Confused - Sony, Nikon, Canon? I'm looking for a camera that is fairly easy to use as I'm about to be blessed with a grandchild, plus we have pets and sports. I just started looking at...

kdoll Loc: Irvine, CA

I'm looking for a camera that is fairly easy to use as I'm about to be blessed with a grandchild, plus we have pets and sports. I just started looking at the Sony Cyber-shot Hx300b, but would like to consider something similar in Nikon or Canon. I do not want a touch screen, and would prefer to have an optional viewfinder.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

I am a Nikon fanatic. I recommend that you consider the Canon PowerShot SX50 Point & Shoot:
http://reviews.usa.canon.com/3798/25592/powershot-sx50-hs-reviews/reviews.htm
With the release of the new SX60 model, the price of the SX50 should drop a bit.

JimmyJames241 Loc: Eustis, FL

I'm a photographer at a theme park in Central Florida, and I always ask our guests if they want me to also use their cameras. Of the ones I've used, the Canons have the brightest screens in sunlight. That alone would sway me in that direction.

Reinaldokool Loc: San Rafael, CA

kdoll wrote:

I'm looking for a camera that is fairly easy to use as I'm about to be blessed with a grandchild, plus we have pets and sports. I just started looking at the Sony Cyber-shot Hx300b, but would like to consider something similar in Nikon or Canon. I do not want a touch screen, and would prefer to have an optional viewfinder.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

The Canon SX60 has an electronic viewfinder and much, much more. It also has a video capability. Many will tell you that they never use video but, having just spent my first two years of grandparenting, you will want the video to record all the firsts, words, crawl, walking, etc. If you don't put those on Youtube, your relatives will be unhappy. LOL.

Canon really shines in the P&S arena. I'm not really a fan of Sony, though I have just purchased a Sony a6000. It is almost a real camera, compared to Nikon and Canon. (Should have taken my guru's advice and bought a Fuji. KenRockwell.com. LOL)

nicksr1125 Loc: Mesa, AZ

Consider the Sony HX400. The biggest difference is the 400 has a hot shoe for a flash. The price difference is about $70.00 at B&H. It has a 20mp sensor as opposed to the 12mp sensor on the Canon.

Navygmari Loc: Rhode Island

Canon sx50 or sx60

ole sarg Loc: south florida

Yep the two mentioned are the way to go. you can go to a big box store and hold one just to make sure

Garyh444

Consider the Sony Rx100II. Has everything you want, including Electronic optical viewfinder and Zeiss Optics, which cannot be beat. Fits in your pocket. 20mp w ith 1" sensor.
I used to be a Contax nut, have had Nikon also in the past. Today IMO Sony is technologically far ahead and, as I said before, Zeiss makes the best optics in the world, on a par with Leica. Also remember, which nobody ever mentions, thatALL DIGITAL Photos need some post processing sharpening if you want to get the most out of the image data. I think Canon is the worst of the lot. Also look at Fuji. But you really have to go to a store and see how all of these feel to you.

mmeador

Go to a camera store and actually handle the cameras. See if the controls feel right. I like the Panasonic Cameras, I have an old FZ-40. I think the FZ-1000 has a viewfinder as well as an LCD screen. I'm not brand loyal, I look to see if the features of the camera fit my style. I bought a Canon G11 many years ago and it is a wonderful camera, the pictures from the 10mp Canon are as good as the 14mp Panasonic but the Panasonic feels better. Some of the point & shoot cameras have as much control as the DSLR's, frankly, it is difficult to find a bad camera anymore(except for the Nikon D600, sorry Nikon that was a big mistake, they did correct it with the D610). Just so you Nikon fans know, I do most of my work with a D300.

bunuweld Loc: Arizona

kdoll wrote:

I'm looking for a camera that is fairly easy to use as I'm about to be blessed with a grandchild, plus we have pets and sports. I just started looking at the Sony Cyber-shot Hx300b, but would like to consider something similar in Nikon or Canon. I do not want a touch screen, and would prefer to have an optional viewfinder.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

For versatility and portability my first choice would be Canon SX50 or the newer SX60 version. Besides having excellent image quality, it has a very powerful zoom, which you may rarely need, but it is there when you want it. The Sony RX100 is more pocketable and has superb image quality, but its limited zoom is a less attractive feature. With the type of activities that you describe, the longer zoom of the canon SX50 may be very welcome for candid action shots. Because of the physical shortness of its zoom lens and the excellent image stabilizer, you can get get hand-held sharp shots at even the highest zoom.

