Just a general topic about cameras really...

After a horrid three-day experience with my Nikon Coolpix L810, I took it back to the shop and after much debate between the manager and I, I got a full refund. Was really disappointed with it though.

From tomorrow, I shall be using a Panasonic TX-30 - which I know should be pretty good. Well, that's assuming it lives up to the same standard as its predecessor, the Panasonic TX-20.
Flickr famous Stuart Montgomery (http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuart_montgomery/) uses a Panasonic TX-20 and some of his night shots are great - they're not static either! See below for an example:


I previously used a Sony DSC-W180 and it treated me well through my education and for general photography purposes up until December 24th of this year, when it faced its retirement. I must say that it's a brilliant camera though, and for its price, the quality of some of the images it has produced for me is phenomenal.

What kind of camera do you use?
Have you had any troubles with cameras in the past?

Shame you had to take your camera back, I assume it was a Christmas present too

I always thought your photos were great anyway. Every bus photo I've ever taken has been with my camera phone. It's a LG KU990 Viewty.



http://www.unwiredview.com/2007/09/10/lg...-about-it/

I think I got it Christmas 2009. It was quite a dated phone even back then. I don't use this phone as my main phone anymore, the screen is scratched to bits, but I still carry it about anyway just in case!

I've been really fond of the camera, some photos I've been really pleased with like these -

[attachment=1266]

[attachment=1267]

[attachment=1268]

Night-time photos don't work well on it unfortunately.

In 2010 I got an Olympus FE47 / X43.



While indoor photos are excellent on it, I haven't been too impressed at all with outdoor photos, which have tended to appear grainy. Maybe I just need more messing about it with it to find the best settings.

It was indeed! I told my mam on Christmas Day when I went out to test it... The static photos I took in Go North East's Deptford depot were brilliant, I was really impressed. The dynamic photos I took of moving cars weren't great though.
I had a bus day with it on Boxing Day and I wasn't greatly impressed.
Today I decided to go out again to try it - it was just unbearable. I'd upload them to my Flickr but my very early work (August 2012) is better than the ones I took today; as everyone should know, they aren't even to a mediocre standard - they're appalling. :L

She was glad I was straight-up with her about it though. She said she knew for its primary purpose, it may not have been ideal, so she was happy to try and get a refund and replace it with a more suitable one. (Phew)!

I am getting really annoyed with my current camera. EVERY SINGLE PHOTO I TAKE IS BLURRY - Any recommendations?

(28 Dec 2012, 8:59 pm)W179SCU wrote I am getting really annoyed with my current camera. EVERY SINGLE PHOTO I TAKE IS BLURRY - Any recommendations?

Take a look at some of the Panasonic videos for the TX range.
The zoom on the TX-30 is brilliant:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=fJ99q_YIY18&feature=fvwp

They're quite pricey though

(28 Dec 2012, 10:03 pm)Daniel wrote

(28 Dec 2012, 8:59 pm)W179SCU wrote I am getting really annoyed with my current camera. EVERY SINGLE PHOTO I TAKE IS BLURRY - Any recommendations?

Take a look at some of the Panasonic videos for the TX range.
The zoom on the TX-30 is brilliant:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=fJ99q_YIY18&feature=fvwp

They're quite pricey though

Where did you get it from and how much?

(28 Dec 2012, 10:04 pm)W179SCU wrote

(28 Dec 2012, 10:03 pm)Daniel wrote

(28 Dec 2012, 8:59 pm)W179SCU wrote I am getting really annoyed with my current camera. EVERY SINGLE PHOTO I TAKE IS BLURRY - Any recommendations?

Take a look at some of the Panasonic videos for the TX range.
The zoom on the TX-30 is brilliant:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=fJ99q_YIY18&feature=fvwp

They're quite pricey though

Where did you get it from and how much?

http://www.jessops.com/online.store/prod.../show.html

Just seen your Flickr from today Daniel, your photos look brilliant!

It's brought the colours out really well and the photos are really sharp. Was the camera good to get to grips with?

(29 Dec 2012, 5:10 pm)Brandon wrote Just seen your Flickr from today Daniel, your photos look brilliant!

