Camera suggestion for beginner

[IAmAndre]

Hi,

 

I'm in the market for a new phone and the Pixel 3a seems to have a great camera but the other specs are quite deceiving. So I'm getting a similarly-priced phone with much better specs (Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro) but a worse camera. So I'd like to know if I can make up for it by buying a dedicated camera next year. I have no knowledge in photography but I would like to get better shots during my holidays, so landscape pics but mostly night pics during concerts and stuff.

As I said, I have absolutely no knowledge in camera so I want an experience that's as close as possible as using a smartphone but I have no idea how to much to spend. Are action cams a good option since I'm an active person? However it wouldn't make sense to spend more than $100-150 because otherwise I'd be better off getting a phone with a better camera like the S10 or something. So the question here is what is the dedicated-camera equivalent of the Pixel 3a?

 

Thanks

[Firewrath9]

idk what exactly is pixel 3a level, my Olympus OM-D EM-5 (an pretty old and discontiuned camera) takes vastly better pictures than my iphone XR. try looking on r/photomarket. 

[IAmAndre]

2 hours ago, Firewrath9 said:

idk what exactly is pixel 3a level, my Olympus OM-D EM-5 (an pretty old and discontiuned camera) takes vastly better pictures than my iphone XR. try looking on r/photomarket. 

So I checked the subreddit but I have no idea what to get and what to avoid

[Firewrath9]

28 minutes ago, IAmAndre said:

So I checked the subreddit but I have no idea what to get and what to avoid

i'm not really that experianced either, I got mine as a gift. try asking on https://www.reddit.com/r/photography/

[Ankerson]

4 hours ago, IAmAndre said:

Hi,

 

 However it wouldn't make sense to spend more than $100-150 because otherwise I'd be better off getting a phone with a better camera like the S10 or something. So the question here is what is the dedicated-camera equivalent of the Pixel 3a?

 

Thanks

 

No, you wouldn't be better off, there isn't a cell phone camera made that can match or even come close to ANY entry level DSLR.

[harryk]

 

5 hours ago, IAmAndre said:

As I said, I have absolutely no knowledge in camera so I want an experience that's as close as possible as using a smartphone

If you want a smartphone camera experience then stick with the smartphone. Action cams are not made for walking around and snapping pics; they're made for strapping to things like racecars and clicking record. If you're interested in learning about cameras and photography, an older entry-level DSLR (e.g. Nikon D3000 series) can be had for under $200 and will enable you to take better photos.

[IAmAndre]

5 hours ago, Ankerson said:

 

No, you wouldn't be better off, there isn't a cell phone camera made that can match or even come close to ANY entry level DSLR.

 

4 hours ago, harryk said:

 

If you want a smartphone camera experience then stick with the smartphone. Action cams are not made for walking around and snapping pics; they're made for strapping to things like racecars and clicking record. If you're interested in learning about cameras and photography, an older entry-level DSLR (e.g. Nikon D3000 series) can be had for under $200 and will enable you to take better photos.

I don't feel like getting a DSLR. I'm more interested in compact cameras.

[harryk]

6 hours ago, IAmAndre said:

 

I don't feel like getting a DSLR. I'm more interested in compact cameras.

Then you'll want to look at what are commonly called point-and-shoot cameras. I'm not familiar with this style of camera so I don't have any recommendations but look online for reviews. With your budget I'd highly recommend looking at the used market. If you don't want to deal with eBay you can look at the used listings on B&H and Adorama.

[Ankerson]

On 10/6/2019 at 3:46 AM, IAmAndre said:

 

I don't feel like getting a DSLR. I'm more interested in compact cameras.

 

Look at the Sony Cybershot cameras then, they are excellent for point and shoot etc.

[Zodiark1593]

On 10/6/2019 at 12:46 AM, IAmAndre said:

 

I don't feel like getting a DSLR. I'm more interested in compact cameras.

Most lower end compacts and superzoom cameras utilize sensors that are very close in size to contemporary smartphone sensors. 1/2.3”-1/2.5” sensor sizes are common here, while high end phones routinely ship with 1/2.8" sensors for their wide angle cameras. A small sensor is crucial for a superzoom camera to get a lot of reach for it's size at the cost of quality, so for a general purpose compact, you will want to avoid superzooms like the plague.

 

For a compact camera that is decisively better than a smartphone, you're looking at the higher end models which have what is called a 1" sensor (really it's pretty much Super 16mm in digital form). The Sony Cybershot RX100 line and the Canon Powershot G7X/G9X line carry these sensors. I like these as they are absurdly flexible for the size, and still decent image quality even in lower light situations, though you do pay for this flexibility in price. The newest RX100 is well into the 4 digit price tag, though older and used models are quite reasonable.

 

There are also cameras with even larger sensors, and even a Ricoh compact model (Rico GR series) with an APS-C sensor, though flexibility tends to be lost somewhat as you lose some/all zoom. Large sensors require large lenses for zoom and telephoto, hence the compromise made for size. Still, the APS sensor alone makes the Ricoh a very strong candidate, and if you've been sticking with your phone this long, you probably won't be missing the zoom much anyway. (Can't miss what you never had?)

 

 

I use the Canon G7X mkII myself. While a little homely compared to some of the newer stuff, I take it literally everywhere I go, and full manual controls alongside RAW shooting allow me to squeeze the most from it.

[ThePointblank]

On 10/6/2019 at 12:46 AM, IAmAndre said:

 

I don't feel like getting a DSLR. I'm more interested in compact cameras.

Would a mirrorless camera work for you? Something like the Sony A6500 or the Canon EOS M6 II?

[YellowJersey]

My rule of thumb is that if you're torn between using your smart phone and getting a small camera, just stick with your smart phone.