RE: Point and shoot camera

[firefighterjake]

I've got a decent SLR digital camera . . . but for an upcoming cruise I was thinking about purchasing a decent Point and Shoot camera that I could easily drop into my pocket.

I want something to take decent photos and be around for the long term. Suggestions?

 

[jeromehdmc]

I've got a little Cannon PowerShot A720IS. It's probably 5 years old but It has lasted great. It's bounced around in the tourpak of the bike, been dropped and still takes good pictures. I did get a good memory card last year and I think it made a difference. I would definitely buy another Cannon when this one bites the dust.

 

[smokinj]

Sony cyber shots.

 

[Retired Guy]

Take a look at the Nikon 1.

 

[begreen]

There are lots of good point and shoot cameras out there. It just depends on what features are important to you. Here are some of the things that are important to me: camera raw out option so that I can post process, AA batteries instead of a proprietary battery (chargers are more stuff to lug and keep track of), a viewfinder in addition to the LED screen. A lot of these cameras are going to LED screens only. They are hard to see in bright sunlight and impossible to see if you wear polaroid lens sunglasses. Other good camera features are a decent wide angle at the shortest focal length, CMOS sensor for low noise in low light, minimal distortion and aberration, minimal delay when taking a picture, good battery life, and of course ease of use. I also like a swivel LCD screen for when you can't just point the camera, but that's not a necessity. For these reasons I have owned Canon cameras. Others are catching up, but Canon continues to set the bar.

If you haven't visited this site, check it out for more reviews then you can imagine:

www.dpreview.com

Here are their top 5 compact camera picks:

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/6698413448/dpreview-recommends-top-5-compact-cameras

FWIW, a buddy has a Canon S100 (now the S110) that I have tried and I have to say it's pictures are quite impressive, especially from such a tiny package.

 

[Gary_602z]

I second begreen on dpreview! They are the Hearth,com of the camera world. Also for the AA get some good rechargeable batteries.

Gary

 

[firefighterjake]

There are lots of good point and shoot cameras out there. It just depends on what features are important to you. Here are some of the things that are important to me: camera raw out option so that I can post process, AA batteries instead of a proprietary battery (chargers are more stuff to lug and keep track of), a viewfinder in addition to the LED screen. A lot of these cameras are going to LED screens only. They are hard to see in bright sunlight and impossible to see if you wear polaroid lens sunglasses. Other good camera features are a decent wide angle at the shortest focal length, CMOS sensor for low noise in low light, minimal distortion and aberration, minimal delay when taking a picture, good battery life, and of course ease of use. I also like a swivel LCD screen for when you can't just point the camera, but that's not a necessity. For these reasons I have owned Canon cameras. Others are catching up, but Canon continues to set the bar.

If you haven't visited this site, check it out for more reviews then you can imagine:

www.dpreview.com

Here are their top 5 compact camera picks:

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/6698413448/dpreview-recommends-top-5-compact-cameras

FWIW, a buddy has a Canon S100 (now the S110) that I have tried and I have to say it's pictures are quite impressive, especially from such a tiny package.

Good site . . . I was thinking of not paying quite so much though for what will be my "secondary" camera . . . more of a camera to take some quick (but decent) snap shots.

 

[Eatonpcat]

I've got a little Cannon PowerShot A720IS. It's probably 5 years old but It has lasted great. It's bounced around in the tourpak of the bike, been dropped and still takes good pictures. I did get a good memory card last year and I think it made a difference. I would definitely buy another Cannon when this one bites the dust.

I have this camera also...Took nice pictures, but the zoom broke after 4 or 5 years (Not bad for a $200.00 camera).

 

[begreen]

Good site . . . I was thinking of not paying quite so much though for what will be my "secondary" camera . . . more of a camera to take some quick (but decent) snap shots.

They have good reviews of less expensive cameras too. It's a good reference point.

 

[fossil]

Sort the database by any number of criteria. I've done a lot of business with this outfit, and I love them, but if nothing else, their catalog is an excellent resource. Here are 15 pages of point and shoot digital cameras. (I have a little Fujifilm Finepix that fits in my shirt pocket and takes really nice pics).


http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Category_Point & Shoot Cameras&ci=8612&N=4288586279&cm_sp=Filters-_-Category-_-Point_Shoot_Cameras

 

[fossil]

I have this little guy:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/841378-REG/Fujifilm_16223422_FinePix_T400_Digital_Camera.html

 

[SlyFerret]

Lots of great options from Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Sony, and some others.

Just to set your expectations, coming from a DSLR, you may be slightly disappointed with the shutter response time. They have gotten much better, but still aren't quite instant like the DSLR.

-SF

 

[bogydave]

I just picked up a Fuji XP50 at Costco month or so ago.
What sold me was "water/shock/dust/freeze proof"
Tough & small was a priority. So far so good.
Takes pretty good pics. On the mid to low price range.
Only 5X zoom.
http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/xp/finepix_xp50/

 

[webbie]

Under $200 you can't go wrong with the Canon stuff. I just gave mine to my son who is a photog and he is greatly impressed. For an example, below is an unprocessed shot from one.

I sold the big Nikon DSLR and bought me the Sony RX - and a super-zoom. I use the Sony for 95% of stuff, and it does just about as good as the SLR.

Different "eyes" seem to like different camera's processing. I tend to like the Sony and Canon brighter colors...right out of the box. Other cams may process less in camera and need touch up.

 

[billb3]

I bought a little canon elph 300 to take on a cruise - to fit in a pocket for when I really didn't want to be lugging a D80 around.
It's just 5x but I tend to only use the zoom to crop a little bit. Has done fairly well in some low light, too, unlike an Olympus gotten for a kid. (rugged was a priority and no extending lens to break)
I didn't have any trouble with no viewfinder but it is a bit odd at first.

 

[homebrewz]

I would recommend an older Canon. Small, lots of features and if its a few years out, it will be relatively inexpensive. Something like the Canon PowerShot SD1100 or the SD1200. I have an SD870, but I only got it over the SD1100 because of the wide angle feature.

I would argue in favor of something with a rechargeable battery. For these cameras that are a couple of years out, extra batteries are easily bought on ebay for around 5 to 10 dollars and the batteries are small and compact. I think the weight and size of an extra battery and charger would be close to having to carry extra AA batteries. Besides, digital cameras tend to use a lot of energy when operating the digital display. You will go through the AA's faster then you think. Also, using a Li Ion battery that will last through 1000+ charge/recharge cycles means less alkaline batteries in the landfill.

I would also get an extra memory card or two. Memory is cheap these days and the cards these cameras come with usually don't have a lot of storage.

edit: another vote for dpreview.com

 

[begreen]

I run my Canon on rechargeable AA batteries. What I really like about it is that all around the world you can get AA batteries. It is a pain to be out on a jaunt in a new city and suddenly need a recharge. In that case I just stop at the nearest tobacco shop and get a fresh pair. My Canon video camera has a proprietary rechargeable battery and when it is out it's back to the hotel for a recharge.

 

[firefighterjake]

Thought I would update folks . . . after much research and hemming and hawing . . . I ordered a Canon Powershot Elph 110 from Crutchfield . . . partly from some of you who gave glowing recommendations of Canon cameras. I also was taking a long, hard look at the Sony Cybershot 150, but in the end it came down to simple economics . . . getting what seems to be a decent camera at a good price.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...PowerShot_ELPH_110_HS.html#pr-header-G1660925