It's brought the colours out really well and the photos are really sharp. Was the camera good to get to grips with?

I tried for about an hour to get the settings right working it manually... I don't know whether it was because of the very harsh lighting quality today or not, but it just didn't want to work manually!
Automatically, they came out great though; those photos that didn't come out to a decent standard, I take responsibility for (not having enough time to set up for the shot). I've looked at the ISO setting for each photo and it's different on almost every one, so I'm guessing it was the lighting quality and it just didn't want to stick with ISO 400 which I was generously using.

The GPS wasn't working at first, but as soon as I got into town, it started working... No idea why it wouldn't work closer to home at Chester Road though!

Even at the automatic setting of ISO 800 which the camera set itself, the colours have come out so sharply and you can't notice a great change in quality:


I used Panasonic's "Happy" colour setting on some of the photos too, which helped out a great deal with the colour a little too, I think.

My photos have been horrid today. Came out all blurred, and crap. I might get one of those cameras you have...

(29 Dec 2012, 5:45 pm)W179SCU wrote My photos have been horrid today. Came out all blurred, and crap. I might get one of those cameras you have...

Oh dear - that's really not good! Well, I can highly recommend the TX30, but if you wanted to spend a little less for its specifications to be ever so slightly less too, the TX20 is great too. As I said in my OP, Stuart Monty uses the TX20 and that has produced some immensely brilliant quality photos.
The TZ25 is currently on offer at Jessops too, with an additional £30 cashback from Panasonic. If you could convince someone in your family to buy it before 31/12/12, you'd end up paying £134.99 overall, as opposed to £234.95 when those offers end.
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/cate.../show.html

(29 Dec 2012, 5:53 pm)Daniel wrote

(29 Dec 2012, 5:45 pm)W179SCU wrote My photos have been horrid today. Came out all blurred, and crap. I might get one of those cameras you have...

Oh dear - that's really not good! Well, I can highly recommend the TX30, but if you wanted to spend a little less for its specifications to be ever so slightly less too, the TX20 is great too. As I said in my OP, Stuart Monty uses the TX20 and that has produced some immensely brilliant quality photos.
The TZ25 is currently on offer at Jessops too, with an additional £30 cashback from Panasonic. If you could convince someone in your family to buy it before 31/12/12, you'd end up paying £134.99 overall, as opposed to £234.95 when those offers end.
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/cate.../show.html

Do you think that model would be good? Will it be as good as the TX30?

(29 Dec 2012, 5:58 pm)W179SCU wrote

(29 Dec 2012, 5:53 pm)Daniel wrote

(29 Dec 2012, 5:45 pm)W179SCU wrote My photos have been horrid today. Came out all blurred, and crap. I might get one of those cameras you have...

Oh dear - that's really not good! Well, I can highly recommend the TX30, but if you wanted to spend a little less for its specifications to be ever so slightly less too, the TX20 is great too. As I said in my OP, Stuart Monty uses the TX20 and that has produced some immensely brilliant quality photos.
The TZ25 is currently on offer at Jessops too, with an additional £30 cashback from Panasonic. If you could convince someone in your family to buy it before 31/12/12, you'd end up paying £134.99 overall, as opposed to £234.95 when those offers end.
http://www.jessops.com/online.store/cate.../show.html

Do you think that model would be good? Will it be as good as the TX30?

There are some comparison videos of the TX20 and the TX30 on YouTube. You can assume that the TX25 will be a little bit better than the TX20, but not quite as good as the TX30.
For a difference of £60 or so, it's not really worth it to get the TX30. If I had known about the TX25, I wouldn't have had my mam go through with getting me the TX30.

I think I may get that then, I hope it is good! - Does that have the same settings etc?

(29 Dec 2012, 6:10 pm)W179SCU wrote I think I may get that then, I hope it is good! - Does that have the same settings etc?

To my knowledge, yeah.

(29 Dec 2012, 6:11 pm)Daniel wrote

(29 Dec 2012, 6:10 pm)W179SCU wrote I think I may get that then, I hope it is good! - Does that have the same settings etc?

