best subcompact camera for museums?

Please everyone, don't get upset with the following as it's only my opinion, but that said, it always looks a little odd to me to see people holding up their cameras taking pictures of the pictures & blocking the view of those behind them. Most of those pictures aren't going to come out all that well. Personally, I prefer to put my money on books, DVDs, postcards etc from the museum bookstores.

I agree with Rose -- taking pictures of paintings in museums is pretty ridiculous and disruptive, but I find myself still doing it -- something makes you want to record your presence near them. But, I'm trying to stop doing this, and just stand and enjoy the painting.
I guess the nuisance of excessive or inappropriate picture taking can be found in all travel experiences, but it does seem particularly useless to take pictures of great paintings that will never do them justice, though I have managed to take some pretty good pictures of some paintings with my Sony subcompact.

Sherry,

The first thought that comes to mind, is that many Museums specifically forbid photography, especially with flash. Which Museums were you planning to visit?

If photos were permitted without flash, a "subcompact" Camera would not be the best photographic tool, due to the limited ISO range and lack of controls in most Cameras of that type. Most subcompact Cameras will not produce the "clearest images" in dim lighting conditions.

The best flexibility would be a dSLR, but of course they're larger and somewhat more difficult to travel with.

Good luck!

If you are considering a subcompact solely for convenience of carrying, I suggest the Cannon Point and Shoot. It comes in a range of prices.

My 7.1 megapixel model is perfect for me and far cheaper than others. It is better than my previous Fujifilm digital camera was. Watch for sales.

If you want better pictures, choose a DSLR camera; but, as Ken points out, many museums and cathedrals now prevent photos--especially flash.

Canons and Nikon both make great pocket-sized digital cameras. Features to look for are museum mode that takes pictures without a flash and image stabilization which helps produce clear pictures in less than perfect lighting.

Some museums don't allow photos, others do and others charge a photo fee. You should always ask. If they say no pictures, don't sneak any. It just makes them not trust the guy behind you and/or make their policies stricter.

My Panasonic DMC-TZ4 worked fairly well, and was easy to keep the flash turned off. The biggest problem was the glare/lighting. There are much newer versions available now. For further searching/comparing, try steves-digicams.com. If you'd like to see examples, just PM me and I'll send you a link. Enjoy your trip!

I am of the opinion they should ban photography in all museums! It clogs the corridors, disrupts other people's visit, and they pictures can't possibly be worth it. If you want to remember a price of artwork you saw, visit the museum websites or buy a book or postcard.

Most museums don't allow flash photos and, in general, subcompact cameras don't take sharp pics in low light conditions such as you encounter when taking a pic inside a museum without a flash. For low light conditions the larger digital SLRs take better pics. If using a subcompact inside a museum without a flash, hold the camera as still as possible as you push the shutter button (most museums don't permit tripod photography either).

I was very happy with the results using my Olympus Stylus 1010. I am not a camera guy and utilized only a small portion of the gizmos it included. I imagine most cameras-like mine-now come with a myriad of settings. Whichever you choose, play with it at home and see what's what. Often the plain old "auto" default worked better in low light museums than the other settings. Art and art history have always been dear to my heart, and my lttle pictures of world famous pieces I studied 40 years ago mean more to me than any postcard. And how on earth I singlehandedly clogged up the Louvre or Uffizi and ruined the experience for everyone else is absolutley beyond me!

I have a nikon that has worked well for me. Of course, I have no way of comparing it with other cameras since I only have the Nikon. Before buying, I would try steves-digicam.com- a web site that compares and does some rating of models. Also, I would research e-opinions. Most point and shoot models do have strengths and drawbacks, but you can't beat the portability and ease of use.

Hi Sherry,

You can use the following website to look at pictures taken in and of museums with various cameras...

http://www.flickr.com/cameras/

Pick a camera that you are interested in and then search on "museums". You will get thousands of pictures to look at. If you don't like what you see, pick a different camera and repeat until you find one that gets results you approve of. Happy hunting.

you can't go wrong with Canon. i actually have a 720 which isn't a subcompact but i can throw it in my travel purse and it takes great pixs.

Subcompact cameras are not as good as compact ones. I have a Canon A310 and it's been great for years now. I have taken thousands of pictures with camera, dropped and it's still good.
Taking pictures inside museums is chalanging.You have to use manual settings especially when you are not allowed to use flash. You have to be able to hold the camera steady though. If you are tired or nervouse , your pictures will be blurry.
High ISO and many manual settings are things to look in a camera.