I have a friend who is going to WDW soon and wants suggestions on a Point & Shoot. ; Her requirements were: Under $500 Idiot Proof "I point...it takes pretty pictures" She did say she has no interest in learning the ins and outs of photography so for her she isn't as interested in a camera that you can really grow with once you learn about the relationship of ISO/Aperture/Shutter Speed I did suggest the Canon PowerShot G11 because I've heard a lot of positive stuff about the G10 and G11. But, I thought I'd come here to see what others can suggest EDITED TO ADD: Size isn't an issue. ; She said she already has a pocket-sized point & shoot but she's needing one that take better pictures for her blog
I would have to lean towards the G11 or one of the newer Fujis right now. ; The G11 gets the nod because it finally went backwards in MP; the wars are over, except in Eurasia, where they still think that consumers want more MP. Consumers may ask for more, but I think the backlash is coming for higher quality.
G11 is a good choice. ; Others that might be worth a look would be the Panasonic FZ series cams (I think the latest is the 35) - they're one of the best of the 'superzooms' with a really nice Leica lens and excellent zoom range...or the Fuji S200EXR, which is practically DSLR sized but has a massive zoom and a larger sensor than most superzooms (1/1.6 vs the more typical 1/2.5). ; I've also seen half-decent samples from the new Fuji HS10 with a positively ridiculous 30x optical zoom!
Have them check out the PowerShot SX120 IS camera. It has a nice 10x optical zoom, 3" LCD, Image stabilization, and takes great pics. If she has no interest in learning the ins and outs of photography, that 10x zoom does wonders for planted feet!
I've been impressed with the Panasonic Lumix Z53 I got my daughter last Christmas. ; All she does is point and click and changes to a different mode once in awhile. ; By the sounds of it, a G11 would be way more than what they need.
I agree with Scott. ; I just purchased a G11, and if they're just interested in green box mode, it's way too advanced. For us dSLR users, on the other hand, it's not a bad compromise if you really need at P&S. ; If only it had readouts in the optical viewfinder!
The g11 may have more modes/options than what she thinks she needs but if IQ is the priority, the g11 has little competition. ; I would suggest she purchases from b&h
I've been testing out a Canon SX20 IS. ; It's my mom's, she's going on an Alaska cruise and wanted something with as much reach as she could get for the wildlife. Hmm... let me try to put this thing in a nutshell.. ; it offers more advanced features (but no RAW) for those who want it, I appreciate that sort of thing but yeah, I get that the friend isn't interested. ; So slash that off the list. It also shoots 720p video and has built in stereo microphones. ; I haven't tested the video except in low light so I can't really rate the quality, but I'm hoping it should turn out to be pretty good. It's bigger than it needs to be if your interest doesn't include long telephoto shooting. ; For that application it's well suited, it has a proper viewfinder so you can hold it up your eye, that should make for a more stable shooting posture. ; But for more general purpose shooting styles it might be a bit bulky, even if you said size isn't an issue. I can't really comment on image quality because I just don't have much experience with point and shoots, I have nothing to compare it to. ; My testing thus far has been pretty limited, just doing test shots of my cat indoors at night using a flash. ; I was just looking to compare sharpness of the tiny, ultra wide range zoom versus a 400mm prime lens on a DSLR. ; It looks better in the comparison than I might have guessed, but keep in mind I was intentionally trying to play to its strengths in using a flash and letting it have as much light as it wanted. ; And the only thing I was looking at was sharpness and detail, I was checking out fur detail. ; I haven't really done any real world shooting with it yet. I like it a lot, but my interests are probably not the same as your friend.
