Camera?

[Flexin]

I think the time is coming to replace my camera. My business partners an I bought a Sony 5.1 mp camera about 8 years ago for the business and I ended up with it when we shut it down. It has worked great but started acting weird at my sons Christmas concert.

I have been hooked on Sony ( my camera before this one was Sony as well but I'm looking for suggestion on any good camera.

What I'm looking for is a good size screen and I'm not sure what else. It would be nice if its not too bulky because I sometimes take the camera to clubs. Speaking of that is there a feature that will help take better shots in a club?

I would also like. A DSLR at some point. What are those new smaller cameras like?

James

[Mr Lefty]

The Olympus Pen is a nice camera... has detachable lenses, so you can get some of the benefit of DSLRS with out the bulk.

Sony, Nikon, Canon also make a similar style "Pocket DSLR" type camera... Dpreview.com has given the Sony some good reviews.. just saw the Nikon the other day at Bestbuy... Nikon 1 I think it's called...

[EpyonXero]

The Olympus Pen is a nice camera... has detachable lenses, so you can get some of the benefit of DSLRS with out the bulk.

Sony, Nikon, Canon also make a similar style "Pocket DSLR" type camera... Dpreview.com has given the Sony some good reviews.. just saw the Nikon the other day at Bestbuy... Nikon 1 I think it's called...

Yeah, it sounds like you might want to look at a micro four thirds camera. Its kind of a hybrid between DSLRs and point and shoots. Better quality than a P&S and interchangeable lenses but smaller and usually less complicated than a DSLR. I have a Panasonic GF3 with is just barely small enough to fit in a coat pocket or cargo pants pocket with a pancake lens attached.

For taking picture in clubs you want something with good low light performance and a built in flash most likely.

[Lamnidae]

I really like my Canon S95, it's a good compliment Point & Shoot to my DSLR. .... I think the newest they have out is the S100.

[Papa_Complex]

Yeah, it sounds like you might want to look at a micro four thirds camera. Its kind of a hybrid between DSLRs and point and shoots. Better quality than a P&S and interchangeable lenses but smaller and usually less complicated than a DSLR. I have a Panasonic GF3 with is just barely small enough to fit in a coat pocket or cargo pants pocket with a pancake lens attached.

For taking picture in clubs you want something with good low light performance and a built in flash most likely.

The new Olympus E-P3 has a small built-in flash and a fairly big screen, but is better used with the accessory viewfinder. It also focuses fairly fast. The earlier versions in this camera line didn't so you can get one at a good price, but it might not perform the way you want it to. The Panasonic Micro Four-Thirds cameras also focus fairly quickly. My measure of focus speed, in this case is being fast enough to catch a kid at play. They aren't up to motorsports performance speeds.

It has a focus assist lamp. The flash isn't very powerful, but it can also act as a controller for an off-camera flash. I did a Christmas family portrait session with this camera and a couple of external flashes, on stands with umbrellas.

I took a couple of quick shots. This is now my "travel kit"; Olympus E-P3, Olympus 17mm F2.8 pancake, Olympus 14-42mm F3.5-5.6, and Panasonic 45-200mm F4.0-5.6 IS. To give an idea of scale, the E-P3 is 5 inches across.

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/multimedia/.gallery301/var/resizes/illustrative/PC181982.JPG

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/multimedia/.gallery301/var/resizes/illustrative/PC181989.JPG

The advantage of any removable lens system is that you can buy the body and one lens, that you think you'll need immediately, and then add to it later on. At this point all of the major manufacturers are jumping on the old-style rangefinder body shape as a mirrorless multi-lens system.

[goof2]

All the advice given so far is good, but I personally wouldn't bring most of what has been recommended in to a club. They will do better with low light shots, but in a club environment I would want something that fits in my pocket. I can see a camera that doesn't getting lost, damaged, or stolen quickly. There are a ton of P&S cameras by all the manufacturers that are 12mp+ and will easily fit in a pocket for under $100. Get one of those and get a DSLR for other pictures. For a fraction of the price of a single lens for a DSLR the P&S will be cheap insurance for the DSLR you eventually do get.

