Digital camera!?

[mikmas]

I expect Morgan has given up by now, as no sensible suggestions have been forthcoming.

Absolutely not the case Geoff ... I suggested a Canon Ixus as early as post#7 and this has been repeated a fair few times since, along with other very useful suggestions of equally fine and eminently affordable (and pocketable) cameras.

That Morgan hasn't respond at all since is down to him, not really the content of replies.

[dave2010]

To the OP (Morgan). best to narrow down what you want a camera for and what sort of tmonies you want to spend.

Although now two years old this camera selector tool may help you get some focus on what you want.

That's a really good flowchart plus tool. I followed it through to get to this - https://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/ro...-of-2015-62686 but start again from the begining answering the questions to get other possibilities. Of course those results are perhaps for earlier models - but similar cameras should still be available now.

[mikmas]

I am repeatedly taken aback by how good are the prints made from my little Rollei 35SE (Sonnar lens). I have some 16"x20" and 20"x20" prints hanging on our living room wall taken with this camera, and they are nearly indistinguishable in quality from the same size prints beside them shot with the Mamiya 6x6. Save for a bit more grain, visible only if your nose is inches from the print, you would never know it was a 35mm camera. I'm certain the leaf shutter helps a lot at getting sharp images, not having a mirror whacking away in there. That little thing is my desert island camera...built like a tank and has that killer lens.

Amen to that - I used to have one back in the day ... loved it. So much so that i did a trawl of eBay a while back with a view to buying one again

[Edward]

My favourite portrait camera is a Mamiya RB67 Pro-S with an 180mm lens.

But not digital and very 20c tech. Can't really pop it in your pocket and just take grab shots.

[twotone]

Agree The size of the sensor is more important - just as roll fim cameras were/are capable of better results than 35mm film cameras: there is less enlarging to do to make a large print.

(That said, I'm saving up for a Leica M10 (with a 36 x 24mm² sized sensor), with which I can use my Leica prime focus lenses.)

Watch yourself mate they don't like people who like Leica round here or one punter doesn't and likes to make disparaging remarks with no positive alternative suggestions.

Jealousy is a terrible thing.

[Svend N]

Yes, those little Rollei 35SEs were the perfect pocket-sized 35mm film camera. The only disadvantage being it was easy to loose the lens cap. My girlfriend had one.

True - my lens cap is long gone. Luckily a cap from a Fuji 135 film canister snaps perfectly into the collapsed lens hood, so a free lens cap there.

Honestly, the only thing I (occasionally) miss is a rangefinder. Guessing focus slows things down at times, so not the quickest camera to use. But then the camera would be larger...

Mike -- I hope you find another one. They pop up every now and then in our online classifieds locally, so there are still some out there to be had. My Mother has one with a Tessar lens, the 35TE model...would that interest you? Or is it the Sonnar you want? PM me if interested.

[mad-moon]

I expect Morgan has given up by now, as no sensible suggestions have been forthcoming. It's no good camera buffs going on about their own preferences and spouting terms that a novice will not be familiar with.

Although he hasn't said yet, I think he likely just wants a modestly priced pocketable zoom compact camera that will provide decent everyday family and outdoor snaps, as well as being able to take good close-up (macro) shots and having a portrait and maybe sports mode.

My recommendation would be to search out reviews of modern compacts.

Goodness me...who's upset you Geoff...I've recommended a Lumix FZ38 bridge camera...excellent zoom range....good size regards megapixels...good battery life...and can be bought very cheaply on the used market in nice condition...The OP didn't express any preference, and I think this is a good all rounder of a camera...for little money...

[ribbon]

Hello
No matter which camera you buy, you should always pay attention to sufficiently short exposure time, and low sensitivity. (ISO) Both require light from the lens of the camera.
A buddy of mine recently bought a Samsung model for 80$. In good light conditions she takes nice pictures, but ..... the performance is very special and for so little money you can not expect a wide range of services. (as an example)
I recommend you a system camera like the Sigma SD Quattro H (https://productz.com/en/sigma-sd-qua...digital-camera), with which you can change both zoom and fixed focal lengths. It is compact and without a mirror very robust, and lighter than a DSLR camera.

[Pigmy Pony]

A lot of vintage enthusiasts on AOS - but no one's mentioned a Box Brownie"!

[dave2010]

Hello
No matter which camera you buy, you should always pay attention to sufficiently short exposure time, and low sensitivity. (ISO) Both require light from the lens of the camera.
A buddy of mine recently bought a Samsung model for 80$. In good light conditions she takes nice pictures, but ..... the performance is very special and for so little money you can not expect a wide range of services. (as an example)
I recommend you a system camera like the Sigma SD Quattro H (https://productz.com/en/sigma-sd-qua...digital-camera), with which you can change both zoom and fixed focal lengths. It is compact and without a mirror very robust, and lighter than a DSLR camera.

That particular camera uses a Foveon image sensor - see http://www.foveon.com/article.php?a= Do you really believe the hype about the Foveons? I'm neutral about it right now, though I view claims about the first digital camera to record RGB with some sceptism.

For any camera which is in the market now, I'd recommend doing a search for reviews, and looking at the galleries which usually are embedded within. See if any pictures look like ones you'd like to take, and what the quality is.

https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/sigma-sd-quattro-h/5

Also look at sites like Flickr, and type in the name of the camera you might buy, and see if any people have uploaded photos of that camera - and again - see if the photos might be ones you'd like to take.

For the Sigma - here is the Flickr gallery - https://www.flickr.com/groups/2907345@N25/pool/

It's not really fair to knock a Samsung camera for $80 against a camera listed over $1000 and costing over £1000 in the UK - see https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sigma-C4190.../dp/B01N5C96X3

Without knowing what parameters our OP is working with or wanting, we are just shooting in the dark, and putting forward our own preferences.