Best non DSLR point and shoot?
 

Guys I need your expertise,

The wifey is starting a new vintage venture.. She has about 5 employees who will need to take product photos on the spot. Each one needs a new camera, so I'm looking for the best bang for your buck type of deal.

I need something dedicated that's not too cumbersome like a DSLR.. But that can achieve similar effects in post. I know miracles can happen in post, but I want the raw images to have a nice depth of field as well.

I know jack shit about cameras.. I have a DSLR I never use and a 5 year old canon powershot that I used the shit out of for a long time just out of sheer convenience.

These cameras will be solely used to take product photos.. But just having a quick perusal at what's available these days frankly I'm at a loss. Just too many options to choose from.

I'm looking for anywhere from the 150-300 range for now. If she has success with this effort, I will lovingly upgrade all of them.. But for now her focus and attention seems spotty, so want to give this a nice medium effort for now..heh :helpme

Any helpful advice will be SINCERELY appreciated,

Thanks fellas :thumbsup

Nikon D850
Nikon 105mm micro G VR

In all seriousness though... your requirement for good DOF in a small package and costing $150-$300 makes this difficult.

Sony's mirrorless line would probably meet the size requirement, but I don't know about price. It would blow the budget, but a used A6000 + vintage Nikon 105 2.5 AI would work (or a vintage Nikon 55mm micro) . Maybe someone here knows more about Sony and if there's anything older than the A6000.

sony has nice non-dslrs, however the more you expect from the camera, the more you have to learn how to control it, so no matter if it's dslr or mirrorless if you want great photos.

Streetwhoring again at an old age just got a new name :1orglaugh

If you are looking for small pockets sized camera, get Sony RX100.
If you need zoom and don't mind bigger size, get Sony RX10. Both got 1 inch sensor that is smaller than dslr sensor but much bigger than typical point and shoot.
Panasonic lumix FZ1000 if zoom is important.

If money is not a problem get Sony RX1 or Leica full frame.

Why not just try out this venture with a camera phone? most phones now a days take pretty good pics, so at least at first not much point in wasting a grand or 2 on cameras...

what are you planning to take pics of anyway?

This... I shoot all the photos for eBay auctions with my iPhone. A little Photoshop and they're good to go.

A grand or two for a compact camera?? Possible in the 90's :1orglaugh

He said 150-300 range

I thought he said he needs 5 of them, so 150-300 x5 = "grand or 2"

Correct, didn't notice you mean total, sorry. But yeah, a phone should do the job perfectly these days.

How about buying something from the Canon Powershot S Series? Those are couple of years old tiny cameras with superb optics (not DSLR). They are probably cheap by now (didn't check). I own S95 and it is still a very good camera for macro or close up photography of up to couple of metres (the point is that it is not a pro-zoomer camera). And it makes incredibly good night photos (probably one of the brightest compact camera lens/sensor on the market).

You can have a look here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canon_...mpact_S_series
No need to mention that some of the newer models have Wifi, so you can easily grab the photos on your phone and upload them on the spot, without having to use a laptop. Also, they are pocket size. If you don't need GPS, avoiding getting one with it, since it could improve the battery life and decrease the cost.

problem with camera phone, the sound, the clicks you get from the microphone...


We´ve had no problems with our Panasonic fz1000k

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ..._cam era.html


and as said before, the standard is extremely high in low light levels, quick reactions for auto focus and the lens give superb quality, up to 4k....


Nothing can compare for the price :thumbsup

Canon's G15 can be bought for around 400 bucks these days. Great, handy camera that comes close to DSLR.

https://www.dpreview.com/products/ca...acts/canon_g15