Point and shoot camera suggestions?

[TJsBasement]

Brew do you use the app. Its super easy for me to post from a iP 4 with app. And I think it has a 5 meg chip. For simple stuff it's nice and quick and good quality, stopped using a "real" camera but then again I do no "real" photography.

 

[cpfan]

Doug:

Digital zoom is a waste of time (IMO). I have used it once or twice in many years of digital camera ownership. Both Jim (the original poster) and I want a decent optical zoom.

Steve

 

[TJsBasement]

Its not really pocket friendly but here is a iphone optical zoom. I seen others too but this come up first.

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2011/01/add-8x-optical-zoom-iphone-eye-scope/

 

[jswordy]

OK, I have ordered the camera. Since I carry a company-paid phone that is not a smartphone of any brand, I need a camera and not a phone. I'd prefer to carry no cellphone whatsoever, and cannot wait for the day when I no longer am required to do so.

Despite my experience with poor longevity on my current Canon, I bought a Canon Powershot SX260HS. It will do everything I want - actually way more than I really need.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[ibglowin]

20X Optical. Nice!

 

[cpfan]

Jim:

I have the SX200. Looks like a predecessor to the SX260HS. I'm quite happy with it, and use it a lot in situations where I don't want to carry a DSLR (or when I have to shoot through a fence).

My biggest issue with the SX200 is that it is slow at times. That's not good for things moving quickly (like kids) unless you get good at anticipating the movement. Plus I have trouble keeping it level, presumably cause it's lighter than my DSLR and when I push the shutter, that side of the camera moves down. Gotta work on that more.

Steve

 

[jswordy]

It's one step up from my old one, and when I looked at the models above this, they basically had shorter zooms and a bunch of features added that did not improve performance and are useless to me, like WiFi and etc. They have shipped it, so we will see what's what shortly.

Mike, I definitely was going for the longest optical zoom I could get, and 12.1 megapixels is plenty fine for my use. Steve, if that's an SX200 shot you posted, I should be very pleased.

 

[cpfan]

Steve, if that's an SX200 shot you posted, I should be very pleased.

Yup it is. Hopefully the SX260 is the same with some improvements. It has a longer zoom, which I'm not sure about. I find the SX200 zoom a little long for hand holding (might be my age). I think the SX260 also has a slightly wider wide angle, which I would like sometimes.

Steve

 

[jswordy]

Yup it is. Hopefully the SX260 is the same with some improvements. It has a longer zoom, which I'm not sure about. I find the SX200 zoom a little long for hand holding (might be my age). I think the SX260 also has a slightly wider wide angle, which I would like sometimes.

Steve

Steve, I'm under the impression it has a different image stabilization software than yours does. Hopefully that will help with the zoom. I have photojournalistic experience with Nikon 35mm SLRs from back in the film days, and going handheld with a really long lens has not been a problem for me in the past. We'll see soon!

I still have my old FM with all the lenses. We sure saw a lot together.