AKICOLJ

[bellinghman]

My 5 year old Casio Excilim has died. Rather, its lens is not zooming properly, graunching in and out and not actually zooming properly.

So I'm looking for a new camera, one that can fit in a (possibly large) pocket as opposed to a full DSLR. I'm also looking at the possibility of something that I can take down under instead of lugging my DSLR all that way, so a bridge camera of some sort seems indicated. Oh, and the Canon G11, though very nice looking, is more than I'm looking to spend.

So, small, light, decent sensor, good optics, good digital zoom (to go from macro all the way out to telephoto equivalent). GPS tagging looks like a cute idea. Movie clips nice, but not required. Weirdo memory cards disliked (Sony, I'm looking at you) but not a deal-breaker.

Suggestions? Recommendations? Warnings? Digital cameras killed the film industry, you insensitive clod?

Comments

[tisiphone.livejournal.com]

I am greatly in love with my Panasonic Lumix LX3, which fulfils all those requirements except the zoom. However, it is possible to purchase a zoom lens from Opteka for it (which I have not yet done).

(I should note that it does have a macro setting and, I think, 2.5x optical zoom. So it's not that it doesn't zoom at all, just not very much for distance.)

[autopope.livejournal.com]

If the G11 is too expensive, look at the Canon S90. I had one in Japan, took just shy of a thousand snaps with it, and it's now feorag's compact. (Best compact I ever owned, but I wanted something rather more powerful, and when I got home I found micro-4/3 had finally dropped into my price range, so I acquired an Olympus E-PL1. Which is pricier and bulkier than the G11, but crams an entry-level DSLR into a smaller package.)

Disadvantages: the S90 doesn't have the same zoom range as the G11, doesn't have an optical viewfinder, and doesn't have the tilt/swivel display. Otherwise, it's the same CCD and same processor as the G11, in a compact body.

Alternatively, you might want to scope out the Panasonic Lumix LX3. I believe nojay has good things to say about his.

[pir.livejournal.com]

I've got a G9 and haven't yet seen any reason to upgrade further to a G10 or G11. Older versions might be fine for you and cheaper.

[ewx.livejournal.com]

I’ve been sticking with second-hand for my non-DSLR camera.