advise me on camera

[vorsprung]

I'd like a compact camera that is less than 200 quid, point and click.
Obviously there are millions of choices for cameras like this
Any I should avoid?  Any that seem particularly good?

I thought the "Olympus Stylus Tough 6010" looked good as it seemed indestructible

[pcolbeck]

Point and click what though ? People, landscapes, do you want zoom or macro ? Nearly all the cameras from the main manufacturers are very good these days but some are better than others at specific tasks.

[David Martin]

Point and click what though ? People, landscapes, do you want zoom or macro ? Nearly all the cameras from the main manufacturers are very good these days but some are better than others at specific tasks.

Canon A series or S series. Can't really go very far wrong with those unless you drop it in water.
Or a Sony cybershot but they have expensive memory cards.

..d

[Jaded]

Or a Panasonic.

[Fixedwheelnut]

Another Canon fan here I have a Canon A570is that is point and shoot but has manual override features as well. 

[Tewdric]

Anne has a Nikon P5000 which is superb.  There's a good example of the replacement P6000 on the bay at present -

Nikon COOLPIX P6000 Digital Camera on eBay (end time  06-Dec-09 18:00:12 GMT)

They have robust metal bodies and are lovely to use, and yet offers a manual exposure mode, fairly sophisticated bracketing and raw file format, so if you know a bit about photography they're very versatile.

[andygates]

To confuse further, I love my Casio Exilim.  Small and tough, and now there's a rugged one in the range that I'd buy if mine was, say, smashed by the polis. 

[LEE]

I'm seriously considering a Pentax Optio W60 after seeing some results on the FNRttC thread (Cycle Chat).

It has a 28 - 140mm lens and is waterproof.  That counts for a lot when you cycle I think.

I think all the time-lapse videos of FNRttC are shot on one and, the photographer, Arallsopp says he has lashed camera to various bits of bike and bounced it off a variety of objects.

If it can survive a torrential night lashed to the handlebars of a bike then it sounds pretty good to me.

It may not be as good as a canon ixus but a canon ixus would have been no use on Saturday morning in the downpour. A point and shoot should be available
at all times. The only drawback for me is lack of AA cells which would make it truly "go anywhere", it uses a nimh battery (although so does my Canon)

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/WRSrq_HvdFw&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/WRSrq_HvdFw&rel=1</a>

[Biggsy]

it uses a nimh battery

Lithium ion, actually.  That's fine if the capacity is high enough.  I don't know if it is for that model.  Get a spare compatible battery anyway from 7DayShop or eBay.

I would only worry about a camera not being waterproof if I actually wanted to take pictures in proper rain.

[LEE]

True, I've used my Canon in the rain but it's a hassle and usualy involves careful handling/protection.

I just think it's worth considering the Pentax as, not only does it get pretty decent reviews, it means you can just take it cycling, or to the beach, whatever the conditions. 

The best best photos are taken on cameras you have with you.

[Really Ancien]

Panasonic Lumix FT1, the video is HD 1280x 720 and better than a Standard definition camcorder. Main problem is no lens cap. Less than £200. Here's an advert.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/10k5HQOYwwA&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/10k5HQOYwwA&rel=1</a>

Damon.

[vorsprung]

I took Lees advice and got the Pentax

[LEE]

I took Lees advice and got the Pentax

Please let me know how you get on with it.  My left hand is struggling to prevent my right hand from clicking on "Add to Basket"

[arallsopp]

Oops, sorry just seen this thread.

I find the Pentax good for about 1000 shots (timelapse) before it runs out. Less if you have the flash on. Less if you like to compose with the LCD screen, take, review, show it to your mate, review again, pop around in the menus, etc...

Oh, and in terms of bouncing and lashing, can I add 'tied to a kite', 'dropped down a slide' and 'accidentally dragged behind a boat'.

Still working. Case is less pretty than it was though

[andrew_s]

I'm going to have to look for another camera before the next holiday
I acquired a bleg on the sensor of my Fuji F30 half way through the last trip.

[Greenbank]

I thought the "Olympus Stylus Tough 6010" looked good as it seemed indestructible

I'm thinking about a camera for Audaxing. Needs to be waterproof and tough (in case I drop it) and the Olympus Mju cameras piqued my interest.

Especially with this deal: http://www.camerabox.co.uk/product1.asp?ProductName=Olympus-Mju-Tough-6010-Grey&ProductID=9665

£150!

Anyone with any comments on the Olympus Mju cameras?

[delthebike]

Anyone with any comments on the Olympus Mju cameras?

Very good IMHO. I dropped mine taking pics of Oscar's Dad at 20mph. Neither broke the camera, it's got a couple of dents but is otherwise OK! (don't know about it's mental state though  )

Easy to use, fits in jersey pockets, doesn't mind getting covered in sweaty condensation, rinses under a cold tap, and the video image is OK but the sound is carp!

[Greenbank]

I'd never expect the sound to be great on a waterproof camera.

[EDIT] Gah, hit the wrong button.

But you've made me realise that sound may be important. My brother uses an IXUS for taking videos when skiing.

The camera on the iPhone is ok but it's impossible to use when moving. I'm looking for something that I can just use to point and shoot and also doesn't mind sweaty pockets, rain and possible dropping.

Argh. I keep making myself go round in circles...

[delthebike]

Argh. I keep making myself go round in circles...

The sound on the Mju isn't just muted though it is just crackly wind noise, even with the "updated", sound improving, firmware installed. 

Has anyone mentioned the GoPro Hero Wide? Charlotte has done some vids with it. Or the Tachyon helmet cam, maybe that does decent, size and quality, stills?

[redshift]

Ok, not to make an obvious point, but the sound from an internal mic on a piece of domestic kit is almost always going to be crap.  You have a tiny aperture, no wind shield, and the mic itself will be cheap and crap.  There's a reason a Sennheiser 416/816 costs what it does, and another reason why they get covered in a Dougal.

The sound on domestic point-n-shoots doing video is for 'presence of signal' and no other reason.  If you want to shoot serious video you wouldn't be using that camera! 

[Jaded]

You could always get a Panda Paw™

[Greenbank]

Ok, not to make an obvious point, but the sound from an internal mic on a piece of domestic kit is almost always going to be crap.

It's not the fact it's a bit of domestic kit; I have no problem with the sound on normal ~100 quid digital cameras, but it's the sound quality of fully waterproof cameras that is a problem. Making something waterproof does a good job of making it 90% soundproof.