My wife is a Realtor, she frequently takes my camera to take photos of properties for clients, many of these houses have very bad lighting, plain white walls, very little time to take pictures, she is been borrowing lately my new D600 with 24-85vr (before was a 60D, a 30D and XSI), and she has always complain about the hunting auto focus, no matter if it is with a 300$ camera or a 2500$ camera.
I have tried to explain how to use center focus, all point, focus and recompose, but she is not really interested, she just want the thing to "work" (sigh)
My latest response is to disengage AF and go manual focus.. this approach seems to be working except for the fact that many images are not in focus.
So here is my question, I have come to the realization that she needs her own camera, I have been thinking about a Nikon d3100 with kit lens for around 400$, but that would not be an improvement on the AFocus issue
My question to you is what to get her for around 400$? a Olympus 4/3? a Nikon J1 ? I am open to suggestions
Thank you in advance

I have found that it is much easier to get point and shoot pictures with a small sensor camera where the DOF is much more forgiving, and the design principle is intended that way.

I recently bought my wife a Sony RX100 and it has excellent IQ and is much easier to use in that fashion than any DSLR, in my opinion, and is supremely pocketable, which was her main criterion.

It's a bit more than $400 though.

However any of those good quality P&S's should be more than fine for her purposes. Nikon V1, Panny LX7, Sony RX100, Nikon P7200, Canon G15, Canon S100, etc.

You need to keep explaining proper af technique....$10 says she's gettting the AF hunting when she's trying to focus on a plain white wall...auto AF shouldnt hunt at all if there's even a little contrast somewhere in the scene...

Thanks, yes I am thinking a smaller camera should work best, the Sony sounds nice but at 650$ is out of reach
I am looking for something with a 24 to 28mm staring zoom (35mmm equiv) , good auto focus and nice IQ for around 400$ (can be refurbished)

Yes 99% sure the white wall is throwing the AF out, I just dont think she is really interested in "learning proper technique"

then "discerning" is not exactly the proper term to use here.

sjms wrote:
then "discerning" is not exactly the proper term to use here.
Exactly

Anyone make a fixed-focus digital camera? Obviously anything with auto-focus will lose focus immediately.

Based on reading your initial posting ... I have come to the conclusion that your wife doesn't need a camera - she needs a photographer.

I can sympathize. My wife also has zero interest in technique, but likes to take photos.

I am going to be getting her a rx100 for x-mas. I have been giving a very long look at the V1, with the 10-30mm it is only $350. If I was in your shoes, that's the one I would get. I think it is actually cheaper than the J1 right now.

"My latest response is to disengage AF and go manual focus.. this approach seems to be working except for the fact that many images are not in focus."

sounds a little contradicting...

maybe try the Sony RX100..lovin' mine so far, good luck

lxdesign wrote:
Based on reading your initial posting ... I have come to the conclusion that your wife doesn't need a camera - she needs a photographer.

+1 or photography lessons so she'll realize that "I just want it to work" requires that she "makes it work" properly.

It's like bying a car and saying, "I just want it to drive".

You guys are so funny, but I don't think all of you a getting my hint of sarcasm in my notes.
Well. My wife is not interested in my geeky info or learning about buttons and focus technique.
That is why I'm looking for a less sophisticated more pedestrian automatic approach.
She does love however that I edit the final raw images in LR4 and how the clients appreciate the "nice images". As her needing a photographer she has me but I can't be always available.
So I've been considering the nikon v1 or j1. Where have you seen it at 350$?

Why not just get a high end point and shoot, like the Canon S95 or somethin?

Hell, I'm close enough to Weston, you could always call me to come take a few photos

You keep handing her more expensive cameras, so it simply cannot be her fault. That's why she keeps getting newer cameras, right? Why learn how to use autofocus when complaining gets her a new camera? Every new camera just reinforces the idea that it's the camera's fault, not hers.

Just give up. Let her keep making mistakes, and when she has to go through a couple dozen photos to find one in focus enough times, it will dawn on her that maybe she is in the wrong and learn. Maybe she will have to go back and reshoot one or two. This will further impress on her that she needs to learn. She's a realtor, and had to go to school to get a license, she can figure out autofocus.

I'm willing to bet she can use a cell phone's myriad features. Let her learn how to use a camera. I hate to sound mean, but giving her new cameras will not help the situation.

runamuck wrote:
I hate to sound mean, but giving her new cameras will not help the situation.




Best piece of advice in this entire thread.

you should save your money and invest a few dollars into a beginners guide to photography book. To use a car analogy, your driving skills wont get any better as you change the cars you drive. Some others have suggested using a simple point and shoot because of the large dof or just a cell phone camera...beyond that, i dont know what else to say.

borismilan wrote:
So I've been considering the nikon v1 or j1. Where have you seen it at 350$?


B&H has it at that price with the 10-30. If you wanted to get it with the 30-110 or 10mm pancake, there are packages that include either lens for $499 (the 30-110 and 10mm ususally sell for $250 on their own).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/823590-REG/Nikon_27504_Nikon_1_V1_Mirrorless.html

I'm thinking that some people in this thread are either single, or don't really give a rats ass about the wants/needs of their partners, or the wants/needs of their partners line up closely enough with their own, and they cannot imagine someone else's relationship being different from theirs.

My wife used to love her old canon p&s. Before it died, it always got photos that were in focus (or close enough). We all know it's because it has a tiny sensor, but she neither knows that or cares. She just wants a new camera that also gets things in focus, and while I have many cameras, none of them suit her.

Giving my wife a how-to book on photography would not go over well.

+1

Get her the Scott Kelby books to read up on, boxed set here, I say this as they are helpful in cutting to the chase:
http://www.amazon.com/Scott-Kelbys-Digital-Photography-Boxed/dp/0321839951/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354214339&sr=8-1&keywords=scott+kelby%27s+digital+photography+boxed+set

B&H has the V1 sets

Nikon 1 V1 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 10-30mm Lens (Black) $349
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/823590-REG/Nikon_27504_Nikon_1_V1_Mirrorless.html

Nikon 1 V1 Mirrorless Digital Camera with 10mm and 10-30mm Lenses (Black) $499
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/823591-REG/Nikon_27569_Nikon_1_V1_Mirrorless.html

And a flash would be nice, maybe pick one up used on the buy and sell here..

Nikon 1 SB-N5 Speedlight for V Cameras $139
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/823609-REG/Nikon_3617_Nikon_1_SB_N5_Speedlight.html