What easy to use camera?

[Adrian]

My HR manager, knowing I am a keen photographer, has asked me to recommend a camera for her. Her criteria are: easy to use, takes good pictures, not too expensive. Trouble is, I have not owned a point and shoot camera for many years and have no clue really what to recommend as all of my kit is far beyond what she will need.

She does not want to use her mobile phone. Hee motivation is she is having a baby in February and she wants the camera to take baby pictures.

I may buy this for her through the business as a maternity present.

Please advise me what to buy. Lets say budget of around £250 to £300. I need to look suitably well informed by Monday morning....

Thank you!

Adrian

[Black Pearl]

Shop around and you should get a good deal on this: http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/m...EK-GC200ZKABTU



Good quality, easy to use, full Android, super connectivity and plenty of fun tricks - a great family camera.

[Shadowman]

An added gift would be to advise her of potential difficulties photographing babies with any camera, give her a brief lesson on exposure, motion blur, and white balance.

[Donald]

Shop around and you should get a good deal on this: http://www.samsung.com/uk/consumer/mobile-devices/galaxy-camera/galaxy-camera/EK-GC200ZKABTU. Good quality, easy to use, full Android, super connectivity and plenty of fun tricks - a great family camera.

I'm happy to defer to Robin's knowledge on this one. He's in the business. I haven't a clue about P & S cameras.

[tao2]

Would ye consider a used camera? A Fuji Finepix X10 would fit the bill. It can be a simple point and shoot but is a sophisticated camera which she could "grow into". Around £250, used, on the bay. Mebbe around £300 new, with some judicious shopping around .

More traditional, a Sony HX90. a great camera, which again can be a simple P+S, but also a sophisticated camera, around £275-£300 (cashback on some deals).

When ah say sophisticated, ah mean a lot of tech for the bucks - not difficult or confusing tae handle...

[Geoff F]

So many to choose from unless you have specific requirements, Adrian.

The last time I was asked this question I did a lot of research and finally gave a choice of two cameras. So what was the result: 'I don't like the colour of those, this one looks nicer and it fits inside my handbag'. Then when the salesman said that it had £50 off as a special offer, a sale was guaranteed. That price was still more than I would have paid by careful shopping around.


However, when I was looking for a decent quality 'pocket camera' for my own use I had specific requirements. Real viewfinder, a useful little bit of zoom, 'real camera' control options and the ability to shoot in Raw format. I narrowed it down to two options and finally went for the Fuji X20 which has auto or semi expert controls. A bit more sophisticated than the X10 mentioned previously and possibly just outside of your budget.

[Shadowman]

Might as well throw in a micro 4/3rds, good P & S capabilities and next step up towards manual camera. A used Olympus EPL or even latest model would fit the budget you are proposing; only con is manual focusing can be a struggle.

[pnodrog]

A lot will depend on current "special deals" as most cameras in the price range will have similar features. If you find a special that may suit check with DPReview to see how it compares with other models. I am not sure that size is overly important to someone that will tend to use their cell phone for a casual shot.

Here is a link to DPReviews recommendations for beginner cameras.

[Adrian]

Thanks all. I have to admit I am coloured significantly by my own preferences, which include optical viewfinder.

Boab, possibly I should have mentioned she is a Glaswegian lass (and stunning with it and possessing a lovely soft voice), but whilst frugality is laudable, this has to be a new purchase and be low risk.

Samsung / Android... almost all of our work phones are iPhones and she will keep hers through her maternity leave.

This is so difficult. I think most small hand bag sized phones that I have seen are very compromised. Usually they have ludicrous specifications such as 30X zoom. I know most people buy on thinks like mega pixels, zoom and so on, but this does not equate to almost foolproof baby pictures. For me, what will count is good framing, good light accumulation, and very easy to handle. An upgrade path is not an issue. I know her pretty well.

[Manfred M]

Adrian - my advice would be similar to L Paul's.

