Cameras for girls?

J

Jamie123

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I was talking to my girlfriend today and the topic came up that she's constantly taking pictures (the visual diary type of pictures) on her iPhone. While the iPhone's camera is ok for a phone, I still think she probably should have a better digital camera at hand and I think she agrees (she does have a regular P&S but doesn't really carry it with her).

Now, of course, it's my job to recommend a good camera to her (not because I'm a man, but because I'm a photographer :) ). But what should I recommend? She's a very stylish person so I think apart from image quality the camera itself should also be aesthetically pleasing. And it shouldn't be too big either. Now as far as price limit is concerned it's a bit tricky. She's not quite as poor as me so the question is not primarily how much she can afford but how much it would be reasonable for her to spend.

My first thought is a 4/3rd camera like one of the Olympus EP's. It's not too big, looks quite nice and is reasonably priced. I thought about a Leica X1 in a nice leather case but that's a bit overkill. The new Sony Nex looks interesting from a quality point of view but the lenses are a bit bulky.

Am I missing any good options here? I'm thinking either an Olympus EP-1 /2 or EP-L. Panasonic GF1? Also an option but a bit more techy looking than the Olys.

So what do you guys(and especially girls/women) think?
 
The Menu on the EP2 is "extensive", and sometimes not intuitive.

If she does not mind fiddling with controls, it is a nice, small camera with excellent photo quality.

My wife's biggest issue with the P&S- battery life. I'm thinking of the Ricoh P&S at popflash that is on sale. It boasts a 270 photo off of one charge capability. Looks nice, and received good reviews. We're talking ~$200 here.
 
Well- I ordered the Ricoh CX-1.

Nikki's camera.

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How else can the girls take goofy pictures of us, and then have a good laugh over it?
 
John, I thought about the S90 but it's still a small sensor camera. I think she might enjoy the look she'd get with a bit less DoF from time to time. Still a good suggestion, though.

Brian, do you happen to know how the menu is on the EPL-1?

Ranchu, she actually did actually walk by one of those Sonys in gold the other day and took quite a liking in it. She loves gold. Go figure ;)

As for whether or not she wants a camera, she has already decided that she wants a Polaroid so we're getting her a Fuji Instax 210. But since it's not exactly the smallest camera it's not something she will be carrying with her all the time.
 
No feedback on the EPL1- I came close to getting it for the Flash, but the Amazon deal with the EVF was too good to pass up. The EVF is amazing.
 
Jamie123 said:
While the iPhone's camera is ok for a phone, I still think she probably should have a better digital camera at hand and I think she agrees (she does have a regular P&S but doesn't really carry it with her).
Click to expand...


Sounds like you want to convince her that she needs a better camera. Is the camera for you or for her? Does she have a demand for more quality? Is in her girls handbag enough room for another device?

If she wants to have one than an olympus/panasonic m43 camera should be the maximum size you should look for.
 
My friend really likes Lomo's. Small, light, compact and fits easily in a bag and it uses film. I don't see any reason to disagree with that.
 
A "polariod" camera is almost an entirely different thing. An instant camera is a fun thng for a group of friends to do where the prints show up right then and there.

It's a social accessory with immediate gratification like a boom-box, a beer cooler, or an order of chicken wings.

A middle-ground between might be a decent small camera along with a mobile photo printer that can manage 4x6's. That way, there's the camera always in the purse and when pictures are part of the fun, bring along the little printer for sharing, eg. parties, barbeques, etc.
 
tom.w.bn said:
Sounds like you want to convince her that she needs a better camera. Is the camera for you or for her? Does she have a demand for more quality? Is in her girls handbag enough room for another device?
Click to expand...

Well, not quite. I don't have that much of an interest in her having a better camera. Sure, an M9 around her neck would look damn sexy but that would really be just for me :)

The thing is, I think some of the things she uses her iPhone for would really require a better camera. She's an art history graduate and often wantss to photograph interesting artworks she sees in galleries. Here I think the iPhone just doesn't quite cut it.

As far as the handbag is concerned, it really depends on what kind of bag she's carrying. A lot of them would have enough room for a Speed Graphic.

Anyways, if it was up to me I'd just get her a nice film p&s. I missed out on buying a limited edition gold Contax G2 for $150 a while back. She would have loved that for the color alone :)
 
Jason Sprenger said:
A "polariod" camera is almost an entirely different thing. An instant camera is a fun thng for a group of friends to do where the prints show up right then and there.

It's a social accessory with immediate gratification like a boom-box, a beer cooler, or an order of chicken wings.

A middle-ground between might be a decent small camera along with a mobile photo printer that can manage 4x6's. That way, there's the camera always in the purse and when pictures are part of the fun, bring along the little printer for sharing, eg. parties, barbeques, etc.
Click to expand...

Nah, I think she wants the Instax because she likes polaroids. A mobile photo printer would be a no go. She wants one just for the fun of it and surely doesn't want to walk around with a printer in her bag. There's also a new digital instant camera from Polaroid but it sucks.

PS: Polaroids and chicken wings? Weirdest analogy ever :)
 
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