compact camera for experienced user ?

[karkus30]

I am an experienced amateur photographer, but gave up taking photos due to the weight and faff needed to hawk around camera bags and SLRs. My wife recently took up the cudgel and I bought her one of the Canon EOS 300D which she has started using.

We went to the USA last year and took her little snap shot Ricoh FF9, the scenery was stunning so I took a few pictures, even one from the balcony of our hotel in New York at night, looking into Time Square. Now when we arrived home we got prints and the results were amazing, so I had the photos enlarged and framed.

So, I thought, hmmm, maybe if i bought a simple point and shoot compact with a few frills and a really great lens for scenic shots only (I dont do much portraiture). So I started looking and I thought at first to buy a film camera as its more likely that I would develop the shots, then it seems film cameras are more expensive than digital. Maybe I should be buying digital and investing in a HQ printer like the Kodak Pro 1400 ?

The list of possibilities is enormous and I am finding a great deal of difficulty tracking down the ideal one. So, heres a bit of a wish list, maybe someone can help me out.

1. simple to use, but with some features like focus hold, spot metering and bulb.

2. Great lens, really crisp and suited for panoramas so 28mm-80mm is good enough.

3.Pixel quality good enough for large prints 14"x9" or there abouts (it would seem that it requires around 8meg to do this.)

4. Flash for fill shots.

5. Doesnt need a case, must be robust and take a few knocks and a bit of rain and be totally reliable. I dont want to be a test subject for something brand new.

6. Must have a proper viewfinder, I hate those LCD backs for framing pictures.

7. Fast and quiet - if its digital I really dont want any delays.

8. Good battery life.

9. No weird films or batteries that I cant buy over the counter at the average shop and that takes normal memory cards.

10. An ability to charge up anywhere without the need to worry about mains surges causing problems.

11. Good night shooting ability.

12. Great auto metering-the Ricoh does this really well.

13 Not bothered about looks as long as it performs, it doesnt need to be super tiny, just an average small compact.

14. Price, well if I can get something for a couple of hundred quid or near. If there is something extraordinary then maybe I can stretch a bit.

Please don't suggest an SLR, I find them too cumbersome and TBH I take more pictures with less distractions by using something simple. Mostly I take better shots with a compact. The SLRs are great when you have time to consider the shot and want a hobby.

[Ikki]

Getting wideangle in a non slr is the biggest problem, but two cameras spring to mind:

Kodak P880 24-140mm, getting good user reviews with the latest firmware.

Panasonic FX-01 28-102mm, noise seems to be an issue.

There are also top end prosumers like:

Samsung pro815
Fujifilm Finepix S9500

[beachy]

how about the canon a620 7mp, you can now pick it up for about £190 great reviews on www.dpreview.com

[senu]

...Or the Canon ( yes ..another Canon ) Powershot Pro One.
Review Here
Too much like an SLR ? you decide
It can be used as point and shoot or fully manual : great USM L fluorite lens 28-200 and 8 megapixel ccd ( not the cmos used by 350, 20 or 30D)
Looking thru your ( rather substantial) wish list is the need for a proper viewfinder.
I doubt that any non SLR has a "proper " optical viewfinder but this comes pretty close with its high resolution colour LCD view finder
It is a fantastic camera and would put some budget DSLR to shame. Its lens certainly leaves the 300/ 350D kit lens at the starting blocks

[karkus30]

The P880 looks intriguing...........very small, looks like a full size SLR until you compare it to a CD. I can live with most of the features. Cant gauge the size of the Cannon pro ? looks full size too, but maybe its deceptive.

I looked at the A620, but I think that the Kodak Z series seems to perform better.

[Ikki]

I have an A620 and love it, it's a brilliant camera for the money. It does most things that you want - with one major exception, the lens is 35-140mm, which is why I didn't mention it.

I really like the spec of the Kodak p880, it has a really good Schneider Kreuznach 24-140 lens, ideal for panorama shots.

[senu]

Originally Posted by karkus30

The P880 looks intriguing...........very small, looks like a full size SLR until you compare it to a CD. I can live with most of the features. Cant gauge the size of the Cannon pro ? looks full size too, but maybe its deceptive...

It certainly will not slip into your pocket but it is compact even compared to the dimunitive 350D, when off.

The zoom (28-200mm) does jut out when in use and the Lens hood gives it a "grown up" appearance. That is of course not meant to be on permanently . Relative size notwithstanding, it is still an extremely capable prosumer "compact" and I would get one ( for myself) if I could for when using the DSLR seems inappropriate (ie where some "discreetness" is desirable)
In addition to a film SLR and 350D I currently have a Fuji602Z (a not-too-compact prosumer ) but often find myself comparing its performance (perhaps unfairly) to the 350D

[karkus30]

Thanks to all. I think I have found my camera, Canon G6, seems to do what I want, expensive, but Ebay has a few of them s/hand. Controls are similar to my wifes EOS and so is the charger, which means we take less abroad and only need one set of software.