Camera

[BigB]

We are going down to DW in December and since the DG loves Christmas light we will be taking lots of photos. So, we are in the market for a new camera. We would like a camera that takes good to very good twilight and night photos (no flash) so we can take lots of photos of all the Christmas lights. But we want it to be able to fit into our pockets. DSLRs are out of the running (size and price). I read a bunch of reviews but I like to hear about peoples experiences with their cameras. Thanks for all your input!!

[minnie04]

I found the Panasonic DMC-ZS20 to be a great little camera. I used to use a big Nikon D-80 and this camera takes the same quality pictures. The zoom is amazing. I keep this camera with me all the time. It has a lot of setting to work with and I would highly recommend it. I haven't used my big one in so long it's a shame, but this is so much easier to carry in the parks. :mickey:

[azcavalier]

If DSLR's are out of the question I would recommend looking at a Mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. You still get DSLR-like photos, and the ability to change lenses, but since there is no mirror, the body is *much* smaller. This is the conclusion that I came to last year when I decided that there was no way I was carrying my DSLR all over the place at WDW.

So, I bought an Olympus E-PL3, and I love it. I put a Panasonic Lumix 20mm f/1.7 lens on it for trips to WDW. It fits in my cargo shorts pocket. It is still bulkier than a point and shoot camera, but you're going to have a hard time finding a point 'n' shoot that also takes great low light photos. If you're interested, you can go to Flickr and search for azcavalier, and you'll find a lot of stuff shot with my Olympus in the WDW 2012 trip set.

I also bought a Blackrapid strap. I hate the neck straps that come with cameras. It is worth it to me to have a little better camera that can't quite fit in my pocket, and use my new shoulder strap. Search for their website. It's a great product.

I don't know how much you know about photography, but what you want to look for is a lens with a low "f-stop". Lower numbers mean that the lens is more open to let in more light. More light means that the shutter doesn't have to stay open as long. A faster shutter speed means more crisp photos. Also, you will need to set the ISO setting to a higher number (800, probably), but most cameras can do this. The problem with point and shoot cameras is that you cannot get the lenses with really low number f-stops, like f/1.7 or f/2.8.

Panasonic, Olympus, Sony, and Samsung all make fantastic mirrorless cameras. One benefit to going with an Olympus or Panasonic is that their lenses are interchangeable. You can have an Olympus camera with all Panasonic lenses, or vice versa.

If, after all you decide that you do want a point 'n' shoot (because it is definitely cheaper), I would still look at Sony and Panasonic. I know that Canon and Nikon rule the DSLR world, but not so much in the other levels of cameras.

Go to Adorama or B&H Photo's websites, and search for Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7, or the Sony Cyber-shot HX50V.