I haven't owned a camera since I smashed the display screen on a brand new camera in Spain 7 years ago (funny to think that at the time 5 mp was cutting edge and now my phone has the same image quality). And recently, I seem to more frequently catch a sunrise/sunset, valley vista, etc that leave me thinking "Boy, I wish I had a camera."

So I'm seeking advice from you guys. I'd like a point and shoot style camera thats fairly lightweight but I do want to be able to take some descent pictures. This non-essential item is leaving a more essential void in my kit every time I get into the woods.

Thanks in advance.

If you're looking to go the cheap, light, good, and dependable route, I'd recommend buying a used Canon Powershot off Amazon. Mine takes fantastic pictures, has lasted me a long time, and was very reasonably priced (under $150 I think, for a top notch camera). Depending on the model you get, it'll be between 4 and 6 oz for a good display screen, a viewfinder, optical zoom, and great pictures. I think it's well worth the weight.

My experience is limited to only a few cameras but I have been very impressed with my Lumix ZS7. Good automatic modes combined with full manual modes allow me to tweak many factors to get the picture just right. The Leica 25mm wide angle lens and 12x optical zoom allow for some great shots. Mine weighs 7.6oz with a memory card and battery installed. I am willing to carry a few extra oz of weight on a decent camera.

I have used some small Canon models in the past but personally prefer the Lumix.

Edited by radio_guy on 06/11/2011 10:41:27 MDT.

+1 on the Panasonic Lumix models (I also have the ZS7).

Canon S95.

Best bang for the buck with quality image potential to boot. It's essentially a Canon G12 in a svelte package, perfect for the point and shoot ultralight backpacker. I had the chance to shoot one a week ago and was very impressed, it has excellent user interface, simple to use, but also allows a tremendous amount of manual control over the cameras functions if you want to break out of the scene and auto modes- this isn't typical of most point and shoots. It's a speedy little camera, with a maximum aperture of f2.0, so getting some soft-focus shots is possible unlike many other consumer based point and shoots. I'd highly recommend the Canon S95.

I highly suggest a waterproof smash proof camera, you can leave it in your pocket all day, take pictures in the rain, underwater while swimming and never worry about it. you dont need a case,(extraweight) or to leave it in your pack for protection and miss shots.



the olympus 6000 i use is fairly old but only 150ish on sale now.

the panasonic ts3 is one of the better ones.

https://panasonic.ca/english/audiovideo/camerascamcorders/digitalstill/DMCTS3.asp



if you really want a nice picture, not worried about breaking it the xz-1 from olympus has had quite a few nice reviews. ( for a point and shoot )

+1 on canon s95, one of the best P/S and lighter than the few others in the same league.
i would love to find a decent waterproof P/S but they lag far behind.

+1 on the Canon S95 or S90. Once I switched from my long string of Nikon Coolpixes I've never looked back. My wife and daughter both liked mine so much that they each bought one and these are people trained on SLRs (as was I ). The form factor is great -really pocket-able and the ring interfaces give you fast controls .I shoot in low light and have my flash turned off in almost all conditions. Read the reviews.

the Panasonic LX3 (or it's predecessors). This camera is probably the biggest competition for the S95.

Check out dpreview for balanced reviews and pictures in both real world and lab conditions from every camera worth buying

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/OlympusXZ1/page12.asp

Above is a link to the olympus XZ-1 review which comapres it to the Canon S95 and the Panasonic LX-3/5. These 3 cameras represent the most compact high picture quality point and shoot camera's. The LX3 has the widest angle lens, the Canon has the most zoom range and the olympus has the fastest lens. All are very good cameras with some comprimises.

Here is the link to the S95 and LX-5 review
http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/q42010highendcompactgroup/

Weights are in the 8-10 oz range.

Now if you want DSLR quality the mirrorless camera's from panasonic, Olympus and Sony are pretty cool. THe Sony Nex, Olympus EP and EPL series and the Panasonic GF series. They have a body only weight of around 9oz plus 2 oz for battery and another 3.5 oz for the lens. But for around a pound you can have pretty impressive quality.

My top compact suggestions are the Lumix LX5 and Oly XZ-1. Both offer optional electronic viewfinders and accept external flashes. The LX5 has a 24mm equivalent lens and the XZ-1 has the fastest compact lens on the market.

Stretching the weight and bulk budget a bit, the forthcoming Lumix GF3 and Sony NEX C3 will outperform any small-sensor compact at a surprisingly small size--the smallest mirrorless cameras yet.

http://www.43rumors.com/ft5-panasonic-g3-will-use-a-12-megapixels-sensor-anouncement-on-monday-7am-london-time/

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1106/11060818sonynexc3preview.asp

Cheers,

Rick

Thanks guys. Definitely gets me looking in the right direction.

Always a problem asking a question like that! Everyone has different criteria. Don't expect to get the perfect camera the first time around, mainly because you don't yet know what is 'perfect' for you yet.

Cameras like the Lumix etc are not so easy to use, and some of that class don't have optical viewfinders. They are of course good cameras in their class, but I would suggest that maybe you should be looking a bit more towards ease of use at first.

The Canon user interface does have a renowned reputation for ease of use. Nikon Coolpix are not too bad, although not as easy to use imho. Aiming at something like the Canon S90/S95 gives you a bit more of the P&S; aiming at the G11/G12 models gives you something closer to an SLR. Mind you, both are a lot bigger than the 'little P&S' cameras which are also available.

Waterproof? A bit bulky in my experience. And I have carted my Canon A95 and my Canon G11 around in some pretty filthy weather. A carefully-selected camera case is essential - and an arrangement which lets you carry it under your poncho or jacket is *very* smart in bad weather. Mine rides on my pack strap, and my poncho goes over that.

Cheers