Good Camera for under $400 - Off-topic

I told my girlfriend I'd get her a camera for Christmas. I was planning on getting her a $1000 high end camera but we went to Vegas and she knows not to expect that. I'm down to getting her something in the $300 to $400 area. She currently has this huge 3 year old camera which makes her feel like a photographer. My old sony cybershot was better, it's to bad she lost it in Vegas. I know nothing about cameras and what to look for. Although, I know high zoom and megapixels aren't always the way to go. Can anyone give me good recommendations? It'll mostly be used for still shots. I know she really likes to play with settings on a camera but those tend to only come on the really expensive ones.
If possible can anyone recommend me a good entry level dslrs camera as well. I might be able to get some more money from here until then.

For point and shoots look at the Canon G series. (G11, G12) they have the settings and sensor of a dSLR but in a compact design and no interchangeable lenses. For cheaper dSLRs look at the Canon T2i (not the T3i, same thing, but swivel screen and more expensive).

Fuji S series are very good for the price.
There compacts in the design of SLR with all the A/P S/P M modes including the usual point and shoots & Optical Zoom 10 x can be found very cheap for the amount of options inc.

Panasonic Lumix cameras are always getting excellent reviews. I'm happy with mine.

How abt a coolpix
Sent from my GT-I5801 using XDA App

stylez said:
Fuji S series are very good for the price.
There compacts in the design of SLR with all the A/P S/P M modes including the usual point and shoots & Optical Zoom 10 x can be found very cheap for the amount of options inc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ive heard realy good reviews for them... Generally what you want is a bridge camera: someting between a compact and dslr but without interchangeable lens
Sent from my GT-S5570 using XDA App

I took this macro shot of a RC helicopter using a Lumix ZR3.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}

get a nikon or cannon, panasonics are ok too

go for the lumix

TravisBean said:
I took this macro shot of a RC helicopter using a Lumix ZR3.
heli.jpg
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is not macro, but I like that heli. lol
As I said before, Canon G series are the best for their price vs. Quality vs. manual settings.

jaszek said:
That is not macro, but I like that heli. lol
As I said before, Canon G series are the best for their price vs. Quality vs. manual settings.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually it is. That battery connector is actually quite tiny, but the photo makes it seem much larger.

Macro basically means life size. So in that shot it would be macro if you placed the battery connector on the camera's sensor, that's how much space it would take up on a photo. SO basically if you have something that is half the sensor, it would cover half the sensor. That is of course when you are focused to achieve 1:1 ratio of zoom.
The macro setting on the point and shoot cameras is just a setting that enables you to focus closer, but there is nothing macro about that.
Kind of like this:
Lemon by Jaszek PL, on Flickr

Related

camera question..

