suggest some point and shoot or semi professional digital still camera that works good in low light.?

Question

I need to shoot in low light conditions ..

Answer 1

Go for a Canon DSLR. You should look at the whole line of Canon Digital SLRs before you decide, since there is a lot of decisions to make. But go with a Canon. You can't get a better camera.

Answer 2

This question is a little vague. Can we assume you will NOT be using flash? That's what I'll assume.

1) You need a camera that allows operation in Manual Mode.

2) It must have a "T" (for Time) setting on the shutter speed or a minimum of 15 second shutter speed and accept a cable release (if it has less than a 15 sec. shutter speed).

3) You will need a tripod.

Suppose you want to take photos of the city skyline in the distance, after dark. Referring to my FotoSharp (fotosharp.com) Day & Night Exposure Guide we find that is Scene # 14.

ISO 100

f2.8 @ 4 seconds
f4 @ 8 seconds
f5.6 @ 15 seconds
f8 @ 30 seconds
f11 @ 60 seconds

ISO 200

f2.8 @ 2 seconds
f4 @ 4 seconds
f5.6 @ 8 seconds
f8 @ 15 seconds
f11 @ 30 seconds

ISO 400

f2.8 @ 1 second
f4 @ 2 seconds
f5.6 @ 4 seconds
f8 @ 8 seconds
f11 @ 15 seconds

Since these are more guidelines than anything else you may find it necessary to "fine tune" the shutter speeds to suit your conditions or personal likes. DO NOT change anything else - just the shutter speeds. In my 36 years of experience with photography I learned its best to change only 1 variable at a time. Its also a good idea to take notes for future reference.

Answer 3

For low light condition, you will need a DSLR such as Canon 40D with 50mm f/1.4 lens.

For point and shoot, I would consider Canon G9. It has a 1/1.7" sensor, image stabilization, manual control and hot shoe for external flash.

Answer 4

sony cybershot H9 has a nice night mode. it actually has an infrared torch to get night shots. it is a good camera with a massive 15x optical zoom and 7.1 mp resolution. it works well in allconditions except for higher sensetivities which actually a problem in virtually all non-SLR cameras.