Best products from r/GoodValue

Ok, if all you want out of your camera is for it to take nice pictures on a vacation, be less than 600 USD and be portble, your best bet is a high quality compact camera like the rx100 (note there are 3 successors to it for more money of course):

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-DSC-RX100-Sensor-Digital-Camera/dp/B00889ST2G

Will a point and shoot take good quality pictures? Yes. Point and shoots will fall behind DSLRs image quality in 2 situations: low light and printing large images. If you want to shoot in the dark or print poster sized images, you will need to look elsewhere (and probably spend a lot more than $600). However, since you say a smart phone takes nice enough pictures, you will probably enjoy the better image quality of a nice point and shoot, but not miss the ability to print posters.

Do point and shoots fit your budget? yes, I picked one of the most expensive ones as an example. A S100 is even cheaper and still a great camera.

Are point and shoots portable? Yes. They can often fit in your pocket without discomfort (depending on your pocket size of course). That is more than I can say about a M43 camera. They are smaller than a DSLR, but not so small you can carryone around easily without a bag.

Based on what I have read from you, I would bet a point and shoot would serve your needs better than a M43 camera. However, if you intend on making photography into a serious hobby (i.e. willing to poor more money into it over time for better lenses and bodies) and want to take pictures beyond vacation photos, then a M43 camera might be for you.

What you have to understand is that M43 cameras and DSLRs are meant to be paired with expensive lenses. Buying a DSLR or M43 camera and not buying nice lenses is a bit like building a nice house on a shitty foundation. In a few years your nice house will start to crumble and while you spend all your money keeping it standing your neighbohr who spent more on his foundation can spend his money on a new pool.


So, ask yourself what you want out of the camera. Do you just want it to take better pictures than an iPhone? Get a point and shoot. Do you want to make photography into a serious hobby? Get a M43 camera and some starting lenses.

Here are some good starting lenses:

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/the-first-micro-four-third-lenses-you-should-buy/

Can you see yourself buying 2-3 of those lenses in the next year?

A lot of older DSLR's are a good deal. I mean, the T3i /u/smoothcam72 suggested is really great, but as a beginner you'd probably be just as happy with a T3 which can be had for less. ($386). That would let you squeeze in another (used) lens and still stay under your $500 budget.

The thing with a DSLR is that you should put as much money as possible into your lenses and the body should really be just "good enough" (unless you want to go pro). Not only will your lens really impact the quality of the photo (more so than the body) but they also don't lose value (as much). A good lens now will still be a good lens in 20 years, whereas that T3i (or T3, or whatever) will be totally obsolete.

Since you're hiking you'll want a good lens for landscapes I would imagine. The kit lens will definitely get you started, but you'll probably find yourself wanting to get a new lens before you want a new body.

Don't get caught up in megapixels either, the T3 is 12.2MP, but honestly, are you planning on blowing up your stuff to poster size? You could make quite a large print from a 12MP image.

EDIT: For reference, you can print a 12MP image as a very high quality 8"x10", whereas an 18MP image gives you similar quality at 11"x14". Not a huge difference.

I have this one: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009EETKVI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That brand makes other sizes / colors. Honestly, I can't recommend it enough. I've had it for a year now and have slept on it every single night in that period of time. It definitely has gotten a bit "worn in" and isn't as cushy as it used to be, but it's still super comfortable.

Honestly, the only problem I've had with it is that it did have a very strong smell at first, but some fabric spray and a day of airing out worked wonders. Would also highly recommend a mattress protector.

Feel free to message me if you have any questions at all!

Until you said gaming, I was going to recommend you this one.

If you're going to be gaming, I'd recommend one from a gaming company, like Razer, Steelseries, Logitech, Roccat, etc. Microsoft and Monoprice also have good offerings.

If you want to be more frugal, try this Mazer from E-3lue. Is it good? I have no idea. But the reviews are good, and E-3lue makes this Cobra wired gaming mouse which is pretty much unanimously praised online as the best thing since the original Razer Diamondback despite being less than $10.

I brought this memory foam mattress from Amazon:

• Sleep Innovations 12-Inch SureTemp Memory Foam Mattress
  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003CT37L0
  
  I can't recommend it enough. It is super comfortable. I have a bad back and this bed is just plain awesome. There is only one downside to memory foam that I'm aware of: you sink in a little and the foam doesn't allow a lot of air circulation so without AC in the summer it can be too warm. A mattress topper can increase the airflow and make it comfortable. I would recommend the 12" over the 10" (read reviews for details). It comes in a big heavy rectangular box and it smells a lot until it has aired out. It has to sit unrolled/unpacked for a couple of days.
  
  I also brought this mattress a couple months earlier from Ikea:
  
  
• SULTAN FJORDGARD (latex & foam)
  http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90139941/
  
  It is much denser. I actually alternate between the two but the Sleep Innovations mattress is my favorite and I tend to use it most of the time (I have a guest bedroom with the same size mattress as my regular bed).
  
  Both of these are on Ikea Malm bed frames (http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S39849855/) with the most expensive bed slats Ikea carries ($150 for queen so not that bad, http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60125969/) -- the cheaper slats have a lot of bad reviews and I'm supper happy with the slats (the frame itself is fine but it is particle board with laminate).
  
  I brought the foam one in November, 2012 and it has held up well. I think it is a little softer now but so far it is good. I pan on buying a king when I get a house.

I'm brutal on my clothing, too. A couple things to realize here:

• Pay more for your shoes.
  
  
• A $50 pair of shoes will last 6 months. A $100 pair of shoes will last 18 months. A $200 pair of shoes will last 5+ years.
  
  
• Don't pay for the name, though. Pay for the construction & materials: full grain leather, goodyear welt, etc.
  
