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I've recently become a big fan of garden photography. Unfortunately, my current camera isn't able to shoot wide enough. Does anyone know of a cheap (under $200) digital camera that could do the job well?
FYI: My current camera is a Samsung Digimax D73. Reading the stuff of the camera it says it has a 7.2 Mega Pixel Resolution, 5.8x 17.4mm zoom.
i suggest you go to ebay or craigslist and look for a SONY F717
that camera (digital) takes FANTASTIC macro shots......it has a very nice lens....very easy to work with, 5 mp, 10x zoom
You mean a camera to capture the full garden or something to take close up pictures of individual items in the garden? Will you be printing?
Just to clarify - I'm looking for a digital camera (not a camrecorder) under $200 to take wide angle photos of full gardens, vistas and lakes. I won't be printing them - just storing them on my computer or CDs.
I haven't done a lot of camera research lately, but I'm guessing you may not be able to find a digital camera under $200 that has a true wide angle lens. My newest camera, a Canon SX10 IS, costs more than that but does have a true wide angle end of the zoom, and it has really made a difference in what I've been able to capture.
Another possibility for you is to look for a camera that you can add an adapter and a wide angle teleconverter to, but then again you are adding $$$ for the extras.
I will recommend you to look into Sony H20. It isn't quite a sub-200 camera, but you may be able to find one for less than $275. It isn't quite a compact, but it will offer flexibility and will be useful in a wide range of situations. Its got manual controls and extreme zoom (380 mm). The only thing you might miss is relative lack of wide angle (starts at 38 mm). So, you may have to move farther if you're taking, for example, a group photo. But, I will be surprised if it didn't take some very good close up shots. Panasonic Lumix ZS1 would be another great buy.
If you really want an inexpensive but good camera, either Canon A1000 IS or A2000 IS would be exceptional for about $140-$175. These are some of the few economy compacts that offer good quality and manual controls. Couple of other things I like about them:
- they use AA batteries (so while that doesn't help them be more compact than they could be with a proprietary battery pack, AA batteries are inexpensive and you save there as well, when buying extra or in the longer term if you must replace the batteries).
- old fashioned view finder. While most cameras offer only LCD to view shot, if anything goes wrong with the LCD, the camera is virtually useless. Optical view finder, while takes away some sleekness, it is a good thing to have.
Last edited by EinsteinsGhost; 05-29-2009 at 09:19 AM..
The only thing you might miss is relative lack of wide angle (starts at 38 mm). So, you may have to move farther if you're taking, for example, a group photo. But, I will be surprised if it didn't take some very good close up shots. Panasonic Lumix ZS1 would be another great buy.
Unfortunately, the wide angle is the main thing that I am looking for!
I will recommend you to look into Sony H20. It isn't quite a sub-200 camera, but you may be able to find one for less than $275. It isn't quite a compact, but it will offer flexibility and will be useful in a wide range of situations. Its got manual controls and extreme zoom (380 mm). The only thing you might miss is relative lack of wide angle (starts at 38 mm). So, you may have to move farther if you're taking, for example, a group photo. But, I will be surprised if it didn't take some very good close up shots. Panasonic Lumix ZS1 would be another great buy.
If you really want an inexpensive but good camera, either Canon A1000 IS or A2000 IS would be exceptional for about $140-$175. These are some of the few economy compacts that offer good quality and manual controls. Couple of other things I like about them:
- they use AA batteries (so while that doesn't help them be more compact than they could be with a proprietary battery pack, AA batteries are inexpensive and you save there as well, when buying extra or in the longer term if you must replace the batteries).
- old fashioned view finder. While most cameras offer only LCD to view shot, if anything goes wrong with the LCD, the camera is virtually useless. Optical view finder, while takes away some sleekness, it is a good thing to have.
I totally agree with getting a camera that has the option of using the LCD OR an optical view finder. There are so many situations where the light is just too too bright and renders the LCD practically useless. Besides, it uses more battery power.
As for batteries, one of these reasons I chose my last two cameras is so I could use AA batteries. I consider that a real plus as they're so readily available.
Unfortunately, the wide angle is the main thing that I am looking for!
There may not be many compacts with a proper wide angle (under 30 mm) in that price class. The Panasonic does though (25 mm). What are your priorities?
BTW, the Canons I suggested (35 mm minimum focal length) may also take an external wide angle lens (the A-series used to, not sure if it still does), something you could add later although brand new Canon wide angle lens could run about $90 or so.
1. Under $200
2. Reasonably reliable
3. Greater than 5 Mega Pixels
4. As wide as angle as possible.
Basically the widest angle possible given 1, 2 and 3.
Design, compactness and the lack of viewfinder are not really priorities. If it doesn't have a noticeably wider angle than my Samsung Digimax D73 then I'm prepared to wait for another six months or so.
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