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Entry level camera 📸

daveydavey

daveydavey

Striker
I am headed on a road trip across the states 🇺🇸 starting on Good Friday. Some of the places I am going look insane & I’d like to capture better photos than what the iPhone (15) can manage.

I’m not “into” photography as such so don’t want to spend on an advanced camera, something where I can quickly & easily understand and change exposure, good zoom & better pictures than the iPhone is the criteria.

Budget wise, I have in mind £200-300 and chatgpt has recommended a refurbished Nickon Coolpix B500. I don’t mind refurbished and it has to be purchasable inside America.

Have looked at the sticky threads but the information is a bit back dated & some of the links don’t work.

I’ll upload some of the pictures after the trip.

Thank you !! 📸
 
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I have a DSLR with multiple lenses and stuff.

Hardly ever use it, too much faff and bulk. Wanted something smaller and more useable but better than a phone.

So I picked up a s/h but in excellent condition Sony Cybershot HX300 from Ebay for £90.

It's got some clever auto modes and full manual.

Why do you want to buy it in the USA?

If I was you and wanted some good advice, try London Camera Exchange, they sell loads of refurbed cameras, there's one in Gosforth, although you could just ring them, I'm sure a specialist store like that will be helpful.
 
Are you looking for something pocket sized that you can carry around everywhere with you or something larger?

Pocket sized, I'd probably be looking at the Panasonic TZ series compacts - decent quality images and huge zoom range, good on "point and shoot" automatic, but plenty manual features to use when you get more comfortable with them.

If you are looking for something larger, Nikon, Canon, Sony and Panasonic have all done decent bridge cameras, it all really down to personal preference as they are all very capable.
 
Gobuchul said:
I have a DSLR with multiple lenses and stuff.

Hardly ever use it, too much faff and bulk. Wanted something smaller and more useable but better than a phone.

So I picked up a s/h but in excellent condition Sony Cybershot HX300 from Ebay for £90.

It's got some clever auto modes and full manual.

Why do you want to buy it in the USA?

If I was you and wanted some good advice, try London Camera Exchange, they sell loads of refurbed cameras, there's one in Gosforth, although you could just ring them, I'm sure a specialist store like that will be helpful.
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I live in the US mate that’s why I want to buy it here, I won’t be home (UK) before this trip. I’ll look at that cybershoot, does seem a big second hand market.
RTGAdmin said:
Are you looking for something pocket sized that you can carry around everywhere with you or something larger?

Pocket sized, I'd probably be looking at the Panasonic TZ series compacts - decent quality images and huge zoom range, good on "point and shoot" automatic, but plenty manual features to use when you get more comfortable with them.

If you are looking for something larger, Nikon, Canon, Sony and Panasonic have all done decent bridge cameras, it all really down to personal preference as they are all very capable.
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Thank you! The Panasonic sounds ideal, it’s my first non phone camera so the bridge one is likely a year or two away, I’ll look up the TZ series tonight
 
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daveydavey said:
I live in the US mate that’s why I want to buy it here, I won’t be home (UK) before this trip. I’ll look at that cybershoot, does seem a big second hand market.

Thank you! The Panasonic sounds ideal, it’s my first non phone camera so the bridge one is likely a year or two away, I’ll look up the TZ series tonight
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Did you get yourself sorted mate? My stepson has a decent camera we got him for a photography 6th form class he no longer does, and he has no further interest. It's about a year to 18m old, I can find out the details if you'd be interested. He asked me to flog it on Vinted or eBay as he wants money for (predictably) more video games, and he doesn't really care how much it goes for!
 
