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The dreaded "can you recommend me a good camera"?

Started Oct 11, 2018 | Discussions thread
NAwlins Contrarian Veteran Member • Posts: 7,964
Re: The dreaded "can you recommend me a good camera"?

Budget: $300. This friend of mine shoots with his phone and only looks at his images on his phone. He has some vague issues with his phone pics "some are blurry" and wants to up his game. He knows I shoot professionally and figured I'd know the $300 market (!)

Well...I told him to go on ebay and find a nice low-mileage 330 HS. I have one and am usually blown away by the SOOC jpegs and...bonus...a very very sharp 10x optical zoom.

I doubt if he could get some Canon 1" sensor camera in his budget but maybe I'm wrong. He knows nothing about post processing, If he'd come to me and said he really really wanted to get into photography and post processing etc etc I'd recommend some budget DSLR.

So, any suggestions? A low mileage SX50?

Used is a good way to go at this price point. Looking at what the very-reputable K.E.H. has right now for under $350, I see, and might recommend depending on your friend's needs and preferences, but going in order of my personal preferences:

* Sony RX100 (original), excellent-plus condition, with battery and charger, $299, (https://www.keh.com/shop/sony-cyber-shot-dscrx100-20-2-megapixel-compact-camera-674445.html);

* Canon G9X, like-new-minus condition with battery and charger, $313 (https://www.keh.com/shop/canon-powershot-g9x-silver-digital-camera-20-2-m-p-1.html);

* Canon S120, excellent-plus condition, with battery and charger, $313 (https://www.keh.com/shop/canon-powershot-s120-12-1-megapixel-compact-camera-black.html); or

* Canon SX730 HS, like-new-minus condition with battery and charger, $339 (https://www.keh.com/shop/canon-powershot-sx730-hs-silver-digital-camera-20-3-m-p-1.html).

FWIW, I have used the original RX100, and like it a lot, notwithstanding some of its ergonomic and functional aspects that are not as nice as those of some other cameras; I have an S110 but have not used an S120; and we have the much older SX230 HS; but I have not used the others. The G9X gets downgraded for its limited zoom range and mediocre lens. If your friend would like ease of use over photo quality, then the S120 would go to the top of the list; I find the S110 pretty easy / pleasant to use, considering its size.

 NAwlins Contrarian's gear list:NAwlins Contrarian's gear list
Nikon Coolpix S30 Canon PowerShot S120 Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 Tamron SP AF 90mm F/2.8 Di Macro Tamron SP 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di USD +5 more
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