Pam

Help. I am going to Europe in three months and I really want to buy a new point and shoot camera to capture the memories. My current camera is 7 years old, has seen better days (sand abuse, kid abuse, Pam abuse) and has proven quite unreliable as of late. <BR> <BR>I would love to hear from folks who love their cameras and who can heartily recommend them. I would like to get a camera that is autofocus, very portable, has a good zoom, and is easy to use. I just want to take lots of good shots of family and friends standing in front of major attractions. <BR> <BR>I would greatly appreciate receiving any suggestions before going shopping. Thanks all! <BR> <BR>Pam

elvira

A couple of years ago, I had the same situation. So, I went to a camera store, told the guy what I wanted, he recommended the Fuji Discovery. It's exactly what I wanted: NO attachments, lightweight, easy to load, panoramic included. So far, it's been terrific - good pictures, no problems. The camera shop gave me a 30-day trial period (I paid for the camera, if I didn't like it, bring it back for a refund or another camera) which was just great - took a couple of rolls of film, had them developed, and decided to keep the camera. <BR> <BR>Sooo, I suggest you go to a camera store, tell the rep what you want, and ask if you can try it for 30 days to see if you like it (the whole thing took 30 minutes, 'cause the guy knew what I wanted, knew his products, and didn't try to sell me something I didn't want). <BR> <BR>

Caitlin

I recently got an Olympic Stylus Epic Zoom 80 DLX, and I love it; it fits all your requirements, as well. This model has got top ratings from both consumers and professional publications. Olympus claims it's the smallest and lightest P&S zoom on the market. It wighs about 7 oz. without battey and film, about 10-11 with. It's about 4x2-1/2x1-1/2" and has a clamshell case that is weather resistant, so you don't need another case even in the rain. It truly fits in a pocket. The lens is a 38-80mm zoom (there is also a version with zoom to 140mm that is a bit larger, heavier, and naturally costs a good bit more). I found this lens length to be quite adequate while in Paris this spring. The DLX version includes panorama mode and time/date stamp option; the regular version is about $20 less, I think. It's easy to use and has been very reliable. <BR> <BR>Never buy a camera at anywhere near the list price; they are available for so much less. I did a bunch of research first and bought mine from cameraworld.com (a very well-regarded store in Portland, Oregon) for $160 including free shipping. That's the best price I found, so you might want to keep it in mind if you look into this camera. Based on my experience with it, my mom just bought one too and is very pleased with it.

s.fowler

I second the Olympus Stylus zoom. After a career of SLR picture taking, I am more than satistfied with the pictures that mine takes. <BR>Here's a couple: http://www.geocities.com/shrimp56/FRANCE/paris7.jpg <BR>http://www.ntsource.com/~dhfsbf19/eu.../MK/matka2.jpg

Al

At the risk of sounding like a "me-too" endorsement of the Olympus, well...that's just my experience. I've owned a lot of cameras, several of the point-and-shoot variety. The Olympus beats them all for durability and performance. I had a very nice Yashica that, in my experience, was too delicate for tough and sustained use during travel. For years I had a Leica M3, a Cadillac of cameras. But it was like wearing a brick around my neck. My present "good" camera is a Canon Elan II, another fine piece of goods but heavy as lead. I use it only when I know I won't be carrying it all day. Instead, I pop my trusty Olympus Zoom into my pocket and hit the road. One note of caution: always carry a spare battery. You will use your Olympus that much -- and you won't want to have it run out of power just when you need it most.

tom

Popular Photgraphy magazine has an annual "survey" issue where cameras & their features are compared in a table. I think it comes out in the few months before Xmas, so you'd want to find the 1999 issue in a library. <BR> <BR>Most P&S cameras suffer from inadequate "wide angle", the widest is typically only 38-40 mm focal length. This is a real headache in close quarters or when shooting a vista. (same problem afflicts most consumer camcorders, by the way). <BR> <BR>One of the few P&S exceptions is the Pentax 928, which has a 28-90 mm focal length zoom. The 28mm approaches being a "real" wide angle. <BR> <BR>Don't be snookered or seduced into extremely long telephoto zooms, in the 120 mm or longer range...their utility & value is limited on most travel photography. <BR> <BR>A lens of medium wide angle to short telephoto is a bit harder to make inexpensively, hence fewer models offer it. On SLRs, where cost & size is less of an issue, the 28-80 and 28-105 zooms are extremely popular

Bob

You will see a lot of Canon ELPHs in Europe. We bought one a few years ago and have been very, very pleased. It is very small so you can carry it anywhere with no hassle. You can remove one roll of file in mid-roll and switch to another roll. You get an index sheet for negatives and your original roll of film is returned to you. It has a zoom. Check it out. Great for Europe!

