camera broke, need new one but I'm overwhelmed!

[howard]

I had a canon SD700 which has recently broken. I may try and get it fixed if it turns out to be cheap but it's been very "used" if you know what I mean, and I may just get a new one. I'm lost... I look at the different models available and every company has 2 dozen to chose from! The canon SD700 was a gift so that's all the back story concerning that. I am not a photographer, and I don't really want to be. I don't care about features, I use auto shoot 95% of the time. I want a camera that is durable, small (same or smaller than my SD700). Quick easy picture quality is what I'm all about!! So one with a good auto shoot is necessary. I don't even care about the screen, they usually get scratched anyway in my pocket. (i'm going to be rough on this camera). I care more about the picture/lens/final quality than the features.

I use my camera as a memory tool in a way. When I'm on vacation I like to experience things, rather than set up and change settings for the perfect shot. I just want to grab the camera, click, and move on.

Price is flexible... preferable ~300. Less is always better of course. Most small cameras that suite my needs for this type of photography are cheaper anyway so make any suggestions no matter the price if you think it would fit my use better.

thanks in advance for the advice!

 

[mynewromantica]

You can't really go wrong with a Canon or Nikon at the high end of your price range. Pick one, learn it and love it.

 

[leighonigar]

I would be inclined to look at whatever Canon matches your desired cost within Amazon's top sellers list. I see that the Powershot S90 is almost in your price range, and that's supposed to be a really excellent camera.

The one thing I would watch out for is the range of the zoom lens, I doubt your current camera goes particularly wide, but it might have a reasonable long end. You might find a longer zoom range more useful. Some cameras, for example the Fuji F80 EXR and the Panasonic TZ series have very good wide angles and quite a lot of zoom from there.

 

[El Cabong]

I'd say that Canon, Sony, and Panasonic are the brands to focus on. Avoid enthusiast-oriented cameras like the Canon S90 and G11, and the Panasonic LX3, as they'll be bigger and have more dials and controls than you'll want or need.

Quick suggestions for the brands I mentioned:
- Canon SD780, ~$150
- Sony TX1, ~$275
- Panasonic TS5, ~$300

Decide how much of a zoom you want, and you'll be able to narrow it down a bit more.

 

[jampat]

Olympus and Canon both make waterproof and tough cameras that can withstand much more of a beating than a normal camera. There are tradeoffs (normally less zoom range, the canon's are toy looking), but it is worth a look.

 

[tbrinkma]

At that price range, you can almost get up into the entry-level DSLR range. If you're interested in going that route, but you still want small, you may want to take a look at Olympus's e-400 series. (I'm thrilled with my e-520, and the e400 series has most/all of the same capabilities in a more compact package.)

 

[thejadedmonkey]

I have an SD780, I can vouch for it. I got it when it was $250, and it was worth it. For $150, it's a steal.

 

[jbg232]

Any of the high end canon point and shoots will take beautiful photos. Although I use a DSLR for my enthusiast side, I can vouch that the quality out of the camera is pretty phenomenal nowadays in any of the cameras you'll be looking at.

BTW, I have SD 950IS which isn't made anymore, but the newer versions are better anyways

 

[howard]

thanks for all the suggestions. Looks like I may want to lower my budget!

Zoom doesn't concern me to much. My current one was 4x and that was always fine with me.

I'm now reading about gps and geotagging which seems pretty new. Does that work well? is it worth it? I saw a Panasonic with this feature for under $300. This feature isn't necessary for me by any means, but sounds cool.

 

[jbg232]

It supposedly is still not ready for prime time, ie drains battery life, takes a few minutes to connect and find the signal (which by the time it works the shot is lost).

 

[howard]

It supposedly is still not ready for prime time, ie drains battery life, takes a few minutes to connect and find the signal (which by the time it works the shot is lost).

good to know. battery life is pretty important to me.

 

[funkboy]

Normally I don't make this kind of proclamation, but if image quality, real controls, and small size are what you're after, then Canon's S90 pretty much blows away anything else out there under $350.

Panasonic makes some very fine compact cameras these days as well (I've owned an LX3 for two years), but I'd get the Canon.

 

[funkboy]

You can't really go wrong with a Canon or Nikon at the high end of your price range. Pick one, learn it and love it.

Um, sorry, but the last decent Coolpix camera Nikon made was the CP5700 I bought about 8 years ago. Nikon makes great DSLRs, but their compact cameras are pretty consistently duds (though they have been getting somewhat better recently). Canon & Panasonic have been leading this market for years, with Fuji, Sony, Olympus, & Pentax occasionally releasing some fine cameras as well.

 

[El Cabong]

I don't care about features, I use auto shoot 95% of the time. I want a camera that is durable, small (same or smaller than my SD700). Quick easy picture quality is what I'm all about!! So one with a good auto shoot is necessary.
[...]
When I'm on vacation I like to experience things, rather than set up and change settings for the perfect shot. I just want to grab the camera, click, and move on.

Normally I don't make this kind of proclamation, but if image quality, real controls, and small size are what you're after, then Canon's S90 pretty much blows away anything else out there under $350.

Panasonic makes some very fine compact cameras these days as well (I've owned an LX3 for two years), but I'd get the Canon.

I really don't think the OP is looking for something with a lot of controls. Shooting modes, maybe, but not controls. Pixel peeping also doesn't seem to be a concern, so the marginal advantage of a high ISO optimized 1/1.7" sensor over a 1/2.5" one won't be noticed in most shooting conditions (especially if the latter is a Sony Exmor R sensor). Though the large aperture lenses offered by the S90/LX3/ilk are great for those of us with the patience to compose and shoot available light photos, for someone who wants to shoot and go, a built-in flash is much quicker and more reliable, albeit with the concomitant (i.e. inferior) results.

OP: I really don't think the S90 is the camera for you. It's great for those of us who want SLR-like control over camera settings, but you'll be able to get a camera that better suits your needs for less, and it'll likely be simpler to use, and fit better in your pocket.

 

[xizar]

I'm happy with my panasonic zs7. The geotagging is slow only if you don't leave it (the gps) turned on. (I have an extra battery to help with the drain issues).

I'm strictly a P&S kind of guy, so I don't have the eye it takes to say more than "I think the pictures come out pretty good". I haven't taken any video with it, but I have to do a training video for school this weekend, so I'll be spending time with that and imovie.

It has a manual mode that kind of overwhelms me, but like I said, I'm a non-sumer kind of guy.

As an afterthought, nonUS places call it the TZ10.