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

[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.

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

I'm definitely getting tempted by that LX3. Pop a lens adaptor on the front, and it gets most of the way there with the zoom too.

[happydisciple.livejournal.com]

I've got an S90, and it am fab.

Looked at the Lumix LX3, but rejected it because of, err, can't remember anymore. Reviews comparing the two have interesting points, with the vast majority preferring the S90 over the LX3.

My main hesitation before buying the S90 was the UI, and specifically the (reportedly) rather free-turning control wheel on the back. But then I found a simple hardware hack that would fix that should it be a problem, went ahead and bought an S90 and... didn't find the control ring a problem at all. Mileage may vary.