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Anonymous
Hey /p/, total newbie question. I've never owned a camera, but now I need to get one for work (which is unrelated to photography: I need to take pictures of houses to show what condition they are in). I figured, if I need to get a camera anyway, I might as well get a nice one that I'll actually use. I'm paying for it myself, and seeing as I'm a total beginner paying more than $300 doesn't make sense.

I'd be looking for something fairly compact but with enough features that it would let me toy around with different techniques, specifically HDR. So, I'd want a camera that lets me do manual exposures, or better yet auto-exposure-bracketing, that can save as RAW format, and that has a decent optical zoom. Any recommendations?

Photo is an unrelated HDR picture of my beautiful hometown.
>> Anonymous
http://youtube.com/watch?v=YYHNE55avV8
>> Anonymous
If it's for work, get work to pay for it and get one of the Canon 1D series :D
>> Anonymous
Canon A-series. It's always Canon A-series.
>> Anonymous
Since it sounds like your some sort of realestate bitch, I would recommend placing the brunt of the costs on the workplace (They have the money after all)

Say that you need a distortionless wide angle lens (especially for interior shots), and consumer point and shoots can't possibly go wide enough (and quality and distortion is horrible with shitty adapters)
>> Anonymous
>>83619
There are a few out now with 28mm equivalent lenses, but I don't know how good they are with regard to distortion.
>> Anonymous
what you want is...

a k100d, with pentax 12-24mm
wont cost the earth, and still be perfect for what you need to do.
>> Anonymous
>>83613
Sweet, I'll tell my boss to buy me one... oh wait, I'm my boss. Damn.

>>83617
I looked into those, and I think the Canon A630 is the one I'm going to get. If I use the CHDK firmware (http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page) it can do RAW and bracketing and a bunch of other stuff, too. Thanks!
>> Anonymous
check out the fuji f6500fd.
>> Anonymous
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>>83609
I definately agree with this guy. S6500fd gives the most pro-like performance for the cost of a low-end compact.

Besides you can fool anyone into thinking it's a DSLR, which makes you look far more serious and pro.
>> Anonymous
/r/ larger op image. HDR it looks like.
>> Anonymous
>>83813
you can't fool me...
>> Anonymous
>>83825
from OP:
>Photo is an unrelated HDR picture of my beautiful hometown.

You're clever...