Digital Cameras For Beginners

While doing research for the best digital camera to fit my needs, I came across several that caught my interest. The Nikon Coolpix S9100 offers the 3 inch screen I am looking for and is supposed to be great for beginners (which I am), because it offers automatic or advanced shooting modes. This would be great if I choose to make a serious hobby out of photography, but the price of $330 just for the advantage of 18x optical zoom is beyond what I want to spend in case I lose interest too quickly. At $130, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-S3 was more in my price range, but the 2.7 inch screen is smaller than I want. I would prefer a rugged camera with a 3 inch screen and at least 5x optical zoom that would be good for beginners, like I found in the Nikon Coolpix AW100, especially because it is pocket sized and weighs in at only 6.3 ounces, but once again, the $380.00 is more than I want to pay for a hobby I may lose interest in quickly. At less than $100, the Samsung ST72-16MP seemed to be exactly what I was looking for, until I found the Panasonic Lumix FX78.

This camera offers a larger than standard 3.5 inch touch screen, 12.1 megapixels and 5x optical zoom, which is all I really need for now. It’s “beauty retouch” mode improves complexions and removes bags under eyes. The “ make-up” mode adds extra beauty. These, along with the optical image stabilizer, which compensates for handshake, help to reduce frustrations for beginners and helps them produce better pictures. At less than $100, the Panasonic Lumix FX78 is what I would choose.