Hi folks, I thought I'd start this new thread on the smaller digital cameras rather than the larger one that was discussed in an earlier thread.

I have an old Canon S 45 that I bought in 2003, it works fine but it is big and bulky and about half the size of a house brick. I was wondering if you could share with me what kind of "small size" digital camera you use and if you are happy with it.

I am looking for a camera that has at least the following criteria:

1. Must be small in size, something you can put in a top pocket of a polo shirt.

2. Must be at least 5 mega pixels.

3. Must have rechargeable lithium batteries as I don't like continuously buying new batteries.

I am open to all suggestions or would love to hear about your cameras pros and cons. Size is most important to me (bulkiness), I have been looking at items like the Canon Ixus 7.1 and gear like that.

Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

Bill,

There is no glory is lugging around half your weight in photographic equipment. Its just that some people like to have a very high degree of control and performance/quality demands from their cameras. I belong in this group.

I also carry an "old" Nikon 3700 along with my DSLR equipment. Why? I'll let you in on it later.

Lets go thru your requirements:

1. Small in size. Here is the biggest requirement. You will not find any shortage of cameras today that will fit this requirement. Just dont make it "too" small. Remember the smaller you go, the higher chances of misplacing it, dropping it without knowing it. Smaller cameras also have smaller controls. So choose one which is small enough for you but also has its controls usable without carrying a pin to operate it.

2. Must be > 5MP. Most cameras of today will satisfy this too. Its just that unless you plan to print your pics on anything bigger than 4x6, you dont need more than 3MP. If web sharing is your goal, a picture of size greater than screen resolution is useless (size wise) anyway since the screen is your limitation.

3. Lithium batteries. Almost all small cameras use such batteries since AA is not only large in size but also takes up real estate inside a small camera.

What I would add to your requirements:

4. Must have optical image stabilization.

5. Have good low-light performance.

The IXUS line is quite good and I would say that considering your requirements you have made a good choice. You may also want to take a look at Sony cameras (though I am not much of a Sony-fan).

Why do I carry a small camera even though I am lugging around another one 4x its size and weight and cost? Many times you will need someone to take a picture of yourself. And for that you will need to have a camera that is of (for the lack of a better word) average level, parallel to the competency of the average tourist. I have had people hold my DSLR a foot in front of their face like a P&S camera, asking me why they cannot see the image on the LCD. Hence I take a P&S with me so that I just have to show them the click button.

Another advantage in having a second camera is more as a backup to your first. During my recent TT to Europse, we had one gentleman whose one and only camera conked off before their first day on tour. He made do with about 4-5 disposable film cameras. I offered him my backup camera but he reluctantly refused thinking and scared he that might bust this one too!

A camera that I really like and would recommend to you is the Panasonic TZ3 (external link). It is slightly larger than an IXUS but it has a 10x optical zoom along with "decent" low-light performance, Leica lens and really good optical image stabilization.

Edit:

You must understand that smaller cameras offer the convenience with some compromises. The largest ones IMO are optical and usability (since I have slightly large fingers). A secondary concern that increases as the camera size decreases, is the image quality and the build quality. A few years back when Canon introduced the Elph, it was a really small camera and an instant hit with everyone that wanted something light and dainty to increase their own "cuteness" quotient. Apparently they didn't know one basic flaw of the camera's construction, all cogs in the camera (responsible for the lens movement, zoom in-out) were made of plastic which broke/wore out after a few months.

Go in for a camera that has been around for more than a few months. This way you wont become the early worm.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Xponent,

Bill:

I have taken 2 different Fuji digitals on our 2 trips around Europe. Never had a problem with either. The most important thing is to make sure you have a small charger for your batteries as well as extra memory cards.

Hi Bill,
I succumbed to rampant consumerism (it was an unplanned purchase) last year just before I went to Singapore for an unplanned holiday. I say this because my previous digital camera was working fine - absolutely nothing wrong with it! (but now my father has his first digital camera! )

However (despite my previous camera working fine)... I bought a Canon Ixus 860IS. It is small, light, uses a lithium rechargeable battery, has 8.0MP, has image stabilisation, has an optical zoom range starting at 28mm (going up to 105mm I think - the wideangle was a significant factor). It has a nice big lcd screen on the back of the camera (my previous digcamera only had a pretty small one).

Don't ask me about the digital zoom because I don't use that (I've turned it off - I read ages ago that it was basically useless). It does have manual controls as well as various auto functions.

