Do you own a point and shoot? If so which one?

[Spinning]

Not sure where exactly to post this. But everyone here has given me great advice I thought maybe you can direct me!
My husband and son are going to New Mexico this summer hiking for 2 weeks. He will not back pack with my canon, which I can't blame him. we also own a fuji 5000, again he says too big and too heavy. We have a Fujifilm FinePix XP2014 MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom and 2.7-Inch LCD which does an ok job for the cost. But has no zoom.
And is older....this is a trip of a life time. He is not nearly concerned about photos as I would be cause I swear I would lug my dslr and forgo clothes! LOL!
Plus I thought it would be nice if my son had the fuji so we would get his view of the trip....so any suggestions? It needs to be light and small!
I looked at this one: Nikon COOLPIX S9100 12.1 MP CMOS Digital Camera with 18x NIKKOR ED Wide-Angle Optical Zoom Lens and Full HD 1080p Video
It is very reasonable and seems to have good reviews.
I have a few months to pick one out and then he needs some time to get use to it.

[TheWengler]

This sounds like a "which camera should I buy" thread, so that's where I'd post it. To me it sounds like your husband doesn't want another camera so why not just take the smaller Fuji that you already have. Unless everyone on the trip is into photography, one camera is plenty. Also, 5x optical zoom doesn't equal no zoom.

[Spinning]

Thanks. He actually is happy I am looking. It just needs to be small and light weight. He is very concern about pack weight. Which I understand. They are bringing everything with them. He will take pictures but he isn't like me that see this as a photo opportunity of a life time! LOL!
the 5x isn't bad and is great for snapshots. But a little more reach and a better quality camera will help preserve the memory.

[TheWengler]

Haha, ok. I think most compacts have a similar zoom range. The Canon S95 was popular. You're talking to someone who'd take a DSLR, two lenses, a tripod and a bunch of filters backpacking. David Metsky answers a lot of these types of questions over in the other forum section I metioned earlier. He'd be a good person to ask.

[David Metsky]

I read here too, but I agree this would be better in a more general forum.

[David Metsky]

But, since I'm here...

Getting more zoom is going to cut into image quality. It's simply a fact of life. If you are willing to sacrifice some of the DSLR image quality you can meet your needs. I'd look at the compact ultrazooms, something like the Panasonic ZS15/20, the Canon SX260, or the Sony HX9. Do you need GPS? If not, you can save some money and battery life.

One disadvantage of these cameras is that none have viewfinders of any kind. I have resisted going to one of these for hiking for that reason. In bright sunshine the LCDs are difficult to use, and they're awful for trying to track a fast moving object (such as a skier). In low light they will produced adequate shots, but you might need the flash a lot more than you're used to.

For hiking and scenery, the wide angle is more important than the telephoto. All of these cameras provide enough of both but there are differences. They all take OK shots at full zoom, so don't expect miracles from a hand held shot at 480mm.

Is HD video important to you? Check the specs on these models as not all have full HD. The Canon (I think) only shoots at 24fps which is annoying for fast action.

I would also consider a higher quality P&S like the Canon S100, G12, or G1 X, the Fuji X10, or the Olympus XZ-1. They offer much higher image quality in a small package without the big zoom. Some have optical viewfinders that will feel more natural to a DSLR user.

[FLiPMaRC]

Have you considered one of the those rugged waterproof cameras since it is a hiking trip. My pick would be the Panasonic TS4: http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-Wate.../ref=pd_cp_p_3

Don't forget extra batteries since it's a 2 week hiking trip without AC outlets