To my knowledge, yeah.

I will see what my parents say - Cheers for the advice.

I've recently bought myself a Nikon Coolpix P510. Ended up getting a good deal at Amazon for it, and it's a really nice point and shoot camera. It doesn't do raw format, but I've also got a Nikon D5100 DSLR for that.

(20 Mar 2013, 6:34 pm)aureolin wrote I've recently bought myself a Nikon Coolpix P510. Ended up getting a good deal at Amazon for it, and it's a really nice point and shoot camera. It doesn't do raw format, but I've also got a Nikon D5100 DSLR for that.

Glad to hear that you've had luck with your Coolpix.
Looking back at the EXIF data on my photos taken with the Coolpix L810, they were all as ISO 80. I'm assuming that I had it on manual mode and just didn't realise. Thinking that it was on automatic, I expected it to do the work for me before learning how to use manual efficiently on the camera.

I may have given the camera a bad press for no good reason, but I'm not entirely sure at the end of the day. Can't complain about my Panasonic TZ30 at the end of the day

Thought I'd post this for the benefit of anyone looking for a new camera. Panasonic Lumix LZ20 http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B008MVLI2I/ref=nosim.

It's a cracking camera for that price (currently £79.95), and certainly gets some good reviews if have a look around. Cheapest I could find it at present too.

I have a Vivitar Vivicam T027 12MP which I got on the 29/12/12, a day before my Birthday for £30 out of Asda.

It is a good little Camera in my opinion depending on Lighting Conditions and the Direction of which you are facing and position of the Sun etc.

It's dreadful Indoors and at Night, Also the Zoom isn't great either as the further you zoom in the fuzzier the photo gets, Also Night Shots are particularly great either. But otherwise it serves the purpose.

Perhaps once I have a Job etc I might invest in a better Camera at a later date.

Somewhat irritated when I look back on previous posts, I was referring to my old camera's model as the 'TX30' - don't know what came across me..!

The Panasonic DMC-TZ30 is a great point and shoot. It's marvellous with day time photos (though quality admittedly does depend on which settings you're using plus lighting) and equally as good with night shots. Note to anyone who travels to the beach - don't get sand in it! I find myself paying £120 for a repair (just half of what the camera cost when purchasing new!)

The Panasonic DMC-TZ40 (which I've recently upgraded to after a few months of having the TZ30) is equally as good, if not better. The main factor which is better than the TZ30 is its zoom. I endlessly find myself zooming in on a moving vehicle and, if in a bus' case, the blind does not come out, I have a chance to zoom out to get more photos and then I can crop the photo and the full size of the photo is still rather big indeed.

I currently use Fujifilm's F600EXR camera. I have just had to replace my first one (using the warranty, thank god I took it out) after it fell out of my hands and the lens smashed. I however replaced it with the same model.

Prior to this camera, I used the Fujifilm T200 (which also met its end by being dropped). Both Cameras have produced excellent results (my two favourite shots however come from my days using the T200, being this one and this one).

Before that, I was using the Kodak EasyShare C813. Although it had served me well for 3 years prior to picking up bus photograph, the fact it only had a 3x zoom did let it down slightly.

Im currently using a Kodak FunFlash/39.

The roll is currently being developed at Truprint so should be back in 6 months or so

I'm currently looking for a Replacement for my Vivitar Vivicam T027 which I have had for 8 Months. I feel for the £35 I paid for it, it's served it's purpose but doesn't really produce "Top Quality Photographs" as I think it should. I have taken a few good photos with this Camera, but this one is my Favourite - http://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalarkey/9309436980/

I have came across to excellent deals on Curry's Website which are:

NIKON Coolpix L28 Digital Compact Camera - £59.99

- 20.1 Megapixels
- Sensor Type: CCD
- Opictical Zoom: x5
- HD Video: HD 720p

More Infro: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/cameras/dig...s~21262842

And

FujiFilm Finepix AX650 Compact Digital Camera - £49.99

- 16 Megapixels
- Sensor Type: CCD
- Optical Zoom: x5
- HD Video: HD 720p

More Info: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/cameras/dig...s~21270351

No! This thread is killing me!
Five months I had my TZ30, I killed it. Four months I had my TZ40, I killed it. I can accept responsibility for the TZ30, but not the TZ40...
I have to go without the TZ40 for a jolly few weeks until it gets repaired now. Cow in Argos said I'd clearly dropped it and that's what was causing the screen to bleed. I can honestly say I didn't do anything this time!
£700 on bloody cameras now... Expensive hobby!