hi there. recently i notice that there are green dotss and blue dotss somewhere on the picture taken from my camera.. does this mean that there are dead pixels?? or my camera become faulty??
is there anywhere to clear all the dots tat are on the picture??
sorry my english is not so good
:shock:
i had uploaded a photo that had been taken from my camera..
please have a look, there are lotsa green dots n blue dot somewhere on the picture..
how can i solve this problem??
I've got green and red dots also on my camera. Even had it on my only previous faulty device too.
Apparently I think this happens for everyone's XDA IIi or equivalent device. Is there any experts out there who can explain the cause?
:lol:
thats called Sensor Noise! because the photo sensor on mobile devices is so small if you try and take a picture in a dark environment you'll get noise!
try taking a pic in an environment with plenty of light :wink:
if you want a decent picture spend a few $$ on a decent camera
i had try out taking a picture somewhere brighter, but the result still same.. here's the picture i had taken.
by the way, how can i upgrade my xdaIIi's camera to the type of camera u mention ?? upgrade it from o2 service department ??
thankss
You can't upgrade the internal camera, there are no direct replacements. If you look at the Hi-res images I got of the Alpine you'll see the sort of size and shape of camera required and I very much doubt there'll be others the same or similar shape/size. If there are then you need to add the data ribbon to connect it.
Overall go to an Elec store and buy a dedicated camera.
I don't agree. Motorola V3 has a camera as small as XDAIIi and the pictures are awesome. Lenses are a determinant factor in quality. I personaly have a Canon DC20 that takes wonderfull photos but I would like to get better photos with my XDAIIi. Why not get better results wiyh ours devices? Converging functions in one device is helpfull to mobile professionals. BTW, tweaking the camera settings in registry makes the photos much better. See this forum for more information.
tlazymoon said:
i had try out taking a picture somewhere brighter, but the result still same.. here's the picture i had taken.
by the way, how can i upgrade my xdaIIi's camera to the type of camera u mention ?? upgrade it from o2 service department ??
thankss
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think that there is no problem on your camara. note that if you want to have a good picture you must chose the best index light in setting of the camara for example; ambience: night or flourescent... and the cature mode, cature size..
tlazymoon said:
i had try out taking a picture somewhere brighter, but the result still same.. here's the picture i had taken.
by the way, how can i upgrade my xdaIIi's camera to the type of camera u mention ?? upgrade it from o2 service department ??
thankss
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The camera isnt that good but you are never going to get great pics from a lens that size and indoor pics are always going to be grainy without a flash tho you should be getting better pics than those you have so far
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Do a search for AtekSoft's CoolCamera. It allows quite a few more options than the default. There may be better camera replacement software out there, but I havn't found it yet.
Ateksoft is the one most Cooooooooool Camera software.....
From what I understand, O2 included a camera 'upgrade' in their extrom (which installs whenever you hard reset), which actually makes the camera quality WORSE. I've not tested it myself, as I'm quite happy with my phone setup as it is and really don't want to hard reset AGAIN, but some users report that flashing their device with the firmware which doesn't include this camera upgrade makes their camera quality better.
Also, you have to bear in mind that pretty much all cameras use cheap and nasty CMOS sensor technology (what low-quality webcams use) - the resolution and light sensitivity of CMOS technology is REALLY poor compared to CCD, but CCD tech is much more expensive and sucks up more battery power (hence CMOS technology being more widespread in the mobile industry).
Better quality cameras are starting to appear, and the quality of the k750i camera continues to astound me when I see my friends' photos. It won't be long though, I remember seeing articles about lenses made with a tiny suspension of water inbetween two nanometre-thick layers of plastic, to which an electric current could be applied to make the water change shape, acting as an optical lens... This kind of technology will drastically increase the quality and cost-effectiveness of higher-end portable, miniature camera technology, and I can't wait until it becomes widespread.

Asus Nexus 7 camera versus iPad 3 frontal iSight photos, what do you think?

Hi community this is my first thread open, sorry for my quite bad english but I'm not american ..
I would propose you 6 shots take by me: 3 by the my Asus Nexus 7 camera with Modaco app and 3 takets by my iPad 3 and know what you think!
Let's start!
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
I have come to the conclusion that....
They're both only good for video conferencing.
veeman said:
I have come to the conclusion that....
They're both only good for video conferencing.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You missed the fact that they both suck
Why are the ipad pictures a quarter the size? Does it have a significantly lower resolution or something??
irlanda3 said:
Hi community this is my first thread open, sorry for my quite bad english but I'm not american ..
I would propose you 6 shots take by me: 3 by the my Asus Nexus 7 camera with Modaco app and 3 takets by my iPad 3 and know what you think!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree with markj338. The quality of the pictures from both cameras seems relatively poor, but that is to be expected. It was hard for me to tell if either was better but I would lean toward the N7. (I'm a little biased. What can I say?)
markj338 said:
You missed the fact that they both suck
Why are the ipad pictures a quarter the size? Does it have a significantly lower resolution or something??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The pictures are almost the same size when I'm viewing them. I don't know why the iPad pictures are small for you.
Sent from my Paranoid Nexus 7
The iPad pictures are smaller for me also. And I also agree the camera is only good for conferencing. N7 does look a little better to me as well.
Why iPad 3 photos are smaller?
iPad 3 has frontal VGA Camera at 1.3 MP and pictures are at resolution 480*640p (send via mail and also imported by iPhoto it's same quality) while N7 camera is at 1.2 MP but pictures are at 1280*800p. So in forum you can see them in differently size.
Flash is not a problem, both haven't that.
Errm they are only webcams.....
What did you expect?
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
irlanda3 said:
Hi community this is my first thread open, sorry for my quite bad english but I'm not american ..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Uder is right, but you do need to scrub up on your Geography.
CJHolderUK said:
No but you are ****ing ignorant.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey hey theres no need for that...
Back to the ACTUAL disscussion the N7 blows the iSight out of the water even for a 1.2mpx ffc that isnt supposed to be taking pictures in the first place it does a relatively good job . Thanks for comparison.
You should have resized the Nexus 7 images to the same as the iPad 3 for a fairer comparison. :good:
They look pretty similar to me. Though the camera isn't really meant for taking shots like these, so the test doesn't say much, they're really for face-to-face chatting.
The iPads color seemed washed out
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2
irlanda3 said:
Why iPad 3 photos are smaller?
iPad 3 has frontal VGA Camera at 1.3 MP and pictures are at resolution 480*640p (send via mail and also imported by iPhoto it's same quality) while N7 camera is at 1.2 MP but pictures are at 1280*800p. So in forum you can see them in differently size.
Flash is not a problem, both haven't that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're running a comparison, the way the photos are presented matters a helluva lot.
Since this is annoying the hell out of me, I've fixed this for you.
Ok sir, no problems.
The differents sizes was another point to discuss, N7 photos resized at 640*480 can remove something in quality but ok

