I'm looking to get a new camera next month, around £100 but could/would stretch to £150 max. I want one that is good for taking pictures when it's dark and when the subject is moving, digital stablilization (sp?) or something, (i.e. a concert, I've got five concerts this year and counting and want an excellent camera to get the best pics possible, within budget), a good zoom, video recording etc. I've looked on the various sites and there's just so many reviews out there that it's impossible to decide which camera is best. But what would you reccomend for my budget and also for getting good pictures from concerts?

Pushing the budget a bit I've looked at:
http://www.play.com/Electronics/Elec...a/Product.html
http://www.play.com/Electronics/Elec...a/Product.html

Well, the first one is a tenner cheaper at Tesco for a start.

Second, neither of those are going to much cop in the scenario you describe.

If you are serious about wanting GOOD pictures at something like a concert, you're only going to achieve that from anywhere but the fron row with a digital SLR camera.

None of these point and clicks have anything like enough optical zoom to be any use at a concert (at least, if you want more than specks in the distance anyway). If you can't stretch to a dSLR (it would be around double your budget at entry level) you could try a superzoom.

Something like this:

http://www.panasonic.co.uk/html/en_G...590/index.html

Would get you pretty decent images at a concert. But, it's over your budget again. You won't get one of those for under £200 unless you get lucky.

If you want something cheap, but still pretty decent, see if you can track down one of these:

http://www.hotukdeals.com/item/35421...opt-zoom-digi/

It's not as good as the Panasonic but it still gives you 10x optical zoom and Fuji are usually pretty good in low light. More importantly, £50 is practically stealing it. Online it still sells for around £100.

Forget masses of megapixels (such as the Samsung in your first link). 6-8 megapixels is more than adequate. Concentrate your money on good quality optics and plenty of optical zoom. (Forget digital zoom .... it's meaningless.)

My seats for all five tours so far are excellent, so the pics won't be as bad as if I was right at the back.

"seats"

Are we talking sizeable venues then?

Like I say, if you want any amount of detail, get as much optical zoom as you can afford, and quality optics.

If you want to stay compact, try a Panasonic TZ3/4/5 ....

Yeah, arenas. I'm not looking for AMAZING photographs like you'd see on the artists website or a magazine, but good enough to put on Facebook etc and to keep as a reminder of the concert.

I took some pictures at a gig recently and I have to say, it was pretty difficult even with 12x zoom and excellent seats. Remember, everything always looks further away through a camera lens.

You will need to take pictures without the flash, and of course that means you'll be taking them in relatively low light. So you will either need good image stabilisation, or you'll have to wait until the stage is pretty well lit and everyone is quite still. And you'll have to hold the camera very still, which isn't easy when everyone's jumping up and down.

I'll try to post one or two pictures shortly to let you see what kind of shots I got. They're only average though.

You need a camera with a large zoom and one that can handle high ISO settings. For both of those you need a good DSLR unless you can get real close with the point and shoot and the lighting is quite bright. An ISO between 400 and 800 will be good for concerts.

If we are talking arenas then you want lots of optical zoom .... as the two posts above me also say.

With a point and shoot with 3x or 5x optical, even from the front row, you won't get any decent detail. In an arena, there will still be a gap between the front row and the stage .... probably quite a big one. It'll also be a big stage and the artist/band won't be stood still for you right at the front.

I'd disagree that a dSLR is essential though. It will get you the best possible photos in those conditions, but you'll pay for it. For the kind of money you want to spend, you won't get that level of kit.

But you would be able to get a decent superzoom (or "bridge" camera is another name for them) gives you performance far better than a compact, but not quite up there with a dSLR. A good compromise for the type of thing you're trying to do.

I go to a lot of gigs myself (seldom arena ones though) but I don't bother with photos except at small, intimate venues where I know that artist won't mind and I can get good photos. (Got some really good ones at a Kid Carpet gig a few years ago!) I have to say, I always wonder about people who stand quite far back from the stage recording the gig using video capture on their mobile phone. lol .... why?!?! Whats the point?!?! Audio and video quality will be HORRENDOUS .... completely unwatchable and unlistenable. Wierdos!

Thanks for all the replies, I'm looking to get a new camera in the next week or so, with a budget now of only £100. I've just found pictures that somebody posted of a Pink concert, which they took from quite far away. The pictures zoomed in aren't good at all and are blurry etc, but as I only want the pictures to look back on etc and to post on Facebook, they don't need to be amazing. Here are the pictures I found and I'll be closer than the person was in the pictures, and will be zooming in and of course there's always the screen to take clearer pictures of.

Could someone please post a camera they would reccomend for £100 or less (Play.com, Amazon etc) which is a decent digital camera, not for a concert, just in general, but which could take good enough pictures (good enough being for someone who just wants to remember the tour and post to Facebook). Also, I have no idea as to the settings etc, but what settings would you want to get pictures like the ones below? Do you have the flash on etc? Do you set the camera to night?

The pictures I found are:

http://img13.imageshack.us/my.php?im...2747461685.jpg

^ from miles away

http://img22.imageshack.us/my.php?im...2748206403.jpg

http://img24.imageshack.us/my.php?im...2749396670.jpg

http://img25.imageshack.us/my.php?im...2750507260.jpg

^ Zoomed in

no camera recommendations, just whatever camera you get, turn off the digital zoom and only use optical.