Will be traveling a bit in the near future and need something better then my Galaxy S5. Problem is I don't know squat about cameras. All I know is I want something compact, takes good video and the picture quality on paper has to be pretty good. So a big DSLR is definitely out of the picture. Which leaves a point and shoot digital camera. Are these really any better then a cell phone camera though? Guy at Best Buy said not really, but I know better then to just believe a BB dude. With a little bit of research I am leaning towards one of these on Amazon: Cannon PowerShot SX700 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I58M2VE/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER Cannon PowerShot SX260 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0075SUK14/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_5?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A19UWB7L0RHHLP Panosonic Lumix ZS20 - Really like this one http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00728ZBA2/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AIMQ9JNYZCGH8 Samsung Galaxy Camera (Android based, web connected, etc. - but can this really be that much better then the S5?) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HV6KGV4/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Currently we have the cannon xs260 and it's a quality camera...great picture quality, great zoom, etc. I had an earlier version of the Lumix, and it was a really good camera as well...until I dropped it a couple times on the dance floor one night when I was getting a little too jiggy with it. Overall both were really good so you can't go wrong, imo.
They are all better than a phone, it isn't even close. Two of those have a 20x zoom and one has a 30x. Do you really need that long telephoto range zoom?If you are mostly taking dinner, group or landscape pictures you don't. If you are willing to expand your budget and give up the long zoom the Sony RX-100is the best compact. Better means higher picture quality. Much better pictures in low light (night or in restaurant) better built (metal body) and a much larger sensor (4 times the size) RX-100 has a 1" sensor, the other three cameras have a 1/2.3" Spoiler
This got me thinking... Why hasn't Apple made an iOS based camera yet? Maybe a consumer version and one targeted towards professional photographers with more features. I have no doubt that the Apple consumer base and young aspiring photographers would be all over it. Just a thought.
Maybe for DSLRs OP specifically says he wants a nice point and shoot. Sony has the best point and shoots by far
The RX100 is an awesome camera. And if budget will allow, a great recommendation. If the OP needs to stay closer to the prices of the camera's he listed though... how about the Panasonic Lumix LX7? http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DMC-LX7K-Digital-Intelligent-3-0-inch/dp/B008MB719C A really solid camera without many of the bells and whistles but takes great pictures.
That camera still has a "small" zoom range like I mentioned the RX100 has. MY choice would be a compact with that small zoom or a prime lens, BUT the average user might not understand the better quality pictures you get by giving up the long range zoom. Just for comparison a 24-90mm (35mm equivilent) the LX7K has (28-100 for the RX100) will not have the long focal length of the Canon PowerShot SX700 he linked which is 25-750mm. I think that "limited" zoom range is more of a consideration than price, so I just wanted to make that clear.
i was debating between the lx7 and the rx100 last year. i decided on the former but i don't think you can go wrong with either one. the lx7 is an amazing camera. i'd say it has many bells and whistles but a novice can use it with ease. it's not exactly pocketable though. the fast lens comes in very handy. one negative about the lx7 is the lens cap. you can easily miss shots because you forget to remove it. the third party auto lens cap is a must.
i'd consider spending a little more on a micro 4/3 camera like the Olympus EPM2, w/ zoom, just $399. http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-Inter...8&qid=1414443903&sr=1-1&keywords=olympus+epm2 it's a great camera, i had an epl1 for several years, and just upgraded to an EM10. gave the daughter an EPM2 last year for christmas. easy to use, takes great pictures, and there's a fantastic selection of lenses available in the m43 format.
Sensor size for reference is listed as Four Thirds System on the picture. 1" for the Sony and 1/2.3" for the other compacts. Spoiler The problem with a Four Thirds is the lens is quite large for a compact camera and takes away the compactness. They have power zoom lenses available that are much smaller but they are a bit expensive putting the total cost higher. If you don't need a lens that zooms at all (called a prime lens) the four thirds system is a great camera because those lenses are very small and incredibly sharp. FYI, all camera phone lenses are prime lenses.
Highly recommend the Canon EOS M. Miles better for video than anything listed here, picture quality is superb, you can later buy additional Canon lenses for this thing and it's in the same price range as some of the ones you mentioned. It will handle night time shots far better than your average point n shoot. If you're into or want to get into photography, this is a great camera to start doing that by just setting it to Manual function. This is as close to a DSLR you'll get at this size. Here's a really nice website to compare cameras in case you want to do some more research: http://www.dpreview.com/galleries/reviewsamples/albums/canon-eos-m-preview-samples The regular point and shoots will barely, if at all, outperform your S5 if you look at the images on the same screen. Have you tried installing a better camera app than the Samsung default?
My favorite point-and-shoot camera is the Sony DSC-RX100M III. On trips where I don't feel like lugging my Canon dSLR and its various lenses, this POS does the job just fine.
Do you know the basics of photography or can you teach yourself? If you can educate yourself on how/when to control ISO/shutter/Aperature, I highly recommend Olympus OMD-EM5 with a small lens like the 20mm 1.7. Its a great little setup for the price that you can take anywhere with you and the image stabilization is out of this world. It also lets you learn photography instead of just pointing and shooting. You can point and shoot with it also, but then if that all you will ever do then any $100 camera will do. If you think you know more, you can get the Fuji X-T1 which has a larger sensor, better colors, and ISO but the Fuji lenses are very expensive. Fuji also costs nearly twice as much as the OMD-EM5. Personally, I have been trough pretty much every system and in the end, I always keep coming back to the full frame sensor. Currently enjoying the Nikon Df with 58mm 1.4G lens. Yes, its chunkier, and a pain to take around (although nicely designed and smaller FF). However, once I sit down on my PC and review the pics, the colors and ISO performance are just amazing and the "pain" is worth it. For me, personally, I cannot give up the image quality of a full frame sensor. You cannot win against physics.
I actually owned this camera (EPM2) for a month. I would give it as 3/5. The shutter speed is really slow so pictures come out blurry even at high ISO. Macro worked well on this camera as well as 1080p video. Also, the lenses are a bit on the expensive side. I sold it and just used my trusty D90.