Purple flare on Nexus 4 camera ...

What do you think?
Can anyone test this?
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Nexus-4s-camera-produces-purple-lens-flare-too_id36705
Nexus 4's camera produces purple lens flare, too
Well, we guess nothing is perfect in this world. Not even the Google Nexus 4 by LG, although we can easily forgive its few drawbacks due to the marvelous price Google has attached to it and the tons of cool features that have made their way inside the package.
When the iPhone 5 came out, some unhappy users started complaining that in some situations, the otherwise very capable camera makes bright lights such as lamps to appear with a nasty purple lens flare effects in images. Apple has even responded to those claims, saying that... this is the camera's normal behavior.
Now that we're seeing that the same happens with the Nexus 4, we can really believe that it's a normal issue for such camera sensors. Thanks to a Google+ user who has uploaded a rather coarse Photosphere shot, we notice that Google's handset is prone to producing abundant amounts of purplish lens flare, too. Unfortunately, we doubt it that there can be any kind of normal solution for that nasty effect, plus we guess that an accessory maker won't come to the rescue this time.
But you know what the good part of all this is? That it doesn't really matter much, since phone cameras have never been that great, really. And why should you bother with such issues, when you have so many other awesome features to enjoy, such as the quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset, the beautiful 4.7" True HD IPS Plus display, or Android 4.2!
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1997081
I read about this happening with other phones as well only when being pointed at direct light.. they said it was the glass lens..rarely will it happen but some seem to be trying..
sent via xda premium with nexus 7
Richieboy67 said:
I read about this happening with other phones as well only when being pointed at direct light.. they said it was the glass lens..rarely will it happen but some seem to be trying..
sent via xda premium with nexus 7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not on Galaxy Nexus... But yeah, Galaxy Nexus camera is mediocre.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Happens on the new iphones too I believe. Not a big deal when taking regular shots.
sent via xda premium with nexus 7
gogol said:
Not on Galaxy Nexus... But yeah, Galaxy Nexus camera is mediocre.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope.
(you can see it on the right side of the sun)
Btw this effect is something "common" when making photo in direct light, even reflex objetice have that defect, so i don't really mind if a smartphone have some purple fringing... just don't make high contrast/direct light photos
Canon lenses have purple too. It's just a side effect of CA/flaring:
the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Lens-Flare.aspx?FLI=0&API=0&FLIComp=0&APIComp=0&LensComp=0&CameraComp=0&Lens=115
dpreview.com/lensreviews/canon_50_1p4_c16/5 (scroll down to the flare section)
(XDA won't let me post URLs because I'm still a liability)
It's just worse on a phone because the back isn't meant to be high grade optical glass but a rather flat piece of glass.
There is thread about this already.
Please continue the discussion there.
Closed

Camera comparison: N4 vs. iPhone5 (large image file embedded)