(29 Sep 2013, 4:45 pm)Daniel wrote No! This thread is killing me!
Five months I had my TZ30, I killed it. Four months I had my TZ40, I killed it. I can accept responsibility for the TZ30, but not the TZ40...
I have to go without the TZ40 for a jolly few weeks until it gets repaired now. Cow in Argos said I'd clearly dropped it and that's what was causing the screen to bleed. I can honestly say I didn't do anything this time!
£700 on bloody cameras now... Expensive hobby!

Certainly is. I tend to only use my D5100 now, but it still means I'm carrying about £600 of kit around with me. Certainly makes you a bit more cautious if I'm out and about by myself.

(29 Sep 2013, 5:34 pm)aureolin wrote Certainly is. I tend to only use my D5100 now, but it still means I'm carrying about £600 of kit around with me. Certainly makes you a bit more cautious if I'm out and about by myself.

I'd get a DSLR if they were more portable. I feel I can take my TZ30/TZ40 anywhere with me and it doesn't really add any weight or anything to me. It's not a massive black thing that can get in my way either, when I'm doing things besides taking photos.

No doubt a DSLR would last longer...

(29 Sep 2013, 4:21 pm)Adam Malarkey wrote I'm currently looking for a Replacement for my Vivitar Vivicam T027 which I have had for 8 Months. I feel for the £35 I paid for it, it's served it's purpose but doesn't really produce "Top Quality Photographs" as I think it should. I have taken a few good photos with this Camera, but this one is my Favourite - http://www.flickr.com/photos/adammalarkey/9309436980/

I have came across to excellent deals on Curry's Website which are:

NIKON Coolpix L28 Digital Compact Camera - £59.99

- 20.1 Megapixels
- Sensor Type: CCD
- Opictical Zoom: x5
- HD Video: HD 720p

More Infro: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/cameras/dig...s~21262842

And

FujiFilm Finepix AX650 Compact Digital Camera - £49.99

- 16 Megapixels
- Sensor Type: CCD
- Optical Zoom: x5
- HD Video: HD 720p

More Info: http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/cameras/dig...s~21270351

The L28 doesn't get that good reviews really Adam. You might get issues with motion blur, despite the sport mode and 'reduction' features. I've found this article for you which may give you a few more budget alternatives - http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/equipme...n-100.html

The other option, and one I'd probably recommend, is considering investing in a bridge camera. They're a bit bigger, but you certainly have a lot more flexibility with them.

The Samsung NX1100... Anyone know if it's any good?
You know what it will be for, so that needs to be taken into consideration!

Already looking to replace my TZ40 and have it as a backup, similar to my TZ30 at present. I'd be trading it in somewhere for around 75 quid.

Santa may be nice if he hears it's a decent camera - I don't know whether £400 seems unreasonable when it includes a free tablet and Photoshop too...

(23 Nov 2013, 10:11 pm)Dan wrote The Samsung NX1100... Anyone know if it's any good?
You know what it will be for, so that needs to be taken into consideration!

Already looking to replace my TZ40 and have it as a backup, similar to my TZ30 at present. I'd be trading it in somewhere for around 75 quid.

Santa may be nice if he hears it's a decent camera - I don't know whether £400 seems unreasonable when it includes a free tablet and Photoshop too...

I've never used a Samsung camera myself so I cant really comment. Obviously just read several independent reviews and such before you buy.

For the kind of shots you take though, you'd probably find benefit in buying an entry level DSLR instead? Perhaps something like the Nikon D3200 or D3200. You'd get it with an 18-55 kit lens for less than the 400 mark.

I used to use my bridge Nikon when out and about, but I kept getting drawn back to the DSLR because of the performance you get from one.