So what digital camera do you have?

I think I'm born to travel. I like so much to find and see different places of this beautiful world. Currently I have an ordinary 200$ SONY camera which I'm using it just to take pictures occasionaly.

But now I want to invest in a very good digital camera (be it Nikon, Canon or Sony) so I can make great pictures of everything. I think I'm gonna transform myself in a photo-guy if I can see I can shot some quality pics.

I have a budget of 5000$ for this, hoping to find something really good but I'm gonna have a hard time because I'm not good with technical specifications.

So what digital camera do you have?

Old Olympus but still works great

I use Sony Cyber-shot W690 for my personal use...

I went on a splurge a few years back and bought myself a Canon Eos 20D. Then went and bought some Sigma lenses to go with it. Mega camera but because I have to lug it around it only gets taken out twice a year. Try and get something you can fit in your pocket, I have an old Canon Powershot that I use for good quality pics but 95% of my photography is iphone powered.

Olympus TG-310

waterproof, drop proof, kid proof, baby proof

fast and easy.

you don't really need a fancy camera, just one that works.

If you want something that is really is THE TOP then go for Leica (but 5k won't be enough...) and also if you decide to later on sell it you will get your money back, something that is not possible for the other brands cause only the lenses have resell prices, camera bodies change so fast...

I would go for the easier to carry and faster to focus. Olympus has a great mirrorless for this job!

I own Leica X1 and I know Leicas are quite expensive, but I would still go with Leica. Their cameras don't lose their value in few years like other brands' cameras tend to do. Of course you're paying a lot for the brand, but you can't complain about the quality. MADE IN GERMANY and you can feel it.

This is a decision made by your ego. Today's digital cameras are of such quality that it hardly makes a difference, unless you are doing genuine media work. Get as high a resolution as you can afford, and if you are serious, get an SLR with replaceable lenses.

Back in the film days, I was a freelancer. The cameras and lenses actually mattered back then because it was film and there was no such thing as digital retouching. People made pictures using light and shade, contrast and balance, and composition. That is what photography courses taught. Now they teach Photoshop.

The Canon powershot is a decent video camera as well. I have the powershot (A70), a Mamiya 645 PRO TL, and a Rolleiflex TLR, and a friend loans me a Cannon d500 slr on occasion. I use the powershot almost all the time, the D500 for video and what I consider "Shoots", and the mamiya and Rollie are still around because of their quality and history, for nostalgic purposes. I will eventually get a digital back for the Mamiya. Quality wise, the powershot will out perform the Mamiya (the digital back may change this, because the M lenses are superb) and Rolleiflex, and there is no significent difference (at least to me), picture wise at 8 x 10 or smaller sizes, between the D500 and the powershot. Video is better on the D500.

My advice is to buy a Cannon Powershot non slr, (or the Olympus equal of your choice) at least 8 MP, and carry it all the time. If you want an ego rig, go for it, but a camera is like a survival knife, it only helps you if you are carrying it when you need to use it. It being at home in the closet (as mentioned above) will not do you any good if you run across something viral you want to film. The powershot fits in my shirt pocket, and is always available, I literally carry it everywhere.

All that being said, I would LOVE to have a Leica, and a Hasselblad.

Cannon Powerstho s95 - Canon PowerShot S100

I had a canon t1i. I sold it last year. Point and shoots should be just fine for what you are doing, especially if you aren't into the technical aspects. It takes quite a while to figure out everything on a SLR, and either you have photography skills or you don't. Lighting, angles, etc...I'll just stick with something I can cram in my pocket at the last minute.

Unless you're just looking to blow some money, I'd buy something lower on the spectrum than a $5000 camera to learn on. Just my opinion.

Sony CyberShot w610 - it is good enough for me.

Canon 1000D, great camera

Megapixels != Quality. Incase you didn't know.


You want a camera that has a great sensor and lens. You won't find either in a point and shoot. I would recommend a Canon 500d/550d for still pictures and if you want to do video, a canon 600/650d. In both cases you would likely want to pick up a different lenses for different situations but some of them would work in many shots. You can pick up the 500/550 on craigslist/amazon for around $600 which comes with a starter lens as well.
When you're not out looking for something to shoot and want a point and shoot that still has a semblence of quality, go with the Canon S100. It of course isn't as great as a DSLR camera but you will still get some good shots.

If you want to see what a camera can do, go to flickr.com
When looking at a DSLR be sure to take into account the lens that is listed. Some of them cost upwards of $5000.