SusyPhoto

Greetings and thanks in advance for your suggestions. I know how to use an iphone and a Nikon D4s but nothing in between. My cousin, a novice, is looking for a camera with zoom capability, best she can get, for $500 or less. I suspect she will be interested in editing so if the camera can take RAW images that would be great. She lives in the middle of nowhere so she would probably order the camera. Cheers!

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

She should visit Calmeta for a refurb model of the D5300 or D5500. There's a filter by price option. She can ask questions based on your Nikon knowledge. http://www.cameta.com/

Lazy Old Coot Loc: Gainesville, Florida

Canon has their SX60HS (refurbished) on sale for $350! It has a long zoom, will shoot raw and is very versatile. From what you have said about your cousin I think the SX60 would be a good fit. Don't be put off by refurbished, they probably go through more testing than new cameras. ....... Coot

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Nikon refurbished D3300 two zoom lens kit is $479 right now, all bases covered!

BudsOwl Loc: Upstate NY and New England

1) If she can find it, the Canon G-16 has 5X optical zoom. Takes pictures in both RAW and jpg. Is a 12.1 Megapixel camera. Sells for about $500 or less. Has an optical viewfinder.
2) Canon G-9 X has a 3X optical zoom. Takes pictures in RAW and jpg. It is a 20.2 Megapixel camera. Sells for about $480. Does not have an optical viewfinder.
3) Canon G-7 X Mark II has 5X optical zoom. Takes pictures in both RAW and jpg. Is a 20.1 Megapixel camera. Sells for about $700. Does not have an optical viewfinder.
4) Canon G-5 X has a 4.2X optical zoom. Both RAW & jpg. 20.2 Megapixels. Sells for $750. Has an Electronic viewfinder (Approx, 2,36 million dots)

I have a Canon G-15, predecessor of the G-16. It is my supplement to my two DSLRs. I take it with me whenever I go to places where I don't need or can't take the DSLRs. It is a great low-light camera. So I would recommend the G-16.

Bud

mas24 Loc: Southern CA

Welcome to the forum. Nikon D3300/D3400, Canon T5, and the Canon SX60 Bridge. All are around $500. Lenses can add up on a DSLR, and you would want to have more than one. Hopefully. If you don't want to invest in future lenses, your best option is a quality Bridge Camera like the Canon SX60 with a viewfinder.

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

At BH photo the Canon T5 with 18-55 lens is $400, $500 for the T6. Personally, I would recommend the 18-135 lens, but that is $200 more. The T5 is available with 18-55 and 75-300 for $500. I had the T2i and it was a darned good camera, this is a later (but just short of latest) model. I doubt that you having Nikon is significant for her, photography principles are the same.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Some suggestions -

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-point-and-shoot-under-500/
http://www.bestproducts.com/tech/gadgets/g706/point-and-shoot-digital-cameras/

Bud Black

I would suggest looking at the Canon G9X.

Nosaj Loc: Sarasota, Florida

I agree: the G16 is my impromptu camera when I don't use my DSLR. The G16 can be found on Amazon for under $400. It is good in low light, ip close facials shots, landscapes, and easy to carry and handle. It has an eye viewfinder when the LCD is hard to see. I'm a long-term Pentax user for DSLR work, but the Canon G-16 has been a great supplement P&S.

MtnMan Loc: ID

Try the Panasonic DMC GM5 from Adorama. $459 with 12-34 mm lens. It takes RAW images and has every other feature you can imagine in a teeny sized machine.

It is a Micro 4/3 camera which means the sensor is quite large compared to most point and shoot and even one inch sensor bridge cameras.

Then if she has other interests she can get additional lenses.

phlash46 Loc: Westchester County, New York

Try a used Panasonic FZ1000.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

First things first...

DSLR? Compact Point n Shoot? Mirrorless?

Your cousin needs to first decide what type of camera she wants. Each type has it's pluses and minuses.

Wanting to be able to shoot RAW will significantly limit choice among Point n Shoots... but is pretty standard in DSLRs and Mirrorless.

Next, she needs to decide any specialty needs such as portraiture, macro, low light/available light shooting, etc. Lenses and other accessories available for any particular camera type or model line will also help narrow choices. Maybe her limited budget doesn't allow her to buy some of these things right now, but she can plan for the future.

And, $500 isn't much to work with, but there are ways to make dollars go a bit farther such as refurbished, buying used, etc. (from trustworthy sources). There are also brand new cameras on sale at significant discounts to clear the shelves of previous models that are being superseded by new models. For example, there are deals on Canon Rebel T5i and 70D DSLRs, because T6i/T6s and 80D are now available. Of course, those older models are still just as capable as they were the day they were introduced.

Tell her to beware of "too-good-to-be-true" deals on the Internet, since she will likely be ordering that way. While there may be some good deals, there are also a lot of ripoffs. She should check out any seller carefully, before giving them her credit card number! A rule of thumb might be that any prices offered that are much less than you see on Adorama and B&H Photo websites, be very cautious and look closely at what's really being offered. It's unlikely that other stores can offer much better prices without some sort of compromise. Worst case scenario are "bait n switch", "fly by night" Internet sites.... that can all too easily waste a buyer's money.

I'm not going to point to one brand or another, or to any specific model. Too often on forums like this, when advice is asked, you'll get Nikon users recommending Nikon, Canon users telling you that's the only brand to buy, Sony fanboyz and fangirlz telling you to get a Sony... and the same with Pentax, Olympus and every other manufacturer. Truth is, all these manufacturers make good products and can probably meet her needs. If she has a brand preference, she should look online for more info about it. There are plenty of detailed model reviews and lots of user forum discussion about just about anything, these days. Of course, there's also a lot of B.S. and hype. It's just human nature, that everyone wants their own decisions and choices to be validated by other users. And few users actually have experience with brands other than their own, making comparisons pretty difficult or just based upon what they've read and heard.

jimdandy

I have a Sony A330 with after market ProMaster 28-200 mm zoom lens you can have for $225.

One vet to another vet

rleonetti Loc: Portland, Oregon

Crass commercialism on my part, but I have a little used camera (my wife's) that always amazed me because her shots rarely needed any post processing. It also has a one lens solution that gives it a very wide zoom range. It is on the UHH site at:

http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-413413-1.html