Point and shoot camera suggestions

[BlackCatStudio98]

I dropped my camera today and now it's broken. :( So I am now camera shopping.

Reviews online aren't always helpful because they don't mention using the camera for online selling. So I thought I would ask here.

I want something that is really accurate for color, and I can only afford a point and shoot up to about $200.

So who likes their camera and what do you have?

I read on handmadeology that Nikons have the best lenses for taking clear pictures. Any opinions on Nikon?

[Former_Member]

I use a Canon PowerShot camera that is about 6 years old.

I would suggest that you go to a store and see what you like in the look and feel of the camera and then make your purchase.

Any camera can take a good photo. It just depends on how well you understand its capabilities.

[Former_Member]

I use a Canon powershot SX500 which you can find for a bit under $200. I like it because it has an incredible macro range for a point and shoot and is pretty easy to use.

[PiecesofMeCardsnMore]

I have a Sony Cybershot that I *did* like but it's been giving me issues lately. I get a "reinsert memory stick" message after taking a photo more often than I'd like. It also freezes up and I have to remove & reinsert the battery to get it to respond. It drives me nuts.

[Former_Member]

i´ve got a samsung camera that was less than 180€. most of the pics iny shop are made with it and i like it a lot

[SpangGangDesigns]

My last 2 cameras have been Canon Powershots - love them both! SO much of the photography is the technique, rather than the camera itself. You could have a $1000 camera, but if you don't follow some key photography "rules", your photos won't be any better than a camera phone.

[QuirkyUniverse]

I was using a really old Nikon Coolpix which I dropped and broke Saturday. I ordered a new one, same thing but newer, should be here tomorrow, it was right around $100.

[kppliving]

For Christmas I got a Canon PowerShot SX510 HS. I absolutely lOVE it! The pictures are soooo awesome, and it has built in wi-fi so I can easily upload the pictures to my iphone, computer or ipad in 2 seconds. It makes transporting the pictures to Etsy so easy. I hate the hassle of having to hook up the camera each time I want to upload pictures, and this lets me easily upload them to my phone and ipad as well! Which is great for adding my pictures to Instagram and such:)

It's the best camera I've ever gotten. I need to start retaking pictures of my products with this camera. You can definitely tell which pictures were taken with my camera and which ones were taken with my iPhone (before I got the camera).

Plus, I don't think it was too expensive.

[Former_Member]

In my opinion it isn't so much the camera as it is the editing after the photo is taken. Make sure you use a good editing program. If you don't use one already I like Picmonkey. It is available for free on line.

[CurlicueCreations]

I have a Nikon & I love it. It's a CoolPix model, and P.S. - I dropped it on the floor this week & it's still working. Have a super day!

[Former_Member]

I'm on my second Fuji FinePix. It is bigger and looks like a DSLR but it is a point and shoot that takes amazing pictures.

[dalystudios]

Love my Canon Powershot!

[lemontoes]

I love my Panasonic lumix tz10. I have just been bought a canon powershot sx240, but I prefer my panasonic......probably haven't given the canon a proper workout yet though

[Squintphotography]

Amy, I'm a Nikon shooter, so a bit biased here!

Besides my pro camera, I've also used a Nikon Cool Pix and they are really great cameras. As mentioned, though, it's not so much the camera, as you learning it's functions and how to use them to best suit what you're doing.

Buy a camera that feels good to you and that has some custom capabilities and then learn and understand them and put them to use. And a good editing software is great for touchups. But, if you get the image right in the camera there will be minimal touch ups and that's really the goal!

Good luck!

[BlackCatStudio98]

Lots of Canon powershots!

I agree that the camera does not do all the work and you have to know how to use it and how to edit. But I think a good camera helps, especially where color is concerned. My camera has (had) a hard time with turquoise and some purples which are colors I use a lot. And editing can only do so much with color. Maybe I need a better editing program, but I've tried three and the color results have been the same with all three.

Lori, the colors look really good in your photos. Is your Nikon pretty accurate with colors or do you have to do a lot of editing? Sorry you dropped and broke your camera too.

Lauren the wifi on your powershot sounds like an awesome option.

Jennifer, I'm glad your camera didn't break when you dropped it!

Sonja, yes minimal touch ups is the goal!

Thank you everyone for the replies!

[QuirkyUniverse]

I only sharpen and and adjust the brightness and contrast in editing, I'm really careful not to change any colors.

I've found the most effective way to get good, accurate colors is to adjust the white balance manually with a white piece of paper. I have read you're supposed to use gray but I haven't tried that. Then when I take the picture I use natural light and hold a white piece of paper up opposite of the light source to try to make it more even.

I just got my new camera yesterday. It's exactly what I was using before but about 5 years newer. I love it.

[BlackCatStudio98]

I'm glad you love your new camera Lori!

So how do you adjust the white balance manually?

I take my photos outside with the sun behind me so that my shadow goes over the item otherwise the sun is too bright. So would I put the white piece of paper opposite of me, so that the light reflects off of it and on to the item?

[Former_Member]

I have a Sony Cybershot that I picked up for $80 from a pawn shop.

[QuirkyUniverse]

I go into menu, there is an option for white balance and you select preset manual then you choose measure and take a picture and it balances the color so you get a pure color rather than the blues and yellows that can happen.

I do mine near a window so the white paper is pointing is on the opposite side from the window. I don't use direct sunlight.

[BlackCatStudio98]

That sounds like a good option Lori. Thanks again!

I hope you don't mind if I ask you one more question. Which Nikon coolpix do you have? I noticed there were a few models.

[QuirkyUniverse]

It's an S3500. It's inexpensive and super easy to use. I don't want anything too complicated but still get decent pictures.

[BlackCatStudio98]

Thanks Lori, that's the one I've been looking at.

[Mzcarley]

I use the iphone 5c. I use the Camera Awesome App which costs about $1.99. i have been taking awesome pics and posting them to social media and using it for my product photos. I know it is not a point shoot camera, but the new iphone has really great camera.

I have used a point and shoot camera and it just did not work for my products. The picture quality was to blurry. I have a panasonic Lumix point and shoot camera from 5 years ago.