Pocket sized digicam recommendations?

[FrayAdjacent911]

Got a couple things coming up which I'd like to take a digicam with me. I have a nice 'SLR-like' Kodak that takes great pics, but it's a little bulky. I'd like to back it up with a pocket sized digicam.

Nothing too fancy, I don't need 8, 9, 10MPix resolution... 5 is fine. I recently saw an ad for one of the Casio Exilim 5MPix pocket cameras for about $160. That's a price I like!

So, I'd like something:

Small (possibly small enough to fit in an Altoids tin)
Thin
SD card memory (I already have a few)
Good battery life
5Mpix (or better)
Around $150-200

What say ye, PPBB?

[89911]

I just got a Canon SD600. Great pictures, easy to use. Got good ratings also.

[FrayAdjacent911]

The Canon is a little more than i want to spend...

I found one I like, and I think I might get. The Casio Exilim EX Z60. 6MPix, very slim... and I found a factory refurb for $155 shipped.

I'm going to look around locally before I order it, tho. Never know if I'll find something I like.

It will be my primary camera while I'm at the Houston Grand Prix in a couple weeks.... I'll post pics here when I get back!

[Steve Carlton]

On the digital photography forums, the Fujifilm FinePix F30 gets the most consistent raves. There's also a F31fd brother that has face-recognition focus priority. It's head and shoulders ahead of all the other point & shoots for low light performance, and the Fuji sensors deliver wonderful colors.

That said, for more money the Canon G7 is highly regarded, especially if you want total control. I just ordered a Nikon P5000, which is a toss-up image quality-wise with the G7, but is much smaller and has a familiar interface for me.

Good resource at http://www.dpreview.com/

[Joeaksa]

Just got a Panasonic 6 megapix at Costco for $180 a month ago. It has the Leica lens and stabilization.

This puppy takes better photos than my professional Leica digital camera costing over ten times as much. Fits in your shirt pocket and uses SD memory.

Worth looking into.

[Steve Carlton]

I had the Panasonic FX07, which is the 7.1 megapixel version. Outdoors, it was generally quite good. Indoors was so horrible, I sold it to get a 35mm film rangefinder. Many of the Panasonics have Leica twins, with the differences mostly being in the image-processing software and included extras. The limiting factor, quality-wise in the point and shoots is the small sensor, not the lens.

Which Leica do you have, Joe? I'll bet with some post-processing you could get some terrific images out of it. Oftentimes the in-camera processing can yield a more pleasing image compared to a less processed one. But you can have more control by doing the processing yourself vs dealing with a JPEG that's already been permanently modified by the camera.

[M.D. Holloway]

I took Moses' advice and got the Casio. Hundreds of 8 megapix pics and and 30 minutes of video. The battery lasts forever and downloading is a snap.

[Joeaksa]

Steve,

I have the Leica Digilux 2. While its only a 6 megapix version, the full size lens means that I can blow most photos up 10X times with no graining. On "raw data" one image ends up being 30 megabites, so the quality is very good.

Have been shooting with Leica's for years, and this digital version is just as good as a 35 mm Leica film camera.

Have taken some indoor flash photos using the Panasonic and the quality was excellent. Would post a photo but in their current format they are 3 megs each and thats over the PP limit.

Joe

[Z-man]

FWIW, I have a Nikon Coolpics L4 and it is a fantastic little digital camera. 4 or 5 megapics, and it cost me 100 bucks. Has some neat program modes like face priority focus, sport mode (faster apature setting) and a lot of stuff you would not typically find on a lower end digicam. It even has a decent optical zoom. SD memory and in camera red eye reduction.

I don't think they make that particular model anymore, but it is worth checking out the Nikon Coolpics line -- I think it will fit your needs.

-Z

[Don Plumley]

We have a couple of Casio Exslim cameras and couldn't be happier. We've taken thousands of photos - I even have an underwater housing for mine:

[Moses]

Nice pic, Don!

Where did you get the underwater housing? I have 2 Casio Exilims. Love them! Easy to use and great pictures.

[austin552]

Originally posted by Don Plumley
We have a couple of Casio Exslim cameras and couldn't be happier. We've taken thousands of photos - I even have an underwater housing for mine:

Love ours also. Great pics, decent video and sound. Long life battery and got a huge card.

[Don Plumley]

Originally posted by Moses
Nice pic, Don!

Where did you get the underwater housing? I have 2 Casio Exilims. Love them! Easy to use and great pictures.

Thanks - what a trip. That's my 13 year old daughter. Got a hundred of them online if you are really bored.

I ordered the housing from one of the NY Camera places - forget which one. It looks like this: