Cameras Help

[zachmullin]

I am in the process of looking for a camera that will give me better quality images than my phone.  I don't know too much about cameras so I am just looking for a Point and Shoot with good image quality.  This is really I all I want/care about for a camera:

 

20x (or more) Optical Zoom

Nice image quality (good dynamic range, whatever else makes an image look good - I am not a camera person - hence why I am here!)

1080p recording (FPS doesn't matter as long as it is 30 or more)

Autofocus

Optical Image stabilization

Good auto mode

 

I can't think of anything else I require.  

Currently I am looking at the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX350.  I want to know what other cameras I should be considering.  

 

Thanks.  

 

Edit:  Doesn't need to be a compact design, it could be a DSLR-style body.  Doesn't matter to me.

 

 

 

[ALwin]

38 minutes ago, zachmullin said:

whatever else makes an image look good - I am not a camera person - hence why I am here

Too many red flags popping up with this statement.

 

You want 20x zoom, buy a superzoom or bridge camera.  The Sony compact you linked seems to be a good pocket camera.  Will definitely produce better images than your phone (assuming you do know how to properly take photos).

[zachmullin]

1 hour ago, ALwin said:

Too many red flags popping up with this statement.

 

You want 20x zoom, buy a superzoom or bridge camera.  The Sony compact you linked seems to be a good pocket camera.  Will definitely produce better images than your phone (assuming you do know how to properly take photos).

So...where should I go for camera help if not here?  

[ALwin]

12 hours ago, zachmullin said:

snip

Look, most decent compact cameras will perform as good as a camera in a high end phone if not better.  The Sony WX350 you are considering should perform better than almost every phone camera on the market.  But how much degree of performance do you want?  Because you will be paying for it.

 

For the 20x zoom capability you want, larger sensor camera means a larger, heavier lens to get that 20x optical zoom in a single package.  DSLRs zoom lenses rarely have that much optical zoom without sacrificing a lot in terms of optical performance.  So if you want a DSLR camera, you will need to invest in a few lenses to have such a zoom.

 

Superzoom or bridge cameras like the Sony DSC RX10 III or even a compact camera like a Nikon Coolpix S7000, in order to have such a long optical zoom capability use smaller sensors.  But their sensors are still bigger and perform better than those found in a majority of phones.

 

These days I would say around 95% or more cameras already have the ability to record 1080p video with at least 30fps.  Very few compact cameras come without image stabilisation and auto focus.  However many photo cameras' image stabilization and  AF system optimized for still photography, so if you want an AF system for video you will most likely have to spend more money to get a camera with a better performing IS and AF system or look for external solutions (i.e. steadicam and follow focus).

 

And finally, the quality of the photo or video produced by the camera depends only a tiny bit on the technology inside the camera and a lot more on the person who is operating the camera.  You can take a camera like a Sony RX100 IV which is a very good compact camera, but use it in a way less than ideal situation or in a situation that it wasn't designed to handle then obviously its performance would suffer.

 

 

Think about:

• When and where you'll be using the camera
• How much you are willing to spend

[zachmullin]

14 hours ago, ALwin said:

Look, most decent compact cameras will perform as good as a camera in a high end phone if not better.  The Sony WX350 you are considering should perform better than almost every phone camera on the market.  But how much degree of performance do you want?  Because you will be paying for it.

 

For the 20x zoom capability you want, larger sensor camera means a larger, heavier lens to get that 20x optical zoom in a single package.  DSLRs zoom lenses rarely have that much optical zoom without sacrificing a lot in terms of optical performance.  So if you want a DSLR camera, you will need to invest in a few lenses to have such a zoom.

 

Superzoom or bridge cameras like the Sony DSC RX10 III or even a compact camera like a Nikon Coolpix S7000, in order to have such a long optical zoom capability use smaller sensors.  But their sensors are still bigger and perform better than those found in a majority of phones.

 

These days I would say around 95% or more cameras already have the ability to record 1080p video with at least 30fps.  Very few compact cameras come without image stabilisation and auto focus.  However many photo cameras' image stabilization and  AF system optimized for still photography, so if you want an AF system for video you will most likely have to spend more money to get a camera with a better performing IS and AF system or look for external solutions (i.e. steadicam and follow focus).

 

And finally, the quality of the photo or video produced by the camera depends only a tiny bit on the technology inside the camera and a lot more on the person who is operating the camera.  You can take a camera like a Sony RX100 IV which is a very good compact camera, but use it in a way less than ideal situation or in a situation that it wasn't designed to handle then obviously its performance would suffer.

 

 

Think about:

• When and where you'll be using the camera
• How much you are willing to spend

Thanks, I appreciate the advice