What camera to buy when you're expecting...

It's a major crossroad in your life and not a simple decision - now that you're starting a family, which camera are you going to buy?

In the beginning, there was chaos

Buying your first family camera is nothing to ignore - from your honeymoon, through the birth shots to your baby's first step - all will be captured with the camera you choose.

Of course, one could state that the moments themselves matter more than their photographic documentation, but we all know that events without photos are forgotten in the long run, to the point where they hadn't actually taken place. They are not written down in history, not to mention in your own memory.

So it matters.

Now you need to define what kind of family you're about to form, before you can decide which camera is right for you - are you going to be travelling a lot (large zoom is better for that)? At home most of the time (need low-light capabilities)? Will you enjoy carrying around a separate bag for a large camera or would you rather have one in your pocket, next to the car keys and pacifier?

Or, do you care enough about photographing your family that you're willing to compromise compactness and zoom range (and price!), in order to get a high quality camera.

Let me show you what I mean.

Getting better as time goes by...

When I took the first shots of my eldest son, who's now 9 years old, I was using a Sony Mavica (ancient!) with a 1.44" floppy disc. The photos were 640 pixels wide and 480 pixels high - that's about a third of a megapixel, and low-light capabilities were slim to non-existent.

Sony Mavica, 2002
Nothing more than a distant, pixellated low-resolution memory.

Three years later, I was using an Olympus D580 and a Panasonic FZ5, which were leaps and bounds better than the old Mavica. Colors were better and shooting indoors was possible, but still far from pleasing the eye.

Panasonic FZ5, 2005
Outdoors in the sun, highlights were blown out.

Olympus D580, 2005
Shooting indoors was limited to using the flash.

The next time around I was using a Canon PowerShot A590. An entry-level camera which was far more capable than my older cameras.

Canon PowerShot A590, 2008
Indoor shots were possible, if there was enough ambient light.

Then, I made the jump. I bought a Canon PowerShot S90 - a top-of-the-line high-end compact camera, one the best available a few years back.

I was then able to take shots in high-contrast situations without worrying for blown-out highlights or black low-lights.

Canon PowerShot S90, 2010

The crucial change was that I was far less limited in low-light situations. Not that every shot was blur and noise free in every situation, but with some care I was able to get away with some very surprising results using little to no flash at all.

Canon PowerShot S90, 2010
Falling asleep, the only available light was a tiny night-lamp.

Choosing a Camera

Now that you've seen how cameras have come along and what differences there are between entry-level and high-end cameras, you need to decide a few things - your budget, your desired camera size and your need for a large zoom range.

Ultra Compacts

Most ultra-compact cameras have a relatively small zoom range, which is understandable given their ~ 100-200 gram bodies. There are simple, inexpensive ones and there are also sophisticated, feature-rich ultra-compact cameras which provide better image quality.

A very good ultra-compact if your budget is somewhat limited, is the Canon PowerShot ELPH 100 - it's a very simple camera - enticing the usage of just the power, zoom, image-shutter and video-shutter buttons. Considering its size and price, its results are excellent.

Canon PowerShot ELPH 100
140 gram, 28mm lens, x4 zoom, $124

Higher up the scale is the Sony Cyber-shot WX10 - one of the best ultra-compact cameras I know. It has an extra wide lens starting at 24mm, which allows taking indoor shots without leaning your back against the wall. It also features a relatively large aperture which helps significantly in low-light situations. On top of that, the WX10 carries Sony's sweet & fun sweep panorama, which means you can press the shutter while moving the camera across the view and the result is a single image of the whole scene.

Sony Cyber-shot WX10
161 grams, 24mm lens, x7 zoom, $219

Compact Zooms

A larger zoom means a larger body, but doesn't necessarily mean you won't be able to hold the camera in your pocket. Perhaps not in your tight Jeans, but definitely in your jacket.

Note that there's not much need for a large zoom when shooting indoors. These camera are mainly aimed at travelers, with some trade-offs in terms of image quality and low-light support.

Two such good cameras are the Canon PowerShot SX230 and the Nikon Coolpix S8200 -

The SX230 has a wide lens, a x14 zoom range, a 223 gram body and a built-in GPS, which means you'll be able to know where you took each shot, showing a map location in most web albums like Picasa or Flickr.

Canon PowerShot SX230
28mm lens, x14 zoom, GPS, $224

The S8200 has a wider 25mm lens and the same x14 zoom, but has no built-in GPS and no manual control over exposure. It does have a comfortable direct video button and sweep panorama, like the WX10 above.

Nikon Coolpix S8200
25mm lens, x14 zoom, sweep panorama, $219

The Nikon Coolpix S9100 is another compact-zoom option from Nikon, coming as an inexpensive alternative to the S8200, at $179.

Super Zooms

DSLR-Like, Bridge cameras or Super-Zooms, the most important distinguishable fact about these cameras is that they require a bag of their own. If you must have a huge zoom range or if you prefer a larger camera to suit your large paws, make sure you understand that the zoom is for the outdoors and will not serve you inside. If you're not a bird-watcher and don't have giant palms, then there's no need for such a large camera. My guess is you won't go far enough from your baby to justify the large zoom.
However, if you're planning on an African Safari for a honeymoon - one of these is a must.

Canon PowerShot SX40
24mm lens, x35 zoom, 600 gram body, $399

Panasonic Lumix FZ150
24mm lens, x24 zoom, 528 grams, $429

Nikon Coolpix P500
24mm lens, x36 zoom, 494 grams, $319

High-End Cameras

Finally, there are a few cameras which stand out from the crowd, having larger imaging sensors, providing excellent low-light capabilities and better image quality in general.

There's one high-end compact camera I recommend in particular for new families - and that's the Canon PowerShot S100. It has a new 1/1.7" CMOS sensor and Canon's new imaging processor, an extra-wide 24mm lens, a goo-enough x5 zoom range and all in a sub- 200 gram body. It's the smallest high-end camera available and is designed to be intuitive and unintimidating even for beginners who seek high image quality in general and specifically in low-light situations.

Canon PowerShot S100
24mm lens, x5 zoom, 1/1.7" CMOS sensor, $419

Good luck!

-eyalg