i'm looking for a user-friendly camera

[brinny]

A simple to use camera that takes really good pictures, like really astute close-ups and angles, etc. I want to practice taking unusually angled and close up shots and just experiment and have fun with it. Are there any cameras that would take really good shots and also be very user-friendly?

 

[brinny]

well....i guess i can see what Youtube suggests

 

[brinny]

*bump*

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Now, most point & shoot cameras will be sufficient for what you need. You could always cough up thousands for a DSLR and lenses, and if you're really serious about getting into photography you might want to make the investment in something like a Nikon D800, but if you just want to try things out and see how you like it before making a serious financial commitment, most $100-$500 cameras will be perfectly sufficient.

As you can probably tell, I don't really know that much about cameras. But a P&S will give you great quality images. IMO, the biggest advantage of a DSLR is that you can make it do exactly what you want. But most P&S cameras already have close-up presets and the like, so you should be covered.

 

[elytron]

Check out the Canon Powershot models. They seem nice, mine was easy to learn. Most cameras have a Macro setting, for close up shots.

 

[Tiberius]

Is photography something you want to get into? if so, I;d recommend a good entry level dSLR. They have the same modes as a point and shoot camera, so you can start taking great photos straight away, but they also have the professional modes like aperture priority, shutter priority and manual modes for when you develop your skills.

 

[brinny]

I'm looking for a "starter" camera so i can practice my skills that doesn't cost a lot. The point and shoot looks like it might be what i'm looking for. Later i might look into a more tech-savvy camera.

Thanks everybody for you kind and generous feed back.

 

[brinny]

I'm looking into the Canon PowerShot A810 digital camera. I'm a dufus...i just want to point and shoot in as easy uncomplicated way as possible.

 

[Cactus Jack]

Nikon CoolPix. The best point & Shoot out there, and very inexpensive.

 

[brinny]

Thank you.

 

[Joshua0]

Are there any cameras that would take really good shots and also be very user-friendly?

They are all user friendly. You ONLY need to know ONE thing to take a photo. Push the button halfway. Wait for the camera to focus, it will make a sound. After the camera is focused, then push the button the rest of the way and take your photo. All cameras have a mode where the camera does all the adjustments for you. Just put the arrow on the icon that looks like a camera. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic all make good cameras.

Get a camera that has a lithium battery. Get a camera that uses the standard SD memory. That is most important. Now that everyone is going to cellphones, cameras are not selling. I have seen really good cameras used on Amazon for around $20 or $30. I go to Pbase to look at the photos to see if I like the photos with the camera I am looking at buying. Right now I got a lot more cameras than I know what to do with because the used ones are so cheap. I am buying older lenses for $100 that use to sell for $1400 back when they were new. They are very sharp and clear. But the color is not as intense. They are NOT HD cameras. But for ten cents on the dollar that is ok with me.

 

[CodeforChrist]

Brinny here would be my breakdown for you:

getting into photography i only recommend canon brand point and shoots.
their best model is the s120/s110/s100/s95 these will cost you around 500$
they have all the features such as easy menus and quick shooting and timers and its fully loaded with fun features too such as selective color picker and stuff.
the reason i recommend this is because once you get into more settings this camera has the ability to adjust more manual settings, something you will want to pick up as you get into cameras.

if you rather spend less ANY camera in the canon point n shoot series are far superior than other brands. (just dont get that water proof one its pretty bad)

If you want to get into dslrs then i recommend Nikon gear. its a bit more complicated with settings but there is auto and many preset features built in as well.
the reason you would go here is if DSLRS give you more control of you shots and they could be found fairly cheap too. though the price ranges are 500-900$. I shoot with Nikon exclusively in dslrs and canon with pns.

the differences in DSLR and PNS are the sensor sizes. if you can imagine film cameras and the 35 mm film it has, that is the analog equivalent to the camera sensor. Full frame DSLR (prices start at 2100... i know ) cheaper DSLRS have smaller sensors( offical name is cropped sensors) and then point and shoots have even smaller senors then that.

Now recently there are advances in that brings me to ICLS/Interchangeable lens systems - which are like point and shoots with the size and the ease of shooting, added with the lens changing benefits of DSLRS. My favorite one is the Sony Nex-5r. its super portable and quick to take pictures yet there are enough manual settings for me to play with and be satisfied. I recommend looking at these before you decide on which camera to buy!

I probably went over what you really wanted but its good for you to see the options you have. Please PM me if you have more questions or i can post them on here too. I cant link anything yet cus of my low post number but I would be more then happy to give you answers to any question you have.

good luck on your decisions.

(sorry for the quick post in a rush to get to work no time of edits)

 

[BlueLioness]

I can't help you with this, my knowledge about cameras is virtually zero. o.o

 

[BlueLioness]

They are all user friendly. You ONLY need to know ONE thing to take a photo. Push the button halfway. Wait for the camera to focus, it will make a sound. After the camera is focused, then push the button the rest of the way and take your photo. All cameras have a mode where the camera does all the adjustments for you. Just put the arrow on the icon that looks like a camera. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic all make good cameras.

Get a camera that has a lithium battery. Get a camera that uses the standard SD memory. That is most important. Now that everyone is going to cellphones, cameras are not selling. I have seen really good cameras used on Amazon for around $20 or $30. I go to Pbase to look at the photos to see if I like the photos with the camera I am looking at buying. Right now I got a lot more cameras than I know what to do with because the used ones are so cheap. I am buying older lenses for $100 that use to sell for $1400 back when they were new. They are very sharp and clear. But the color is not as intense. They are NOT HD cameras. But for ten cents on the dollar that is ok with me.

Ok, I am grateful that somebody here knows what they are doing...

 

[Cactus Jack]

They are all user friendly. You ONLY need to know ONE thing to take a photo. Push the button halfway. Wait for the camera to focus, it will make a sound. After the camera is focused, then push the button the rest of the way and take your photo. All cameras have a mode where the camera does all the adjustments for you. Just put the arrow on the icon that looks like a camera. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic all make good cameras.

Stay away from Sony. I have a Sony and it sucks. I'll stick with a Nikon.

Get a camera that has a lithium battery.

NO!!!! Those batteries are expensive and they don't last as long as double A's will. Too often I have had to nix doing photos or video because the battery would run down fast. At least with double A's you can have a bunch of replacement batts with you.

Get a camera that uses the standard SD memory. That is most important.

Correct. SD chips are great.

Now that everyone is going to cellphones, cameras are not selling.

Though many of the phone cameras I've seen suck in pic quality.

 

[OldWiseGuy]

P and S cameras are notably small. Get a camera that has enough size and heft to have a good 'working feel' in your hands. My son bought me an expensive newer style binocular, but they feel awkward in my hands and uncomfortable against my eyes, so I still use my cheap old Bushnell's (that live under the front seat of my car, sans any protection) and new ones sit on the shelf in my gun closet.