Any suggestions for a new camera?

[IanPooleTrains]

As many of you probably, or don't, know, I am currently using my brother's busted Samsung ES55 camera and while it takes some cracking shots, I think it is time to admit defeat with it and procure another one

Does anyone have a good idea as far as a camera that can take great shots at night? My limit will be in the region of £50 to £200

 

[Barrett M95]

£200 will get you a second hand slr, lens and tripod which will be good for night photography but in that range you will not get much and/or it will be of dodgy quality. In short it will be slim pickings.

I can recommend a Nikon coolpix P300. It might be a shade over the £200 budget but it has everything you will ever need until you step up to a dslr. It has an f/1.8 lens : fast and perfect for low light photography without a flash. It has an equivalent 24mm wide end too which is far more useful for typical railway photography than a 30x zoom with a wide end at only 30mm. Great for landscape use or close up shots where you can still get the whole train/loco/station etc in frame.

It had full HD video and a neat 4x slow motion option which is amusing at times and very interesting at others. It has full auto, aperture priority, shutter priority and full manual modes with the settings easily changed with a couple of thumbwheels.

I normally lug around about £3,000 of DSLR and lenses but I am honestly happy when all I have with me is this little Nikon. It offers great control in all lights and the results are brilliant; sharp and well balanced. It is 12Mp and very well made with a metal body.

If you can stretch the budget to £220 you can pick it up in pretty much any high street retailer. Worth it.

 

[Bevan Price]

Check the specification and get a camera with options for manual control of shutter speed, and importantly, one where you can switch off / prevent operation of the flash gun. If you can't turn off the flash, you won't be welcome at most rail locations.

If possible, read reviews, e.g. at
http://www.dpreview.com/
or at
http://www.dcviews.com/

or if your local library has a reading room, look at some photographic magazines.

Then buy the best that you can afford.