Decent point and shoot for under $200

[gblady]

Can anyone recommend a point and shoot digital camera for under $200.

I love to take photos with my phone camera, but know little about "real photography".
A friend and her Mother are giving me cash towards a camera as a Christmas present, and $200 is my budget.

I love to take nature and flower pictures, love to do macro close-ups, and also would like a decent zoom. I want more definition in my pictures. I consider myself a novice, but have a great love of shooting....often take 75-150 pics when out on a walk.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[klook]

1. Canon PowerShot ELPH 330 HS

I got my wife one of these after her old Sony P&S crapped out. This is an AMAZING camera for under $200. I did a lot of research on various models. Price wasn't really an object, but ease of use, quality of images, and versatility in different shooting conditions were all must-haves. This camera fits the bill. She loves it, and she's taken a lot of great pictures with it -- everything from landscapes to still lifes to family portraits.

One of the great things about it is how forgiving it is in situations with wide dynamic ranges of lighting, but the images do not have that fake HDR look. (Well, HDR can look OK if done with restraint, but almost nobody does it that way.)

One unusual feature of this camera is a mode where you can record a couple of seconds of video leading up to your shot, so that if your subject blinks or moves you could choose a different frame. Very cool, though this does eat battery life more quickly than regular still photo mode. The camera does shoot video as well, though we've hardly used that at all.

The zoom is also good -- you can go from pretty wide angle to a reasonable telephoto setting without quality problems. Did I mention the picture quality is fantastic?

We did get an extra battery (bought the camera at a Best Buy store, and they had the correct backup battery on hand), which has come in handy sometimes. But we've found the battery life to be much better than many reviewers reported; my guess is they're leaving on un-needed features such as the aforementioned video lead-in, thus draining the battery.

Anyway, I think it's a great camera -- and I'm somebody who's used pretty good quality SLR cameras and lenses for many years. My advice: get one.


http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/digital_cameras/powershot_elph_330_hs

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/917879-REG/canon_8203b001_powershot_elph_330_hs.html

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/powershot-elph-330-hs-12-1-megapixel-digital-camera/8184043.p;jsessionid=638C075FB53ABAA9FE157975905F0EC6.bbolsp-app01-165?id=1218864956194&skuId=8184043&st=Powershot%20Elph%20330%20HS&cp=1&lp=1

[alfredo]

2. The Canon S110 can be found for under $200. It

Is a solid little camera. It has macro and WIFI too.
This camera normally goes for around $400.
Look on Amazon.

[justiceischeap]

3. Panasonic LX5

If you don't mind used, you can get one here (comes with an SD card, battery & charger). http://www.keh.com/camera/Panasonic-Digital-Point-and-Shoots/1/sku-PD059991172890?r=FE

It's normally a $500 camera. I've got one myself and it's nice and easy to use.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 is a unique compact digital camera offering photo enthusiasts the ideal way for capturing professional-quality photos and High Definition (HD) video. With an ultra-bright F2.0 ultra-wide-angle 24mm Leica DC Vario-Summicron lens, the Lumix LX5 minimizes image distortion, resulting in stunning, true-to-life images with outstanding resolution and detail.The F2.0 lens is twice as bright as a F2.8 lens, making it easy to produce beautiful photos with a soft-focused background thanks to the shallow depth of field provided by the extra light.

[alfredo]

4. An automatic lens cap would be a useful addition with the LX5. Excellent camera.

It's pretty too.

[Major Nikon]

5. If you want to save some money, Canon is selling the refurbed A3300 for $48

This was a $180 camera not that long ago and have been a consistently highly rated camera. This is a 1 day sale.

http://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/12-24-13-powershot-a3300-one-day-sale?WT.mc_id=C126149

[gblady]

6. thanks for the suggestions....

I was leaning toward the Canon ELPH when I asked the question...
Still leaning that way.....though will do more research before final decision.