What's a great non-SLR digital camera
 

For a friend that is not wanting to step up to an SLR. Right now has a pocket digital camera, but wants to take better pictures WITHOUT moving up to an SLR. Wants to keep it under $500. I'm partial to the Canon Powershots and the G12 looks like a lot of camera for the money.

From what I see come through the pawnshop, I like the Canon's & Sony's.
Jim

You can probably get an older Canon G7 pretty cheap nowadays.
I have one, and it's still a great camera IMO, even by today's standards.

Canon G12

Panasonic Lumix, one of them with Leica lenses.

I-phone

I had a Powershot S1 and loved it. So versitile! Finally moved up to a Nikon P100 for the extra Megapixels (12 vs. 3) but was initially underwhelmed at it's performance. It takes a long time to dump the image to memory which means only 1 shot per lap per car vs. 3 with the old camera. Turning down the MP's defeats the purpose. Also, the continuous mode is unusable as the screen (either the big one or the viewfinder one) goes black while taking continuous pictures (but not when taking movies :confused:).

It does produce pretty good pictures but it makes you work more for them.

I would just skip it and go straight from cheapo camera to DSLR. The shutter button response alone is worth it.

I like the 26x optical zoom as well.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8164/7...6c1d32f1_z.jpg
POC Racing Tribute to LeMans 2June2012_ 983 by Max_911S_fahrer, on Flickr
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POC Racing Tribute to LeMans 2June2012_ 992 by Max_911S_fahrer, on Flickr
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Cup Races + Time Trials Feb 2012 WSIR_ 971 by Max_911S_fahrer, on Flickr
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917K at Rennsport Monterey by Max_911S_fahrer, on Flickr

"Turning down" the mega pixels doesn't really defeat the purpose. Depends on what you want to do with the image. While clarity in smaller pictures will benefit a bit by MP's, they really are for making large prints or for major cropping.

I like viewing on my computer monitor and zooming in. I meant it defeated the purpose of spending all that money on the new camera compared to the 3.2 MP Cannon.

Panasonic LX5. Leica lens 24-90 mm F2-3.3. Superb build quality and images. Pocket size and easy to use. About $399.

We have a Canon G12 and it takes remarkable pics. We use it much more often than our DSLR.

Canon G12 for sure. In fact I'm thinking of parking my 40D and just using a G12. I'm mighty tired of lugging body, strobe and four lenses

Yep. I have the red-dot version, and it is an excellent little camera. The Pani is vitrually the same thing for less $$$. Also does 720p video.

+1
I like my Nikon Cool pix also.

Another vote for the Lumix....Great camera!

I second the iphone comment.

At least for video.

I have a nice Sony camera that is kind of a 'pre-slr' type. It's a point and shoot with some slr like qualities. It takes nice quality video but not HD. Then I have a flip camera which takes 720P HD video. I had a friend use her HD video camera (not sure of the brand) for some shots as well. We took all these videos during our kids baseball season through the spring and then I put them all together using iMovie for a movie during our end of season party. It was AWESOME. But I had a bunch of different video sources - My iPhone 4, my Sony, My Flip and her HD hand camera. The iPhone videos were the best all around quality, the flip were the worst which surprises me as indoors is really good but outdoors not so much.

Anyway, I know this is a still question and not a video question but the iPhone takes great photos too just not quickly...

Nikon 1 looks good, interchangeable lenses, video, and they come in pink! a little more than $500.

I'm a Nikon fan, not bashing here and I was going to suggest something similar, but the problem with the Nikon 1, is that it comes with a 10mm-30mm lens. That's super wide and very very wide angle. :D You're going to have to buy another lens to make it useful.

Wow, reading up on this camera seems to place it ahead of the Canon G12!