[mikemike]

My dad asked for my recommendation for a new camera, point and shoot, he is not really an amateur photographer so I suggested the following please let me know if I am missing any good ones. I get a sense that his budget is $300-400.

Here is the email I sent him:

It seems like the new generation of cameras are just hitting the shelves now so if you don't want to pay top dollar and can live without the latest bells and whistles, I think the Olympus XZ-1 ($270) is the best value and a great option if you were buying today. If portability is the main concern, Canon Powershot S100 ($300) is a great camera and extremely small. If cost isn't an object, the Sony RX100 ($650) has already been out for a while and it will probably be the best camera of this generation.

Somewhere in between the XZ1 and RX100 would be the following three in order of least to most expensive and maybe the best option would be to wait for black Friday and hope one of these goes on sale.
Panasonic LX5 ($450)
Canon G15 ($500)
Olympus XZ-2 ($600)

[Bob Tuttle]

The Canon G12 has the optical view finder and the G15 does not.
G12 is an outstanding camera for the amateur or the professional and is less than $400 brand new. Made in Japan.

[Aegon]

Canon PowerShot G12 10MP 5x Digital Camera w/ 720p Video + Pixma Pro9000 Mark II Inkjet Photo Printer + 50-pack Canon 13"x19" Photo Paper, $288 After Rebate/FS@amazon- Now $305 - ***************

$305 for a G12 with huge printer.

Sell the printer on craigslist/eBay for $70-100 and you'll be cooking.

[hchan]

I bought the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 a few months ago (for under $200) and love the versatile 16x zoom (24-384mm). What kind of pictures does he like to take? Family shots, travels pics etc? Here's a sample shot showing the wide angle.

[ivoire]

the olympus xz-1 is $199 at amazon. great pns camera

[wildweasel]

I bought a Fuji X10 last week and haven't been able to put it down. Here are a couple I took with it yesterday in mainly awful light and it still did really well. Only 4x zoom, but that's fine for me, and I love the way it switches from a P&S to a fully manual camera and how it's built so solidly I could almost use it to knock a nail into the wall .

I've also added a quick test I did of the macro function, and the last one was taken at a gig on Friday - it was really dark in the venue and this was taken without flash, using its four-frame image stacking - it blows me away that it combined them so well with no subject blur; the guy was moving around as I took it. Bit noisy, but not too bad I reckon.

[nickthetasmaniac]

I bought the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS15 a few months ago... Here's a sample shot showing the wide angle.

I'm trying to think of a nice way to ask, but is that sample suppose to demonstrate quality? To me it is a frightening case of a jpeg engine destroying an image - I honestly didn't think there were any digital cameras this bad any more?

To the OP - I'd look at a stock-clearance ZX-1 ($299) or LX5 ($319) if budget is the prime consideration, or a RX100 ($648) if you want the most capable point and shoot on the market. All three are very capable little cameras.

[audiobomber]

The Canon G12 has the optical view finder and the G15 does not.

That is not correct. The G15 has the same OVF as the G12. Maybe you were thinking of the articulated LCD on the G12? The G15 has a fixed LCD. The G15 LCD is larger and has almost double the resolution, and the fixed screen results in a slimmer camera. The main difference between the G12 and G15 is that the aperture on the newer model is 1.3 stops faster.

My dad asked for my recommendation for a new camera, point and shoot, he is not really an amateur photographer so I suggested the following please let me know if I am missing any good ones. I get a sense that his budget is $300-400.

I think your list covers the field pretty well. The Samsung EX2F is worth considering. I like the features on the Fuji X10 (2/3" sensor, OVF, hot shoe, pixel binning for extended DR or high ISO). It's above his price target, but so are some others on your watch list.

An OVF adds to the size of the camera but is a significant benefit in bright conditions. The OVF on the X10 is much clearer than the one on the G12/G15. A hot shoe adds a lot of capability to the camera. You should find out if he values either of these features more than small size. Would he ever buy an external flash? Add an EVF? How good is his eyesight? An LCD can be hard to see with older eyes.

[pxpaulx]

To the OP - I'd look at a stock-clearance ZX-1 ($299) or LX5 ($319) if budget is the prime consideration, or a RX100 ($648) if you want the most capable point and shoot on the market. All three are very capable little cameras.

Assuming you were referencing the Olympus xz-1, I don't think it can be beat at the current Amazon.com listed price of $199.

If you were to add a compact micro 4/3 camera to the equation, Cameta camera (cameta.com) has Olympus e-pm1 with lens for $239 refurbished (by olympus with full 1 year warranty) - which is also an excellent deal, with the possibility to grow if it becomes a hobby down the road.

[hchan]

I'm trying to think of a nice way to ask, but is that sample suppose to demonstrate quality? To me it is a frightening case of a jpeg engine destroying an image - I honestly didn't think there were any digital cameras this bad any more?

That's probably more due to my not so good PP and the way I linked it, hopefully this shows it a bit better. BTW, the micro 4/3 option sounds good

[Clicker]

Canon's S100/110, SX260HS possibly and Elph 110/320HS should be enough and close to budget.

[nickthetasmaniac]

Assuming you were referencing the Olympus xz-1, I don't think it can be beat at the current Amazon.com listed price of $199.

If you were to add a compact micro 4/3 camera to the equation, Cameta camera (cameta.com) has Olympus e-pm1 with lens for $239 refurbished (by olympus with full 1 year warranty) - which is also an excellent deal, with the possibility to grow if it becomes a hobby down the road.

Yep, I always muddle the name. The price I listed was from B&H, the Amazon price makes me want to get one myself!

And EPM1 for $239 is a fantastic deal, and the refurbs from Oly have a very good reputation, so I wouldn't worry about them being used. It won't be as compact as some of the P&S' mentioned here but it will destroy them for image quality and, as mentioned, it allows your Dad to grow into the system if he's interested.

[nickthetasmaniac]

That's probably more due to my not so good PP and the way I linked it, hopefully this shows it a bit better. BTW, the micro 4/3 option sounds good

Yep looks good in that

[Laurentiu Cristofor]

My dad asked for my recommendation for a new camera, point and shoot, he is not really an amateur photographer so I suggested the following please let me know if I am missing any good ones. I get a sense that his budget is $300-400.

You can buy a few MFT cameras in this price range:

Olympus E-PL2 with 14-42mm Lens Compact System Camera Bundle

Amazon.com: Olympus PEN E-PL1 12.3MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens (Black): Camera & Photo

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G3 Digital Camera (Body) DMC-G3KBODY B&H

Olympus PEN E-PL1 Micro 4/3 Digital Camera Body (Black) - Factory Demo includes Full 1 Year Warranty

They can all be used as P&S.

[hchan]

Yep looks good in that

I was lazy and the original was linked from Facebook, I guess they're not exactly known for their superior jpg compression