Just figured out that my old Cannon is junk and in the market for a new camera.

-6+ mega pixel
-Budget -$400
-Like it if you could do black and whites
-I will be taking pictures while driving and at night

Sorry I dont know much about camera just looking to replace my cannon for something that is decent.

 

From your specs/requirements, I'd *really* recommend a digital SLR, rather than a point-and-shoot, but there's not much out there in the SLR world for less than $400. You could get a lightly-used Nikon D50 and a general-purpose lens for about $475, though, perhaps cheaper if you can wait on a bargain to crop up.

If you're going to be doing motion photography, especially motion photography at night, you want something with the ability to go to higher ISO settings without getting a bunch of noise, and/or the ability to use a lens with a large maximum aperture to gather as much light as possible.

I don't know what your timeframe is for getting a camera, but I bet that once the new Nikon D3 and D300 begin to ship next month, there will probably be some D50's and D70's hitting the used market shortly afterward.

 

+1 on DSLR

$400 will buy you a very lightly used Canon Rebel XT.
Try the Buy and Sell Forum at fredmiranda.com

Also investigate a 50 f1.8 for low light

 

Yep - I have a 50mm f1.8 for my Nikon, and it's a great lens. It gathers a huge amount of light, so you can shoot in low light and still use a fast-enough shutter speed to capture the action. Plus, since it's a fixed-focus lens rather than a zoom, it's actually my sharpest lens, even compared to lenses I have that cost ten times more.

You can find used 50mm f1.8's all day for about $80-100.

 

It's not a DSLR but Canon's new S5 IS looks nice. It's on my list of wants...

 

S5 IS
Good camera, but more noise than the DSLR, particularly in low light.

 

jeffc,

I'll also second the S5IS. I would add though that you may still be able to find the S3IS for $270~ish if you look around. It's 6MP and doesn't have a hot-shoe for an external flash. Example on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listi...2994725&sr=8-1

If you're wondering what kind of photos the S3 can take, check out my Flickr site:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/asc_designs

Also, the S3IS (DigicII) has a RAW hack available for download. The S5 uses the DigicIII processor, so you can't use the RAW hack for it. If you haven't shot RAW and post processed, there's a whole new world of options waiting for ya, including B&W's. It will create .CRW files which you can then demosaic and adjust to your heart's content.

Here's where you can find out more about the S3IS and other RAW hacks:

http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ

Thanks,

Al

 

I have the brand new Canon PowerShot G9 - has many advanced features available on DSLRs. The price is a bit steep (it will set you back about $499.00), but I said I had to buy this camera because I love photography and I have not purchased a camera since about 2000, and now's the time, and I went ahead and got it! Some of Canon's DSLRs come with cr@ppy lenses, so this was the one to get!

 

If your looking for a small DSLR in size and around 6meg. Try for a Nikon D40. If you have some more $$ to spend then the D40X which is over 8 meg. It is a good starter DSLR and fits the hand well, smaller than the D70s.

Also, I like the Canon S5 IS and the Olympus 5050, they both have some nice features and fit in your price point. Not DSLR, but they are worthy if you want a little more than point and shoot.

 

Have a Sanyo CG6 I was using before my Canon G9. Walmart has it for $299. It is kinda neat, unique shape, very compact, took great shots for such a cheap camcorder\camera. The only thing I wasn't too keen about was the lcd screen. It is very picky at the angle you view it at, but when you view the picture results on a hi def screen, the pictures are great. I keep it at all times in my glove box, just in case an opportunity presents itself. It uses SD memory cards.
The Canon G9 is really superb, as Zoomer says. It's as close to professional as I care to get, or spend. The big lcd is super clear and bright and viewable at extreme angles, but fixed to the camera. I paid $479, on sale, at Circuit City, and it was worth every penny. If you have some skills at manually operating a camera, this is the digital to get, "if" you want at least one arm left, after the checkout. Love it!

 

What Cannon are you using now? I'm a Nikon fan so I don't now for sure but you might be able to use the lense (or lenses) from your current Cannon on a new digital SLR-the digital Rebel seems packed with value.

 

Cannon A80 Powershot is my current camera.

Thanks for all the information much more then I expected.

 

Get a DSLR.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Penta...oductDetail.do

 

I like DSLR's, I shoot with a Nikon D200 & various lenses. There are times when a DSLR is just to big to lug around. I've been looking at the Canon G9 as a walk about camera. Amazon has the best price at around $450.

 

I just bought an S5 last week and I love it! I didn't want to spend a huge amount and got mine at a camera store in Muncie Indiana. It was $399 and I got $40 trade-in for the lens from my worthless Pentax (12 yrs) It probably has more features than I will use, but who knows. Not a bad choice IMHO.

 

Not a bad choice. I think you'll be happy with it.