The wifey wants a camera, need advice

The wifey wants a camera, need advice

GreatDane [Team Member]

8/31/2011 10:41:36 PM

My wife is a makeup artist, and she's tired of paying to have film developed for pictures for her portfolio, so she's wants to go digital.

I haven't bought a camera in a good five years, and that was just a Sony point and shoot. She does NOT want a DSLR, as she's not wanting to blow a ton of cash on lenses and whatnot. However, she like the SLR-style bodies. We were at Best Buy earlier, and she really liked the feel and looks of the Fuji FinePix S2950. However, I'm a bit leery of anything that takes AA batteries (although I do have a ton of Eneloops), and some of the reviews say that it's a bit less then stellar. That being said, it still looks like a lot of camera for ~$160.

So, my question is this: Is there any other camera that you'd recommend in that body style that's ~$200? Anything 10MP and up would be fine, and the zoom's really not that important, she said she'd be happy with a 3x optical zoom. Image stabilization would be a huge plus too.

Thanks,
GreatDane

ocabj [Member]

9/1/2011 11:20:04 AM

The type of photos your wife needs for a portfolio as a makeup artist won't be ideal if you acquire a camera within the specs defined ($200, 10MP, 3x and IS). Frankly, those specs don't even make sense for the type of photos she needs.

She for the most part needs head shots up to maybe half body shots. Shooting head shots with an effective focal length (on a 35mm sensor) is idea at the longer end beyond 50mm, like around 85mm. That said, getting a good APS-C dSLR with the cheap 50mm f/1.8 offered by either Canon or Nikon will serve well. Of course, portfolio shots means you'll need good lighting. Two lights for clamshell setups are common for beauty shots. You can also go the ring flash route.

Of course, this is all beyond budget of $200.

Personally, I think she should just work with another photographer in trade. Do makeup work for free for a photographer and get photos in return. Of course, she'll be at the mercy of the photographer's concepts so maybe the type of makeup concepts she wants in her portfolio won't be the stuff the photographer in question wants to shoot. But then again, it's all negotiation.

501st [Member]

9/1/2011 1:36:39 PM

Originally Posted By GreatDane:
My wife is a makeup artist, and she's tired of paying to have film developed for pictures for her portfolio, so she's wants to go digital.

I haven't bought a camera in a good five years, and that was just a Sony point and shoot. She does NOT want a DSLR, as she's not wanting to blow a ton of cash on lenses and whatnot. However, she like the SLR-style bodies. We were at Best Buy earlier, and she really liked the feel and looks of the Fuji FinePix S2950. However, I'm a bit leery of anything that takes AA batteries (although I do have a ton of Eneloops), and some of the reviews say that it's a bit less then stellar. That being said, it still looks like a lot of camera for ~$160.

So, my question is this: Is there any other camera that you'd recommend in that body style that's ~$200? Anything 10MP and up would be fine, and the zoom's really not that important, she said she'd be happy with a 3x optical zoom. Image stabilization would be a huge plus too.

Thanks,
GreatDane

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-SX130IS-Stabilized-3-0-Inch/dp/B003ZSHNG8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314898469&sr=8-1

MissouriBob [Team Member]

9/5/2011 12:14:39 AM

For that type of photography it is hard to get outstanding results without a decent lighting setup. I know you didn't want point and shoot, but Canon makes some very good point and shoot cameras that are optimized for taking pictures of people.

Onejzsupra [Member]

9/5/2011 8:51:34 AM

Originally Posted By 501st:

Yeah I have a Powershot SX10IS and I've taken some pretty good pictures with it. Def a good camera.
http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-SX130IS-Stabilized-3-0-Inch/dp/B003ZSHNG8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314898469&sr=8-1

Onejzsupra [Member]

9/5/2011 8:52:17 AM

Originally Posted By 501st:

USMCBuckWild [Team Member]

9/5/2011 9:02:13 AM

Personally, I am a HUGE fan of Canon cameras. I have 1 I have used on 3 deployments and has been blown up in a vic twice and still functions perfectly. J got my wife a point and shoot with a touch screen and it is idiot proof and simple to use. I paid around $300 for my first one and it is 14 mp with a great zoom. Hers was around $225 and has a 3x zoom and 12 mp. No complaints on either

RichT [Team Member]

9/5/2011 9:24:58 AM

I have been in the camera repair business for over 25 years. Things do change but currently I would only buy from the following 4 brands.
1Panasonic
2. Sony
3.Canon
4.Olympus.

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT buy ANY other brand! Do not buy a Fuji, Do not buy a kodak, do not buy a Nikon point and shoot, do not buy a samsung, HP, GE or any other brand other than the ones listed.You may get lucky buying one of these other brands but they are still utter and complete junk In my very experienced opinion.
Of the listed brands to buy, I would look for one that is still made in Japan.It will say where it was built on the label by the serial number. These are typically the higher end models but they are typically built much better than the ones made in China,Singapore,Indonesia,etc...

Further, 200 dollars is the very minimum you should spend for anything halfway decent. If this is your price point, you may wish to look to amazon, E-bay or even the manufacturers website at a refurb.

seanfhaynes [Team Member]

9/6/2011 4:38:09 PM

if you want to try some cameras out or just rent a good camera to do some portfolio shots there are websites that rent gear pretty cheap and you can try stuff out before you buy the big stuff.
the one I use is here
Borrowlenses.com