Pellet Fan

All Things Considered => General Discussion--Food Related => Topic started by: Kristin Meredith on September 28, 2017, 12:38:15 PM

Title: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: Kristin Meredith on September 28, 2017, 12:38:15 PM
Not bbq related per se, but we are having problems with the camera and I believe it is my fault since I have dropped it a couple of times.  Do any of you have insight and experience into cameras?  If so, could you point me in the direction of a good "point and shoot" type of digital camera, with the ability to take short videos, which would not exceed $300-350?
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: airedale on September 28, 2017, 12:48:37 PM
... could you point me in the direction of a good "point and shoot" type of digital camera, with the ability to take short videos, which would not exceed $300-350?
Sure.  Look on the back side of your cell phone.

The "point and shoot" camera market has almost disappeared.  Cell phone cameras are far, far, higher quality than is needed for web postings and the photo processing tools on phones are getting better and better.  Alternatively (my preference) is to send the image of video to a desktop computer and process it there.
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: Queball on September 28, 2017, 12:50:19 PM
Look on Ebay. I got a Canon Power Shot SX130 used  for cheap there. It was the camera recommended by many of the picture shooters on PH years ago. It does pictures and video and includes storage and editing software. Point and shoot! .... Mine works great for my needs. I'm sure now over time, they have even gotten better. I've never fooled with the video part.
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: Kristin Meredith on September 28, 2017, 12:54:45 PM
Don't have a cell phone.  That is why I asked about cameras.
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: JimAZ on September 28, 2017, 01:12:25 PM
There are still a lot of point and shoot cameras with video capability still around.  You will likely have to go to mail order to get something unless you have a camera store in your area.  See PM
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: Rick on September 28, 2017, 01:44:06 PM
I have a Canon PowerShot SX540 and love it.  It's a super zoom so it has great reach.  But it kinda depends what you are using it for.
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: Kristin Meredith on September 28, 2017, 01:51:25 PM
It would be used for a variety of things -- taking pictures of pits and foods during performance tests, pictures at competitions, pictures from my Master Gardener activities.
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: Gringo on September 28, 2017, 01:51:51 PM
I am not too familiar with point-n-shoot cameras as I use a DSLR.  But I’ve heard some good things about the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX80.  It has a good sized sensor and shoots HD video.  It will also zoom from 24-720, which is pretty good for a point-n-shoot.  B and H camera sells them online for $368, but there are some new ones on eBay for < $300.
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on September 28, 2017, 02:22:07 PM
My wife and I have had great success with a few different models of Panasonic Lumix cameras.  But, they will have the same issue you have now if you drop it.  Happened a few times to us.
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: airedale on September 28, 2017, 03:41:38 PM
Don't have a cell phone.  That is why I asked about cameras.
Oh, OK. I bought my wife one of these:  http://shop.panasonic.com/cameras-and-camcorders/cameras/lumix-point-and-shoot-cameras/DMC-ZS50.html  It's well within your price range, especially bought from Amazon Warehouse Deals, which is where they sell customer returns.  I carry several thousand $$ of camera gear when we travel and, on return, it is almost impossible to tell my photos from hers.  There are earlier models in the ZS series that are available at attractive used prices too.  Any one of them will far exceed the quality that you need for web-type stuff.
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on September 28, 2017, 04:04:10 PM
Don't have a cell phone.  That is why I asked about cameras.
Oh, OK. I bought my wife one of these:  http://shop.panasonic.com/cameras-and-camcorders/cameras/lumix-point-and-shoot-cameras/DMC-ZS50.html  It's well within your price range, especially bought from Amazon Warehouse Deals, which is where they sell customer returns.  I carry several thousand $$ of camera gear when we travel and, on return, it is almost impossible to tell my photos from hers.  There are earlier models in the ZS series that are available at attractive used prices too.  Any one of them will far exceed the quality that you need for web-type stuff.

Yes, these are the models that my wife and I have used.
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: ZCZ on September 28, 2017, 07:29:42 PM
All the photos I post are from my iPhone 6+. I hear the 7, 8 and X are even better.
I do all my posting of threads & pictures off my iPhone too. Rarely turn on my laptop anymore.
Z
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: Chris__M on September 28, 2017, 08:06:07 PM
I have a couple of friends with cameras from the Canon Ixus range, and they seem to shoot well and be very flexible.

My own camera is a DSLR, but that is over the top for what you see, to want.
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: pz on September 29, 2017, 12:05:28 PM
Don't have a cell phone.  That is why I asked about cameras.

You might luck upon a friend that has upgraded to the latest phone, and has their old one sitting there collecting dust. Smart phones these days are actually tiny computers, and when the phone service is disconnected, they still work just fine for other tasks. For example, my wife had an iPhone 5 that I took over after she purchased a new phone. I use it for many of my snapshots, use the GMG Wifi app to control the grill, and any of the other apps that I like. I can even download and install from the Apple store.

I have a home cloud based backup network drive, and the old iPhone will automatically upload my pics to my personal folder in the home cloud where I can access the photos from anywhere in the world.

Don't throw away those old phones - they work just fine for a variety of tasks.
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: Kristin Meredith on September 29, 2017, 12:15:27 PM
I last had a cell phone four years ago.  It was a simple flip phone -- simple, I thought, because what could go wrong?  It exploded on me.  Not a huge explosion, just a tiny "poof" sound, blackness and all info gone.  Store couldn't retrieve anything and could not explain.

pz, you know my college story.  Yet another traumatic tech experience.  My Ludditism continues to grow!!!
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: pz on September 29, 2017, 02:59:38 PM
 ;D
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: Chris__M on September 29, 2017, 03:06:59 PM
Don't throw away those old phones - they work just fine for a variety of tasks.

One of my other hobbies is star-gazing. I have a small motorised scope, but also used to have a larger scope, which was completely reliant on muscle power (it has since gone to a friend).

When I found myself with a spare old Android phone, it quickly got fixed to the tube of the telescope and loaded with software that let it act as a kind of finder for the scope. You'd type in what you wanted to see, and arrows would appear on screen, telling you which way to push the thing. It took some setting up, to get it accurate, but because it was securely fixed in place, I only had to do this once (and then fine tune it, occasionally). Great fun.
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: pz on September 29, 2017, 03:55:02 PM
When I found myself with a spare old Android phone, it quickly got fixed to the tube of the telescope and loaded with software that let it act as a kind of finder for the scope. You'd type in what you wanted to see, and arrows would appear on screen, telling you which way to push the thing. It took some setting up, to get it accurate, but because it was securely fixed in place, I only had to do this once (and then fine tune it, occasionally). Great fun.

Man, that's cool - on the flip side, you can also make a jig that turns your phone into a microscope using the lens from a laser pointer. I've not personally done it, but have seen it demonstrated.
Title: Re: Advice Needed on a Camera
Post by: Bentley on September 29, 2017, 04:03:38 PM
Really is.