Ed

No suggestions for a specific camera but I do have one for the lens. (I'm moderately serious (though untalented) about photography with an OM-2 and an OM-3 plus an old Olympus pocket and a digital.) <BR> <BR>For travel photography, at least for me, the wider the angle the better. I worked my way up to a 300mm, then down to a 21. <BR> <BR>If I could carry only one lens it would probably be the 21. What I generally do is carry both bodies with the 21 and a 35-100 zoom, but it's the 21 I use the most. <BR> <BR>So, for my money at least, the shorter the focal length you can find, the better. <BR> <BR>Ed

Cindy

I can't recommend a particular brand, but I can offer a word of caution. Make sure you snap at least one roll of film and develop it well before your trip. A few years ago, I bought a new camera to take pictures of my new baby. Six rolls of film later, I had them developed. All were badly out of focus because the camera was misaligned or something. I really have to use my imagination when I look at those baby pictures now. <BR> <BR>

Marc David Miller

I strongly agree with two of the above posters: <BR> <BR>1. No matter what camera you buy, try a roll before you leave--even the best manufacturer fails at times at quality control, and you don't want to discover that after your dream trip. <BR> <BR>2. Before a lenghty trip last year, I looked through several albums of weekends in Europe over the previous few years. I reallized that what I missed the most was a wider angle (shorter zoom length). Many times I had only a portion of a building or other secene. That's why I bought the Rollei Prego 90, with a 28-90mm focal length. It is very similar to the Pentax 928 (although the newer 928 is slightly smaller, it has a slower lens). Also it has a two second shutter delay, which is handy in low-light situations (reduces shake). <BR> <BR>About $180-220. <BR>

Hani

One suggestion: <BR>Whatever camera you buy, you should avoid APS film (drop film)and the respective cameras (Canon Elph sadly falls in this category). I am a serious amateur photographer and have noted that these films have fallen out of favour and without these films the camera is useless. The films are expensive to buy, to process and as of yet still offer substandard results. <BR>

Dave

For many years I lugged a Canon around -- one of the the big ones, but this year I wised up and bought an Olympus Stylus. I got the expensive one that has a 30-140 zoom (something like that). Just got pictures back from Italy and they are fine. My abilites haven't improved but the pictures were fine. And the little guy can be put in a pocket if necessary. Pentax and other people make similar small cameras. Mine cost about $250.

Marc David Miller

As a side note, there is a book "Photography for Dummies" which is probably the only volume that is really applicable to P&S cameras. It has a number of hits and tricks to enable you to work around some of the automatic features and take better photos. <BR> <BR>Also, I usually use ASA 800 speed film, as I find that usually I am taking photos inside with only available light, or in the evening, etc. Even in midday light I don't have a problem with overexposure, even though the fastest shutter speed on my camera is only 1/400 sec.

