Nikon Compact Digitial Cameras

kevhed72
kevhed72 Posts: 5,054
edited July 2013 in The Clubhouse
I am looking at buying a Nikon L810 / 820....and need some advise. Would you all, or y'all, buy one "new" or even used off Ebay...ie are there even any deals to be had vs. buying from a place such as BH Photo?

Also, any experience with these models, or maybe other recommendations other than the Nikons? Thanks...:smile:
Post edited by kevhed72 on
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Comments

  • oldmodman
    oldmodman Posts: 740
    edited July 2013
    I have bought quite a few cheapo point and shoot cameras. I tend to replace them about every two years. Then I just box them back up and give them to a friend's kid.

    I am close to Samy's Camera and I shop during one of their "we pay the tax" sales and get there early to grab one of the "door buster" units. The price out the door is cheaper than the used prices on Craigslist and Costco. I am partial to either Nikon or Canon for point and shoots, but I am planning to get a full frame DSLR from Nikon next time around.
    But at the under $200.00 level both brand are just fine. Just realize that the lens retracting mechanism is delicate on both brands and is a frequent source of failure.
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  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,480
    edited July 2013
    The L820 is selling from most retailers including Amazon for around $197. It's always seemed to me that Ebay sellers charge at or above the new price for most cameras but may toss in some other junk for free like a lens cleaning cloth. I wouldn't buy a new camera from Ebay since there doesn't seem to be much of a price benefit and chances are those selling there aren't authorized dealers for the cameras they are selling there. The L820 is a very nice camera choice in its price range.

    The best deal may be had by buying the previous version of a camera you're looking at because sometimes just a couple new features are added to a new version each year, but people like to upgrade if one of the new features is something they feel they really want. For example, one of the differences between the 810 and 820 is a 26x zoom vs a 30x zoom and a bump up to 1080p for video. That type of thing may be a big deal to some, but if someone is just interested in a point and shoot digital camera for photos it probably doesn't matter.

    One question to ask is whether you'd be happy in the long run paying 30-40 percent less for an older used camera with fewer features than getting one that's new and completely up to date.

    One things for sure, there are many many choices at any price range for camera gear. Personally I've used Canon cameras for a long time and more recently started using a Sony mirrorless camera as well. Both are SLR's though. Panasonic is making some pretty nice cameras these days too. One thing to bear in mind with "super zoom" point and shoot cameras like the L820 is that they are best used outdoors or in bright light because the type of lens they use doesn't let a whole lot of light through to the sensor compared to a regular zoom camera, especially when using the zoom feature. If you'd primarily use a camera indoors, a different model with a faster lens may be a better choice.
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  • schwarcw
    schwarcw Posts: 7,335
    edited July 2013
    We bought a Nikon "Cool Pix" camera several years ago and hate it. It sits on the shelf and we use a Canon point and shoot.
    Carl

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  • scubalab
    scubalab Posts: 3,101
    edited July 2013
    Had a cheap Nikon coolpix from BB. NEVER took good pictures. Ended up giving it to our 7-yr old. Now our P&S go-to (when we don't want to haul the DSLR) is a Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS19. SO much nicer. KILLER optical zoom, nice Leica lens, decent pics, all at a good price (around $150).
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