[Papa_Complex]

Something like the E-P3 (or better yet a smaller E-PL3*), with a pancake lens, isn't much bigger than a quality pocket camera while providing DSRL quality shots. It just takes actually seeing one in the flesh, to know if it will do the job for you.

*Edit - Sorry, make that E-PM1. I forgot that they changed the naming convention.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusepm1/

[Lamnidae]

Nice setup ya go there Papa.

[Homeslice]

A Panasonic Lumix is the bulkiest camera I'd want to take into a club.
It's also good enough to be your only camera.

[Papa_Complex]

Nice setup ya go there Papa.

Thanks. I used the E-P3 with a 40-150mm 4/3 kit lens, with an adapter, to take most of my track candid shots through the last 3 regional rounds and it did just fine. It should work even better with that Panasonic 45-200mm lens. It only cost $200.00 too.

A Panasonic Lumix is the bulkiest camera I'd want to take into a club.
It's also good enough to be your only camera.

Depends on which of 20 Lumix cameras you're talking about.

[Lamnidae]

I do really enjoy the components in the Canon S95..... however I'm not a super big fan of the ring control on the front of the camera --- it's slow to adjust the optics... and more novelty than anything really useful, the same controls can be put on the camera elsewhere (and honestly with a P&S i'm not trying to use the viewfinder, holding like a DSLR does nothing for me).

[Flexin]

The new Olympus E-P3 has a small built-in flash and a fairly big screen, but is better used with the accessory viewfinder. It also focuses fairly fast. The earlier versions in this camera line didn't so you can get one at a good price, but it might not perform the way you want it to. The Panasonic Micro Four-Thirds cameras also focus fairly quickly. My measure of focus speed, in this case is being fast enough to catch a kid at play. They aren't up to motorsports performance speeds.

It has a focus assist lamp. The flash isn't very powerful, but it can also act as a controller for an off-camera flash. I did a Christmas family portrait session with this camera and a couple of external flashes, on stands with umbrellas.

I took a couple of quick shots. This is now my "travel kit"; Olympus E-P3, Olympus 17mm F2.8 pancake, Olympus 14-42mm F3.5-5.6, and Panasonic 45-200mm F4.0-5.6 IS. To give an idea of scale, the E-P3 is 5 inches across.

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/multimedia/.gallery301/var/resizes/illustrative/PC181982.JPG

http://www.morallyambiguous.net/multimedia/.gallery301/var/resizes/illustrative/PC181989.JPG

The advantage of any removable lens system is that you can buy the body and one lens, that you think you'll need immediately, and then add to it later on. At this point all of the major manufacturers are jumping on the old-style rangefinder body shape as a mirrorless multi-lens system.

I'm glad I asked for help. You reminded me about one of the things that is most important to me. That is the speed of the focus. I missed some good shots of the kid because of this.

It would be nice to have a camera that will start fast and be able to get the shot I want before it is gone.

James

[Papa_Complex]

I'm glad I asked for help. You reminded me about one of the things that is most important to me. That is the speed of the focus. I missed some good shots of the kid because of this.

It would be nice to have a camera that will start fast and be able to get the shot I want before it is gone.

James

I figured that, which is why I mentioned it ;) Obviously the best focus speed you're going to get is from a DSLR, but a full-sized body isn't always the most convenient thing in the world. There are good deals on the Olympus E-P2 right now earlier Micro Four-Thirds camera), and it's a great little camera, but it neither has a built-in flash, nor will keep up with a kid. I'll likely be setting mine up as a permanent product shooting rig, once I get my gear properly set up.

Ultimately you'll want to go to a camera or big-box store and see what feels best, but do your research first. In a big box store they'll not have a clue about cameras, only wanting to sell you what they're pushing that week/month. In a camera store they're more likely to try and sell you on whatever the salesman is getting an 'incentive' (read 'kick-back') on from the manufacturer, that month. That means some Canon or Nikon body that, while it'll probably do the job, may not be the best choice FOR YOU.

[EpyonXero]

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/8986630048/mirrorless-roundup-2011