I keep seeing posts over and over again about which camera "I" should take etc.

I work in a camera store and love cameras!! So I can tell you about the quality of the ones that we sell. Likely chance is, if you're looking at one and I havent listed it then I wont know its quality.

Most trustworthy brand that gives the BEST picture quality:
CANON. I love the IXUS range and would recommend them to anyone. IN Australia you're looking at between $200 - $500 for a good one. Dont go under the IXUS80IS though.

NIKON, OLYMPUS & SONY are the next best quality. If I had to choose between the 3 it would be the Nikon as it takes an SD card, which is the cheapest out of the lot. Once again you're looking at about $200.
Olympus is a fantastic brand, that takes excellent photos, however, they take XD cards, which are more expensive. You're looking at about $200. Sony is also good, but they seem to have a bit of a monopoly as everyone thinks SONY is better quality. Dont be fooled. $250.

FUJIFILM and PANASONIC I bought my Mum a fuji as it is very easy to use. Just point and shoot. I dont think she's ever taken a bad picture on it (and that's saying something!!) A good Fuji is a lot cheaper than the previous ones I've mentioned, $150-$200. Fuji also accept both SD and XD cards which is awesome.
Panasonic is reliableish... I'd go for the latest Lumix, you're looking at around $170.

Brands to steer clear of
SANYO - no matter what camera you seem to get whether it be the cheapest or the most expenisve, they always blur pictures.
KODAK - when you think cameras, many think Kodak. They know this so they give you s**t! Particularly those that take standard batteries.
RICOH - Much like the Sanyo. blur blur blur.

It's a personal choice of whether you want to choose a camera with standard batteries or lithium (where you get the charger) my personal opinion is that lithium batteries tend to take more pictures than standard batteries before going flat. It's also a matter of opinion over what memory card choice you want. I like SD as you can get some really good memory on them for little cost.

I don't want to influence you in ANY way. Just letting you know from expereince. You may find that you have one that I dont recommend and it works fine for you. Or you may not have the budget for a 'you beaut' one.

I am also only talking about pocket digital cameras.

Happy travelling and happy buying!!

Hey Dara, I have a question since you work in a camera store. Im going to Australia and New Zealand in late February 2010. This past June I went off to Europe. And the only thing I had was my trusty 450D, with battery grip, along with a 580exii flash, and my heavy 24-70 f2.8L which was almost 3 lbs. What suggestions do you have that takes good 720p or 1080 video in a p&s that still has good image quality. I know it wont compare to a DSLR but what would you say is near there.

Thanks,
Ryan

Hi Dara, thanks heaps for posting that information. My brother has also told me that Canon's are great cameras.. the problem is that nearly none of the Canon's have ALL the features I want.

I've been tossing up whether or not I want to take a video camera or a digital camera with video capability. I've decided that a video camera would just be too bulky to carry around, and I'd be paranoid about it getting stolen, etc. I've noticed that more and more cameras are now featuring the ability to shoot video in 720p HD (I can't seem to find any that can take 1080p yet). This is important to me, but so is zoom, and picture quality.

Essentially, I want a camera that has:
*~5x optical zoom,
*can shoot atleast 720p HD video, and
*allow for zoom while filming (which I know the Canon's do NOT allow - so stupid!!!)
*have 12 megapixels or more
*are known to take quality photos

My question is, am I asking too much here? lol.

I've been looking at the Panasonic Lumix FT1 (aka TS1) - which has pretty much all of these features, and a shockproof and waterproof casing which is cool... the optical zoom is a little low for my liking, but 4.6x is ok I guess. Do you know if this camera is any good? I know it came out this April... and I'm not going away until late next April.... my question is, am I better off waiting until then when there will no doubt be a replacement model, at a higher price, or grab the current model if I see it at a cheap/decent price?
Thanks in advance.

edit: apologies for the MASSIVE post.

Hi Ryan,

In Australia we sell compact DSLR's in Canon, Olympus and Fujifilm. They pretty much have all the same features, but are compact (but they dont have detachable lenses). It will never be as good quality, but it's probably one of the best ones I can think of for your situation. Hope that helps.

Todd, I'm a bit like you, tossing up what to take whether it be just a camera or both a camera and video camera as there are lots of pocket sized digital cameras coming out at decent prices! It's essentially up to you about whether you get the Panasonic now or whethr you wait. You've got 6 months, and manufacturers are likely to better their models within that time, which could mean you miss out on better features if you buy now. Just think, 12 months ago 8mp & 3xoptical zoom was the norm, now it's 10-12mp with 5x optical. If it were me, I'd say wait for a bit. If you see the Panasonic out cheap then you may want to get it. If you wait long enough (and are really lucky) you can pick it up when it's discontinued for a reasonable price, but you'll probably find better features.

If it's any help, I've already purchased the camera that I'm going to be using on my April tour, as I want to be sure that I'm very familiar with it and its functions before I take it away!! But I waited for a sale.

Hope that helps guys

Thanks heaps for that Dara.
Looks like I'll wait it out for a while yet.
I'll wait and see what new models get announced in the new year and go from there. Like you, I want to be well accustomed to using the camera before I go away, so at the very least I'd need it for a couple weeks before I leave.

The best advice I can give on cameras is this: Take extra batteries. I ran out of juice twice in my first three days, so I walked to the mall in Berlin and bought two more. Kept them charged and switched them out during the days the rest of the trip.

quote:

decent prices! It's essentially up to you about whether you get the Panasonic now or whethr you wait. You've got 6 months, and manufacturers

I recently bought a Canon DSLR camera and I'm tossing up whether to take it on my tour to Europe. I know I will get the most amazing photos if I do but worried about keeping it safe (although I know I'd always have it with me) and carting it around....Any thoughts??

Hey Rachel, you must take the DSLR with you. I had my DSLR with me 99% of the time. Even though it was almost 3 lbs I managed to carry it. The only time I didnt take it with me, is when I went out for drinks or late in the evening. As for security I always kept it in my luggage locked up. And if that doesnt sound safe I would insure it. Thats what I did. And its also nice to have a small P&S camera for those times you dont want to haul your DSLR around.

Agreed 100%. You'll get the best quality pictures that you'll love. Perhaps buy a small ADSL for night shots so you dont take your expensive (and heavy) camera with you for nights out drinking.

Why thanks so much for your feedback! I think I must too hehe. I'm a photo-oholic and would be lost without it! Will prob still take my compact one too. Thanks guys. Just gotta decide which camera bag to take now. Have a rather large one and am tossing up whether to take that and use it as my general bag or to get a smaller one and put in a a normal handbag/backpack....I know it will be with me 99% of the time anyway. Thanks for everything guys

I am a photo junkie and your analysis of cameras is pretty spot on. I would put Nikon and Canon in the same level though, especially for SLRs. Everything else would stay the same for me in terms of quality. Olympus is the best for waterproof and dive rated cameras without needing an extra case too. I love my Nikon D80, P4, and Olympus 1030 SW like they are my babies.

I can't remember how long it is but keep in mind if you purchase something (i think its 4-6weeks) before flying out you can claim some back as duty free.