  
• Also, don't pay full price. Wait for a sale (Nordstrom 40% off, or a factory seconds sale, etc).
  
  
  
• Take care of your shoes.
  
  
• You can extend the life of your shoes by alternating out every day or two. This gives the leather time to dry out (sweat, rain, etc) and rest.
  
  
• Use shoe trees.
  
  Some examples of shoes that will last you years:
  
  
• Loake 1880s
  
  
• Allen Edmonds
  
  
• Alden
  
  
• Florsheim's Goodyear sets
  
  etc...
  
  You might be able to get away with one of these, but they're newer companies and do skimp on some finishing/construction. They're definitely a couple steps up from DSW or Kohls, though.
  
  
• Beckett Simonon
  
  
• Johnston & Murphy
  
  I've got two pairs of Allen Edmonds that I've had for about 2 years now (Strands and Fifth Aves). I picked both sets up as factory seconds directly from their Charleston, SC, store (called in, very helpful folks). Prior to that, I'd wear out a pair of dress shoes in 6 months. These both still look VERY good. I just replaced the heel pad on both pairs ($5 for the rubber pads and $5 for a huge tube of Shoe Goo on Amazon).
  
  Edit: Allen Edmonds has factory seconds sales every couple of months. Nordstrom has a lot of the mentioned brands, and have sales on men's shoes every 6 months or so.
  
  In-Store and Online 2014 Sale Dates
  
  • Half-Yearly Sale for Women and Kids—starts Wednesday, May 21
  
  • Half-Yearly Sale for Men—starts Friday, June 13
  
  • Anniversary Sale—starts Friday, July 18 and ends Sunday, August 3
  
  • Half-Yearly Sale for Women and Kids—starts Wednesday, November 5
  
  • Half-Yearly Sale for Men—starts Thursday, December 25 online, and Friday, December 26 in-store
  
  Edit 2: This site has some very good suggestions for under $200.

Check out the Antec SP-1. I have the black model which is a little pricier than 50, but they're all the same under the hood. It gives you loud undistorted audio, holds a charge for a long time, has solid construction and is super portable. I absolutely love it. The reviews I saw at the time compared it to the Jambox, but the SP-1 actually gets louder without distortion and costs much less. It's worth spending a little bit more to get a better product in this case - bluetooth speakers are a dime a dozen these days and there's a lot of garbage on the market. Let me know if you have any questions about it.

I put together a compact budget system from scratch for a friends teenager about a year ago. I bought all new, budget was a major consideration. The cheapest I could put together new that was decent was around $350.

Here are the parts I went with in case it helps. I know this total is way over your budget. But maybe it will help you shop for used versions for less.

Turntable: Pioneer PL-990

I found it on sale for $99

Amplifier: SMSL Q5 Pro

I splurged a little on this part because I really needed a compact amp with a seperate subwoofer out. You could save some here by buying a used larger amp. Or if your room is not that large and you dont need alot of power, you could get away with an inexpensive little t-amp like this Lapai

Speakers: Dayton Audio B652

I Really like these speakers for the price. If you can afford the bump in price, consider going for the "air" version with improved tweeter.

Dayton Audio SUB-800

The sub is really optional, but it does make a big difference in rounding out the low end.

I had a good coupon for Parts Express when I bought it, and found some of the items on sale which helped my total price. If you are patient, you could do the same and find some good deals.

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EDIT: Absolute minimum, for about $150 you could go with an entry level Audio Technica with a Lapai Amp and the B652 speakers. For a starter setup, this would not sound bad.

This coupon code "POP5" is still good for 5% off at Parts Express.

I recently got my second one of these after having the first for 3 years: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BTKAPUU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Off-brand filters actually better: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076JJ42V7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I think that pack should be everything for a year or so.

I never have the ionizer on.

​

Reasons I like it:

1. It moves a lot of air and cleans it well.
   
2. Really robust permanent pre-filter that catches the big stuff to stop it from clogging your hepa filter faster.
   
3. Replacement filters last a lot longer for the price than something like GermGuardian does for me.
   
4. Air quality sensor and filter reminder lights
   
5. HEPA filter seems more robust than most I see. Good build quality and a thicker design that probably wouldn't have issues bending from the level of airflow(which I've seen from AC filters).
   
   The brand is a pretty major South Korean one(which seems to have a big air purifier market). They have a more expensive flagship model (https://www.amazon.com/AIRMEGA-Smarter-Purifier-Covers-1560/dp/B01C9RIACG/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=coway&qid=1564631008&s=hpc&sr=1-2-catcorr) that has more expensive filters and smart-phone apps but I honestly don't think the core product is much better.

I've had 0 issues with this, $25 bucks, amazon best seller.

https://smile.amazon.com/VideoSecu-ML531BE-Monitor-Articulating-Extension/dp/B000WYVBR0/

Don't know why everyone doesn't buy this type exclusively. I've recommended and helped install this to other people as well. It tilts left and right, so you don't even really need to mount it perfect.

I used something like this with my TV at my old place (42 inch TV I believe):

https://smile.amazon.com/VideoSecu-ML531BE-Monitor-Articulating-Extension/dp/B000WYVBR0/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1501772684&sr=1-3&keywords=tv+mount

It held up well, make sure you use the proper mounting procedures. Make sure you take a look at the angles it can turn and such and make sure it's what you want before you pick one out.

Surefire EP4s - they are like $12-15 and excellent ear plugs.

https://amzn.com/B004DH65RI

This is probably best value: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Panasonic-RPTCM125EK-Headphone-Microphone-Black/dp/B00GNVVIVU/

Surefire. I buy a new pair about once a year.

https://www.amazon.com/SureFire-Defenders-filtered-Earplugs-reusable/dp/B004DH65RI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466177403&sr=8-1&keywords=surefire+ear+pro