Best digital camera under 5-6k? Plz Suggest

[rishitells]

Hiii guys....I want to purchase a digital camera under the budget of 5-6k, can extend some more if needed. I want really gud picture quality, and some optical zoom. I will use it for both indoor and outdoor, but mostly outdoors. I also want video recording of good and acceptable quality, to record my guitar sessions But after all the first requirement is superb picture quality, nothing else matters more.
Plz suggest guys.....thanks a lot.

 

[Stuge]

look at these

PowerShot A495 - Digital Cameras - Canon India

review

Canon PowerShot A495 Digital Camera - Preview - The Imaging Resource!

Nikon India Private Limited

review

Nikon COOLPIX L22 budget point-and-shoot camera review: design, controls, lens, stabilisation, screen, menus, drive modes | Cameralabs

you can't go much wrong with any of these cams .

 

[rishitells]

thanks friend.
I thought 5-6k would be enough, but now I feel its not.
can I get any better if I extend the budget to 7-8k, or more, if possible.
I want really crisp and detailed pictures, with sharp and detailed edges, especially while taking landscape and distant pictures. Mostly I see smudgy edges in these camera pics, which I really do not want.

Please suggest whats best in your opinion friends.......in terms of overall quality, color and sharpness of these images.

 

[y2j826]

Always go for Nikon if you want good screenshots with your cam...

 

[rishitells]

So should I go for higher models of Nikon?
Also, in what price range can I get a camera that delivers superb landscape pictures, with every object details and no blurry edges. Sorry mates, but I've no prior experience in buying cameras, so I've to consult a lot. In short, I want a really gud camera guys, under the price of 10000-11000 (Extended my budget ).

 

[y2j826]

I have good experience with couple of Nikon cams and also if you will go to any shop and will ask for good cam they will suggest Nikon, in budget of 10k you can buy a good cam of same company but you need to do some search for available cams now

 

[icebags]

@10-11k u will get canon SX110IS and probably nikon L110

L110 is known for being Auto. i.e. if u don't wanna know much details and just shoot, then it will do.
SX110IS is a good , but a little old model, it has manual as well as auto, and very compact as well.

 

[pimpom]

I'm keen on photography, but I haven't had time to keep up with what's on the market for the past one year or so. However, if you want crisp sharp pictures, no other brand beats Panasonic. They have the best lenses. And they keep coming out with innovative features. By "innovative" I mean things that are useful and not just marketing gimmicks.

The one weakness of Panasonic is a level of noise that's a bit higher than with other brands. This may or may not be a drawback depending on your shooting habits. The noise is not significant in outdoor shots, but may sometimes be quite noticeable in low light shots.

 

[icebags]

I'm keen on photography, but I haven't had time to keep up with what's on the market for the past one year or so. However, if you want crisp sharp pictures, no other brand beats Panasonic. They have the best lenses. And they keep coming out with innovative features. By "innovative" I mean things that are useful and not just marketing gimmicks.

The one weakness of Panasonic is a level of noise that's a bit higher than with other brands. This may or may not be a drawback depending on your shooting habits. The noise is not significant in outdoor shots, but may sometimes be quite noticeable in low light shots.

what pannycam u use?

i know panny FZ-35 is one of the top notch camera out there in market for a while now. and they are gonna roll out 24x fz-40 & fz-100 this august in the international market.
but idk when they will be available here.

 

[pimpom]

what pannycam u use?

i know panny FZ-35 is one of the top notch camera out there in market for a while now. and they are gonna roll out 24x fz-40 & fz-100 this august in the international market.
but idk when they will be available here.

ATM I use an FZ-30. I've had an FZ-5, FZ-20, FZ-7, TZ1 plus others by Canon, Kodak, Fuji and Nikon. I've never owned a DSLR so far, but I've used various DSLR models by Canon and Nikon.

Am saving up for a Pana GH1 or whichever model is current in that series when I've saved enough. Its 10x kit lens beats the pants off the widely popular Nikon 18-200mm lens in comparative in-depth tests.

Have you visited the long-running photography thread in the 'Discussions' section? I used to post there regularly, but haven't had the time for several months now. The thread was made a sticky during my long absence. You can see some of my shots with the Pannys there.

 

[icebags]

Am saving up for a Pana GH1 or whichever model is current in that series when I've saved enough. Its 10x kit lens beats the pants off the widely popular Nikon 18-200mm lens in comparative in-depth tests.

Thats an uber expensive cam @$1100, idk if it sells here in india or at what price it sells.
But @ that pricei would probably consider a good semi pro DSLR, capable of tsking low noise @1600ISO ..

 

[pimpom]

Thats an uber expensive cam @$1100, idk if it sells here in india or at what price it sells.
But @ that pricei would probably consider a good semi pro DSLR, capable of tsking low noise @1600ISO ..

Yes. it's expensive. But according to exhaustive tests by serious review sites:
1. It's no more expensive than a good entry-level DSLR fitted with a good long-zoom lens.
2. The kit lens is by far the best of any long zoom. Leaves the famous Nikkor 18-200mm eating its dust.
3. With its micro-4/3 sensor, noise level is as good as in an entry-level DSLR.
4. When first released, it had the best HD movie mode of any digital camera. Other brands have improved since then, but few have equalled it and none has surpassed it.
5. Panasonic has always had the best image stabilization.
6. Its auto-focus is faster and better than most entry-level DSLRs.
7. No DSLR even comes close to its live view function.
8. It has superb LCD and EVF resolutions.

