Anybody here bought a compact digital camera lately?

[LVSteve]

Been researching compact cameras as a Xmas present for my girlfriend. I've been away from the subject for a while and the choice is mindboggling. The combinations of sensor size, pixel count and video capabilities seem endless.

I have settled on a few baseline specs.

1) >12 MP.
2) 2/3 or 1 inch sensor
3) 1080P @30 frames/s minimum video.
4) Lens or sensor stabilization.

Any specific suggestions/experience amongst the membership?

 

[Drm50]

Don't know beans about them, I use mine daily for pics of rentals
Before and Afters. It just crapped out last week. I want to buy
the simplist model adiquate, without spending a arm and leg.
Wife just took one back to Wally World that had to be used with
a computer. I aslo need suggestions on purchase.

 

[bigwheelzip]

If your a member, Costco usually has a few like that, especially this time of year.

 

[armorer951]

I used a Canon S100 at work. Small and portable, but having features common to larger SLR cameras. I think the latest is the S110. I'm not sure the size of the sensor meets your specs, but it does have stabilization, and a very fast f2.0 lens compared to some others.

 

[vt_shooter]

Sony's new RX100 V looks pretty incredible - but it'll set you back a $grand.
Fast Five: Sony Cyber-shot RX100 V Review: Digital Photography Review

 

[JohnRippert]

Do they still make them? What with smartphones and their cameras getting so much better I would not be surprised if the compact camera goes by the wayside. I have a old Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX12 that is still chugging along. Everything else I do is with my Canon 50D's

 

[kwselke]

FedEx delivered this one to me last week, Canon PowerShot SX410 IS. It's a refurbished model that came with a small SD memory card, a case, free shipping, and a full 1 year warranty for $129 plus tax; direct from Canon USA. The going rate for the model new without memory and case is about $200. It has 20.0 mega pixels, 40x optical zoom, but only does 720p video. The IS stands for Image Stabilization. It is a bit bigger than most pocket cameras, but that zoom lens is impressive. Just finished reading the manual this afternoon. I'm very pleased with it so far.

Edit: Added picture of 11 year old Olympus, which was taken with the Canon before reading anything but the quick start instructions.

 

[bigwheelzip]

DP Review is my go-to guide for a serious camera search.

This interactive search engine by camera feature ought to get you where you want to be.

DPReview camera search engine!

 

[LVSteve]

DP Review is my go-to guide for a serious camera search.

This interactive search engine by camera feature ought to get you where you want to be.

DPReview camera search engine!

Phil Askey has always done good reviews. I'll go and use that tool. Hadn't seen it before.

 

[Rule3]

As mentioned above DP review is a great place to search.

Today's cameras are all good. Like computers the technology changes so fast. You get more for less.

Don't get caught up in MP amount. The huge MP is only needed for blowing up portrait size pictures 10MP is more than enough for picture taking.

I like cameras with a good OPTICAL lens and Zoom.

 

[DWalt]

I also believe that free-standing cameras will soon become things of the past, as those appearing in mobile devices have the same (or higher) capabilities. I recently bought a used Canon Coolpix L30 from an eBay listing for $20 (to replace an earlier Canon L26 which I dropped and broke). When it arrived, it was in perfect condition with original box and papers, and I'd bet it had never been used. It works perfectly, I have taken over 200 pictures with it so far with no malfunctions. It has every possible feature anyone could want.

Two musts for me - First, it needs an SD chip slot. Second, it must use replaceable AA batteries. I have not yet needed to replace the two AA batteries (Energizers) in the Canon L30.

I have thought about buying one of the more expensive SLR-type digital cameras, but as the Canon L30 does anything I'll ever want to do, I can't sell myself on spending $500+ on one.

 

[chief38]

I have two Digital cameras (Canon brand) but now that the iPhone 7 camera works so darned well and I ALWAYS have it with me, I doubt I will ever use the real cameras again!

 

[Skeptic 9c]

Check out the Christmas Gift issue of Consumer Reports (TM) (And they MEAN it!)
Geoff
Who has an Old Kodak he never finds time to learn...life always in the way!

 

[Muley Gil]

I've had good luck with the Sony DSC-W830. Fits in your shirt pocket, though I carry mine in a case in one of the cargo pockets of my trousers.

 

[Salty RI]

I have two Digital cameras (Canon brand) but now that the iPhone 7 camera works so darned well and I ALWAYS have it with me, I doubt I will ever use the real cameras again!

I read recently, that more pictures are taken on a phone than any other camera.

 

[Boudiepitbull]

I bought a Pentax a few years ago that was that is water resistant to a few meters. Good for the rain and motorcycle touring. The truth is my outdated Samsung Galaxy 5 has a camera that is just as good or better under most conditions, plus I can edit, email, and text images directly from my phone.

 

[Pop's2]

I have owned two Olympus and two Canon's' Paid over $1000 for my first digital camera a Model C2000Z; a very good camera but very proprietary.

Bought the Canon PowerShot SX410 IS this summer for taking pics of the birds in Mn. Works very well.

click on image for larger image

 

[DWalt]

Not too long ago, I pulled out my very first digital camera, a Kodak from ca. 2000. It doesn't have very many features, has only a single-focus length lens (no zoom, but it has a close-up setting), and the resolution is not very high, I think only about 2 megapixels. But it does have one feature not seen much today, an optical viewfinder, which I really prefer to using the little video screen, especially in bright sunlight. I used that Kodak camera extensively until I got a Canon L26 maybe 6-7 years ago, and it worked dandy for making good-quality 4x6 prints, and also for attaching pictures to e-Mails, documents, etc. Today, it's more or less held in "reserve" status, just in case the Canon L30 I now have ever becomes inoperable. Old technology is not necessarily bad technology.

I had to buy a cheap Vivitar digital camera (I think about $40) at Big Lots store about 7 years ago, as I was out of town on a job without a camera, and suddenly and unexpectedly needed one for project documentation. It was more or less similar to the early Kodak previously mentioned. I later gave it away, but I can't fault the results I got with it.

 

[Tom K]

Phil Askey has always done good reviews. I'll go and use that tool. Hadn't seen it before.

It's been years since Askey owned dpreview. But it's still the best resource for info.

 

[DavidWJ]

Compact cameras are really not that much better than cell phone cameras, unless they can accommodate removable full-size lenses. However, if you really can afford one, get the largest sensor possible. CMOS is good but CCD is better.