Anyone know a lot about digital cameras and want to reccomend one to me please???

[Astrophe]

We have one, but its 3 years old and it getting really slow, doesn't focus well etc, so its time for a new one.

We are going traveling for 3 months in August, so it needs to be light enough to throw in a back pack (not tiny, but not massive).

Will be mostly for outdoor photos, but our current camera is really terrible inside, so we don't want that again (flash photos with current camera are awful).

A reasonable zoom would be good - for taking close up portraits and the like.

I have no idea of costs, but do know that our budget is limited, so the lower the better!

TIA

Um, not an expert on all compact cameras, but all compacts should be better than one from 3 years ago. Also the flash on most of them seems better now - less harsh.

Still, some have better low-light performance than others. I think Fuji ones are good for that generally.
I would say 7 to 8 MP is max you need - more just introduces more image noise.

I have a canon ixus 8 something which I'm happy with.

I also might have considered the olympus that is shockproof and waterproof (A bit, anyway0. Think it's been advertised with a child using it.

Don't rely on the camera shop staff for advice - try websites and personal recommendations.

A spare battery is a good investment for travelling too.

thanks redadmiral, shall think on all of that

Do they generally have a battery like a mobile phone these days? Ours has 4 AA ones. Its a Cannon- we were pleased with it when we got it, and its easy to use, but def too old now.

Think it varies - some still have AA batteries.

A spare battery can be quite pricey actually, but I suppose it's cheaper than constantly getting AAs?

We use rechargable AAs, but often lose them .

Any thoughts on these?

5700

5600

???

www.boots.com/shop/product_details.jsp?productid=1077683&wblinktype=C04S1R03B01&classificatio nid=1044026

Reviews on this one on Amazon are great.

canon ixus70 fab camera

no stupid aa batteries,proper one that recharges quickly and runs for ages and ages.

no delay when taking photos

simple to use

I love mine.

I'm not familiar with the ones you've shown me, but they look good for the money. See if you can find some more reviews or feedback on them. (DPReview is good.)

I spent a long time researching what I wanted, then just got confused and bought the updated model of my old one. Bit like ggirl's, but next model up

I'm happy with it, but you still get the shutter lag and noise at high ISO's. Flash is more useable though then previous one I had.

More expensive than the one's you showed mind.

You don't need RAW unless you are going to Photoshop the images. You can end up with better pics that way, but otherwise JPEGS are better quality - sharper and punchier.

Sorry ggirl - not contradicting you - I have a DSLR with no shutter lag so I notice it more on a compact...

redadmiral-at least you sound like you know what you're talking about

definite thumbs up here for canon ixus... we had a the canon ixus 3.0 i think and now we're on the ixus 5....definitely great and worth it!

hmmmm, looking for a bit more zoom than the ixux - maybe this Canon powershot zoom - but maybe we don't need th zoom?

How is the ixux with flash on? slow?

We have a Canon a570is which is absolutely brill. We bought the best rechargable AA batts we could find,which last a really long time. If you forget to charge them you can always buy some mormal AA batts as an emergency measure, which is not an option with the other kind of batteries. This month's computer shopper rated the new version (canon a720is) as 'best buy'at £125, It actually took 518 shots with 2700 NiMH batts which are what we use.
Their reviews usually provide reliable independent info.

I find my Ixus slow when the flash is on.

Maybe you should up the budget and try an entry level DSLR? Maybe a second hand one?

Also the canon powershot you linked to looks like a good price. Do the reviewers like it?

We currently have the canon powershot A85 - more than 3 years old. It chews batteries, but I gather it must be better in more recent cameras. We did like it, but its getting past it - really slow, doesn't focus well etc.
I think the one I linked to below is the same as yours gordon, but with a bigger zoom. It does look good, with the added bonus of being able to use our current Compact Flash cards, and knowing the basic layout of the canon...now, to convince DH, who I think was hoping for something new and different.

Yeah, the powershot sx100 seems to have generally good reviews - between a 7.5 and 8.5 out of 10. Slowness seems to be the biggest down point, but I'm sure it much faster than what we have.

TBH, I doubt we will use half its functions, but just want the bigger zoom that the ixux has. so wouldn't go for an slr

Glad you've found something. have a great trip.

thanks redadmiral. May be back, if DH says no to canon powershot though

Aren't there mags that review the latest cameras? What Camera or something like that? They usually do a really useful roundup of what's available currently and the best buys for low/medium/high budget price range.