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Need a new camera, do you have some advise?

16 years ago

Hello!

I am not a photographer (although I would love to be) but I do take pictures of houses for a living. The focus on my camera is failing and I need a new camera ASAP. The camera I have now (Cannon Point & Shoot A550), I just bought on the fly and has never really been up to the task because it's horrible at shooting smaller areas.

I don't know the accurate terms, but I need a camera that can shoot pictures of very small rooms or areas and that has a zoom that will allow me to take a picture of a posted address from the street, which depending on the yard size, can be a challenge. I also need the crispist images possible and something that can shoot well where lighting is lacking. The Point & Shoot has 4x zoom, and from what I understand that's reasonable but sometimes not enough.

Is there such a beast available? Will it cost me 2 arms and a leg? Any and all suggestions or help is appreciated in advance. Thanks so much Lukki!

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Comments (2)

alisande
16 years ago
Irish, if you take pictures for a living, I think you can call yourself a photographer. :-)

Briefly, you've been using a compact P&S. I think you would do better with a camera that has a wide-angle lens and good low-light capability. I've seen some gorgeous images with the Panasonic LX3 and hear great things about it all the time, but unfortunately the price has been rising. Also, it has no viewfinder (only an LCD screen), but that might not be a problem for you. (It is for me.)

Another possibility is one of the super-zooms. One of the best of these is the Panasonic FZ28, soon to be replaced (next month, I think) by the FZ35. This lens starts out as a wide-angle, but has a very long zoom so you can get good results far from your subject. It has an electronic viewfinder, which I like. Another good camera is the new Pentax X70. It's producing some excellent images, but it, too, has no viewfinder.

Unfortunately, the super-zooms aren't noted for their low-light performance. But you could try one and see if it does what you need it to do. The price range on the models I mentioned is $300-400. The last time I looked, Amazon was selling the Pentax for $319.

If you go up to a DSLR you're going to paying in the $1,000-and-up range, depending on how many lenses you'll need.

Hope this helps.

Susan
User
Original Author
16 years ago
Hi Susan,

Thanks so much for the information, I will definately check the models you've mention.

When I hear the word photographer, I think of someone who can take a picture perfect snap of a once in a life time moment. My poor photography is the fronts and interiors of mostly empty houses. LOL!! Who knows, maybe with a new camera, I can expand from that! -- Lukki
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