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Cameras on Black Friday?


Jen08

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So, I am wanting my DH to buy me a camera this year for Christmas.  I see that Target has a Nikon bundle for $499 and I'm sure Walmart will have something as well.  My question is, are cameras a hot item on Bf?  I bought the $99 one from Target a few years ago and it sucks so I'm looking to get a much nicer one, but not sure if I'll have a chance at snagging one.  Of course since my DH doesn't shop on Bf, I'll have to pick it up and give to him to wrap for me but atleast I'll be getting what I want. LOL!

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I usually get pricier items online. I know target requires signature for more pricey items not sure if that would be an issue for you. I'm not familiar with the pricing on nikons since I've stuck to canon's for years. I'd say to check the pricing and model you're looking at to see if it's worthwhile. So far the models I'm considering aren't in ads but adorama.com or the shop in NY may have deals. Make sure you price what you're getting/need because sometimes the package things to make it seem like a better deal than it is.
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I second that!!  They are almost always a bundle so they can lump in things you don't really need, but makes it seem like a much better deal.  Often, you might be able to find the body and a lens on sale elsewhere and get it for less without the extra unnecessary "bonuses".  I'm looking for the Nikon D7200 to show up, but not expecting to find it.  I currently have the Nikon D5000 and have loved it for 6 years, but now looking to step up.

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Best Buy is running the same deal, but it also throws in a memory card. Both have wifi adapters included in their bundles since the D3300 does not have built in wifi capabilities.

 

You have to ask yourself WHAT kind of camera you want. Are you Nikon fans? Canon? Do you want a DSLR? Are you ready for the time and eventual investment to progress the hobby? Do you just want a better camera that fits in your pocket?  

 

Lots of people buy DSLRs and never really learn how to use it. The money actually would have been better used on one of the much better pocket sized cameras out there. I'm sure you'd think "what?! $500 for a tiny camera?!" but yet won't blink at the same $500 for a low end DSLR. 

 

This same bundle is currently $599 at Costco.

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To be honest, I just want something that takes decent pictures. I don't plan on turning it into a hobby and I don't know a lot about cameras since I've always just had the point and shoot, small ones.  I guess I have my work cut out for me.  I'll have to research all the ones that are in the ads and figure out what I'm wanting.

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I'm actually eyeing the Nikon L840 in the BBY ad, Jen. A friend of mine has it. Uses it to take all sorts of different kinds of pictures. Not pocket sized by any means, but a lot of camera for the money ($170 on BF). Takes great pictures straight out of the box, but has a lot of extra capability as well if you choose to learn more about the various settings. The bonus (for me at least) is that you can actually buy filters that will attach to the lens (threaded lens). I've had good luck using a polarizing filter on a Fuji I had previously. BBY generally has this one on display where you can play with it in the store. (Also a bonus if you just want to get a feel for the camera in your hands.)

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Beware of your expectations. Most mainstream cameras these days are pretty good at what they can do. Peoples expectations make them seem like bad cameras.

Number one on the list is low light / indoor shots. Unless you have a higher end camera and or are a master at custom settings, temper your expectations. Point and shoots simply cant deal with these conditions the way most people would like them to. Throw in some movement and you can forget about it entirely. IMO for the most part, if you stick with a name brand decent camera and take pictures in decent light, not much separates them

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I would say go based on reviews of the camera from sites that specialize in the type of camera you want. I ended up getting the more expensive camera when I did it not because more=better but because the pro reviews stated that some of the ways I knew she would use it worked better on the Nikon vs the Canon and the Canon had some better things that I knew wouldn't matter to her. End of the story I'm just saying get a price range and go on good pro reviews lol.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Beware of your expectations. Most mainstream cameras these days are pretty good at what they can do. Peoples expectations make them seem like bad cameras.

Number one on the list is low light / indoor shots. Unless you have a higher end camera and or are a master at custom settings, temper your expectations. Point and shoots simply cant deal with these conditions the way most people would like them to. Throw in some movement and you can forget about it entirely. IMO for the most part, if you stick with a name brand decent camera and take pictures in decent light, not much separates them

Ding. 100%.

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If you want the best bang for your buck in a DSLR camera go with a Canon (in your case I think about any of them will do just fine) and spend an extra $100 for a 50mm 1.8 lens. While you will not be able to zoom, it will give you good performance in low light conditions in the auto mode without a flash. When lighting is good you can switch to a zoom lens that came with the camera. I would also recommend an off camera flash. Walmart makes a budget flash that has ttlm for about $60.

I would also recommend getting the "for dummies" book for your camera. It will give you good advice on composing and framing and run through settings in a fairly understandable way. If you do these simple things you will be worlds ahead of 95% of people with cameras.

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I am looking at the Panasonic LUMIX FZ70K A at BestBuy. Does anyone know if this is different from the regular FZ70? Really want all of the same features and was thinking this might be a special SKU just to prevent price matching.

I am looking at the Panasonic LUMIX FZ70K A at BestBuy. Does anyone know if this is different from the regular FZ70? Really want all of the same features and was thinking this might be a special SKU just to prevent price matching.

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A little late to the game, but here's what I picked up:

EOS Rebel T5 with EF-S 18-55mm IS II Lens (refurbished) for $199 (comes with same warranty as new) from Canon. Most places sold same one NEW for $399. Not the best, but nice enough for a gift for my son.

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I did pick up the Nikon L840. Looking forward to playing with it a bit at my company Christmas (oh sorry *holiday*) party this weekend to see how it fares. The bundle came with an 8GB card, but I picked up a 32GB for $10 to go with it. Hope everyone's happy with their new cameras, no matter which one you chose! :)

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I'm a Canon person, so I'm not sure how invested you are into Nikon products.  Canon 6D is, relatively speaking, affordable for full frame.

 

Pretty invested... lol.  I have 3 Nikons; Point & Shoot, AW100 (waterproof), and D5000 (DSLR) with 18-55mm, 55-200mm, & 1.8 Prime Lens.  I've taken over 50,000 pictures (and have kept probably 25,000-30,000) from kids and vacations over the past 6 years.

 

I enjoy their menus, and quality, and doubt I'd stray from that at this point.

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