Recommendations for indoor digital camera

Hi,

I've been using digital cameras for several years, and my current one is
Sony Cybershot DSC-P1 (3.3 mp). It works great except under low lights:
the flash just doesn't seem to be powerful enough to shoot beyond maybe
10 ft. Night-time indoor shots are way too dark. So am looking to
upgrade the camera, looking for:
- Compact camera, easy to take around anywhere. So the form-factor is
important.
- Atleast 3 x optical zoom (more the merrier)
- Atleast 3 mp (am not crazy about way too many megapixels either)
- PERFORMS WELL UNDER LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS

I like the form-factors of Canon Powershot SD110 (only 2x optimcal) and
Sony DSC-T1 (low-light reviews are bad), but they don't seem to cut it.

Anyone have any suggestions, especially based upon experience?

Thanks,
Tony

Tony Vinayak wrote:

Hi,

I've been using digital cameras for several years, and my current one is
Sony Cybershot DSC-P1 (3.3 mp). It works great except under low lights:
the flash just doesn't seem to be powerful enough to shoot beyond maybe
10 ft. Night-time indoor shots are way too dark. So am looking to
upgrade the camera, looking for:

A digital slr.


- Compact camera, easy to take around anywhere.

A compact camera will have a small sensor, and won't be good in low light.
The 400 and especially 800 ISO mode(if it has one) will be very noisy.
A large camera with a large sensor and a lens that lets plenty of light
through will be good in low light situations.


So the form-factor is
important.
- Atleast 3 x optical zoom (more the merrier)
- Atleast 3 mp (am not crazy about way too many megapixels either)
- PERFORMS WELL UNDER LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS

I like the form-factors of Canon Powershot SD110 (only 2x optimcal) and
Sony DSC-T1 (low-light reviews are bad), but they don't seem to cut it.

Nor do any small cameras. You need a digital slr.



Anyone have any suggestions, especially based upon experience?

A Canon Digital Rebel would be a not so expensive choice. If you put
a 50mm f1.8 lens on it and crank it up to 1600 iso, you can take
photos in very light without using a flash or tripod. It is not small
though.




Thanks,
Tony

Tony Vinayak wrote:

Hi,

I've been using digital cameras for several years, and my current one is
Sony Cybershot DSC-P1 (3.3 mp). It works great except under low lights:
the flash just doesn't seem to be powerful enough to shoot beyond maybe
10 ft. Night-time indoor shots are way too dark. So am looking to
upgrade the camera, looking for:

A digital slr.


- Compact camera, easy to take around anywhere.

A compact camera will have a small sensor, and won't be good in low light.
The 400 and especially 800 ISO mode(if it has one) will be very noisy.
A large camera with a large sensor and a lens that lets plenty of light
through will be good in low light situations.


So the form-factor is
important.
- Atleast 3 x optical zoom (more the merrier)
- Atleast 3 mp (am not crazy about way too many megapixels either)
- PERFORMS WELL UNDER LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS

I like the form-factors of Canon Powershot SD110 (only 2x optimcal) and
Sony DSC-T1 (low-light reviews are bad), but they don't seem to cut it.

Nor do any small cameras. You need a digital slr.



Anyone have any suggestions, especially based upon experience?

A Canon Digital Rebel would be a not so expensive choice. If you put
a 50mm f1.8 lens on it and crank it up to 1600 iso, you can take
photos in very light without using a flash or tripod. It is not small
though.




Thanks,
Tony

Thanks JK.

Whilst I understand the relative limitations of smaller cameras, which
one among the compact cameras would be pick of the lot?

Tony

JK wrote:

Tony Vinayak wrote:


Hi,

I've been using digital cameras for several years, and my current one is
Sony Cybershot DSC-P1 (3.3 mp). It works great except under low lights:
the flash just doesn't seem to be powerful enough to shoot beyond maybe
10 ft. Night-time indoor shots are way too dark. So am looking to
upgrade the camera, looking for:


A digital slr.


- Compact camera, easy to take around anywhere.


A compact camera will have a small sensor, and won't be good in low light.
The 400 and especially 800 ISO mode(if it has one) will be very noisy.
A large camera with a large sensor and a lens that lets plenty of light
through will be good in low light situations.



So the form-factor is
important.
- Atleast 3 x optical zoom (more the merrier)
- Atleast 3 mp (am not crazy about way too many megapixels either)
- PERFORMS WELL UNDER LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS

I like the form-factors of Canon Powershot SD110 (only 2x optimcal) and
Sony DSC-T1 (low-light reviews are bad), but they don't seem to cut it.


Nor do any small cameras. You need a digital slr.



Anyone have any suggestions, especially based upon experience?


A Canon Digital Rebel would be a not so expensive choice. If you put
a 50mm f1.8 lens on it and crank it up to 1600 iso, you can take
photos in very light without using a flash or tripod. It is not small
though.




Thanks,
Tony

Thanks JK.

Whilst I understand the relative limitations of smaller cameras, which
one among the compact cameras would be pick of the lot?

Tony

JK wrote:

Tony Vinayak wrote:


Hi,

I've been using digital cameras for several years, and my current one is
Sony Cybershot DSC-P1 (3.3 mp). It works great except under low lights:
the flash just doesn't seem to be powerful enough to shoot beyond maybe
10 ft. Night-time indoor shots are way too dark. So am looking to
upgrade the camera, looking for:


A digital slr.


- Compact camera, easy to take around anywhere.


A compact camera will have a small sensor, and won't be good in low light.
The 400 and especially 800 ISO mode(if it has one) will be very noisy.
A large camera with a large sensor and a lens that lets plenty of light
through will be good in low light situations.



