# Beginner looking for a camera



## kscott0986 (Feb 12, 2009)

I'm a big time newbie. I've been using a simple Sony Cybershot for 2 years and looking to upgrade.

I don't see myself ever really getting into photography, therefore I don't need a really fancy DSLR. I was looking at the Nikon D3000 and it looked pretty beginner friendly. But then I also found some cameras like the Canon Powershot G11 that were still considered P&S.

Here's what I want:
A camera with the ability to capture action shots (team sports, children running)
I believe the problem I deal with now related to this is shutter lag?

Under $400 I hope


Does anyone have any great suggestions? Thankssssss


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## yustr (Sep 27, 2004)

I know you said you didn't need/want a DSLR but I can't recommend a P&S. Here's a nice little - easy to use - flexible - DSLR that will carry you many years and allow you to grow if that becomes something of interest. 

Pentax K-x (EBAY LINK)



> The K-x is a very capable little camera indeed. Pentax has managed to squeeze what is, for this class of camera, an impressive feature set into the camera's minuscule, rather inconspicuous, body and the image quality, especially in low light, is the best we have seen so far in the entry-level bracket of the DSLR market. To put some icing on the cake, all of this comes at a currently, compared to the closest rivals, very attractive price point. To us the lack of visible AF points is the camera's only real drawback but if you can live with this omission you can't go wrong with the Pentax K-x. dpreview.com


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## freddyhard (Jun 9, 2009)

nikon certainly build good cameras and i'd buy a nikon any day over a canon. i think the D5000 might be a better buy, although slightly more expensive. the D5000 has all the preset modes like the D3000, but i think they are redundant. if you use a half manual mode like aperture priority you can see the shutter speed you'll get at that aperture setting. i think the D90 is out of your price range.

i wouldn't recommend the pentax k-x. it suffers with over exposure and high noise with increased iso settings. i have a pentax k20 and at iso 800 the noise is becoming an issue. otherwise i like the k20, but again this is too expensive.

keep in mind lenses go a long way for quality in the photo as well.


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## Raylo (Feb 12, 2006)

So many good cams these days.... but we still have the dilemma of getting good low light performance in a small size. Regular point and shoot cams don't do very well as the ISO gets above ~400 due to small physical sensor size. And with the "superzoom" cams when you zoom out to an extreme distance this is also an issue in daylight, not just "low light". To get adequate shutter speed to get blur-free pics (even with image stabilization) sometimes requires a higher ISO that one would like to use. That is where the DSLRs walk all over point and shoots. They produce noise free images way up the ISO scale. Then there are the new micro 4/3 cams that have a larger sensor in the smaller point and shoot format cam body. But the lenses for long zoom are still very large which makes it so it can't be toted in your pocket. Just a few things to consider....


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