Camera?

[Flexin]

I think the time is coming to replace my camera. My business partners an I bought a Sony 5.1 mp camera about 8 years ago for the business and I ended up with it when we shut it down. It has worked great but started acting weird at my sons Christmas concert.

I have been hooked on Sony ( my camera before this one was Sony as well but I'm looking for suggestion on any good camera.

What I'm looking for is a good size screen and I'm not sure what else. It would be nice if its not too bulky because I sometimes take the camera to clubs. Speaking of that is there a feature that will help take better shots in a club?

I would also like. A DSLR at some point. What are those new smaller cameras like?

James

[Mr Lefty]

The Olympus Pen is a nice camera... has detachable lenses, so you can get some of the benefit of DSLRS with out the bulk.

Sony, Nikon, Canon also make a similar style "Pocket DSLR" type camera... Dpreview.com has given the Sony some good reviews.. just saw the Nikon the other day at Bestbuy... Nikon 1 I think it's called...

[EpyonXero]

Originally Posted by Mr Lefty

The Olympus Pen is a nice camera... has detachable lenses, so you can get some of the benefit of DSLRS with out the bulk.

Sony, Nikon, Canon also make a similar style "Pocket DSLR" type camera... Dpreview.com has given the Sony some good reviews.. just saw the Nikon the other day at Bestbuy... Nikon 1 I think it's called...

Yeah, it sounds like you might want to look at a micro four thirds camera. Its kind of a hybrid between DSLRs and point and shoots. Better quality than a P&S and interchangeable lenses but smaller and usually less complicated than a DSLR. I have a Panasonic GF3 with is just barely small enough to fit in a coat pocket or cargo pants pocket with a pancake lens attached.

For taking picture in clubs you want something with good low light performance and a built in flash most likely.

[Lamnidae]

I really like my Canon S95, it's a good compliment Point & Shoot to my DSLR. .... I think the newest they have out is the S100.

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by EpyonXero

Yeah, it sounds like you might want to look at a micro four thirds camera. Its kind of a hybrid between DSLRs and point and shoots. Better quality than a P&S and interchangeable lenses but smaller and usually less complicated than a DSLR. I have a Panasonic GF3 with is just barely small enough to fit in a coat pocket or cargo pants pocket with a pancake lens attached.

For taking picture in clubs you want something with good low light performance and a built in flash most likely.

The new Olympus E-P3 has a small built-in flash and a fairly big screen, but is better used with the accessory viewfinder. It also focuses fairly fast. The earlier versions in this camera line didn't so you can get one at a good price, but it might not perform the way you want it to. The Panasonic Micro Four-Thirds cameras also focus fairly quickly. My measure of focus speed, in this case is being fast enough to catch a kid at play. They aren't up to motorsports performance speeds.

It has a focus assist lamp. The flash isn't very powerful, but it can also act as a controller for an off-camera flash. I did a Christmas family portrait session with this camera and a couple of external flashes, on stands with umbrellas.

I took a couple of quick shots. This is now my "travel kit"; Olympus E-P3, Olympus 17mm F2.8 pancake, Olympus 14-42mm F3.5-5.6, and Panasonic 45-200mm F4.0-5.6 IS. To give an idea of scale, the E-P3 is 5 inches across.





The advantage of any removable lens system is that you can buy the body and one lens, that you think you'll need immediately, and then add to it later on. At this point all of the major manufacturers are jumping on the old-style rangefinder body shape as a mirrorless multi-lens system.

[goof2]

All the advice given so far is good, but I personally wouldn't bring most of what has been recommended in to a club. They will do better with low light shots, but in a club environment I would want something that fits in my pocket. I can see a camera that doesn't getting lost, damaged, or stolen quickly. There are a ton of P&S cameras by all the manufacturers that are 12mp+ and will easily fit in a pocket for under $100. Get one of those and get a DSLR for other pictures. For a fraction of the price of a single lens for a DSLR the P&S will be cheap insurance for the DSLR you eventually do get.

[Papa_Complex]

Something like the E-P3 (or better yet a smaller E-PL3*), with a pancake lens, isn't much bigger than a quality pocket camera while providing DSRL quality shots. It just takes actually seeing one in the flesh, to know if it will do the job for you.

*Edit - Sorry, make that E-PM1. I forgot that they changed the naming convention.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusepm1/

[Lamnidae]

Nice setup ya go there Papa.

[Homeslice]

A Panasonic Lumix is the bulkiest camera I'd want to take into a club.
It's also good enough to be your only camera.

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by Amblyopic

Nice setup ya go there Papa.

Thanks. I used the E-P3 with a 40-150mm 4/3 kit lens, with an adapter, to take most of my track candid shots through the last 3 regional rounds and it did just fine. It should work even better with that Panasonic 45-200mm lens. It only cost $200.00 too.

Originally Posted by Homeslice

A Panasonic Lumix is the bulkiest camera I'd want to take into a club.
It's also good enough to be your only camera.

Depends on which of 20 Lumix cameras you're talking about.