kennmurrah

Greetings.

Today I attended an event (ok, it was the Acro-Cats, a traveling show of trained cats. Please don’t laugh.) Photography was encouraged but “professional “ cameras were not allowed, by which they meant cameras with interchangeable lenses.

I’m planning for the next such event. Since bridge are mostly gone now, what camera would you recommend? Preferably cheap. Possibly used. Probably with a relatively long focal length.

Thanks!!!!!

goofybruce

I love my Olympus TG-6... My main camera is a Sony A7R V, but I bought the TG-6 a few years ago to use when kayaking because it is water-proof, and has a good zoom lens. I spent a week at DisneyWorld last month and had both cameras....Used the Sony to shoot from the hotel room overlooking the "savanna" to get pic of the animals there, but my walk-around camera was the Olympus which, with it's zoom lens, was more than sufficient and slipped easily in and out of a front pocket of my shorts.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

Of my half dozen cameras, my favorite is the pocketable Sony RX100 VII.

My wife's favorites are her Sony RX10 IV and her Panasonic ZS200D.

User ID

Lumix ZS100 cuz you say "preferably cheap". Pretty much a cheap version of the Sony. One inch format, 20MP, full conrols, raw+jpg, EVF.

Just Fred Loc: Darwin's Waiting Room

The Nikon "Superzoom" cameras (P900, P950, P1000) are all fixed-lens cameras with as the name indicates, have awesome zoom (up to 83x) from about 24mm-2000mm.

Delderby Loc: Derby UK

Sony RX10ii (fixed Carl Zeiss lens, f2.8, 24-200). V iii and iv have a 20 x zoom - for my photography, not so good, and bulkier.

jjanovy Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

I use Canon SX710 for my walk-around and pocket backup, and am very happy with the size, zoom, and video quality, given that it’s a pocket camera. I also have a Nikon P900 which is excellent, but not quite as small or quick as the Canon SX710. Neither one is very expensive, and both have excellent zoom for such occasions. There is a later model of the Canon, maybe SX740, but it’s been a while since I checked (being basically a Nikon user).

RoswellAlien

I still have, and it lives in the glovebox, a Nikon 7800. 8-10 years old at least, but a pretty good lens, 12mp, and shoots RAW as well as jpeg. Does have a limited ISO range, though, so not sure about event work. Probably fairly cheap.
I’d use my RX100vii, FWIW. In any event, have fun.

charles tabb Loc: Richmond VA.

Currently Over the years I have narrowed myself down to just two cameras.
I now have a a7Rv and a fixed lens RX10IV. I use both depending on my circumstances.
I don't know if any of this helps you.

Charles

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

claytonfm

How about your phone. If it's dated, upgrade and kill two birds with one stone. Modern smartphone cameras are excellent.

coolhanduke Loc: Redondo Beach, CA

I have to agree. Get on the Nikon email list. They have refurb deals a lot. I bought a $350 camera for $99.

TRAVLR38 Loc: CENTRAL PA

My go everywhere cameras used to be my Lumix FZ1000 and my Lumix ZS100. But lately I have preferred an older camera, the Olympus Stylus 1s. To be sure, it is older technology. It came out in 2013. Has only 12 megapixels. It is small, but pocketable only in a jacket pocket, not a pants pocket. Despite its age, it is a powerful device. It shoots Raw, jpeg, and combinations of the two. It has a 300mm zoom, can do macros at 2 inches. The aperture does not change with the zoom as do most lenses; it can keep an f/2.8 throughout the zoom range. It has a built in ND filter. Its image stabilization (three axes, not five) is very effective. I have gotten great shots for everything, including sports (at least outside--have not yet tried in dimly lit gyms). Pixel peepers might say the image quality is less good than a more modern full frame image. That is probably true. But with Topaz plug-ins, there is no problem. I usually use Topaz AIClear because it is lightning fast, but occasionally have recourse to Photo AI.I generally print to 12 x 16 inches even with deep crops and the results are great. The only down-side is that it is no longer produced or repaired by Olympus. For that reason, I just recently purchased a spare on E-Bay, almost new, only 1500 shutter actuations.
If you can find one, these are magnificent little machines.

Mac Loc: Pittsburgh, Philadelphia now Hernando Co. Fl.

Consider the Leica Q3.

rcarol

I also have the P7800 camera. It has an excellent lens.