Looking to buy a digital camera to take to augusta and take pictures with since no phones on property. Not looking to break the bank and probably won’t use it other than for this, anyone got any products they recommend?
I have rented things through Lensrental.com
They have a good selection of point and shoots, but I would defer to others on which one to look for.
Edit: If you want to get really weird, go with one of the Nikon Coolpix P1100 or similar for those crazy zooms.
How nice of pictures do you want to take / whats your familiarity with cameras? (Also is size a big factor? Do you need to be able to carry it in a pocket?)
Agree with Jsg here, there are multiple screening questions. Also, what is your familiarity and comfortability with tech?
If you’re going to rent a camera, which is a great option, you want to make sure to give yourself a day or two before to play with the features and get used to the controls.
My first inclination is one of the Fujis to rent. Great quality and form factor, relatively easy to use out of the box but are a bit pricey to buy for a one off project.
If your heart is set on buying a camera, then that’s a different story.
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Pocket size preferably, taking pictures at masters practice round and will probably never use it again.
Tech, usually not an issue at all. But can’t recall the last time I used a camera of any sort (probably Ireland 2005?) since my phone’s been my camera for almost 20 years or whatever.
Pocket size is the tough bit as the number of high quality options shrinks a ton and the reasonably priced options shrink even more.
If you do choose to buy I would recommend used (can always resell on ebay and it’s basically a free rental just pay tax and shipping)
Some decent point and shoots that can take phone quality+ pictures and fit in your pocket and wont kill your wallet (~$400 or less in decent condition used)
Sony RX100 ii or iii
Canon sx600 or 700 series (640/700hs/740hs)
Ricoh GR ii
Definitely would recommend against renting something higher end and new the day before/day of. You’re going to spend all your time trying to figure out the camera and none of your time watching the golf.
I’ll second the recommendation of the Sony Rx100 line. Great point and shoot option, can fit in a pocket, and takes good photos right out of the box. Relatively easy to use, but also lots of functionality if you want manual control.
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$400 ish for a camera I’m going to use once strikes me as a wild investment.
Sell it after for the same price you bought it?
I can’t recommend any cheaper/older point and shoots, they take crappy pictures.
If you are ok with a larger camera you will need to carry around on a strap there are way more options (entry level DSLRs from 2015-2018 time frame can be had for less than $150 used with a kit lens and take really nice images, better than the cameras above)
Rebel T3, Nikon d3200 good options there.
Disposable film camera also an option if you prefer
This is why renting, especially a point and shoot, is so much easier. You can for sure flip it, but not worth the hassle. But definitely order it several days in advances and get used to it. Like was said, the point is to watch golf, not fight a camera.
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First off, super jealous and excited for you to get to the masters!
Everyone’s suggestions above are great. But one thing to remember is you’re talking to a bunch of photographers. We justify the dumbest purchases when it comes to cameras. So for me justifying $400 for something camera related may not make me blink, for you it may make you puke.
Like @alightpainter and @jsg_nado said, how good of photos do you want? Budget is always going to be the defining factor for that.
Honestly I’d say go to goodwill, find a super cheap point and shoot just so you can have memories, or better yet have everyone you’re going with bring a disposable camera and let it rip. Fun memories for everyone. Who cares how good the photos are. They’ll never look as good as it looked in your head when you’re there. If you had time and money to invest to learn the skill of photography you can try and recreate the photos you want to.
Other cheaper options is the campsnap cameras that are basically like a digital disposable camera. Plus no screen on the back so you can just fire away and enjoy the moment.
So that’s my two cents. Go have fun and enjoy every second, take a few photos, buy way more merch!
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I think you should ignore all the suggestions so far and buy a few of these.
I get the vibe that you just want a few nice memories to take with you, these will limit the number of pics you can take and let you focus on being present. Then you don’t have a reel of 900 pictures to scroll through when you get home, you have some hard copies that you will look back on more fondly.
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Part of my recommendations being buying and reselling is I have zero experience with rentals. No idea how much that even costs or how much of a hassle it is (I imagine it’s a little less hassle than ebay buying and reselling). This very well may be the best option.
I didn’t even know people rented compact cameras/ point and shoots.
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It’s super easy. Order, they fedex it to you in a pelican case in a box with a return label. I have done it several times for lens rentals and would have no issue recommending it.
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This is a very strong point. Like asking in the Blades thread if you should by some.
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One other suggestion: get a camera strap long enough that you can wear your camera cross-body. It makes it way easier to move through a crowd at speed with your camera if you can hold it at your side/hip. Even something cheap can work really well. I took the one that came with one of my cameras, cut it in half, and sewed those two halves to a mediocre shoulder strap from a computer bag that I had sitting around.
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