Decent Digital Camera

p220sigman wrote:
There are several point/shoot options in that price range. I would venture over to B&H Photo and look through their site. As was said, basically ignore digital zoom and focus (pun intended) on optical zoom Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Panasonic all make some decently rated cameras in your price range.

I shoot with Canon DSLR, but most any of the major makes will take great pictures. Based on your budget, a DSLR is out of the question. You will need to get up to around the $500 mark for an entry level DSLR and will still likely need additional lenses. A decent DSLR kit will easily get over $1000 pretty quickly.

DSLR might be a bit more than the OPs $300 "budget" but you can get them under $500..



Canon EOS Rebel T7 DSLR 24MP sensor 18-55mm lens $479 HERE

We have the older EOS Rebel T6, takes fantastic pictures which look great even blown up and viewed on a video projector screen size over 9 ft diagonal..

Our T6 when we bought it came with a second telephoto lens and at that time the entire kit cost under $300..

To put the bad timing into perspective used T6 are listed on Amazon for $330 and up..

T6 and T7 are considered a "mid range" DSLR, not the top and not the bottom but will perform very well at this price point and you get the opportunity of interchangeable lenses which the bottom level DSLRs often do not have.

I’m a FinePix Fuji HS-10 user. I like it most for using AA batteries. Rechargeable work great. Latest models are like all the rest…proprietary batteries :(

To OP ... I'd stick with Canon or Nikon ... you can get pre-owned camera in excellent condition or a refurbished with a guarantee at either B&H Camera or Adorama ... online ordering. You can call them too, and they will discuss your needs and recommend a camera.

Both great companies, I've done photo and camera business with both for over thirty years.

Remember with a dslr, that you will be paying for a lot of stuff you'll never use if all you want is a point and shoot. It is also bigger and bulkier if you want something you can just walk about with and slip in a pack/purse.

I just went whale watching with friends. One brought her dslr. After a couple shots, she put it away and used her phone because the dslr required two hands to hold (and she needed one hand to steady herself) and was more complicated to use than she was comfortable with for catching whale sightings. She tends to only use her dslr when she is taking scenic shots where she has time to think about what she's doing. And she often can't be hassled with even bringing it along. She ends up using her phone most of the time - which defeats buying the camera.

The best camera is the one you are comfortable with using at any time and that you are happy carrying.

I shoot with dslr and it is a compromise. I have to carry a heavy camera bag along with any other stuff I'm taking. I had to decide if an all-in-one lens that would shoot the focal range of the average point and shoot camera was worth the sacrifice of quality that shorter zooms and/or prime lenses offered. Or if carrying several lenses and having to change them out was worth the sacrifice of the convenience of a single lens. I chose the latter, but many opt for the former.

IMO, using a dslr on auto is no better than a good point and shoot. And you lose the compact size of the point and shoot for no gain. A dslr really shines when you move to priority or manual settings. But not everyone is comfortable or interested in doing that.

Thanks very much for all the helpful replies. I found a used Canon SX50HS in very good condition for 189.00 so better than I hoped for price wise.