Cameras

[Ernie]

I am looking for cameras for our young teenage daughters. I've been out of this world for too long to even know what terms are used now days and what specs I should be looking for.

I would like a point-and-shoot with zoom that takes really good pictures. Something used for under $100.

Also interested in a digital SLR (or whatever the equivalent is nowadays. Something used for under $250 if possible.

Please educate me on this topic and give suggestions for cameras.

[Soloist]

I am looking for cameras for our young teenage daughters. I've been out of this world for too long to even know what terms are used now days and what specs I should be looking for.

I would like a point-and-shoot with zoom that takes really good pictures. Something used for under $100.

Also interested in a digital SLR (or whatever the equivalent is nowadays. Something used for under $250 if possible.

Please educate me on this topic and give suggestions for cameras.

Wife: I ultimately decided to just buy used. The good ones are usually more expensive than that range, and the one that supposedly had the great specs on Amazon was worse than my son’s junky old battery operated one. Look on craigslist or Facebook marketplace. We got either a canon or Panasonic rechargeable digital camera from a lady off of craigslist for $25 a couple months ago, and he absolutely loves it, and it does really good closeups for flowers, bugs and plants, and is decent for other pictures.

Just don’t risk the knock offs on Amazon, because it’s hard to even trust the reviews and we spent $50 for a piece of junk, which we were thankfully able to return. my personal vote is namebrand used, and you are virtually guaranteed to find at least something on craigslist or marketplace, and if they let you turn it on when you buy it to look at it, you can make sure it’s not a piece of junk.

I will look at the specs later, if you’re interested. I don’t know for sure if it’s as good as my phone or not, but it’s the best one we’ve had in a while. As long as they aren’t planning on making giant prints of something, they don’t need too many megapixels. Maybe one of the people on here that is more of a photography buff can tell you what to look for and you can try to find it on eBay or through local sellers.

Edit: I must not have seen the part that said used on your post. I will look to see what my sons camera is, because I thought it was pretty excellent.

[Bootstrap]

I bought one of these, and I really like it:

https://www.adorama.com/us1793536.html? ... gle-shop-p

[Soloist]

Wife: https://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot ... B001G5ZTN6

Suits our needs, and I bet you could find one that is even better based off the specs, but I like this one. ignore the Amazon price because it’s probably got more to do with lack of availability, and we paid $25 used, but it’s a lot better than some of the cameras that we could’ve paid three times the price for off of Amazon new

[Ken]

Digital Photography Review: https://www.dpreview.com/ is your go-to site for all things digital photography and for reviews on every camera.

Some things to keep in mind:

1. A lot of newer models are trending more into video because that is where the market is going with Instagram, TikTok, etc. If you are not interested in video then there is no point in paying for a model that has lots of expensive features designed for video.

2. The low end of the digital camera market has pretty much been demolished by cell phones. Few people buy point-and-shoot digital cameras for casual use when the cameras on current model Apple and Samsung cell phones are so extraordinarily good. So manufacturers simply aren't focusing on cameras for the low end of the market anymore.

3. If you are interested in digital photography then the editing side of the equation is as important (or perhaps more so) than the photographing side of the equation. Professional and enthusiast photographers these days spend as much more more time behind the screen doing digital editing than they do shooting photos.

4. Unless you already have an investment in legacy lenses, you probably don't actually want a digital SLR. What you probably want is mirrorless system with interchangeable lenses. Such as the Sony A6100. SLRs with full-size lenses are kind of a legacy of the film days. They are bigger, bulker, and more expensive than they need to be in a digital world.

That said, with your budget you probably aren't going to find much out there in the new market. You might prowl big box stores like Costco and see what they might have on sale but even then, you won't find much in your budget new. Probably better just to peruse the online used marketplace like Craigslist and NextDoor and then use sites like DPReview to look up and read reviews for any of the older models you find listed online.

[Judas Maccabeus]

The only thing I will say, it to avoid software zoom at all costs. Insist on one with optical zoom.

Even my brother in laws expensive Leica cannot produce images as good as my Pentax at 1/10 the price when zoom is applied. The reason is even zoomed, mine uses the full receptor. His zooms by reducing the amount of the receptor you are actually using, which reduces resolution considerably.

[Josh]

Ask around on those buy/sell/trade WhatsApp or Telegram groups; I'm sure someone has some cameras for sale not too far from you. It's a good idea to check it out locally first.

[Ernie]

Thanks for the help!