pam

I bought an Olympus Stylus Epic last fall (fixed focal length, i.e., no zoom) and I highly recommend it to anyone who asks. Very sharp photos and the camera itself is so lightweight that I carry it with me almost everywhere. (I wanted a camera to have with me to capture those kid shots that happen when the humongo-camera is safely at home on the shelf.) It's tough, too--the day I bought it (at Target, $99.99), I managed to knock it off my kitchen counter. No problem. <BR> <BR>I recommend you visit photo.net, an excellent website with a guide to P&S cameras. I think it discusses the Yashica T4, which has a Zeiss lens. I was torn between that and the Olympus I eventually bought. Talked to 2 diff camera stores in my city, compared specs from the companies' websites, etc. One local photo shop had a display of photos of same scene shot w/ both cameras. Couldn't tell a difference. Guy at 2nd shop said he'd been at same decision pt, had tested both and enlarged to 11x14 and found no discernable difference. The YT4 was about $200, the OSE about $100. The Olympus has the afore-mentioned weatherproof integral case, a big plus. YT4 does not. I'm very happy with my choice. (BTW, I decided not to get a zoom before I started shopping. <BR> <BR>RE: APS cameras, I'd bet the film emulsion is identical to 35mm in most or all cases. The prob is the negatives are about 1/4 the size of a 35mm neg. If indeed APS film is becoming harder to find, it is another well-deserved bust for the producers, along the lines of the Disk cameras of 10-15 yrs ago, the 110s of 25 yrs ago.... The tiny negs produce very grainy photos, and the APS' faux panoramic mode consists of only taking the center third of the already-miniscule negative. APS was a gimmick, a "revolutionary new format" designed by the marketing dept to sell more film, more cameras, blah blah blah. Yes, the contact sheets automatically produced are handy (and necessary since looking at an APS neg would require a microscope). You can request contact sheets for your 35mm negs, and cost plus subsequent prints would about equal the cost of developing an APS roll.

dan woodlief

Pam, it looks like you have already received a ton of good information. I was going to mention the T4 (but of course you want a zoom). I completely agree that you will want something as wide as 24 or 28 mm if possible, but most point and shoots won't have that range. Also agree that anything above 120mm is not very useful. Sure, it is great for candids and some other shots, but 95%+ will be taken at 100mm or less. I have also taken a look at the "Photography for Dummies" book, and it looks pretty useful. A lot of libraries carry it. Something I did want to add is that Photo.net has a "Neighbor to Neighbor" section in which there are literally hundreds or even thousands of posts about camera shops. If you find a good deal in an ad, look up the shop there to see others' experiences with it. I can tell you right off that the top three most preferred discount stores for most people in order are (1) B&H - far ahead of others - I have bought most of my equipment here, (2) Adorama - I have bought some here, and (3) Camera World of Oregon, which someone else above mentioned. Actually, most of these types of stores are either crooked or don't provide good service. The three above have excellent reputations, however.

tom

ditto on Dan's previous recomendation for: <BR> <BR>http://www.bhphotovideo.com/ <BR>http://www.adoramaphoto.com/ <BR>http://www.cameraworld.com/ <BR> <BR>I've bought tons of stuff from all three over the years, they are well established & reputable. <BR> <BR>

becky

I work at ritz camera, and I can tell u that the Olympus Epic Zoom cameras are all the rave right now. They're really reliable and weather proof. Plus, they are pocket sized. And with Ritz, you can purchse a waranty for $15, and they will fix ur camera for free. Its really a good deal. THe Fuji discovery are nice, but they always end up ending some models because they tend to get old fashioned. I DO NOT recommend getting an APS camera. 35mm always take the better of the pictures. PLus, APS are more expensive..and film processing is really high!! Stick to 35mm cameras, unless price is no issue to you.

pam

One more idea I'd like to pass on. SInce I'm bad about banging my cameras around, I looked for a very compact but padded case for my new Olympus. I found, at REI, a neoprene case made for camping/candle lanterns. It fits snugly around the camera--sort of the perfect minimalist cushion. I cut a hole in one end to thread the camera's neck cord thru.

Merri

Absolutely the Minolta Freedom Zoom 140ex. My husband and I hd many disappointments - coming home from a trip excited to get a pictures developed - and then terrible pictutres. We bought the Minolta 3 yrs ago and have never had a bad roll. We even bought a second one just in case anything happened to our current one (had one scare when someone knocked it out of my hand). How's that for an endorsement.

Caitlin

Pam, <BR> <BR>Here's an update to my original post, after reading the others. If you decide you want that 28mm lens, Olympus makes a Stylus Epic Zoom Wide that's 28-80mm, I believe. Also, this is my first P&S--I've always used an SLR before, but I wanted something really small and light--and I've been quite satisfied. I also second the recommendation for photo.net; there is a good primer on making the most of the features and shortcomings of you P&S camera. Another reason to avoid APS is the difficulty of finding it abroad (though I'd load up on film--ASA 400 and 800--before you go, as it's twice as much in Europe, and harder to find higher speeds.