What's the best camera for flattering photos of people, on a budget?

Question

What camera do you have and is it worth raving about?

I'm looking to finally buy a great one but have NO idea where to start... I've bought some pretty expensive "good" ones in the past but they end up pretty dissapointing.

The main problem I want to avoid is that what shows up on the screen is always completely different after I press the button. The lighting changes even when I turn the horribly harsh flash off.

I've tried ones with manual apeture settings but I'd like to not have to fuss around with that (and a tripod).

Any advice would be totally wonderful!

Cheers.

Answer 1

I hate to be harsh, but good technique and knowledge are more important than the camera you are using for good portraits. That said, there are a couple of factors to keep in mind for your next camera:



Point and shoot cameras tend to be lousy in low light situations, in terms of both autofocus speed and image noise.



Avoiding the flash is a great idea, but in low light situations that means you need fast lenses. (They also help to keep a short depth of field, which allows you to isolate your subject from distracting background clutter.)



At the very least, you need to look for a camera with a dedicated portrait mode. Also look for a fast lens. (It's usually expressed as a range, say 2.8-3.5, or 3.5-5.6. The lower the numbers, the faster the glass.)



Also, if I can be bold enough to suggest it, don't get hung up on megapixels or smile shutter or anything else that's "the latest technology"



Go look at the clearance section, and see if you can find an older, better camera than a newer cheaper one for the budget you have.

Answer 2

There are 2 main things that you can do with any camera that will take more flattering photos



1) Don't use the on-camera flash

2) Instead of getting the camera close to the persons face and zooming out, stand farther back and zoom in. If you are using a DSLR you should have the lens at about 50mm. This actually affects the shape of the face because if you are to close to the person and you take a wide-angle shot (30mm or less) it will make their facial features exaggerated and cartoonish.

Answer 3

Olympus FE-3010 12MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom and 2.7 Inch LCD

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001P06KHG?ie=UTF8&tag=nop107-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001P06KHG"