DavidPine Loc: Fredericksburg, TX

I had a Nikon CoolPix P600 and dumped it for a Sony DSCHX400V. I like it much better and it has a viewfinder. Canon is starting to ship the SX-60 which is highly rated and shoots raw.

kdoll wrote:

I'm looking for a camera that is fairly easy to use as I'm about to be blessed with a grandchild, plus we have pets and sports. I just started looking at the Sony Cyber-shot Hx300b, but would like to consider something similar in Nikon or Canon. I do not want a touch screen, and would prefer to have an optional viewfinder.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

mdsiamese Loc: Maryland

kdoll wrote:

I'm looking for a camera that is fairly easy to use as I'm about to be blessed with a grandchild, plus we have pets and sports. I just started looking at the Sony Cyber-shot Hx300b, but would like to consider something similar in Nikon or Canon. I do not want a touch screen, and would prefer to have an optional viewfinder.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

My dSLR cameras are both Nikons, I love Nikon, but when it comes to point and shoot, Canon rocks. I have several. I've had Nikon, Olympus and Sony point and shoot, and several Canon point and shoot, and Canon has nailed that type of camera for ease of use and quality.

But there is another consideration for you, since you mentioned grandchild. High quality Smartphone. You will revel at the ease with which you can share photos of your grandchild with a smartphone. I'm talking about one with a high quality camera. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is the one I have, and I love it and find myself reaching for it often over my very expensive dSLRs. There are just times when you want a good candid photo to share with others, and the convenience and quality of this smartphone are superb. I also recommend the iPhone 5 or the new one. The new one is supposed to have a camera that opens to an aperture of 2.8, and that would be awesome for you.

I recommend a good Canon point and shoot, but don't rule out a good smartphone for ease of use.

G Brown Loc: Sunny Bognor Regis West Sussex UK

My wife's older Sony P & S beats my newer Fuji P & S hands down. My Sony DSLRs beat Canon DSLR hands down. (A230 v Rebel xti were at a similar price point so a good comparison and I owned both at the same time. Now have the A65)

Sony software now comes with Cloud storage and access as well as speedy facebook download. Your family can download a full sized picture or simply see an FB image.

sirlensalot Loc: Arizona

Read the reviews on the 300b. No flash hot shoe, and questionable noise levels at higher ISO would be a deal breaker for me. If you are doing most of your shots outdoors, this is a fine camera.

cntry Loc: Colorado

G Brown wrote:

My wife's older Sony P & S beats my newer Fuji P & S hands down. My Sony DSLRs beat Canon DSLR hands down. (A230 v Rebel xti were at a similar price point so a good comparison and I owned both at the same time. Now have the A65)

Sony software now comes with Cloud storage and access as well as speedy facebook download. Your family can download a full sized picture or simply see an FB image.

I also have the Sony A65 (upgraded from the A35, before that A230) and it's a great camera, but it can be a little noisy at high ISO's. It's easy to use, Sony's menu system is very easy to learn. I also have the HX300 for when my A65 is too much to carry and it could easily be my only camera!

sirlensalot wrote:

Read the reviews on the 300b. No flash hot shoe, and questionable noise levels at higher ISO would be a deal breaker for me. If you are doing most of your shots outdoors, this is a fine camera.

I don't miss the flash hot shoe, for what little I do that requires a flash, the built in works fine. I haven't noticed any noise issues.

Do a search for James56 here on UHH and check out his pictures to see what the camera can do, he shoots with a HX300.

Many of the CanNikon fanboys on here see innovation and diversity as negatives...Sony makes GREAT cameras!