When one gets into the Point & Shoot range, all of the suppliers are producing cameras to a price point and profit margin in mind and enough "specs" that can be printed on the packaging to impress the people in the target market. Some of the major manufacturers don't even make the cameras with their branding on them, but rather farm out the production to a third party contract manufacturer in China.

I would agree, DPreviews is where I would turn to as they at least have done some head-to-head testing.

I've owned various P&S from many of the major brands and if I were to rate them (based on longevity and performance), I would put Panasonic on top, Canon and Nikon in the middle and Olympus and Sony at the bottom.

[LePetomane]

I like my Fujifilm X30. It is my "go to" camera when hiking, fishing, etc when I need something light that takes good pictures. IT is as simple or complex as you want it to be.

[jcuknz]

It is almost 'after the weekend' and like Manfred rate the brand highly and I have been with Panasonic for a decade now and am very impressed with the way my doctor poked his Pany P&S into my mouth when I had a septic gum and came out with a great photo which helped my dentist
So I searched Amazon UK and found a whole range of Pany's within the price range ...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb...ic%2Caps%2C426

But for the price limitation I would be suggesting a Canon G which is a high class P&S qualifying to be almost a bridge camera, purely on the basis that babies by available light [ flash is supposed to be harmful] suggest a need for a fast lens which I think the Canon G is the leader with its f/2.
Also point out that every camera these days can be a simple P&S when required even the FF beasties
For the babe it is also worth pointing out that as you zoom out you loose aperture
A third point that auto cameras will take photos in almost no light but they need a firm support for the result to be more than a blur .... as a photographer I was aware of this when I had my simple s20 P&S from Canon .. still have it after 11 or 12 years

[xpatUSA]

But for the price limitation I would be suggesting a Canon G which is a high class P&S qualifying to be almost a bridge camera, purely on the basis that babies by available light [ flash is supposed to be harmful] suggest a need for a fast lens which I think the Canon G is the leader with its f/2.

I like Panasonic too and bought Wifey an LX-7 which has a Leica f/1.4 - f/2.3 lens on it.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/pana...umix-dmc-lx7/2
.

[MrB]

I agree with Ted. The Panasonic LX-7 is a good recommendation worthy of consideration. It has good build quality, the very fast lens is superb, and its zoom range is ideal for shots around the house, garden or park. Obviously, it is very easy to use as a point-and-shoot when set to Auto or P-Mode, and it even has a simple switch on the lens barrel to change picture aspect ratio, which might be useful for baby photos. It also has all the advanced features available if progress in photography is ever needed, but its size and weight might be considered more handbag friendly than some other suggestions here!

Cheers.
Philip

[Black Pearl]

Thanks all. I have to admit I am coloured significantly by my own preferences, which include optical viewfinder.

Boab, possibly I should have mentioned she is a Glaswegian lass (and stunning with it and possessing a lovely soft voice), but whilst frugality is laudable, this has to be a new purchase and be low risk.

Samsung / Android... almost all of our work phones are iPhones and she will keep hers through her maternity leave.

This is so difficult. I think most small hand bag sized phones that I have seen are very compromised. Usually they have ludicrous specifications such as 30X zoom. I know most people buy on thinks like mega pixels, zoom and so on, but this does not equate to almost foolproof baby pictures. For me, what will count is good framing, good light accumulation, and very easy to handle. An upgrade path is not an issue. I know her pretty well.

I wouldn't dismiss the Samsung outright - I'm fully integrated into Apple as well but was given one of the first generation Galaxy cameras by Samsung (sold now as I had a dozen other cameras) and it was fantastic fun. As a family shooter its superb. Snap a shot (it has voice activation if you want to be in on it) then share via FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat, DropBox or any other app you like. You can edit on the camera, email your shots or just sync them back to your computer. It may not be an enthusiasts camera like those mentioned above but it is a family friendly camera.