I'm happy with it! (even though I had done basically no research prior to the day I bought it - which is unusual for me).

good luck with your search!

cheers,
ClareS

Santa brought me a Canon A570IS and it is an improvement over my A70 in that the night shots now look great due to the image stabilization.

It has a large LCD screen, uses AAs, and has a grip and a viewfinder - all criteria that are on my need to have list. For me, that small lip to wrap your fingers around is a genuine plus.

It does seem to gobble battery life. It may be time for me to upgrade my batteries - they've been through quite a lot of recharges. I like the AA size, because if you get caught with no battery life on tour, any AAs from a souvenir stand will do the trick.

Thanks so much for your input everyone, much appreciated.

Xponent, thanks also for the extra points 4 and 5 that I should look out for, I didn't know about those. I should be making a decision closer to the time of leaving, cheers all.

Sony Cybershot DSC T200

Travelgroupie.c

Xponent, I was interested in your recommendation of the Panasonic TZ3.

I'm looking for a camera that has good zoom (10 and above) and resolution but I want the manual controls and the viewfinder. I've been reading about the Panasonic DMC-FZ50. Do you know anything about it? Have an opinion? The reviews say that there's heavy noise reduction and it doesn't perform well about 100 ISO...

Well, both the TZ3 (soon to be replaced by the TZ4 and TZ5, announced Jan 2008) and FZ50 are very capable cameras but in different segments.

The TZ3 is a small, fit-in-shirt-pocket type and the FZ50 is more prosumer grade with features (and size, very important factor) being closer to an SLR. The FZ50 is what one would call a transition camera.

Regarding your concern about noise reduction, I urge to use them just as a yardstick and not gospel. The reviews tend to use a particular setup/scene for their tests and real life is much different.

Here is how I would compare them. Look at their size, look at their cost and then look at the technicals. One of them would be the sensor size:MP ratio. The more MP (megapixels) you cram onto a sensor (physical size remaining constant), the noisier would be the resulting image. In this regard, look for one that has a higher size:MP ratio. Disclaimer: The above was a logical guideline and exceptions are bound to arise.

It is my opinion that regardless how good one is at photography, during a tour you will face the situation when you would like to be included in the pic. The "dumber" the camera, the lower the bar for the photographic skills of the person you would be requesting to take your picture. That is the reason I ALWAYS carry my handy Nikon 3700, a lowly 3MP no-frills (by todays standards) camera for such occasions.

Thanks, Xponent. Very logical and helpful answer especially the part about handing off the camera... By the same token, since I often have a tripod with me or just look like I know what I'm doing with a camera, I frequently get asked to take photos for people because they believe I'll know what to do with their cameras. The sad part is that because I never see these people again I don't know how well I did at taking their photos.

Thanks for bringing up that point. I have never considered that aspect that somebody may have cursed me after looking at the outcome of the photograph I took of them. The vast majority of the shots that you ask people to take of yourself are spoilt by motion blur, typically resulting from shaky hands of the photographer.

Getting a camera with IS (image stabilization) helps a wee bit over here. Recently I had the opportunity of playing around with the TZ3 for a few hours. Had I not recently blown close to $2000 on a new SLR plus lenses, I wud have bought it as a replacement for the aging (but still going super strong) Nikon 3700.

The recent cameras from Canon's IXUS line are also very nice in terms of IS but they lack the optical zoom that the TZ3 provides. To many the zoom capability is a must-have.

quote:

Originally posted by ZeldaSue:
Xponent, I was interested in your recommendation of the Panasonic TZ3.

I'm looking for a camera that has good zoom (10 and above) and resolution but I want the manual controls and the viewfinder. I've been reading about the Panasonic DMC-FZ50. Do you know anything about it? Have an opinion? The reviews say that there's heavy noise reduction and it doesn't perform well about 100 ISO...

ZeldaSue: My husband is an unabashed Panasonic fan, we have three digitals in the house (he keeps upgrading) and is active on their on-line forum. Would you like his email--you could I believe private message me.

Hi ZedldaSue, check these three cameras in the store.

1. Canon SD870 (this one goes to 28 mm wide angle)
2. Canon SD750
3. Casio EX-V8

I like the wide angle for traveling. There are not many compact cameras which starts at 28 mm in their zoom range. Most starts at 35 mm.

quote:

Originally posted by Justalex:
I like the wide angle for traveling. There are not many compact cameras which starts at 28 mm in their zoom range. Most starts at 35 mm.

A very valid point indeed. With a P&S camera, many times you miss out on wide angle that is suited for landscape photography.