[Unregistered User 8]

As @macman said, the Pentax X-5 is an excellent little bridge camera. It has some great features for a little camera. From 1cm macro to the 26X zoom, that just about covers most scenarios for a point and shoot to be able to take most " holiday ' images. I have blown up some images to 8" X 12" very successfully. If your dad does not want anything too difficult to master, the X-5, or its successor, X-G1 might be the ticket. Both have reviews on the forums. Good luck.

[mee]

As @macman said, the Pentax X-5 is an excellent little bridge camera. It has some great features for a little camera. From 1cm macro to the 26X zoom, that just about covers most scenarios for a point and shoot to be able to take most " holiday ' images. I have blown up some images to 8" X 12" very successfully. If your dad does not want anything too difficult to master, the X-5, or its successor, X-G1 might be the ticket. Both have reviews on the forums. Good luck.

Both of those are huge and discontinued. Might as well find a used Powershot, if we're looking at used cameras, since he is already familiar with them.

Either way, Thor, please be careful with aligning your wants for him versus his needs in a camera.

[Not a Number]

Either way, Thor, please be careful with aligning your wants for him versus his needs in a camera.

The OP said his father wanted a camera with a viewfinder.

[mee]

The OP said his father wanted a camera with a viewfinder.

I know. I suggested a camera with a viewfinder (Powershot G16).

[narual]

The OP said his father wanted a camera with a viewfinder.

And also in a later reply that a bridge was probably too big and dslr-like.

There aren't many modern compacts with viewfinders, my snapsort link probably covered the majority of them.

[UncleVanya]

You could get him a WG-[number] if he's going to be rough on it. Those are pretty user-friendly and tough as nails.

The more extreme superzooms might be overrated. It's pretty hard to handhold a long telephoto on a big heavy camera where the weight helps keep it stable, let alone on a tiny compact, and I imagine he's not going to want to screw around with a tripod, either.

But if the viewfinder is important: Compact digital cameras with a viewfinder
The panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ60 looks pretty decent. It even does RAW so when he gets a good shot and wants help making it even better, you can help

My friend got the HX-90V - I hate it. Sony's menus are incomprehensible to me - but as a Point and Shoot it seems fine. I personally own a Panasonic LX-7 and found that a viewfinder while useful wasn't needed for me for most things but I really wanted one so when I got the GX-1 I picked up one. Using the external viewfinder on my LX-7 I found that it is nice to have but adds a lot of size to the otherwise small camera, I'm glad it works with both cameras.

The DMC-TZ70/ZS-50 was what I recommended to my friend - primarily based on his desire for a long zoom and a viewfinder. The DMC-TS60/ZS40 is similar and some even say better optically but it lacks an eye sensor viewfinder. Of course the ZS40 does have GPS which is removed from the ZS50.

Personally I like the LX100 or RX100 better as an option for me but for a granddad that just wants to take pictures without fuss just about any superzoom compact with viewfinder seems hard to beat.

[geoffw]

I was gonna suggest the MX-1 but the prices have rocketed on amazon. Good luck in your quest.

[surfar]

TZ80 by Panasonic,great little viewfinder.
This compact is pocketable,light,shoots raw,4K,has many modern features.Plenty of zoom from 24mm upwards.A reasonable price for what it does.

[UncleVanya]

I was gonna suggest the MX-1 but the prices have rocketed on amazon. Good luck in your quest.

No viewfinder - right? That was a requirement from the OP's Dad.

[geoffw]

Doh ! Sorry didn't realise. That'll teach me to make sure I read the complete post and not get distracted;

[macman24054]

Both of those are huge

Huge compared to what? In the realm of a bridge they are average. Same size at the Finepix line and better IQ. I have used both and the Fugi just lacks in detail and dynamic range compared to the X-5.

[ThorSanchez]

TZ80 by Panasonic,great little viewfinder.
This compact is pocketable,light,shoots raw,4K,has many modern features.Plenty of zoom from 24mm upwards.A reasonable price for what it does.

I think that's pretty high on the list of possibles.

I'm still having trouble getting over the 1/2.3" cell phone sensor.

[UncleVanya]

I think that's pretty high on the list of possibles.

I'm still having trouble getting over the 1/2.3" cell phone sensor.

Would you consider the older Panasonic LF1 used? The LF1 is the evolution of the LX7. The 1/1.7" sensor is the same, and a high quality Leica lens with 7.1x zoom replaces the 3x zoom from the LX7. A viewfinder is built in, and it is quite small. eBay prices seem reasonably inexpensive.

[surfar]

The DMC-GM5 looks interesting

I can also recommend this(but I only own the GM1), however choosing a lens that's equivalent to his present camera is the ??.


If he doesn't mind changing then the kit 12-32 and the 35-100mm f4-5.6 are both collapsible and fit in a very small bag.


2x crop, so 24-200mm.Is that enough?


IQ is very good,as is the video.

[narual]

I'm still having trouble getting over the 1/2.3" cell phone sensor.

Think of it as the Pentax Q sensor, instead. People take some pretty phenomenal photos with the Q.