So the form-factor is
important.
- Atleast 3 x optical zoom (more the merrier)
- Atleast 3 mp (am not crazy about way too many megapixels either)
- PERFORMS WELL UNDER LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS

I like the form-factors of Canon Powershot SD110 (only 2x optimcal) and
Sony DSC-T1 (low-light reviews are bad), but they don't seem to cut it.


Nor do any small cameras. You need a digital slr.



Anyone have any suggestions, especially based upon experience?


A Canon Digital Rebel would be a not so expensive choice. If you put
a 50mm f1.8 lens on it and crank it up to 1600 iso, you can take
photos in very light without using a flash or tripod. It is not small
though.




Thanks,
Tony

Thanks JK.

Whilst I understand the relative limitations of smaller cameras, which
one among the compact cameras would be pick of the lot?

Tony

JK wrote:

Tony Vinayak wrote:


Hi,

I've been using digital cameras for several years, and my current one is
Sony Cybershot DSC-P1 (3.3 mp). It works great except under low lights:
the flash just doesn't seem to be powerful enough to shoot beyond maybe
10 ft. Night-time indoor shots are way too dark. So am looking to
upgrade the camera, looking for:


A digital slr.


- Compact camera, easy to take around anywhere.


A compact camera will have a small sensor, and won't be good in low light.
The 400 and especially 800 ISO mode(if it has one) will be very noisy.
A large camera with a large sensor and a lens that lets plenty of light
through will be good in low light situations.



So the form-factor is
important.
- Atleast 3 x optical zoom (more the merrier)
- Atleast 3 mp (am not crazy about way too many megapixels either)
- PERFORMS WELL UNDER LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS

I like the form-factors of Canon Powershot SD110 (only 2x optimcal) and
Sony DSC-T1 (low-light reviews are bad), but they don't seem to cut it.


Nor do any small cameras. You need a digital slr.



Anyone have any suggestions, especially based upon experience?


A Canon Digital Rebel would be a not so expensive choice. If you put
a 50mm f1.8 lens on it and crank it up to 1600 iso, you can take
photos in very light without using a flash or tripod. It is not small
though.




Thanks,
Tony

"Tony Vinayak" wrote

I've been using digital cameras for several years, and my current one is
Sony Cybershot DSC-P1 (3.3 mp). It works great except under low lights:
the flash just doesn't seem to be powerful enough to shoot beyond maybe
10 ft. Night-time indoor shots are way too dark. So am looking to
upgrade the camera, looking for:
- Compact camera, easy to take around anywhere. So the form-factor is
important.
- Atleast 3 x optical zoom (more the merrier)
- Atleast 3 mp (am not crazy about way too many megapixels either)
- PERFORMS WELL UNDER LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS

In the digicam (non dSLR) class, the camera with the fastest lens in the
Olympus C-5050. It has a F1.8 lens, and a 5MP sensor. The C-4040 is a 4MP
version with the same F1.8 lens. The 4040 isn't made anymore, so you'd have
to get one used. The 5050 is being replaced by the 5060, but stay away from
the 5060 because its lens is only F2.8. The camera is compact, but still on
the large side of compact digital cameras. I don't think you'll find an
ultra-compact camera with a fast lens.

"Tony Vinayak" wrote

I've been using digital cameras for several years, and my current one is
Sony Cybershot DSC-P1 (3.3 mp). It works great except under low lights:
the flash just doesn't seem to be powerful enough to shoot beyond maybe
10 ft. Night-time indoor shots are way too dark. So am looking to
upgrade the camera, looking for:
- Compact camera, easy to take around anywhere. So the form-factor is
important.
- Atleast 3 x optical zoom (more the merrier)
- Atleast 3 mp (am not crazy about way too many megapixels either)
- PERFORMS WELL UNDER LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS

In the digicam (non dSLR) class, the camera with the fastest lens in the
Olympus C-5050. It has a F1.8 lens, and a 5MP sensor. The C-4040 is a 4MP
version with the same F1.8 lens. The 4040 isn't made anymore, so you'd have
to get one used. The 5050 is being replaced by the 5060, but stay away from
the 5060 because its lens is only F2.8. The camera is compact, but still on
the large side of compact digital cameras. I don't think you'll find an
ultra-compact camera with a fast lens.

"Tony Vinayak" wrote

I've been using digital cameras for several years, and my current one is
Sony Cybershot DSC-P1 (3.3 mp). It works great except under low lights:
the flash just doesn't seem to be powerful enough to shoot beyond maybe
10 ft. Night-time indoor shots are way too dark. So am looking to
upgrade the camera, looking for:
- Compact camera, easy to take around anywhere. So the form-factor is
important.
- Atleast 3 x optical zoom (more the merrier)
- Atleast 3 mp (am not crazy about way too many megapixels either)
- PERFORMS WELL UNDER LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS

In the digicam (non dSLR) class, the camera with the fastest lens in the
Olympus C-5050. It has a F1.8 lens, and a 5MP sensor. The C-4040 is a 4MP
version with the same F1.8 lens. The 4040 isn't made anymore, so you'd have
to get one used. The 5050 is being replaced by the 5060, but stay away from
the 5060 because its lens is only F2.8. The camera is compact, but still on
the large side of compact digital cameras. I don't think you'll find an
ultra-compact camera with a fast lens.

Tony Vinayak wrote in news:2ZH2d.24258$Of4.6080320
@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net:

Anyone have any suggestions, especially based upon experience?


I don't think any of those tiny flashes is ever going to light up a room,
regardless of camera.

Part of the reason I bought my Coolpix 5000 is it has a standard flash
shoe, so I can mount a real flash.

I used it last Christmas to shoot pics of my neice and nephew (opening
thier gifts in my inlaw's dark, dark, living room at night) and it worked
great (with a flash attachment).

Bob

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