My co-worker (iPhone5) and I (N4) each tried to take an identical photo of some bourbon I bought the other day. The side-by-side is below. Granted, this test is close to meaningless, because he might have been shaking during his photo, but I was still pleased to see how much better the N4 output is compared to the iPhone 5 for this particular photo.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
PHILLY!
What was the actual color of the wall behind?
Wow, N4 is much nicer in that situation. Probably isn't true for all though...
That 20 year old tastes fantastic - have been lucky enough to try it on a few occasions
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
facetubespam said:
PHILLY!
What was the actual color of the wall behind?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The actual wall color looks like what is shown in the N4 photo.
phillevy said:
That 20 year old tastes fantastic - have been lucky enough to try it on a few occasions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, and the 23-year is like a symphony in your mouth! Too bad the Pappy brand is so hard to come across these days
This confirms what I have seen from these two cams. The iPhone uses a lot of algorithms to make photos "pop", much like setting an SLR to output vivid jpegs. N4 seems to be less agressive with exposure and post-processing.
I can only explain the iPhone image looking fuzzier as being due to camera movement (it does have a better lens).
Yeah, it seems like the camera on the N4 is not adding any effects, allowing you to adjust it in the app itself.
I can see why Apple wants to adjust it a bit though, they are targeting people who just want to take a picture and leave it as it is. Though it might be true of Android customers too, it doesn't seem like Google has that as a priority.
ddb540 said:
My co-worker (iPhone5) and I (N4) each tried to take an identical photo of some bourbon I bought the other day. The side-by-side is below. Granted, this test is close to meaningless, because he might have been shaking during his photo, but I was still pleased to see how much better the N4 output is compared to the iPhone 5 for this particular photo.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow. The iPhone picture looks bright and washed out. The n4 looks darker yet has more detail. Also, the iPhone picture looks like you'd be drinking something watered down and the n4 pic looks like some manly stuff I'd drink even though I don't drink.
I voided my warranty.
As someone who owns both phones. This is a one off situation. The iPhone 5 has a better camera.
yeah, my gf has the iphone5 and i will say it has better photos in about 90% of situations... either way, they are two of the best phone cameras on the market so im okay with either
iTeeXDA said:
As someone who owns both phones. This is a one off situation. The iPhone 5 has a better camera.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As another person who owns both devices, I have to agree. The nexus 4 does have a decent camera though.
Sent from my Nexus 4
elefanteVERDE said:
As another person who owns both devices, I have to agree. The nexus 4 does have a decent camera though.
Sent from my Nexus 4
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What you say is consistent to what I hear from everyone with both devices as well.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using xda premium

What cams you use for photography?

Well i am not a professional photographer, but i really like clicking photos... So my question is what do you guys use , obviously apart from your smartphones and tablets..... Point and shoot, DSLRs, SLRs, Mirrorless?????
Never said tablets sooooo...
Nexus 7 (2013).
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk
My friend try to the app which called 'retrica'.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app
I currently use a Samsung WB100 bridge camera for my car photography .. I must say it does take good photos
Hear some of my photos enjoy
( this has light editing on it)
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Sent from my Nexus 4 + 7
Nice pics man!!!! They are really amazing..
Vardaan007 said:
Nice pics man!!!! They are really amazing..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you glad you like them
Sent from my Nexus 4 + 7
I have a Canon 600D
Sent from my iPad Air using Windows 95
I have Nikon Coolpix L120
I use a Canon Rebel XS primarily with a 50mm 1.8 lens. Hopefully, with some summer income, i can make an upgrade.
I use a potato :thumbup:
I have tons of cameras depending on what I'm doing. For the sake of simplicity I will yap about my latest DSLR that I use occasionally when I don't mind lugging it around. I use a Canon 7D with several older EF lenses back from when I was shooting film. I find that smart phones take awful pictures unless the lighting and subjects are cooperating perfectly. I have some waterproof ones for snowboarding, snorkling, and swimming. I have a couple of small compact point and shoots for carrying around to take pictures when I need portability like with a smart phone but want better pictures. I have been increasingly unhappy with point and shoot cameras these days. That's about it. I could go into more detail if you have any specific questions.
My Samsung Galaxy Grand 2... :laugh:
TheInfamousRenny said:
I use a potato :thumbup:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ooh great potato head :silly:
It's Canon, not cannon.
I use a Canon EOS 70D APS-C DSLR, with a Canon EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS (standard), a Canon EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM(Macro), a Canon EF70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM(Telezoom) and a Tamron 10-24mm F3.5-4.5 DI II LD Canon(Wide Angle). My old EOS 500D serves as my backup camera. (The entire bag with Cameras, Lenses, Gorillapod, batteries, SDcards, filters, hoods and everything weighs about 25kg)
I also have a Canon IXUS 210 lying around somewhere. I only use my phone camera for the quick snapshots if I need to show someone something.
usually i use phone or my Canon EOS 1100D
Sony W130 or HTC Wildfire S
I'm using a DSLR Nikon system but I'll switch to mirrorless Fuji X body + prime lenses.
bulletaz said:
I'm using a DSLR Nikon system but I'll switch to mirrorless Fuji X body + prime lenses.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
can u tell me how is sony nex 6?? i am also intrested in buying a mirrorless cam in next 2-3 months.....
my trusty old GE C1433 14MP 5X zoom 2.4" LCD
olympus
I am using the OLYMPUS SP-100E, but as soon as I'll have enough money is a little pile of something else. Because these device annoys me.

Categories

Resources