(what I have now)
Maybe it's the fact that this baby girl is changing and growing up on me as each day passes...
Maybe it's the fact that I feel like I can't take a picture that does justice to ANY of my cute kids...
Maybe it's the fact that I can't freeze time...
Whatever the reason, I want a new camera!!! And I want everyone's input on what I should get. I see all these adorable pictures on your blogs, with good lighting, kids actually looking like themselves, and non-blurry action shots... How do you do it???
Now before you go off telling to get some amazing (cough, cough--expensive) piece of equipment, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am not a photographer, and have no plans to become one. I am quite simple in my camera needs--I just want to be able to take cute pictures of babies and boys out on the soccer and baseball fields. I just know there's something better out there than what I have, and I have this feeling that someone knows just what I need. Here's my short list of criteria:
1. Portability: I want to be able to stick it in my diaper bag so that I actually use it. I know myself, and I know that if it's too big to need its own bag, I won't take it anywhere, hence no pictures and no use getting the camera in the first place...
2. Quality: I want it to be able to take good pictures! I want it to show the peachy tint of my baby's skin (not have it come off looking pasty white), I want it to catch my boys' smiles as soon as they score a goal (and not just the second after), and I want it to do the work for me. Call me crazy, or lazy...
3. Affordability: We have had lots of expenses this year, and a new camera is not exactly a necessity at this point. But if I can sell Jeremy on its features AND be able to subsidize it with some of my piano teaching money, that would soften the blow...
So, what do you think--is it possible? Am I asking too much? Does my dream camera actually exist? I need your input, people... And please feel free to tell me if you think it's just me as a photographer that needs help. Could I get what I want with a Canon PowerShot, if I just learned how to use it better? Let me know :o)
8 comments:
So you asked about our camera - I have a Sony DSC HX1 or something like that. It's too big for portability which is hard cause it's not one to just throw in the diaper bag. And you asked about the true to life colors. Actually...I found out that's a weakness of my camera. When we were in Ireland, I'd be looking at a scene, looking at the picture I'd just taken of it and scratching my head wondering why it wasn't nearly as vivid as what I was seeing. And then Ryan said, "Oh yeah, that was one of the complaints of this camera." So...I spent a lot of time in Photoshop getting my pictures BACK to what I was seeing originally. So, don't go with mine. :) But, I have learned the beauty of enhancing my photos. There are a lot of nice color enhancements (like the peachy skin you were talking about), taking off a few wrinkles, etc, that you can do with even photoshop elements, which is what I have and isn't too expensive like the full photoshop. Or there's a free website you should try called picnik.com that does a few nice things for someone who's not a photographer. BUT those things take time. I think if I spent more money on different lenses, better cameras, I'd get the pictures I wanted without so much work. So...I guess when we make more money I'll opt for paying money into a camera rather than paying time into just helping out my photos. I guess that's why I try to limit to a few favorite photos I'm willing to enhance for the blog or to blow up or whatever.
But a big thing for me has also been learning just how to get good raw material to work with - like putting my babies in a room with all the blinds open and trying to get in as much natural light as possible without direct sunlight and figuring out a decent background. I've gotten some great starting photos that way just with our old cannon powershot. And a lot of cameras have a vivid setting - maybe that would get more color you want?
There were some great online camera reviews - videos you could watch where people went through the pros and cons of all different types of cameras, but I'm not sure the website we used - my husband said he just googled it - but that's where he heard that ours wasn't the most vivid color (but we got our camera for free through some contest, so I can't complain). I can't find it now, but if we do I'll let you know. Good luck, I've asked the same questions and sorry this is long, but those are my only suggestions!.
I don't have an answer other than to refer you to a website like Jen is talking about above. It's called cnet.com and I check it before I make any electronics purchase these days. It usually has a lot of information and tutorials to help you figure out what will best suit your needs. Good luck!
Sadly, I am pretty ignorant when it comes to cameras that aren't DSLRs. I try and help Z with her little camera, and I'm not much use. If you have a good camera shop out there, that would really be your best bet. You can go handle some and ask for recommendations. Tell them your list of important things and see what they think would be best.
One key for any camera, though--lighting! If you are interested in taking good indoor shots, you have to try and get the best (read: natural) light possible. Opening the blinds and such as suggested above is a big help. Put the baby in some indirect window light for those sweet close ups.
Oh my gosh, I've spent the past week window shopping for a new camera too! Something about having a new baby does it to me... Maybe it's that I spend 90% of the time trying to capture every fleeting second of small-ness on a lousy camera and building up an insurmountable level of frustration! AAHH!! Let us know when you find The Camera, so we can go out and buy one just like it!
Karsie, there is something called the "Cannon Rewards Program" where you can send in your old Cannon for a half-price refurbished (better than new) camera! Check it out? xoxo!!
try a Canon SD790 IS,it takes amazing,AMAZING pictures. One negative point is that it has a very small zoom, only x3, so it's smaller than what you have now. But that's why they are point n shoot cameras. I suggest you try and find one in the store and have your boys run around or jump up and down while you take some pictures to see if it can handle the moving motion aspect that you are looking for. But I think it can. The worst thing about any camera is the shutter speed being too slow, so you only capture the shadow of your children's movement...Ahhg, that can be so annoying.
Total camera snob here, so here's my two cents.
If you're buying a point and shoot, throw in your camera bag camera. The Canon Powershot Elph is great! It's small, has high megapixels and it's affordable! I got mine last year at costco in a kit, came with a case, SD card, tripod and camera and it was under $200. It's thin, has the video camera feature {which is a must in a point and shoot camera} and takes amazing pictures.
I would NEVER spend more than $200 on a point and shoot camera. $160 will get you a great camera.
If you're looking for a camera to get that "instant" shot and not have the delay like the point and shoot will have. The canon rebel is the most affordable way to go. It's not "throw in the diaper bag small" but it will take amazing pictures and capture that soccer kick or that smile on that baby. Now is a great time to buy the rebel at Costco. You can get a a nice camera with a good lens in a kit for a fair price.
Okay, I'll stop. As you can tell, I'm a Canon girl. Love their cameras!
Good luck!
So since the previous poster is a Canon girl, I'll throw in my two bits for Nikons. We have had a Nikon SLR for about 4 years now and love it. But definitely not a camera to throw in your diaper bag. We do get great shots with great color, but we found we were leaving it home sometimes because of it's size and all of the lenses we want to bring with it. So for Mother's Day this year Shawn found a GREAT deal on a Nikon Coolpix s4000. It's tiny and I always have it in my diaper bag. It's been really nice to have and the picture quality is surprisingly really good. I'm not usually a big point and shoot fan, but it is nice to have something small to take places and be a little more spontaneous with.
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