Point and Shoot Camera

I'm going to second the suggestion for the CoolPix S8000. I got one last summer for my trip. I travel with a DSLR as well and wanted a point and shoot for evening use. The S8000 has a great optical telephoto lens and lots of shooting options. Pam

Here's a very thorough summary from Ken Rockwell:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/recommended-cameras.htm

Paula, You've received some good suggestions so far! When you've narrowed down your choices to a few models, it would be a good idea to check some of the reviews to get some idea of the actual performance. Some websites you can check: > DP Review (Reviews are VERY comprehensive, so they may not have reviews on newer models yet). > DC Resource > Steve's Digicams (S95 Review) Although it's slightly over your budget, you might also have a look at a more "full feature" compact Camera, the Canon G12. The wider range of controls will allow photos under a wider variety of conditions, and the review states "Unmatched high ISO performance by the majority of consumer cameras on market today". Good luck with your decision!

The current (December 2010) issue of Consumer Reports rates dozens of point-and-shoot cameras, so you might want to look at that.

Hi Paula. I am pleased with my Nikon Coolpix S8000, which I got in June for my then-upcoming trip (it cost about $300 on sale). It has a lot of shooting options, including a setting for night shots. You can also increase or decrease the ISO for more manual control. If you do a search in the archives here for cameras, you'll find a lot of discussions about point-and-shoot cameras.

Canon S95. Best darn small camera I´ve ever had and it knocks the socks off anything else with low light. Asolutely amazing. Costs right at $400 and has only been out for a couple of months. The S90 is almost as good (the previous model) and should be a bit cheaper if you can still find one.

Small camera with great shooting in low light within your price range: definitely the Canon S95. It's the top reviewed model for exactly what you are looking for, and, owning one, I can certainly say that it takes excellent photos.

And, as mentioned, you can also get the Canon S90 camera as well; the only main difference is that the S90 doesn't record HD video while the S95 does. The S90 takes photos that are just as great, but feels more slick than rugged like the S95. So, if the HD video and slick feel means nothing to you, and you can find a good deal, then the S90 may very well be worth it; otherwise, if the S90 is not too much cheaper, then I would definitely go with the S95. It's an excellent camera!

I considered the Canon S95 and the Canon G12, and came home yesterday with the G12. As stated above regarding the S95/S90, the previous model G11 might still be available for somewhat less than the G12. Good luck!

Two years back I bought my first digital camera (I'd been using a Nikon FM2 from 1981!). After discussion with friends who have had heavy use of first conventional film SLRs and then digital, they steered me to a point and shoot, the Canon PowerShotSX110 IS, by now this is the 120 I believe. This can be had for the very low $200s. We've been quite happy with this, and took several excellent low-light shots this summer ignoring the "Raise the Flash" warning. Found that I got fantastic detail shooting at highest resolution. True, it's not an SLR and you don't have lens options, but it worked well for us. Biggest drawback was learning how to focus and frame a shot holding the camera away from me, rather than bringing it up to my eye!

As mentioned, the Canon Powershot G12 is an excellent, even more powerful low-light shooting camera. It is a little pricier, at $500, and it is a little bulkier (so not quite as pocket-friendly). But, if neither of these is a problem, I would highly recommend getting the G12! (Also, as mentioned, like the S90 with the S95, you can possibly get a deal on the G11 now as the only major difference is the HD video; but if you would prefer the HD video, then go with the G12).

I have the same as Larry does. Canon PS SX110 IS. Wife liked it so much she got its replacement, the SX120 IS which is now being replaced with the SX130 IS. We take them to Europe every summer and are more than happy with the results and its ability to zoom.

And I forgot the best part for travel. Even if you get a soft case for it, it fits easily into a pocket, and if it's in a case, it can be in your pocket while the strap for the case is snugged out around your neck. I felt very secure with this while carrying it in a crowd. Much as I would have preferred the quality of an digital SLR with interchangeable lenses, I would not have felt that level of convenience and security.

My vote is for Canon. I bought the Canon G11 (it's now updated to the G12, but about the same camera) I took pictures without flash in several places. The camera is easy to use, and most professional photographers use this camera as a back up, or even to take photos. I like that it's small enough for a pocket (I use the long strap and keep it across my body, easy to access to take photos) There are lots of setting for each use. Low light, sunsets, beach, foliage, snow, twilight, you name it. My pictures came out great on my hiking trip to France, the close ups of grapes and leaves were amazing! Canon---you can't go wrong. The G11 is now reduced in price since they introduced the G12. Bought mine on Amazon.com

I also have the Nikon S-8000. It takes surprisingly good pictures plus has tenX digital zoom and HD video. It's about the size of a deck of cards (a little bigger than the smallest point and shoots). It's available at Costco for cheaper than your price range. The G-11 is a great camera but significantly larger than most point and shoots. It's nearly the size of an SLR without extra lenses. It also has a hot shoe for an external flash. Since I'm not packing an extra flash or lenses, it's overkill for me.

