What is best camera under $200?

[FloridaTreasureFinder]

Hello, I will buy a camera this coming Wednesday and would like advice on best ones for taking pics of coins. Best macro/closeups? Thnk you

 

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[coolpix9]

As much as I hate to say this, here is my recommendation. Go to your local big box retailer.(WalMart,Target,Sam's,Costco)whichever you like. Try some cameras out. If you can save them to a memory card, I would take the card home and look at them up close on your PC(orMac).Shoot some coins laying on the counter. Ideally you would be happiest with a camera that has image stabilization. The closer you get to an object, the shakier the image. As far as brands go, the big 5 all make great cameras but buy something that feels good in the store. The biggest reason I am suggesting the big box stores is their ability to take back cameras. I spent a lot of years selling cameras in a brick and mortar store so I have seen all the baloney. Good Luck, Jim

One other consideration is you might want to get a camera you can take to the beach(weather proof). There are some good models that you can rinse off after a trip to the beach.

 

[auferret]

Very good advice! That is how I shop for a camera but I never thought to bring my own memory card. Thanks!

 

[Frankn]

Being a photographer among other things, I read 4 camera mags per mo. First point and shoots do not make the best macro pictures! None advertise as such. That said, you want a wide"low MM" lens & shake reduction. The new Pentax I-10 would serve you well, but it is between $200 & $300. I would not recomend a waterproof camera because their image quality really is not good enough for macro work. The testing idea sounds good. Best Buy carries a wide selection in my area. You might want to go to a camera shop and look at used SLR cameras with macro lenses. Most will take razor sharp pictures.

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[Woodland Detectors]

Being a photographer among other things, I read 4 camera mags per mo. First point and shoots do not make the best macro pictures! None advertise as such. That said, you want a wide"low MM" lens & shake reduction. The new Pentax I-10 would serve you well, but it is between $200 & $300. I would not recomend a waterproof camera because their image quality really is not good enough for macro work. The testing idea sounds good. Best Buy carries a wide selection in my area. You might want to go to a camera shop and look at used SLR cameras with macro lenses. Most will take razor sharp pictures.

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Good advise!

 

[FloridaTreasureFinder]

Hello, thank you for good advice. I went to walmart bestbuy and target yesterday & put a quarter on the counter & tried out several cameras. So far I like the canon powershot a3100. Followed by a nikon. I already have a underwater video/still camera (vivitar) that I got for less than $150. I plan to make underwater videos with it. Skt

 

[Chug And Red]

both excellent cameras just remember to read the manual when you buy it!!! and learn how the zoom function works also how to turn off the digital zoom function!! it will make your pics look grainy if it not off!! HH chug

 

[kshollywood]

Any Nikon camera is good, they are the best but also look at the Fuji's. They have some real nice ones also and the colors on those are better than the cannons and pentax.

 

[ppratt]

Any of the olympus Cams are good I have one and love it good macro and you can get older ones now realy cheap on ebay.

 

[turtlefoot13]

If you are looking for something for online images and used isn't a problem, take a look at the Konica-Minolta Dimage z-10. It is a 3.2 megapixel super zoom with incredible macro capabilities. The low megapixel count will still give excellent snapshot size images for very usable 8x10 prints and extremely good quality for the net. The macro feature will focus to approx. 1/2 of an inch. This camera also accepts screw in filters and you can have complete manual control for more creativity. This camera shows up on online auction sites fairly regularly for sale in the $30.00-$80.00 range. I have seen some sellers asking more than the original new price too though. Below are a couple of sample close up pics that I have taken with the one I have.

Doug

Notice the VDB on the penny.

You are looking at a close-up of oolitic limestone in this last pic. The item for size reference is the tip of a mechanical pencil that takes 0.5mm lead.

 

[piegrande]

Wow! Those are close! Fantastic! I am envious!

I get the Canon, A4?0. I liked the A460 better than the A470, because it still had a peep hole in addition to the screen, which is hard to see in full sunlight.

And, I just learned how to use my HP 4370 scanner for close-ups of things I can carry in the house, thanks to the helpful people here. To learn I scanned a US dollar coin at 2400 dpi, and had to shrink it from 8 MB to 500K and it still made an 8 X 8 picture on the thread. I assume I could have just as well scanned it at 300 dpi, but haven't had a chance to prove it yet.

For me, learning how to use a good photo editor, in my case as a Linux user, GIMP, also possibly available for Windows, for most Photoshop would work but you have to pay for that whereas GIMP was free, turned my Canon into a power machine. For example, I took a picture of my wife's oranges in the tree outside our kitchen window, with the orioles eating away. As a straight 4 X 6 picture, the bird was too small to be more than barely visible in a straight print. But, when I cut out the section with the bird in it, and let it go full size, I got a really good display of the bird on a Mexico forum.

I have taken wedding pictures here in Mexico with that A470, and with editing, came up with some nice pictures. It may sound tacky, but these people can't afford even hundreds of dollars for wedding pictures. I managed to come up with some 8 X 10's that pleased them very much. In this culture, I was asked to be sponsor of photos, which means I did it free, including the pictures.

I was just asked a while ago to take pictures tomorrow at a baptism which is a big deal here. This will also be free on my part.

My point is, learning to use an editor can extend your capacities, though those last close-ups don't look like they need much help.

 

[Tuberale]

I've got a Sony FD Mavica. Old camera, but easy for me to operate. Stores images on floppy discs.

I take a lot of mushroom photos in low light conditions using just available light. This camera allows me to get VERY close to the object without a lot of fuss. True, floppy discs don't last very long. They're getting harder to find, too. Mostly not being made any more.

Doesn't take as detailed an image as most newer digital cameras, but perfect for my needs/wants. Probably pick up one pretty cheap on Ebay now.