Digital Camera Advice!

radroadkill

I would like to invest in a new digital camera. I'm not a super camera-savvy person but I've been doing some research and now want some opinions to make it easier when I go play around with some before making a final decision.

I currently have an older model Sony Cybershot (from 2005). It's worked just fine but I live in an awesome place and occasionally do exciting things and technology has gotten more awesome so it's time for an upgrade.

I don't want anything super complicated. I guess that means I'm looking more for a point and shoot rather than a DSLR. I would like to be able to take nice quality pictures and a good zoom feature. There's a lot of really scenic views around here that all look like crap with my current camera. A good battery life and good storage space (or at leas the ability to upgrade it) are really important for long day trips.

I'd like something small enough to easily carry around in a purse. Small and slim enough to fit into a pocket would be nice but isn't a requirement.

Price wise I'm willing to go up to $500 but it'd be nice to keep it in the $200-$400 range.

There's a lot of beaches and water around here. It also likes to spontaneously rain... I've heard about some water resistant cameras but I'm not sure how good they are or how much I should trust it.


From my reading the most popular/talked-about-by-people-I-know cameras seem to be:

Sony Cybershot
Canon Powershot
Nikon Coolpix

I played around with a Nikon 1 and it seemed fun but that in passing and without comparing it to anything. I know there's also various models withing all these cameras. I'm open to any suggestions or reviews of any other brands or models as well.

Give me your camera knowledge!

Skoal Cat

Canon makes a great point and shoot, and you'd be hard to fuck up if you just got which ever Canon was in your price range. What I really like about them is that there is custom firmware available which opens up an amazing amount of features (if that's the sort of thing you enjoy).
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK

If you want a waterproof/outdoor durable camera, I recently got
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004KKZ0JC/ref=oh_o01_s00_i00_details
after obsessively reading reviews. Its pretty phenomenal. I can take it anywhere!

wonderpug

I would recommend you look at:

Olympus XZ-1
Panasonic LX5
Canon S100

I'm an SLR-minded photographer and just a couple months ago I did a ton of research on what point & shoot I would buy if I could. While I didn't end up getting one, the above three stood high above all other options. If researching the differences is intimidating, just go with the Canon S100 because it's awesome all around and you can't go wrong with it. If you don't mind reading up on them (dpreview.com is a great resource) then the other two are also awesome.

For me, the Olympus XZ-1 was at the top of the list because it has good low-light performance (big aperture) without upping the ISO ("film" sensitivity) and overall it fits my SLR-inclined shooting. It uses a weird format for video recording though, and it's high ISO shooting isn't nearly as good as the Canon S100.

edit: Oh, and if you do want something waterproof that can survive being dropped, I can second the Panasonic camera Skoal Cat recommended. Just last month I recommended that exact model for my wife's birthday gift.

an_alt

I always recommend checking out this page when looking for new cameras. I see he's still recommending Canons for the point-and-shoots. I can attest to the quality of the Canon I picked up a few years ago. It's amazing to regularly get better pictures with a $200-$300 P&S than friends with DSLRs and a bag full of lenses.

There are also a bunch of how-to articles on the website that cover how to use your camera properly and it made a world of difference for me.

wonderpug

People generally love or hate Ken Rockwell and his opinions. Specific to his Christmas 2011 writeup there, he offers up some bad, or at least weird advice right up front in the "Forget Resolution and ISO" chapter. Forget resolution, I agree with, but there is a huge difference in high ISO performance among point and shoots these days. Hell, Ken even mentions that the Canon S95 and S100 are good at it--even though he just got done saying that all point & shoots suck.

He also says "all the higher ISO settings do is make the picture granier" which is a stupid thing to say. And his line "Even if you learn how to use the higher ISO settings (few people do)" is kind of dumb, because all you have to "learn" is how to turn off your flash.

His advice isn't all bad, but his intended audience won't know what advice to heed or disregard.

radroadkill

Thanks for the links and options. I'm going to start going through them now.

I'm glad there are people here who've had some experience with the waterproof cameras. I think it would just be so awesome to have one less thing to worry about on the coasts of all these islands and for snorkeling.

Skoal Cat

That is exactly why I got one. I don't do outdoor extreme things often, but when I do I'd rather not worry about it. Also, its not like I'm sacrificing quality by much here. Its still a damned fine picture and video (HD!) machine for snapshot/memory bank stuff.

Esh

I bought this Canon Powershot...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004J41T7Q/ref=oh_o05_s00_i02_details

...5 months ago before I left for France. It was $200 then and it was a great deal at that point. It'd do everything you want and it takes a great picture.

MichaelLC

Damnit, now I have a hipster's camera! Have to adjust the ISO all ironic, etc.

Really though, we got the ELPH 300 a month ago and it's been good so far. Also upgraded from a (broken) Cybershot.

Dark Moon

Get a Canon G12. Sure, you can go waterproof (and if you do get a Nikon AW100), but you sacrifice a lot of image quality to that internal lens barrel and tiny sensor. You could also go superzoom with a Canon SX230, but you're SOL when things get dark. And really, who shoots at 380mm on a compact? That's birding range, and without the autofocus and snappy response of a DSLR you'll rarely if ever get decent images taken at that focal length.

So buy a G12. The body feels wonderful, being all metal and textured rubber. You get a tiny optical viewfinder you can use to save battery when you don't need the LCD. And the sensor! A larger than average point and shoot sensor that takes very competent images up to ISO1600 sits inside this little beasty, which itself collects light from a lens that's f/2.8 at the wide end (very wide max aperture). It's a lovely camera and once you've handled one you'll love it too.

Liquid Hellz

I just bought this Canon SX230 HSand its pretty freakin sweet. 14x optical zoom, like 30 different settings such as fish eye, miniature effect, toy camera effect. Or if your really good with cameras, every option from aperture to iso is customizable. And to respond to the Dark Moon's post above, I am an inspector and got it specifically to take pictures in attics. On low light mode, the pictures are more than bright enough to see all the details I need, usually in a pitch black attic with 1 headlamp on. Oh and it also fits in my shirt or jeans pocket! Only downside is you cant use regular AA batteries, it has a battery pack, but I got an extra one for $30.

radroadkill

I think I've narrowed it down to some kind of Canon but I'm going to go play with some soon and am reading reviews on a few of the different ones in here.

Now I have another question: has anyone had experience with the waterproof cases for regular cameras? I really do love the idea of somehow bringing the camera to Haunama Bay and all around the islands but is it better to get a case for the new camera or just have a separate waterproof one? (Or is that overkill?) I'm not sure which route to go.

Donovan Puppyfucker

Don'y buy two cameras. Get a good p&s like the Canon G12, and a housing for it.

wonderpug

I'll argue for the Canon S100 over the G12. The G12 is great, but it's bulky, and it doesn't do all that many things better than the S100. If you do find that you need/want those extra offerings on the G12, go for it, but most people will be more than content with the S100.

radroadkill

I decided to go with the Canon S100 in the end. I ordered it from Best Buy (since no retailer here carriers it and Amazon hates Hawaii) and am excited to test it out once it arrives.