What camera should I choose for my wife for Christmas?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around selecting a suitable camera for a participant's wife as a Christmas gift. Key considerations include the camera's speed, performance in low light, and ease of use without requiring extensive knowledge of settings. The conversation touches on various types of cameras and their functionalities.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant emphasizes the importance of speed in a camera, specifically boot-up time and the time taken to capture an image after pressing the button.
  • Another participant questions the specifics of "low light," asking for clarification on the lighting conditions, such as whether it refers to ordinary room light, daytime, or nighttime, and whether flash will be used.
  • A suggestion is made that for capturing good pictures in low light without flash, a digital SLR may be necessary rather than a point-and-shoot model.
  • A participant critiques the design of many simple zoom cameras, noting that they often start in a wide-angle mode, which can lead to subjects appearing too small in the frame. They express a desire for cameras that can start in a midrange zoom setting.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the types of cameras suitable for low light photography and the usability of various camera features. No consensus is reached on the best option.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations in the discussion regarding the specific requirements for low light photography and the varying capabilities of different camera models, which remain unresolved.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals looking to purchase a camera for someone else, particularly those interested in photography in low light conditions or who prefer user-friendly options.

wxrocks
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I am here hoping for some geeky advice on a camera for my wife for Christmas.

The most important features are going to be speed (meaning "boot up time" and time to capture the image after pressing the button) and taking good pictures in lower light without her having to think a lot about settings. I've been in stores and online, but there are so many choices I'd almost rather have some personal geek experience.

Thanks in advance!
 
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wxrocks said:
taking good pictures in lower light without her having to think a lot about settings.

How low are we talking about? Ordinary room light? Daytime or nighttime? Without or with flash? Are there any specific situations you're thinking of, e.g. performances at a theater or night club (which can have very contrasty lighting) or home or office situations?

I haven't been in the market for a camera in a few years so I'm not familiar with the capabilities of what's available now, but I think for very good pictures (low noise) in ordinary room light at night, without flash, you probably still need a digital SLR rather than a "point and shoot" model.
 
phyzmatix said:
Go here :smile:

Right, maybe http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/compare.asp

or else go here and search the test reports about group comparisons. Search for "group".

Edit:

Something that the camera manufacturers don't think about is this. Many people just know two functions of a camera: On and click a snapshot of kids/siblings. Ready. No more.

Now the problem with many simple zoom camera's is that they start in the on position in the widest focus angle. As a consequence kids and siblings are depicted very tiny, lost in the center of a very wide picture with lots of completely uninteresting details.

So either learn that there is another handle/control that says 'zoom' or buy a camera without wide angle zoom capacity.

Waiting for the simple camera that goes on in midrange zoom.
 
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