The olympus epl1 is now $399. It is the cheapest high quality camera at the moment. Buy it at adorama: http://www.adorama.com/IOMEPL1B14BR.htm Reviewed at dpreview: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/olympusepl1/

When rating cameras, the one thing I must have is batteries that are double A. I carry a charger and rechargeable
AA batteries and recharge as I go. However, at times, I have been known to run out of power at the most in-operatune time. With AA batteries, you can always buy a pack to get by. With a proprietary battery, you are stuck with no pictures.

Be sure to know the difference between "digital' and "optical" zoom - you really want one with "Optical" if you are getting one that zooms.

John (Pantego), AA rechargeable batteries are not always the best power solution for Cameras, for several reasons. With some types of Cameras, it's not even possible to find models that use AA batteries (ie: most DSLR models). Although using AA batteries does allow alkaline types to be used if the charge is depleted on the others, the same thing can be achieved by packing along an extra "proprietary" battery. I assume the batteries you're using are Ni-MH rechargeable? Those work well, although they tend to have a higher "self-discharge" rate than some others so it's important to "top them up" if they haven't been used for a while. Both of the Cameras that I travel with use "proprietary" Li-Ion batteries which not only have excellent performance but are light and easy to travel with. When out touring, I usually carry at least one spare battery for my P&S Camera but don't often have to use it. At the moment I don't even have a "spare" battery for my DSLR as I haven't needed one. I can easily spend a long day shooting and still have power left, and topping-up the charge each night isn't a problem. So far I've had NO instances of "running out of power at inopportune times" (even when using the P&S to take videos). If I decide to start using the DSLR for HD videos, I'll probably buy a spare battery. I've found that it's better to choose a Camera based on fitting the user's overall needs, regardless of which power source it uses. Limiting Camera purchases to only those models that use AA batteries means passing by some excellent Cameras. Cheers!

I'm going to second Ken's views on AA batteries vs proprietary batteries. My first digital camera used AA's. I found myself carrying around 8 or more batteries at a time and was always recharging them. Sure, I didn't have to worry as I could always buy more, but that would have required stopping to find a place that sold them and so I carried a lot of batteries. Now i have two camera's with proprietary batteries. These are much longer lasting and I rarely run out of juice. I do have two batteries for the DSLR, but I've only one for the CoolPix and haven't missed a shot yet. I think at one point these proprietary batteries weren't as good, but they have vastly improved to the point where I think it's now the preferred option. Pam

Ken and Pamela beat me to it on the battery question. I can't imagine using AA batteries, they are so big! My Panasonic Lumix LX3 has a wee little battery. The charger is also small, and for traveling it fits right in the case along with the spare battery. I waited a long time to get a digital camera, and finally got an excellent one this year, on the advice of my son. Love this camera!

As much as I like the S8000, I wish that the battery (lithium ion) could be removed for charging. I bring a spare battery just in case something happens to the original, but haven't needed the spare so far. I did come close a couple of times to running the battery down very low. So Paula - something else for you to consider is whether the lithium ion battery (if the camera has it) can be removed to charge, so that you can use the camera with a spare.

Thank you so much for all the wonderful information!

Sarah, One note regarding your comments about removable batteries. I believe most of the Canon and Nikon models provide this feature (I'm more familiar with Canon products). With a fresh battery "in hand", it can be changed in about 5-seconds! One of the other nice features that I like with the Cameras I'm using, is that a "travel Charger" is provided for each one. This is not only designed for "world operation" but is also small, light and has folding pins. Cheers!

Paula - Here is a website for camera comparison. www.imaging-resource.com/

I would look at the Panasonic LX5, Canon SD1400, Canon S95, Canon G12 and Nikon P7000.

Just got back from 2 weeks in Germany and france with a new camera. My 7th digital camera. I have an SLR but like a compact camera when running around in Europe. It's a Pansonic DMC-ZS7. It's a vast improvement over my old coolpix and sanyo Xacti. Both still and video. Love the auto mode and was quite impressed with the auto white balance. There's a quality lense on it. So the pictures were quite sharp. Ditto high def video. There's also extensive manual modes to help with difficult shots. Also many scene modes. GPS to record where the picture is taken. And sometimes helps me figure out where I am. Battery life, though I had a spare, the battery lasted all day. You can opt to wide screen format. Cons. I wish one of the scene modes was museum mode. It has a 16X lense. Good for photos. When using it in the extremes for video hand held. The small movements or shakes you make are exagerated. Low light. I'd still like better low light capacity in auto. But it's still way ahead of my old cameras. The pistol grip body design of the Xacti gives better control for shooting video with minimal camera shake movement. But other wise the ZS7 has better video capability. It is a bit heavier than other cameras. But has a solid feel. I probably gave way too much information. But I was impressed.