Best ‘cheap’ camera (comparable to iPhone 8)

antinous

Pamphopharaoh
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So I’m planning a trip to Colombia and possibly India, and I’m wanting a cheap camera similar in quality to the iPhone 8 without costing as much. Anything under $150 would be great. I was looking into the LG G5 but don’t know anyone that has used it before so I’m a bit hesitant.

And for those that ask, I have gone the DSLR route before for both my trips to South America, but both times I’ve been mugged and I don’t have the funds to drop another $500+
 

Tangled

Arachnopeon
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Apr 26, 2018
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I have this that I bought for my kids but I actually use it a lot for myself. I bought refurbished like the one I'm linking too and it's a bit more expensive than your range, but if you don't get mugged, I think it's an excellent choice. I use it for Birding. The telephoto is great. It is NOT good for things in close proximity/macro photography. https://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerS...99603&sr=8-4&keywords=canon+sx530+refurbished
 

Major 78

Arachnosquire
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Nov 25, 2018
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150 isn't gonna get you much bud... Neither is 500. A "cheap" setup is about $600, at least if you want some decent macro...
 

antinous

Pamphopharaoh
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150 isn't gonna get you much bud... Neither is 500. A "cheap" setup is about $600, at least if you want some decent macro...
Yea I know, I'm just tight for money currently and was asking for a camera that is similar/comparable to an iPhone 8. I'm not looking to win any awards from National Geographic or anything. Messed around with my friends LG G5 and that fits the bill.
 

antinous

Pamphopharaoh
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Just use your iPhone brother. Not much to work with for $150.
Would if I could, some of the areas where I travel to don’t have iPhones and I’ve been told to not take mine out unless I’m alone.
 

squidkid

Arachnoknight
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Apr 18, 2019
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206
canon t2i. amazon has them used for like $200. just buy a cheap lens on craigslist or something.
 

brahn

Arachnopeon
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Apr 8, 2019
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If you're willing to lug around a DSLR you might want to look for a used camera.
Got myself a used Canon 450D (released in 2008) for like $40, and with a few accessories (another $20) it easily beats any picture you can take with a modern phone, even if there are technically less pixels.
Then again I mostly use it for macro photos.
 

Galapoheros

ArachnoGod
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Is there a thrift store close to you? There's a thrift store around here with a bin full of used cameras, each is less than $10. I bought my camera new and 99.9% of the pics I've posted on the AB were taken with that camera. I found 2 more just like the one I bought for something like $7 each. The problem there might be finding a connection cable but sometimes they're taped to the camera. Another problem might have to do with batteries if it has a unique rechargeable, then you should test it if it uses standard batteries or the rechargeable is good. You may not want to go that cheap but maybe it's an option. The tech has gotten cheap though so you will prob be able to find a decent one for $200.
 

The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
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The horror! A friend has 2 enviable qualities that incites hate from all quarters universally. Scrounging, yard sale and flea market aficionado coupled to an unfair share of dumb luck. 30 years ago he stumbled onto an estate sale that was just finishing. Nothing left except a huge pile of tarps in the garage. Cutting and yarding his way through a massive mountain of rotten fabric he found the rear fender of some sort of car. Using his sixth sense he handed the auctioneer $600 in cash. Unearthed, a 1929 Buick grand touring car in pristine mint condition with 18,900 miles on it:
(His is quite a bit cleaner and shinier than this one)


You know what's coming. He hit St. Vinnies regularly, and one day came across a cardboard box filled with wood and some cloth. It was being sold as 'camera parts' for $1.50.

Long story short, and dumb luck working overtime. His father worked at Disney Studios for decades and knew numerous folks behind the scenes including camera people. They came to his aid with a will. A Kodak #8 camera with bellows, complete with metal tracks and every accessory under the sun.
About like this one.


Just to turn this into a complete horror story. Judith, the Buick, reposes in her own garage and gets used every couple of months for a spin about town. The camera sits atop his antique harpsichord - another find, in his music room. On the walls in that room are preserved hand drawn cartoon pictures, both black and white and color. His father was an animator for Disney and kept one frame of every Disney cartoon he worked on until the late 1950's.
 
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The Snark

Dumpster Fire of the Gods
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This is $165, but I think it's exactly what you need.
Quite by accident I encountered a wholesale outfit/operation that honestly boggled my mind. I was checking out cameras. The base digital camera is mostly made by about 6 manufacturers, most of which are in China. Some have high reputations for quality. Then the contractor, the actual camera company, can have the factory add specific features such as the menu items, lenses and cases. All the major name brands utilize these manufacturers for the basic point and shoot cameras. There is a pretty steep climb in prices if you want a camera made by the name brand manufacturers. Like @G. pulchra's Canon, with minor variations on the theme, Canon, Fuji, Olympus, Nikon, Pentax, Sony etc cameras are variations on this production process.

My sis in laws Samsung ES30 had a lens issue, not extending. I could replace the lens, for about 3500 baht, around $100. Or buy a lot of 1,000 of the cameras for 65,000 baht, some assembly required. About $22 each, generic case.

But I was warned about getting into this production 'game'. Some of the manufacturers make clones to the name brand specifications and some make counterfeits. And some manufacturers make both. You usually need to be an expert or at least have experience to tell them apart. It turned out our Fuji S 5600 we bought at full retail price was a clone with a counterfeit lens and switches. Our Nikon D 3400 is a Nikon contracted clone and final assembly done by Nikon.
 
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