Camera peeps, any advice?

[LeftyMom]

My old Nikon is officially on it's last leg. Nothing major, the battery door is getting iffy and it shuts off at inconvenient moments, but it's old, slow and bulky, and honestly I was planning on replacing it soon anyhow.

I played with the idea of getting a DSLR, but past experience back when I was shooting film tells me that with a bulky camera I miss too many great shots because my camera's on my dining room table, so I'd rather go with a good quality P&S.

I don't need a lot of ability to change my settings manually, or feel the need to get all geekily obsessed about the best possible performance (thankfully, as I really can't afford another expensive hobby.) My main concerns are that my camera be able to take a picture reasonably fast, perform well in low light, and be reasonably durable. As long as I can stuff my camera in the pocket of my hoodie I'm not overly concerned about size or weight, though relative compactness is certainly convenient.

Any suggestions for brands or models to look at or stay away from? I know I probably shouldn't get another Nikon because they tend to be slow and aren't especially great in low light, either, though I like mine in other respects.

[Mz Pip]

1. I started out my digital experience

with a SONY p&s and really liked it. It's 5 years old now and only a 3.2 megapixel but it still takes good pictures as long as you don't want to blow them up to enormous sizes.

[Celebration]

2. I would love to hear what others say about this

I actually love my digital point and shoot, but it is already outdated. It is a Kodak V603 or something like that, and is not made anymore.

I'd like a newer better quality point and shoot. I was thinking about this one since I like Kodak--

http://www.amazon.com/Kodak-EasyShare-Digital-Optical-Stabilized/dp/B00132MMVE/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1226341480&sr=8-1

But, I will probably wait until the next incarnation, holding out for the slimness of the one I have now. The one I was considering you can put in a coat pocket, but not in the pocket of your shorts. When I was at the beach last summer with some folks I was one of the few people that got beach pictures, because most people didn't want to lug their bigger cameras along while walking on the beach.

[ManiacJoe]

3. As a general rule, wanting

the camera (1) to take a picture reasonably fast (short shutter lag) and (2) to perform well in low light are reasons to move away from P&S cameras to DSLRs. However, P&S cameras have been getting better at both over the years. (How much better might be open for debate.) DPReview.com makes it easy to compare camera models.

[priller]

6. I agree with this.

These are contradictory desires, at least for now. If you want a small P&S, you won't get speed or good low-light performance.

The Fujifilm F31fd from a few years ago was a step in the right direction. 6MP camera with very decent ISO800 performance, and even usable at ISO1600. But it was slow (due to xD cards) and since then Fuji has joined the megapixel race, losing some of its low-light goodness in the process. Too bad.

The Sigma DP-1 is probably the only current camera that has a DSLR-level sensor in a small body. But it is very expensive, has a fixed wide-angle lens, and is reportedly very slow in operation.

To me the most interesting development in recent months is the announcement of the "micro 4/3rds" camera standard. That will conceivably allow development of DSLR-quality cameras in a much smaller form factor, hopefully around Leica rangefinder size. Now THAT would be interesting!

[alfredo]

4. I like Canon. Link to dp review

This site is pretty good.
http://www.dpreview.com/

[OwnedByFerrets]

5. I will second going with the Canons.....

and doing your research on www.dpreview.com

[Fumesucker]

7. I've been researching quite a bit on compact digitals...

I like the Pentax Optio M50, 8 megapixels, reasonably priced, decent low light capability and a 5x optical zoom with good quality.

Another one I like is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS5, 10 megapixel, 30mm wide angle with 4x Leica optical zoom, decent low light capability and also reasonably priced.

For a bit more money the Lumix DMC-FZ4 seems like a great camera and gets very good reviews, 8 megapixels, 10x Leica zoom with a 28mm wide angle combined with decent low light performance. A big chunk of the functionality of a DSLR with at least a couple of lenses for a lot less money and still put it in your pocket and forget its size..

I've had a 4 megapixel Pentax Optio, it was a good camera (in fact my brother is still using it), I've also had two Lumix cameras, one with a Leica 12x zoom and 2 megapixels and another with a Leica 18x zoom and 8.1 megapixels, both lenses were great and got me some very good action sports shots and the occasional wildlife closeup too.

I usually look at trustedreviews.com, they don't seem to mind saying surprisingly negative things about gear they test, I also look at customer's reviews on Amazon.com.

[Alameda]

8. I'm late on this thread....but....I got a Casio EX S600 and LOVE it

the shutter is pretty fast. It's small enough I can keep it with me all the time. I'm happy with the print quality. I've had it for almost two years, so it may be time to upgrade, but this one keeps on putting out great shots. I have friends with Canons and Nikons, but mine takes better shots. I'm able to shoot in very little light with good results, and I've taken shots of games and it froze the action very well.

[Fumesucker]

9. Self Delete.. decided to make an OP instead...