[xpatUSA]

I wouldn't dismiss the Samsung outright - I'm fully integrated into Apple as well but was given one of the first generation Galaxy cameras by Samsung (sold now as I had a dozen other cameras) and it was fantastic fun. As a family shooter its superb.

+1. I'm still using an 8MP Galaxy S II for those moments when the DSLR is back at the shack:



Hand-held, bent forward, auto-everything . .

[William W]

Hi Adrian,

I don't think this is difficult. I think you are too close.

I think that you need to step back and apply your skill-set that you would use when managing any Client or Staff Member.

My HR manager, knowing I am a keen photographer, has asked me to recommend a camera for her. Her criteria are: easy to use, takes good pictures, not too expensive. Trouble is, I have not owned a point and shoot camera for many years and have no clue really what to recommend as all of my kit is far beyond what she will need. She does not want to use her mobile phone. Hee [sic] motivation is she is having a baby in February and she wants the camera to take baby pictures.

+

. . . I am coloured significantly by my own preferences, which include optical viewfinder.
Samsung / Android... almost all of our work phones are iPhones and she will keep hers through her maternity leave.

If I were you I would find out WHY she does not want to use her mobile phone. From what you have disclosed this is the key to finding the correct product for her.

As one example, it may be that she interprets that a 'real camera' is defined by a viewfinder and therefore will make better pictures than her mobile phone. The feeling you have about the viewfinder might just be your subconscious alerting you to her requirements - have a think about that.

The way I read the situation, the purchase will need to be easy to use and have reasonable image quality - but equally (probably more important) is the placebo that the 'camera' needs to be a 'real camera' and not a 'phone'.

A 'real camera' will obviously make better pictures than any phone and be several grades more suitable for 'my new baby'.

The key is finding out WHY she doesn't want to use her phone and then find a camera that has that differentiation.

WW

[Adrian]

Right, so after being off with flu for a few days I finally sat down with her and discussed it properly. She does not like using her phone. Her private phone does not have a camera and her work iPhone she prefers to reserve strictly for work and maybe the occasional shot when she is out and about. Plus she is convinced that she wants a "proper" camera. They have a couple of small point and shoot cameras and have been unimpressed with the images they have got out of them. She knows that operator factors make the biggest difference and she is starting from a zero knowledge base. However, she feels she will have time to learn when her maternity leave starts.

She will use the camera for taking shots of her baby, family events (her sister in law is also having a baby) and for holidays. She wants a viewfinder. She wants some ability to take natural looking shots and some ability for telephoto.

There is no proper camera shop near where she lives and on-line ads are focussed in magapixels and zoom length. We have had a chat about this.

So I have lent ger a small (oldish) Canon SLR with a 24-105 kit lens and a 50mm lens to play with for the weekend and see how she gets on. We all have to start somewhere and she is starting with the green auto setting!

I will have a look round this weekend at what might be a good compromise camera for her.

[davidedric]

Adrian, is there a John Lewis near you? The one near us has an excellent selection of cameras. You can't take pictures with them, but it's a great way of trying what feels good in your hand.

Dave

[Adrian]

She has had a go with our office 6D, my 5DIII and a smaller form factor crop factor. She has taken the crop (550 or something - can't quite remember) home for the weekend. I have recommended she also go to a shopping centre (we have some near us) and try out a Nikon D5200, which I think is a good camera and can be had with two kit lenses running wide to decent tele, SD card and a bag for £460. This is outside her budget but I expect the business will be giving her a maternity present. My view after some thought is that in her shoes I would not be getting an SLR but a mirrorless, but she has seen us use SLRs extensively at work for web stuff, christmas cards, videos, brochures, staff mug shots, newsletters and so on and been impressed by what can be done (albeit with high end cameras and a load of studio gear, lights, backgrounds etc).

It is quite interesting watching someone get used to an SLR. I never really look at the buttons as I just know where everything is on the 5DIII and I set it up for shots without really thinking much about it. For a total novice, a lot of time is spent trying to work out what to do. Much of it is not as obvious as we might think it is.