Camera suggestions for a newbie

[uplandhunter870]

im wanting to get more into photography, specifically outdoors, and was wondering if anyone could suggest a good camera that a guy can grow into say under 300.  i have a smaller cannon A590 that works well for everday kind of stuff but isnt quite cutting it on the zoom and some other options, so im not completely new to photos but overly knowledgable.

thanks all
Steve

[Hornseeker]

Under $300 you only have a couple real good choices... And they will push that limit...

Canon S5IS....not readily available, maybe EBay? But probably $330 ish...

The Panasonic FZ series... ALL good...  From FZ 10 all the way up to FZ 35 or thereabouts?? Haven't kept up. I did see the FZ18...which is a great cam, can be had for about $289....

I have and love the canon.... it takes double A batteries which I really love!!!

Looks like about $350 you can get the Canon SX20IS...which is the new version of the S5IS... its a great camera.

Your next step is to buy the Rebel or 450D or something like that at like $600-$800.... but with that you'll only get a 55-110 or so lens, while with these point and shoot models, you'll end up with upwards of a 600 mm lens.... and they can take some great pics for the $$$....

Good Luck!

[Decker]

You absolutely CANNOT go wrong with the Cannon G10. It was my first "nice" camera and at 15MP with RAW shooting capability, offers ALL of the same settings, manual and otherwise (plus a few nice point and shoot settings) that the bigger DSLR's have. The digital zoom has the equivalent of nearly a 250-300mm lens. When I sold mine to buy a DSLR, I severely missed the ability to shoot not only SWEET video (not HD but close) but also have had to save up for additional telephoto lenses just to get the same range the G10 came with. On the non-zoom side, I believe it widens to a beautiful 18mm to capture great indoors.

I bought this camera, read the manual and did some research on photography and it opened the door to a professional career. I will most likely buy one again as my back up as they are much smaller than a DSLR and easy to pocket wherever you go. The current model (G11) has not had as good of reviews as the G10. This is a double bonus; being the previous years models, if you are intentionally shopping for a bargain you may find one on closeout or Craigslist for $300.00. Currently selling on ebay for around $375.00.

Good luck.

[Mauser]

You'll likely get a lot of "by this camera" answers to your question. Those are not bad answers but the camera needs to fit you and your needs. Once you have a list of cameras that you might want, go to a big box store that handles a boat load of cameras and handle them. Make sure the camera is easy to use in your hands. People with small hands often cannot reach the controls on a full sized DSLR without shifting their hands and those with large hands have the same issue with more compact models.