P&S camera recomendations

SparksIT

Member
May 16, 2009
103
0
71
I need some recommendations for some Point and Shoot digital cameras, the sub $250 - $300 category, they are going to several people who are mildly technology inclined. They really don't want to spend more the $200, but they are also looking to go shopping on Black Friday, so I figure, up the price to $250-300, as they might fine one on sale.

As far as I know they have no preference, They will be used for Family and school events, one wants the ability of continuous shooting. As I know very little of cameras I have no idea what they should be looking at.

Any one know of any Black Friday camera deals I\we\they should be looking at.
 

queequeg99

Senior member
Oct 17, 2001
571
5
81
Costco will be selling the Panasonic ZS19 for $180, which is a very good price. This is the same as the ZS20 except that it lacks GPS (which many people don't want since it can suck up battery life). You can find a ton of reviews online (look for the ZS20 reviews). The summary is that this is a very good super zoom camera with a relatively large sensor for its price category (i.e. decent low light performance).

The ZS19 typically sells for $230, but will be at the reduced price for 3 days. According to the Costco flier, you should be able to buy it online for this price as well.
 

blastingcap

Diamond Member
Sep 16, 2010
6,654
5
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You need to define exactly what you mean by "continuous shooting." If you want tracking, you will need something like a Nikon J1 or V1 at least.
 

SparksIT

Member
May 16, 2009
103
0
71
You need to define exactly what you mean by "continuous shooting." If you want tracking, you will need something like a Nikon J1 or V1 at least.

Not sure what you mean by tracking, but from what I gather they want something that when the push the button to take pictures, it will continue until it is released. I have the feeling that that want this feature for family photos, it allows them to take a bunch of shots in rapid succession. Then they can go back and photoshop the images they like, as they have a few kids, and getting them all to look at the camera at the same time is a feat unto itself, let alone getting them all to smile.
 

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
15,381
6
91
I'm gonna jump in here and ask the same question. My wife has been wanting a decent camera that might be suitable with her larger purses. She's not well experienced with cameras, but has expressed a lot of interest over the last year. She specifically mentioned wanting something with changeable lenses.

I'm thinking the Oly E-PM1 is the best bargain, and even pocketable with the Olympus 15mm f8 lens/cap. Still, I wanted to get input. I mean, the tech geek in me would love to get her the GX1 for controls/grip, sensor, built-in flash, etc...but I'm thinking the nearly 2x price isn't really worth it.

Thoughts?
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Size comparison
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JohnnyRebel

Senior member
Feb 7, 2011
762
0
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Goob,
Uber-cool graphic, BTW. I'm going to jump in with a recommendation on the J1, based on my experience with the V1, especially for a non-enthusiast. The Nikon 1's are very fast and smart. Scene Auto Selector Mode works much better than anyone could imagine who hasn't used it. The lens VR is incredibly stable and both stills and video benefit from the lack of camera shake. This works better than the VR on some DSLR lenses. AF is a lot faster than I am - with my focus and compose style of shooting. When I just "trust" the beep I have gotten some great shots I would have missed with most any other camera. While the camera has some short-comings (see online reviews) it is pure genius in actual use.

JR

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