HELP!!! Compact Digital Camera

[fragilepetal]

Hi All,

HELP!!

I want to purchase a new P&S camera.

I've been browsing the internet trying to decipher which would be most suitable.

I'd like to take photo's of Landscapes, outdoor type stuff (just to generalize) but also would like a camera with a fast shutter speed.

I've been looking at Canon's Powershot SX200 also Panasonic's Lumix DMC TZ5K and also the Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ6.
I've read an article about Casio's new camera that will hit the stores in July. The EXILIM Hi-Zoom EX-H10. I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the Casio.

To sum up.
I'm looking for a camera with performance for a low cost.
Budget of about $300 - $400.
I'm going on holiday to NZ in a few weeks time, and i'd love to get some great shots of the scenery and the landscape.

Hopefully someone can help me out :thumbsup:

[Photo-John]

Hello there! I see this is your third post. Welcome to the site!

I think the Canon and Panasonic camera you mentioned would both be good choices. They both compact and offer a lot of power and versatility in a small, relatively inexpensive package. I haven't used one of the Canon SX-Series cameras yet, but in my experience Canon has the best image quality of all the compact digital cameras. On the other hand, I am a huge fan of the features and performance of the Panasonic TZ-Series cameras. In particular, the new Panasonic Lumix ZS3 / TZ7 is a wonderful camera. The image quality is very good for a compact, it shoots excellent 720p video, it has a great 12x image-stabilized lens and the Intelligent Auto exposure mode works really, really well. I've been recommending that camera to lots of people over the past few months. Here's an article I wrote about the Panasonic ZS3 after the official intro event in January:

Panasonic Lumix ZS3 / TZ7 Intro

I haven't had a chance to use the new Casio yet, but I've asked them for one so we can review it. I wrote a short announcement article about it and it looks like a very solid competitor for the Canon SX200 and Panasonic TZ-Series. The Casio is also $100 cheaper than the Panasonic. I can't vouch for the performance or image quality of the Casio since I haven't had my hands on one. But it looks good on paper. Here's out Casio Exilim EX-H10 announcement page:

Casio Exilim EX-H10 Camera Intro

I hope that helps focus your shopping a little. Basically, I think any of those cameras is fine. If your current camera is more than a couple of years old, almost any current digital P&S is going to amaze you.