Ageing Grey Mackem said:
Did you get yourself sorted mate? My stepson has a decent camera we got him for a photography 6th form class he no longer does, and he has no further interest. It's about a year to 18m old, I can find out the details if you'd be interested. He asked me to flog it on Vinted or eBay as he wants money for (predictably) more video games, and he doesn't really care how much it goes for!
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Hey mate, yes I am sorted out! Setting off on Thursday. I am in the US at the moment as well mate so would be difficult to take you up on the camera.
 
daveydavey said:
Hey mate, yes I am sorted out! Setting off on Thursday. I am in the US at the moment as well mate so would be difficult to take you up on the camera.
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The Panasonic DMC-TZ series are good cameras and I have a TZ90. It's basically a compact bridge camera. The one minr caution is if dust gets in the lens configuration, it's hard to remove.

It certainly wins in the zoom department, with 30x optical if you want to do some wildlife but I have noticed the latest Samsung phones do at least as well at wide angle (low zoom) and produce better photos in low light.

I've also an old superzoom Canon Powershot SX 50 with 50x optical zoom that outperforms the Panasonic too. However, it's way too bulky and only comes out if i need to get serious with wildlife and low light.
 
tooliohelmet said:
I've been thinking about trying one of these, I'm an absolute novice though, would you recommend?
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Everyone starts out as a novice and all decent modern cameras have a range of functions from fully automatic to fully manual. With digital, just experiment, read and learn as you go.
 
RTGAdmin said:
Everyone starts out as a novice and all decent modern cameras have a range of functions from fully automatic to fully manual. With digital, just experiment, read and learn as you go.
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Cheers, my dads right into photography so I've been on to him to borrow some of his books.

I really like the idea of the film simulation modes on that XM5.
 
tooliohelmet said:
I've been thinking about trying one of these, I'm an absolute novice though, would you recommend?
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Im a big Fuji fan, currently with an XT3, XE2 ( Infra red converted ) and an XF10.

Just MHO, but as a novice I'd suggest getting a camera with a viewfinder as a way of framing and learning shots rather just an LCD screen.

Recently, I bought 2 Panasonics, the LX100ii and the GX880K. Both older models, but both excellent cameras.

The LX is a Leica under a different name. It's a fixed lens with a a 3x zoom and really fast lens for a zoom.

You'd pick up either for around £280-£340. Good cameras to learn the basics and more. You'd also get most of your money back if re-selling.

Whatever camera you go for, enjoy!
 
Rammstein said:
Im a big Fuji fan, currently with an XT3, XE2 ( Infra red converted ) and an XF10.

Just MHO, but as a novice I'd suggest getting a camera with a viewfinder as a way of framing and learning shots rather just an LCD screen.

Recently, I bought 2 Panasonics, the LX100ii and the GX880K. Both older models, but both excellent cameras.

The LX is a Leica under a different name. It's a fixed lens with a a 3x zoom and really fast lens for a zoom.

You'd pick up either for around £280-£340. Good cameras to learn the basics and more. You'd also get most of your money back if re-selling.

Whatever camera you go for, enjoy!
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Thanks for the reply, its much appreciated.
 
RTGAdmin said:
I don't know anything about that camera, but is their anything that does that can't easily be done in post-processing?
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The answer is 'No'.

Fujifilm do in camera simulation better ( arguably ) than anyone else, which seems to be a factor for @tooliohelmet .

Having said that, it doesn't make the photography more creative, only the photographer can do that.

I like Fujifilm - we have several - but never bought one for the simulations.

The lack of an EVF and IBIS would cross it off my list, plus paying £850, body only.

Hopefully, @tooliohelmet will give us an update on it, and how he finds it. 👍
 
Rammstein said:
The answer is 'No'.

Fujifilm do in camera simulation better ( arguably ) than anyone else, which seems to be a factor for @tooliohelmet .

Having said that, it doesn't make the photography more creative, only the photographer can do that.

I like Fujifilm - we have several - but never bought one for the simulations.

The lack of an EVF and IBIS would cross it off my list, plus paying £850, body only.

Hopefully, @tooliohelmet will give us an update on it, and how he finds it. 👍
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There's a new fuji coming out xt30iii with the viewfinder, think im going for that one. Will update when I can
 
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