what features should i look for?

G

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i currently have a kodak easyshare cx7430 that i received as a gift - and i
like it pretty well. it's small, light, convenient and easy to use. good for
snapshots. however, i really want to be able to take nice shots of my 7
month old son using natural light w/o flash, and the cx7430 isn't cutting
it. any movement just creates blur (and there's no keeping him still!).
assuming i can't achieve good natural light photos with my current camera,
what features should i look for when i shop for a new digital camera? any
recommendations for more advanced cameras that are still reasonably priced
(under $500)?

thanks in advance...
 
G

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"M Wayne" <mwNOSPAM@tastyplates.net> wrote in message
news:e7qdnWEQJcR64LnfRVn-3w@comcast.com...
>i currently have a kodak easyshare cx7430 that i received as a gift - and i
>like it pretty well. it's small, light, convenient and easy to use. good
>for snapshots. however, i really want to be able to take nice shots of my 7
>month old son using natural light w/o flash, and the cx7430 isn't cutting
>it. any movement just creates blur (and there's no keeping him still!).
> assuming i can't achieve good natural light photos with my current camera,
> what features should i look for when i shop for a new digital camera? any
> recommendations for more advanced cameras that are still reasonably priced
> (under $500)?
>
> thanks in advance...

Your problem is that the exposure is being set by the shutter speed in the
camera, so indoors and in low light the shutter speed will slow down and you
will get a blurred image. I would look for a camera that allows you to set
aperture and shutter priority, and lets you change the ISO speed. Between
those three features you should be able to get reasonably good indoor
photos. Also, the larger the lens (large aperture) the faster shutter speed
you can use in low light. Anything around f 1.8 or 2.8 should help (the
smaller the number the larger the aperture).

The other problem you are up against is the shutter lag most digital cameras
have. You push the button and it seems like eons go by before the camera
actually takes the photo. You may have to spend a few more bucks to combat
this problem, maybe even moving up to a DSLR. Just for laughs, look at the
Canon Digital Rebel. They just reduced the price, and dollar for dollar
it's a lot of camera, even though it's over your price limit.
 
G

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Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

By "natural light" do you mean that you mainly want to take pictures
outside? If you mean to take pictures _inside_ without a flash, that is
always tricky without advanced lighting equipment. The best thing to do
is put as much light on your subject as possible.

In your price range, I suggest the Canon PowerShot S45 or S50. I have
its older brother, the S35, and have been very happy with it. It does a
very good job with skin tones, compared to other cameras I have looked
at. In addition to the auto mode, it allows manual control of all the
settings, so you should be able to freeze movement under most
conditions.

Charlie

Got digital photos? Show them off!
http://FlyingSamPhoto.com
 

george

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"M Wayne" <mwNOSPAM@tastyplates.net> wrote in message
news:e7qdnWEQJcR64LnfRVn-3w@comcast.com...
> i currently have a kodak easyshare cx7430 that i received as a gift - and
i
> like it pretty well. it's small, light, convenient and easy to use. good
for
> snapshots. however, i really want to be able to take nice shots of my 7
> month old son using natural light w/o flash, and the cx7430 isn't cutting
> it. any movement just creates blur (and there's no keeping him still!).
> assuming i can't achieve good natural light photos with my current camera,
> what features should i look for when i shop for a new digital camera? any
> recommendations for more advanced cameras that are still reasonably priced
> (under $500)?
>
> thanks in advance...
>
>

With a baby, make sure the camera starts up (boots) quickly, focuses
quickly,
and has minimal shutter lag. For natural light photos, you want a "fast"
lens which
is designated by the maximum (lowest number, though) f-stop...something that
is
f/2.0 would be quite good, f/2.8 not quite as good, slower than f/3.5 you'd
probably
want to avoid. If you know anything about photography (or want to learn), a
manual
exposure mode would be nice. Make sure the lens focuses close enough for
your
use and the focal length of the lens is useful for your use (i.e., TRY it in
the store
at the distances you would be taking photos). Sorry, I don't have any
specific
camera recommendations for you...there are so many to choose from and they
change constantly.

Good luck,
George
 
G

Guest

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Archived from groups: rec.photo.digital (More info?)

In article <e7qdnWEQJcR64LnfRVn-3w@comcast.com>,
"M Wayne" <mwNOSPAM@tastyplates.net> wrote:

> i currently have a kodak easyshare cx7430 that i received as a gift - and i
> like it pretty well. it's small, light, convenient and easy to use. good for
> snapshots. however, i really want to be able to take nice shots of my 7
> month old son using natural light w/o flash, and the cx7430 isn't cutting
> it. any movement just creates blur (and there's no keeping him still!).
> assuming i can't achieve good natural light photos with my current camera,
> what features should i look for when i shop for a new digital camera? any
> recommendations for more advanced cameras that are still reasonably priced
> (under $500)?
>
Take a look at cameras with a flash hotshoe. If you can bounce the flash
(off the ceiling, white wall or even your own shirt) you can take
advantage of the flash with the harsh shadows. You're going to get some
amount of blur unless you shoot outdoors as the available light indoors
is so much less, no matter what kind of camera you use.