Help me choose a decent camera...

[Bad Daddy]

Well, I had a nice little Canon SD400, and after 4 years, I broke it....

Now there are so many on the market, I dont know what to get...I returned a Canon SD790IS, but wanted to try another brand... right now, I have a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500.... I like it, but..... Now looking at a Panasonic LX-3. Want to spend around $500 or less, not a DSLR... That's for next year!
Looking for something that can take good action shots, and be reliable, durable, and idiot proof....

I know some of you guys have taken some killer pics over the years, and want to know the gear that did it.

Thanks,

BD

 

[1Fast68]

I just bought a Canon G10 about a week ago for $434. Its about as good of a camera as you will get without going DSLR. So far I am happy with my purchase. Takes very good pictures even in the hands of an everyday Joe such as myself. Once i figure out what some of the features do I'm sure they will get better too.

14.7 megapixels
28x140mm zoom
3" Hi res screen

Go to www.dpreview.com they have reviews, comparisons and anything else all those camera nerds want to know about. The LX-3 and the G10 are basically trying to capture the same market segment so they are very comparable. I read some decent reviews between the 2 cameras and chose the G10.

 

[Bad Daddy]

I looked at the G-10, it seemed bigger than the LX-3... One of the guys at my shop just picked up a G-10.

Hard to find LX-3s, to compare side by side. I have only found 1 in Vancouver.

Lots of G10s, though.

 

[Ex-Member]

heh, i'm in the same boat. Dropped my Sony P52 for the last time... little bugger took thousands of pics over its 6-year lifetime...

I'm lookin to the Sony DSC-H2. Not quite an all-out DSLR, but a little more than a point-and-shoot. Can add lenses/filters, and the 12x optical zoom isn't bad either.

 

[0007]

Why doncha ask Veedy, he does camera's for a living
I have had 3 different canon camera's and after trying some different brand's I would just buy another canon
I bought an SD750 about a year ago and it takes a fantastic picture on automatic in pretty much any light condition's
There's a couple of forum's about camera's and one that just has people's comment's about pretty much every camera ever built, good stuff to read but i cant remember the website, try googling camera consumer report's

 

[oonighttrain]

i had a sony dsc h1.. great camera, took great pics!! for some dumbass reason i decided i needed a nikon d80. you gotta be a brain surgeon to figure this thing out so, i slapped it on ebay.. now, im back in camera shopping mode.. what the fawk does all the 4x, 5x zoom mean? my old sony was 12x zoom.. there is a real nice nikon http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Digital-Camera/26135/COOLPIX-P6000.html has 13.5 megapixels but only like a 4x zoom.. whatever that means..

i was gonna just get the new sony dsc-h50 but, it has only 9.1 megapixels..

anyone help me out with all the zoom talk? 4x, 5x, 18x????

 

[Burndown1]

Kodak M853. Small, amazing picts. Carry it with me sledding. Got a nice padded case and put it inside my coat in front. Videos,zoom, Hell its got more options than I know. Approx 150 bucks, I was impressed.

 

[dangerfield]

i had a sony dsc h1.. great camera, took great pics!! for some dumbass reason i decided i needed a nikon d80. you gotta be a brain surgeon to figure this thing out so, i slapped it on ebay.. now, im back in camera shopping mode.. what the fawk does all the 4x, 5x zoom mean? my old sony was 12x zoom.. there is a real nice nikon http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Digital-Camera/26135/COOLPIX-P6000.html has 13.5 megapixels but only like a 4x zoom.. whatever that means..

i was gonna just get the new sony dsc-h50 but, it has only 9.1 megapixels..

anyone help me out with all the zoom talk? 4x, 5x, 18x????

Just bought a Nikon D60, seems pretty easy to use, just turn the knob on top for mode you want, or leave it in auto. Find it more user friendly than my Sony or Nikon point and shoot. The pixel thing doesn't mean much unless your making poster size pics.

 

[Ex-Member]

Yeap, my old camera was 3.2MP and that was more than adequate for 3x5 prints... although I think my parents printed all of 10 pics that I sent them from that camera... Don't need much more than 4 or so unless you print off huge pics or crop out little tiny pieces of the pic.

 

[spring snow hero]

the olympus stylus 850 is waterproof, as in it takes underwater pics, 8mp, good for drops from 5' and cheap if you buy from cameraland, and ask them to put it on eaby and use the microsoft live search it comes in less then $200bux. small camera, big features and bullet proof.

 

[V-Man]

Our SD400 is still chugging along and when it breaks we'll buy another Canon. We've always liked them, are used to them, and their underwater housings are inexpensive. When we are on vacation we dive and snorkle with it, and even use it swimming and fishing around here. It takes great pictures and we recently added an XSi to the family for more creative picture taking.

 

[Vertical_Escape]

Though you said you weren't ready for DSLR yet, why not spend the money and make 1 big step instead of 2 or more that total more than the DSLR would have been.

Look around and you can find some really good deals on a Canon XT packages. I just bought camera w/basic 18 - 55 mm lenses , case, battery, charger, and spent just over $500. Takes killer pictures and relatively simple to set and shot. The speed it takes pictures is worth the extra cash for it.

 

[Boondock]

I vote for panasonic lumix tz5

I have a TZ1 and it is still working like new.