True, mid- to high-end DSLRs have better noise performance. But they don't have all the qualities I've listed above, and they are much more expensive, especially when fitted with a set of lenses that cover the range and quality of the GH1's kit lens.

Now, what upgrades will they put into a GH2..........?

 

[icebags]

Nicely explained, I know Panny has been the pathfinder in the world of camera with many new features and quality and hope they live up to all those bold statements.

Its the noise part that bugs me, they should do some good works in this field. Much visible noise at ISO 400 and above practically handicaps the photo taker @ very high shutter speeds in low light conditions.


1 more thing, these micro four thirds use different set of lenses and dslrs, i.e. not compatible with ant of the dslr lenses?

I am currently considering a good bridge cam, its now between panny FZ-35 (wanted to check FZ-40 donno when it will be released here) and fujicam HS10.

In decently lit outdoors landscape FZ-35 shots blow mind whereas HS-10 seems fairing little better in lower light condition and in portrait/ macro condition and also has some more features.

Now, what upgrades will they put into a GH2..........?

A lil googling finds it will be a shutter less camera.

 

[coderunknown]

guys suggest some digital cameras for me too. below 5-6k. don't suggest one but say 5-6. so its easier for me to make the decision which to go for (also availability). no need for some HiFi features that maybe never used. just a basic one. build quality should be better.

 

[pimpom]

1 more thing, these micro four thirds use different set of lenses and dslrs, i.e. not compatible with ant of the dslr lenses?

That's correct. But there are adapters that let you use a standard DSLR lens on a micro four-thirds camera.

In any case, Panasonic has a set of lenses for the micro 4/3 format. The number of choices is limited compared to that for a DSLR, but the available ones are excellent. Speaking for myself, it's unlikely that I'll need additional lenses.

 

[icebags]

guys suggest some digital cameras for me too. below 5-6k. don't suggest one but say 5-6. so its easier for me to make the decision which to go for (also availability). no need for some HiFi features that maybe never used. just a basic one. build quality should be better.

At that range there is practically nothing to choose from, except the brand name. Here is what u get :

Nikon : Full auto
Ex: L22

Canon : Some manual & auto.
Ex: A495 (no image stabilizer), A3000, A3100, IXUS 105

Sony : Compact size
Ex: donno

Kodak : Auto, cheaper and my friend has one without optical zoom. He posts some nice fotos in orkut.

As the user of an entry level digital cam made by canon, i will recommend canon anyday (A3100 is good). The pics are excellent in nice daylight conditions. But due to this auto feature u have to use flash in night shots to make good images.
None of these cams have any kind of viewfinders and cheaper ones (L22,A495) seems to support AA batteries.

That's correct. But there are adapters that let you use a standard DSLR lens on a micro four-thirds camera.

In any case, Panasonic has a set of lenses for the micro 4/3 format. The number of choices is limited compared to that for a DSLR, but the available ones are excellent. Speaking for myself, it's unlikely that I'll need additional lenses.

Yah i checked that too, however at that price its wayy out of my budget. But i am sure u r really gonna enjoy this cam. I am currently check the photography thread u gave me.... its good to read.

 

[coderunknown]

At that range there is practically nothing to choose from, except the brand name. Here is what u get :

Nikon : Full auto
Ex: L22

Canon : Some manual & auto.
Ex: A495 (no image stabilizer), A3000, A3100, IXUS 105

Sony : Compact size
Ex: donno

Kodak : Auto, cheaper and my friend has one without optical zoom. He posts some nice fotos in orkut.

As the user of an entry level digital cam made by canon, i will recommend canon anyday (A3100 is good). The pics are excellent in nice daylight conditions. But due to this auto feature u have to use flash in night shots to make good images.
None of these cams have any kind of viewfinders and cheaper ones (L22,A495) seems to support AA batteries.

thanks for the input. will check locally & also about the features & reliability (build quality in net). thanks again but no Panasonic available in that range?

 

[Cool Buddy]

at that range, it would be better if you could grab a sony. I find the picture quality of the sony good enough for the price. Look up compareindia.com for model numbers and approximate market prices. shortlist a few models. Check online reviews before making a final decision. But let me tell you, there's not much you get from a camera in this price range especially if you consider low light photography. But daylight photo quality has improved a lot on these cameras in the past few years.

@Rishabh_sharma1990
correct your signature, I couldn't help but notice and couldn't ignore it. Here is the correct spelling:
कर्मण्यवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन

 

[coderunknown]

yes will look up there. hope price are accurate.

@icebags, the Canon model, A3000 & A3100 are good ones but way too costly at ~10k. i was asking for a 6k or below 6k model.

 

[Cool Buddy]

compareindia.com only lists the product and gives their market prices, you cannot buy from there. So prices are more or less accurate as it doesn't involve any discount or shipping cost or anything which online stores tend to include. just like fonearena.com which only lists phones and their prices. Sometimes, you even find the market price to be higher than what is given in compareindia or fonearena, but that is rare and even in those cases the difference is low.