PC Madagascar: Want ultracompact to take with me

[donga]

I'm headed to madagascar for the peace corps in june and wanted to get a digital camera to take pictures of the kids and lemurs and all that. So I wanted some advice. I'm looking for a camera that:

is around $100-175 on e-bay
can be used (not really worried about warranties)
is ultra compact
good battery life (i probably won't have access to electricity too often)
very, very reliable (i'm not going to get another camera if this one craps out)
good in humidity (although I will put in a ziplock bag when not in use)
and something mac compatible would be nice

my two candidates so far are the canon sd300 and the casio exilim ex-z40

any advice? thanks!

 

[Abstract]

I have the SD300, and it has been a great camera. There isn't any reason NOT to use it, but if I can offer you additional advice.......buy a 2nd battery now if you're there for a long time, and if you know there are no stores where you could buy it's particular battery.

Also, buy it 4 weeks in advance of your trip. That way, you can see if it craps out once you buy it. If it does, you can quickly get it fixed. That 3-4 week buffer would allow time for a fix under warranty.

 

[baby duck monge]

I had a friend who went to Madagascar for a semester during school, and I think she just used a Cannon A70. It's not particularly small, but I believe it gets good battery life, and it takes very nice pictures.

On an unrelated note, have an amazing time. The plants and animals there looked amazing. And I hope nothing happens to cut your Peace Corps. service short (I have another friend who was just called back from Bangladesh after 7 months for safety reasons, but I think Madagascar is a lot safer).

 

[Abstract]

Oh, about my battery suggestion, maybe it IS a better idea to get a Canon A80 (cheap nowadays) or A520 (they're cheaper, but A80 is probably much better) or something. They're a bit bigger than an SD300, but they take AA batteries, and those can be bought almost anywhere. If you don't have access to electricity all the time, that may be your answer.

 

[donga]

alright, thanks for your help!