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cheapbutgreat
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Dec 25, 2016
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You can go point and shoot (P&S) or interchangeable lens camera (ILC). The pricing is such that a high-end P&S is often at around the same price point ($400-800) as a low end ILC. A P&S is pocketable but is not expandable. An ILC can be expanded with new lenses etc. but is a bit bigger and is not as portable as a P&S. You might invest in a good P&S and see how much use you get. If you start enjoying photography, then you can look at investing in an ILC from Olympus, Panasonic, Nikon, Canon, Fuji, etc.
In P&S cameras, there are 2 main categories, the travel camera and the super zoom. A travel camera is usually small and has a smaller zoom but faster (e.g., = better in low light) lens. Super zooms usually have a much larger zoom range but the lens isn't as fast because of this. Like anything else, its a trade off.
If you plan to take pictures in low light settings, then a faster lens will be better. So one thing to look for is a lens that is f2.0 or less (e.g., f1.8).
Another thing to look for is a zoom with a lower end that is 24mm or 25mm (e.g., the spec says zoom range 24mm-200mm). Some P&S cameras have a zoom with a lower end of 28mm, which I have found to be wholly inadequate.
Just like any other technology item, cameras tend to depreciate as new models with new features come out. This is good and bad. The bad is that if you buy new, it will depreciate significantly in a few years. If you buy new, buy something released in the last 6 months so you know you have the latest features. The good is that you can pick up something that was state of the art not long ago at steep discount to what it sold when it was new.
One thing worth looking at is refurbished cameras. Canon and Olympus sell these directly and they come with a warranty from the manufacturer.
Let me make one recommendation - the Olympus TG4. The lens is fairly fast at f2.0 and has a decent zoom range 25-100mm. Its part of their tough series so its ruggedized and is waterproof, dustproof, shockproof etc. If you are travelling, you can take it snorkeling etc.
Dec 25, 2016
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