least get one with a flip up screen.
 
Al1944 said:
If buying a camera without a viewfinder I would at least get one with a flip up screen.
Click to expand...

The problem I have is that I have a limited budget (top-end is £200) and from what I've seen in the current market, this feature isn't available.
Are there likely to be any new compact cameras coming out in the next couple of months that might suit my needs?
 
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