Under $1000 camera.

[iGas]

What is the best under $1000 Camera?

Criteria:

1.Ease of use.
2.Good low light focus.
3.Low weight & balance.

Thank you.

 

[ElFenix]

panasonic G1 is the lightest. about $650 from buydig.com. low light focusing is quite good. it has a dedicated focus assist lamp so it doesn't pop the flash and blind everyone like the less expensive canons do. balance is probably pretty good as long as you stick with micro 4/3 lenses. if you stick olympus's 35-70 f/2 on the front, not so much.

all cameras under $1000 new have many scene modes and green box modes that do all the thinking for you, so they're all pretty easy to use. some have started showing up with dedicated help buttons like the pentax km and sony a230. the canon t1i has a menu to make basic exposure control more accessible.

 

[dnuggett]

Is focus the only criteria for you shooting at night? What about noise?

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

P&S (point and shoot) it might be the Panasonic LX3 which you can find on ebay brand new for ~500$ Leica lens, wide angle, 25mm to 60mm so not much of a telephoto camera

I'm no expert but I hear the Nikon D90 which is a tad over 1k is a really good D-SLR camera.

 

[randomlinh]

too few criteria really... looking in the dslr/hybrid range i suspect? I'd have to go w/ the G1, too. small, AF that every dslr should have (*ahem* canon *ahem*). It's a little low on lens selection, but depending on your goals, the kit lens may be all you'll need.

Seriously looking forward to the GH1 dropping in price so I can play with video and have a high quality travel camera in one, heh.

 

[Munky]

Best? If I had a grand to spend on a camera, I'd get the Nikon D90. I don't see how a micro 4/3 or a P&S Panasonic is even in the same league.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Yeah, i'd tip the 1k mark and go for the DSLR Nikon.

EDIT: the body alone goes for 949$

 

[jpeyton]

The D90 will give you the best low-light photo quality under $1000. So will the D5000. If you can find a Best Buy with a D5000 in stock, you can actually use a 10% in-store coupon and get the body/lens kit for under $800.

 

[iGas]

Thanks everyone.

My brother is looking to get a camera to take pictures of his daughter at concerts. He wanted a DSLR or hybrid and his budget is $2K CAD including tax ($1800 USD).

He is not going to spend much time taking pictures beside the concerts and family vacations, therefore I feels that an amateur 4:3 camera will do the trick or something from Canon/Nikon.

I'll forward this thread to him, but knowing the guy he will go with Nikon because he is label guy and easily influenced by peers.

 

[randomlinh]

Originally posted by: munky
Best? If I had a grand to spend on a camera, I'd get the Nikon D90. I don't see how a micro 4/3 or a P&S Panasonic is even in the same league.

because people have different needs and budgets? Have you used a G1? it's pretty damn lightweight vs your other options.

And having that subtle AF lamp is quite nice. It's one major gripe I have w/ canon.. why the hell cant they put that on instead of strobing the damn flash.

Now whether or not the OP needs absolute IQ, or can take the tradeoff (in addition to saving money toward other things that might need to be taken into consideration), it's a pretty good suggestion.

 

[ElFenix]

indoor dim lighting from across the room is going to need some longer and probably faster glass than what comes with the camera. blowing all the money on the body, then, is probably not the best way of going about it.

 

[Munky]

Originally posted by: randomlinh

Originally posted by: munky
Best? If I had a grand to spend on a camera, I'd get the Nikon D90. I don't see how a micro 4/3 or a P&S Panasonic is even in the same league.

because people have different needs and budgets? Have you used a G1? it's pretty damn lightweight vs your other options.

And having that subtle AF lamp is quite nice. It's one major gripe I have w/ canon.. why the hell cant they put that on instead of strobing the damn flash.

Now whether or not the OP needs absolute IQ, or can take the tradeoff (in addition to saving money toward other things that might need to be taken into consideration), it's a pretty good suggestion.

It depends whether you want the best IQ for the money or lightest weight.

 

[vshah]

concerts = low light = get a DSLR and a fast lens. d90 for $950, leaves you $850 which is plenty for a lens