Need a camera for being a tourist.

[DesertDave]

I'll be taking a trip to London and Paris later this year. I own and use a Canon S3 IS and I love it but, I really don't want to haul it all over London and Paris. I'm looking for a high end, pocket sized camera that will good for taking people and places shots while on the trip.

Budget

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.

upwards of 500 USD

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
"pocket" sized Compact - ultra compact
Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?

as high as possible, 5 or 6 minimum

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify) Standard should be ok, with a preference to wider angle.

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
10+

Do you care for manual controls?
I do like manual controls normally but, for this application a camera with a smart, reliable auto setting would be ok.

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?
Vacation pictures while touring abroad

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
"Big" prints? no.

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
More than likely and I like good low light performance as a rule.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Not sports, just vacation action

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?
Theres no brand I hate. I have owned Sony, Canon and Olympus cameras and I like each one.

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
Not yet but, I plan to look at Nikon's Coolpix line.

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
Image Stabilization and weatherproofing would be nice, of the two I'd say IS is the biggest difference maker. Extra credit for models that use AA batteries.

[AndyfromVA]

There are many cameras that appear to meet your needs. To name a few, Canon's Powershot "A" series, the Nikon P50 and S700, the Panasonic "FS" series and the Sony "W" series.

[DesertDave]

There are many cameras that appear to meet your needs. To name a few, Canon's Powershot "A" series, the Nikon P50 and S700, the Panasonic "FS" series and the Sony "W" series.

Thanks, Andy! I know there are many that fit the criteria. I was hoping to hear recommendations from users owners and users of those cameras about what makes them particularly recommendation-worthy. :)

[David Metsky]

If image quality is a 10+ then look at the images in the galleries for each camera. That's going to be more important in the end. Also, pick up the cameras in a store and see what is comfortable in your hands.

IMO it's too much to ask for a 10+ image quality if you're not going to be using manual controls. And any compact camera is going to pale in comparison to a DSLR so it's not clear what 10+ means in this context. Finally, more MP does not mean better image quality. In fact, once you go past 8 MP on a compact camera the trend is for worse image quality due to noisy sensors.

Most of these cameras will do pretty poorly in low light without a flash. Inside cathedrals and castles a very steady hand or a tripod will make any compact much better, but you might balk at hauling a tripod. People shots in low light will be more problematic as IS won't help you there. Learn to set the ISO when needed.

Given all that, I think the Canon A720 is a fine choice for your needs.

[DesertDave]

Thanks Dave!

Good point on the 10+ image quality. I suppose it's kind of a canned answer that we all want the best image quality.

To put it in context then - there will be known limits to what any compact/subcompact can produce, I'm looking for the best image quality that can be had given those limitations.

I was not aware of noise issues in higher MP cameras, thanks for the heads up!

[raven15]

The Canon A720 is a good choice.

Also, the Panasonic camera (LZ10?) just reviewed on this site today looks pretty compelling, and meets all your criteria. I think the extra wide angle would be more useful than extra telephoto for tourist pictures.

Maybe that Panasonic camera with the 25mm wide angle...

[SpecialK]

Thanks, Andy! I know there are many that fit the criteria. I was hoping to hear recommendations from users owners and users of those cameras about what makes them particularly recommendation-worthy. :)

That's why Jeff does reviews and provides a buyer's guide at the top of this page.

The older Fuji 31fd reportedly has good low light/high ISO performance, if you can find one.

[KCook]

Another Canon S3 owner here. Perfectly understand why you would want something more handy for a big trip. But do you have a preference between compact and ultracompact? These days there are actually more choices among ultracompacts!

If a compact is Ok, the Nikon Coolpix P60 runs on AAs. But I haven't used one, so take this with a grain of salt ...

Kelly Cook

[DesertDave]

Raven and Kelly - Thanks! Good feedback!

Raven - excellent point about the wide angle possibly being better for the application, you're absolutely right thats probably a better choice between the two foir how I plan to use it.

Kelly - I was *thinking* ultra compact for something to slip easily in and out of a pocket but, at the end of the day, I suppse the delta between compact or ultra is less of a factor than features so; either really.

Special - Yes, I am aware of the buyers guide and have read many of Jeff's excellent reviews. They are a fine source for his take on a camera and a good starting point. This section of the board exists for the users to solicit recommendations from others, hence the original post.

[KCook]

A virtual stampede of hot new ultracompacts is just now coming into the stores. Tempting cameras, but I expect it will be some time before you can expect to see posts by actual owners and users of these new designs ...

Kelly

[AndyfromVA]

The Canon A720 is a good choice.

Also, the Panasonic camera (LZ10?) just reviewed on this site today looks pretty compelling, and meets all your criteria. I think the extra wide angle would be more useful than extra telephoto for tourist pictures.

Maybe that Panasonic camera with the 25mm wide angle...

FYI, here's a post I just read on another camera forum:

Thanks for the inquiry. I have to tell you that I returned the LZ10 and bought a Canon A720 IS for $220 cdn. I wasn't very happy with a lot of the shots I took - not very good image quality! Everything else about the camera was excellent, well thought out, great lens.

[raven15]

Really. The shots posted in the review didn't look too bad, think it was a fluke?

Not saying anything against the A720 of course, since I would still be using an A710 if it wasn't stolen.

[bascom]

I think the best compacts are Canon A650, A720, SX100, and G9. Maybe Fuji S700 and F100. Most of these are well under $500 and small enough for tourists to carry, but none of them have IQ of 10.

[bascom]

Oh you want pocket size. How about Canon SD850, SD890, or SD950?