Need advice on buying a digital compact

[MrsPeel]

Hi guys, I m very, very amateur, would be really grateful if someone could help on this one:
looking for a compact, no need for lots of megapixels, 6 or 7 would be OK, but don't mind spending a bit more money if I can find a camera which will take good photos in low light without flash....
Do they manufacture such thing?
I had a go at a Nikon CoolPix last year (friend of mine bought it) but it wouldn't take photos of the street at night, for example, not even in huge cities with lots of lights....
We had a Kodak Easy share in 2005, 4mp, it would add a bit of noise but took photos without flash even inside the flat without much light...

something else: is face recognition software something worth having?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions..

(would love to find something for £100, maximum £150, but would stretch if finding the right camera!)

[alanS]

Hello,

Taking pictures in low light is a problem with many cameras as to let enough light in to get a good exposure the camera has to leave the shutter open for longer and this leads to blurry shots due to camera shake and you can also get (if a higher ISO value is used) coloured speckles on the pictures due to the higher ISO related noise.

To avoid these problems I think that you're probably going to have to spend more money on a more specialist camera and also learn more about aperture, shutter and ISO settings.

If you don't want to spend lots and become a photo geek like the people here (not me, obviously, but the others here are all geeks...) you could just buy a decent compact, put it on "Auto," try and hold it steady and enjoy the results.

Have a look at the Canon Ixus 80 IS, I have one and there are two others in my family. It comes in different colours too (I have a nice blue one, an 82 IS from Jessops.)

If you are interested in getting the best from your photography just say so and I'm sure that you'll get lots of good advice.

PS. I wouldn't bother with face recognition myself.

[DaveG40]

Fuji compacts have a reputation for low light ability, if you can, the Fuji F40fd's worth a look on ebay & should be below you budget, zoom range may not be what your looking for though?.

[RogerMac]

PS. I wouldn't bother with face recognition myself.

I would have agreed with you till recently but I went to a new camera launch and came back witht his picture of the guest of honour

as you can see two good images of backs of someone's head and the main subject out of focus . I know that I could have switched to single point and aimed carefully but thats difficult when holding a camera high above one's head

Hopefully face recognition would just have sorted that out by itself

Incidently the camera he was promoting was just what the OP is asking for but unfortunately way out of budget so I can not recommend it

Roger

[alanS]

"way out of budget"

Are you 100% sure? or only 4/3rd's?

[Malcolm_Stewart]

Very impressive - at least I can recognise Bailey!

But, which body owns the white furry stuff to Bailey's right. The way I'm seeing it, it looks a bit disembodied...

[RogerMac]

"way out of budget"

Are you 100% sure? or only 4/3rd's?

Just 82%

[RogerMac]

Very impressive - at least I can recognise Bailey!

But, which body owns the white furry stuff to Bailey's right. The way I'm seeing it, it looks a bit disembodied...

On the full res version it's fairly clear that it belongs to the man in the check shirt

[Simon_King]

"way out of budget"

Are you 100% sure? or only 4/3rd's?

Just 82%

No 4/3rds is 133.33333% surely

Cheers
Simon

[alanS]

Gosh! That is sure!

Sorry about taking this thread slightly off topic. I hope that the poster doesn't mind.

[RogerMac]

No 4/3rds is 133.33333% surely

Cheers
Simon

I had decide not to mention that! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[ojb28]

Fuji compacts have a reputation for low light ability, if you can, the Fuji F40fd's worth a look on ebay & should be below you budget, zoom range may not be what your looking for though?.

The F100fd and F200exr have a very useful 28-140mm lens. I bought one for my sister having liked my F10 and have been impressed. Noise reduction does compromise detail at 800+ but 12MP means it's rarely visible in print. ISO 100-400 are very clean, detailed and noise free. Face detection I think definitely has its uses in this type of camera.

[Simon_King]

No 4/3rds is 133.33333% surely

Cheers
Simon

I had decide not to mention that! [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

I'll get my coat!

[DaveG40]

I'd quite agree, but they are slightly over the Op's budget, the exr is a cracking little camera but at it's current price I'd have to suggest a Nikon D40 or Sony A200.

The F40fd <u>etc</u> is older tech, but still very useable and more importantly should be within the Op's Budget. The F50fd is avialable here for only £117, which leaves enough money for a memory card & case etc. You can get the F60 for £131 from Argos and even the F100fd can be had for under £160, so there is a lot of choice, without even looking at the likes of Panasonic etc.

[MrsPeel]

Alan, thank you so much, to be honest with you, I wasn't expecting to get many replies because I'm not geeky enough myself (though I really want to be!! LOL) you brought a smile to my face, and no, I don't mind getting of topic, I had a laugh and that is great these days in this world!
I m gonna go read again all the replies so I can think it through (and answer some others, I have a Nikon D40 but I know I'm not gonna be able to have it with me at all times, that's why I was asking for compact, but I saw someone suggested the D40)
We are going away for the summer, but will most definitely come back see if I can learn geeky, and then you could teach me how not to be geeky so I can carry on having a laugh! [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]
I have to mention another little thing: I'm a *bloody foreigner* (legal, though!), so it takes a bit longer for me to deal with English geeky talk! LOL

Thanks again [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[MrsPeel]

Thank you everyone! not only I got a lot of advice from you guys but also had a good laugh!

Will read through all again and go see what I can get...

DaveG40: I have a Nikon D40, I m learning on my own, slowly, the reason I want a compact is because not only I can't have the camera with me at all times, therefore loosing some photo opportunities (I'm disabled, in crutches, cannot carry a lot of weight amd leaving the camera in the car is a no no for me these days) but also because we are going away for the summer and would like to be able to take photos all the time,which again isn't an option with the D40.
Will have a look at the Fujis you are talking about, thanks so much....

Thank you all guys, will come back let you know what we bought (or maybe ask again before we buy, when almost decided? you are great!)

[alanS]

Hello again...if you're still here...

If you have a D40 I think that you'll already have a good grasp of things so I wondered if I might suggest....The Panasonic LX3.

I have the LX2 and I love it, the LX3 is (according to reviews) better, it has a shorter zoom but it has a constant aperture (f2.8 I think) and is a better performer in low light and suffers less noise.

If you get chance it may be worth having a look at one.

Good luck with the photography and the holiday.

[MrsPeel]

Hey.... yes, well, the Panasonic LXs(both 2 & 3) were a bit out of budget for me (average £300) so I went to Argos, stood looking at the catalogue for a while and bought a PentaxOptio M60 for 100 quid....the obnly thing that puzzles me is that it makes noise, as in engine noise, not photographic noise...
We took some fun photos last night, and it kinda does the trick for what I could see in the playback in camera....I'm about to download into the computer now, so will come back let you know!
I will come back to pick a bit your brains in september, as though I have the D40, I know little of how to use it properly.... !
Thanks so much guys!!!