Buying a Camera, what's good?

November 9, 2011 1:50 PM

I need a nice camera to replace my Canon G10. Thoughts?

I recently dropped my G-10 and sadly it's gonna cost me a bunch to get it fixed, so I reckon it might be time for an upgrade. When I got it it was exactly what I wanted, slick, nice, a good middle ground between a point and shoot and DSLR.

Does anyone have any ideas of a contemporary version that is good for video and doesn't cost a ridiculous amount? I can spend up to about 300 bucks.

I'm not a pro by any means, but I like to take nice photos and make stupid videos for the internet.

Thoughts?

posted by rudhraigh to Shopping (10 answers total)

The canon S95 should be under $300 now that the S100 is out. It's basically the same thing as the G12 but in a smaller case. The S100 is about a hundred bucks more and has a handful of nice features but it may not be worth the extra cash.
posted by foodgeek at 2:00 PM on November 9, 2011

I know it's not technically in the same class, but as an owner of a G10, I highly recommend the Sony DSC-HX9V. It's got three killer features among many: 16x optical zoom, GPS, and ridiculously awesome 1080p video (seriously, the quality combined with the stabilization is simply unprecedented). The automatic HDR function is remarkable, and the sweep panoramic function is surprisingly usable. It's a bit noisier than the G10, but still produces amazing photos. I never thought I'd own a Sony camera, but here I am.

It costs a bit more than the $300 budget, but I highly recommend it. I hardly bother carrying any other camera now.
posted by speedgraphic at 2:02 PM on November 9, 2011

I love my S90 and the S100 adds GPS. I don't carry an SLR any more, although I did for almost 20 years before I got it.
posted by kcm at 2:06 PM on November 9, 2011

I'd go with a Canon S100. That said, it would help if you gave some more examples of what you plan on doing with the camera, where you like to go, what you like to shoot, etc.
posted by StrictlyVague at 3:04 PM on November 9, 2011

I think with a budget of $300 it's not wise to go for a DSLR.
posted by WizKid at 3:10 PM on November 9, 2011

I replaced my G9 with an S95 and it's great - really good video (even the sound on the video is surprisingly good), pretty good low-light performance, and really pocket-sized.
posted by moonmilk at 5:29 PM on November 9, 2011

I love my Panasonic LX5. Spec-wise it's comparable to the Canon S90/95, but it's a little bulkier and has a flash hotshoe.
posted by xekul at 6:26 PM on November 9, 2011

Bought ms scruss the S95 the other week and it's fab. Was looking to buy an S100, but it appears that they're sold out in Arizona.
posted by scruss at 8:25 PM on November 9, 2011

Seconding the Canon S100
posted by doctor_negative at 8:45 PM on November 9, 2011

Given your budget, I'd say go with a Canon S95. It seems to be a great deal at today's discounted prices.
posted by imjustsaying at 1:39 AM on November 10, 2011