Looking for compact digicam under $300

[chocochicka]

Budget
* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible.
<$300

Size
* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
Anything but SLR-like :confused:

Features
How many megapixels will suffice for you?
>8mpx

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)
Any

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

Do you care for manual controls?
Yes

General Usage
* What will you generally use the camera for?
Outdoor, scenery, interesting object, party

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
Yes

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
Yes, occasionally

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
No, rarely

Miscellaneous
Are there particular brands you like or hate?
No

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
Leica D-Lux 4, Canon Ixus 980

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
- Image Stabilization
- Shockproof
- Waterproof (optional)

[Beowulff]

Sorry; I'm confused.....

You state a budget of less than $300, but then quote a Leica D-Lux 4 as one of your choices.

As far as I know, this camera is worth around $800.

Cheers :)

[chocochicka]

well, yeah, Leica D-Lux 4 and Canon ixus 980 are on my wish list actually, and I was amazed by their image samples I saw on another forums. So it's actually 'something on my mind' when I create this thread, which is definitely over budget for me (Leica D-Lux 4 = $699, Ixus 980 = $399) :confused:.

So, I'm asking for any opinions about the best camera I could buy < $300..:rolleyes:

[jekostas]

The Leica D-Lux 4 is the same camera as the Panasonic LX-3, which can be had for about $250 cheaper. Same lens, same body, same accessories, same CCD, slightly modified firmware.

[chocochicka]

that's exactly what i have in mind too! many sites compares this two things and some of it ended choosing Leica because of it's brand! I'm not brand-minded though, so Panasonic LX3 is could be an option to me, if it cost less than $300 (on ebay, its still around $499 :()

There's another model I had in mind:
- Sony Cybershot W170 and W300 ($270-amazon and $300-ebay)
- Olympus Stylus Mju 1050 SW ($200 on ebay)
- Fujifilm FinePix F100fd (from $210 on ebay)

Any thoughts?

[AndyfromVA]

The Olympus Stylus 1050 is good only if you want a waterproof camera. Otherwise it doesn't measure up to the others on your list. The Sony W300 is an excellent camera (number one rated by Consumer Reports) and it's currently available for $269 from Amazon.com, with free shipping.

[chocochicka]

Hmmm....I don't have any plan to go diving or something,actually, that needed a waterproof camera... should I just buy a waterproof casing ? What is the difference between Olympus stylus 1050 SW and Olympus stylus mju tough 8000 ??

[heyheyhey]

The Sony W300 is an excellent camera (number one rated by Consumer Reports) and it's currently available for $269 from Amazon.com, with free shipping.

I have a good friend who has the sony w300 & they are happy. I've had a quick play as well and its pretty good value for $269 http://imagesshack.info/88l770.jpg

[KCook]

I don't know of any waterproof cameras with manual controls. Certainly not from Olympus! The better waterproof housings for regular cameras are pretty expensive. Least expensive waterproof camera now on the market is the new Fuji Z33WP. You could make that one half of a 2-camera set. Let the other camera have the advanced features that you want. The issue then would be to decide which camera to buy first.

Kelly Cook