advice purchasing a point & shoot camera

[readstoomuch]

I am missing my old Canon A640 P&S camera sooooo much. It was the most wonderful camera and now they don't make it anymore. I have a DSLR {which I LOVE}, but loved the old one that would stay in my purse all the time.

I am looking to buy a new Point & Shoot and would love to stay with Canon, but I don't have to do so. {It's not like I need to use my Canon lenses on a P&S.} I would like 10 mega pixels at least and image stabilization.

I looked at the G-10 . . . it looks good but I really love the advantage of AA batteries when traveling.

And on the battery topic, what do you think of buying a point & shoot that uses a Lithium-Ion battery? The lady at Best Buy told me that the G-10 would only take 300 photos on one charge. That is not many when you are on vacation and want to continually snap. Heck . . . I take that many photos at a soccer game!

I am also wondering if I should get a camera that shoots in RAW? I will be using my SLR most of the time, but hate not to have RAW is I should get THE SHOT with a P & S! {I don't shoot in RAW now ... but hope to get Lightroom soon and start using RAW}

I would love any advice or experience that anyone may be able to offer.

[dorah]

Mollie, I have a Canon PS SX110 which is only 9mp but I just love it. It takes absolutely beautiful photos. It doesn't shoot in raw but you can shoot on manual with it. I carry it in my purse with me everywhere I go. And it uses AA batteries. I do use rechargeable batteries in it and it takes two and I keep two on the charger except when I am going somewhere far from home and then I take them all with me. That's just my two cents worth.

[esther_a]

I bought 'the traveller's camera', a Panasonic Lumx TZ, when we went travelling two years ago. It was a little larger than cheaper P&S but had a 10X zoom. It had a Lithium-Ion battery, and that lasted easily for a full day's photography. I just charged it overnight. The charger was very compact. The battery lasts so long I rarely charge it now. Disposable batteries take up so much room in a camera that they make the camera bulky. I didn't like the thought of carrying heaps of spares with me OR of trying to find a store that stocked them in a foreign country. And they don't last as long. And they're not that great for the environment.

[cstaff]

Molly... I found we were really going through AA batteries in our older PS. I really prefer the lithium ion option. Seems to last a very long time.

[justmp]

Mollie, in May I bought the Canon Powershot SD990IS which has 14.7MP. It's really small and I carry it in my purse all of the time. It is certainly not as great as my DSLR...not quite as fast, zoom potential, etc., but I really like it. I didn't take my DSLR on my recent Colorado vacation and not once did I regret that decision.

It does use a rechargeable lithium battery, but I just purchased a second one for less than $10 and always have that for backup.

[MsP]

I have a Kodak and it takes great pics-14 megapixel. My son just bought an underwater camera and it takes great pics too- and is an awful lot of fun, if you spend any time around water-I think it might be my next choice-

[susiecw]

I have a Sony Cybershot that does everything but shoot raw. The most important thing I looked for was a viewfinder. I find that I just can't see the back display when I'm in the sunlight, so having a viewfinder was crucial to me. They are hard to find now, but they're out there. Canon has some nice P&Ss with viewfinders right now.

[JALong]

Two of my daughters have Canon point and shoot cameras. They are sooo much better than my Olympus point and shoot that cost quite a bit more. I would definitely get a Canon next time.

[esther_a]

I'll second Susie's comment about the viewfinder. Mine doesn't have one and I miss it!!

[audrey77]

Canon Digital Elphs... all the way... and mine is 3 1/2 years old, has been beaten up by two kids and dropped on the floor. Still great.

[blkcow]

I would totally "third" the comment about the viewfinder. I have a Kodak point & shoot that I rarely use because I find I "need" the viewfinder to be able to compose my photos.

[snard]

I have a Panasonic Lumix with 6x optical zoom. 7.2mp takes beautiful shots and has handy scene settings..ie. sunset, beach, portrait, night portrait, etc which automatically sets camera settings. but I hate having no viewfinder. daytime shots are hit and miss since I can see what I'm shooting.

[Kathie]

Gotta agree with the comments on the viewfinder--especially on vacation when you want to shoot outdoors. (They do make hoods tho...but another bit of bulk defeats the purpose of not using our DSLRs) And have to agree on the batteries being rechargeable. I have a second for when I need it, and that isn't often.

[cheska99]

Stay with Canon. Get the best you can afford.

[cedarhil]

Heard today that on 09/09/09 Leica is announcing a new line of cameras without their usual price tag. If there is any thing I have ever wanted for a very long time, it is to own my own Leica. I cant wait for the anouncement.

[FlowerGirl]

I have the Canon G-9 and love it for a small, portable camera. The battery seems to hold it's life for quite awhile.