Hello everybody.

Thanks everybody for responding to my question. I am still trying to figure what ISO and other concepts are.

Based on your personal experience, which camera is the best and why?

Thanks!

I love your question. It can be answered so many ways. I'll pick one - or two...

The best camera to buy would be one that is:
- in your price range
- has high enough megapixels for your purposes
- has powerful enough zoom for your purposes
- is manageable to use given your level of expertise and potential level of expertise i.e. Are you willing to put in the time and work to learn how to use the various features?
- has enough features to give YOU room to grow i.e. As you learn more about digital cameras and photography, you're going to want to have a camera that has more features than just the ones you can handle right now.
- has image stabilization feature (relatively new and an option that I wouldn't consider buying without)
- is comfortable for your hands i.e. Someone with large fingers or arthritic fingers won't like some of the smaller cameras. You can put it in a pocket but when you pull it out, will you be able to press the controls?
- will be practical to use i.e. If you are considering an SLR would you be able to carry around the various lenses and change them for the different types of shots?

If I were buying a new camera right now, from what I've read and what I like about my own camera, I'd buy the Canon S5 IS. It has a great optical zoom, good resolution/megapixels, moderately priced and all the controls I'd feel comfortable with including a swivelling/rotating LCD monitor. (It's not an SLR but an SLR isn't practical for my personal situation.)

Thanks Koot, Tangata, Jill Xponent and Zelda Sue for responding to my question.

I am borrowing a book from the library to learn more about photography.

I appreciate all the comments and suggestions that you shared with me.

quote:

Originally posted by Xponent:
Sistine,

The following will help you in taking good pictures in low-light scenarios.

1) Use a monopod. Many places will not allow you to use/setup a tripod, but a monopod will be okay.

2) Boost your ISO. However this must be done judiciously, high enough that it increases the shutter speed to "holdable" tolerances but low enough that the noise levels are within accepted range.

3) Increase the exposure compensation.

4) Shoot in RAW (if your camera is equiped for it).

5) Shoot with low-zoom, this will give you a wide aperture in a fully auto mode. If your camera has an "Aperture Priority" mode, use that and set your aperture to its wides (lowest F-number). Wider aperture, more light it will gather and hence that will increase your shutter speed.

Edit:
6) Get yourself a camera with image stabilization. Many of the newer Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic and Fuji's have it as a feature. Some are not expensive and can be invested in as a second camera.

If it is just a point-and-shoot camera, can get http://www.joby.com/products/gorillapod/ Joby Gorillapod, it is certainly more convenient than either tripod or monopod.