Looking to upgrade/downsize my camera

[bears387]

Hello everyone, just want to first say that this site/forum is great. I'm roaming through reviews and trying to see what some of the newer advances in point and shoot cameras are.
The camera I currently have is an old Kodak DX6440. It is a 4mp 4x optical zoom. It has manual controls although the only times i've ever had the patience to play with them is when i use a tripod and am taking pictures of nature/cars etc. One of my main knocks about the camera is that the flash makes peoples faces look terrible imo and that the camera is too big for me to keep in my pocket at all times. I dont typically use the manual settings for normal use because its more of a pain then its worth in my opinion for taking pictures of events/parties/sports. Sorry if this is rambling, i'm just trying to provide some of my experiences with my current camera.

Which camera should I buy?

This short questionnaire will help the rest of us make good camera recommendations for you. Please answer each question carefully and succinctly.

The questions marked with a * are the most important.

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Budget $300-$350, the less the better though

Size
I am looking for a ultracompact (something that will easily fit in my pocket)

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?
The 4.0 MP camera I have now doesn't really leave me wishing for more clarity so I dont think I need some of the 10+ mp cameras
* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)
Standard is probably fine, but something in the 5-7X range would probably come in handy
* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
8, Anything better than what my current camera can produce.

Do you care for manual controls?
I dont mind having them, they come in handy for still images, but definately not a necessity. I'd prefer for the camera to be able to automatically detect what needs to be done
General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?
Events/parties/trips/nature
* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
Nope, dont make very many prints, mostly store them on the PC

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
Yes, i have issues with my current camera with this where i get blur due to hand movement which i'm hoping the newer IS features will help cure

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
I go outdoors a lot, so sports/action would be nice.

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?
I like whatever brand produces the best camera for me:)
Are there particular models you already have in mind?
Not really, the panasonic and sony lineups seems pretty nice though
(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
Image Stabilztion is a must, wide angle would be nice but not a must have



I appreciate anyones reponses, I dont know anything about what cameras are like now adays.

[Ken.]

The Panasonic TZ's are quite nice, no manual controls but an excellent lens. The Canon A-IS series is very good, too, if you need a viewfinder but the 5-7x range hurts there. The 6440 is a big solid camera, I had one and it's still chugging along with a relative. Take a look at the Olympus Stylus 1020 (with an miniSD card, the XD's are bizarre). Nice camera, very compact.

[David Metsky]

Keep in mind that most blurry photos in low light are not really from hand movement, but from slow shutter speed. IS helps, but is not a cure all. If you are trying to take a shot without a flash in low light there aren't any compact cameras that will guarantee a clean shot. Your subject is moving even if the camera isn't.

Good high ISO performance is the most important feature for low light.

[KCook]

Size
I am looking for a compact (one of the ones that are thinner than 1")

Cameras as slim as 1 inch are "ultracompact", not "compact". Most of the cameras talked about so far are over 1 inch. The Fuji F100fd, Panasonic FX500, Sony W150, and Sony W170 all have a thickness of 0.9 inch.

Kelly Cook

[bears387]

Ken - thanks for the pointers, I dont need a viewfinder or the 5-7x range, just if there was a camera with the 5-7 that fit what I needed it would be nice. I'm going to go look at cameras in person this weekend, i was wanting something that easily slides into my pocket and i'm not sure if the Panazonic TZ's and Canna A - IS series will be to big or not with the with the larger grips they have.


David Metsky- I know its the slow shutter speed that provides most of the blurriness. It seems like IS will help, but maybe i am hoping that it will help to much, those close up photos of the calculator in the reviews definately make it seem like it could be usefull. This is a feature i've never used before, just reading about it seemed as though it was something I would want. I'm also not looking for perfect, its a compact so i know it'll be far from it, but it will be easy to have on me whenever i need it witch outweighs the below par pictures for the most part. On the ISO performance, i saw that the old FUJI F30s had good ISO performance but some of the newer ones not so well. Are there any of the compacts that fit in your pocket that have good ISO performance you could recommend?

Kcook - thanks for the ultra compact correction, i'll update my post. I'm going to check out some of the other compacts and see if the'll fit in my pocket easily or not. Out of those that you recommended which do you think has the best ISO performance?

[KCook]

I had a Canon with optical IS. This really was helpful with still scenes. I think what David is saying is that low light blurriness is often a combination of slow shutter speed plus subject motion. If your subject is hopping around then the optical IS is useless.

As for ISO performance it's my view that is mostly an "eye of the beholder" issue. All of these high density sensors are going to have noise. So it's their noise reduction that really matters. Some folks prefer a smooth rendering, heavy noise reduction. Some prefer the old fashioned film look, light noise reduction. With flavors in between. If you're really fussy about noise, then buy from a store that makes returns easy. You may end up trying more than one camera to find your personal sweet spot.

Kelly

[bears387]

Yea, i didn't think it would help with moving objects. Just when i put my kodak in nightmode I have a hard time making non-blurry images sometimes of still objects. I definately do not have the most steady hand haha. I'm planning to go to circuit city or best buy this week to see what they have and hopefully play around with them in the store. Does CC or BB have the good/easy return/exchange policy? Unlike most people in my age bracket (22) i prefer purchasing things from bricks and mortar stores versus online, lots of times the'll price match too i've noticed or the'll atleast come down.

[CariB]

I do not know about CC, but I understand that BB charges a restocking for returned digital cameras.

I have made purchases from Staples, Walmart and Kmart. All have been good with returns -- no hassle. As I recently purchased a camera from Staples, I know they allows returns within 14 days, but do not recall the return times for the other two stores.

Although not a brick -n- mortar store, I have found Amazon.com to be great with returns as long as it is done within 30 days.

Cari

[KCook]

I've been buying my cameras lately from a Ritz store. Their return policy does not have any restocking fee, full refund. However, the window for returns is only 10 days.

Kelly