Help! Need an Action P&S

[Old Timer]

Even though I have been a photographer for several years and can answer most questions about SLRs I know nothing about the different point and shoot cameras. My son recently ask me for advice about what camera to buy and I was at a total lose. So I'm turning to my PR friends for some suggestions. First of all Sam is a cowboy, yes literally a cowboy. He and his wife do a lot of roping and riding in West Texas. They want a camera that can keep up with their activities but is still small enough for a pocket or to slip in their saddle bag. They are very dissatisfied with their current camera because of shutter lag and process time. They feel they are missing a lot of shots because of these two factors. So my question to you is what would be a good choice of camera for them and their active lifestyle. A small fast camera with enough zoom range to capture action or wildlife from a little distance on horseback. Oh yes they have a very active 3 year old as well that is always on the go chasing one of his four dogs. Need your help and would appreciate your suggestions.

[SmartWombat]

I'm not sure there is anything that will copy with all they want.

If it's in the saddlebag that'll be dusty, and it was dust that killed my G9 within a year.
The extending 3-piece zoom lens on almost any P&S is a dust hoover as it extends, and then as it collapses it blows that dust laden air out. In the case of the G9 the sensor area wasn't sealed enough and it became unusable just after the 1 yr warranty.
Compared to my Panasonic LZ-5 that lasted 3 years in my pocket before succumbing to lint, that's unexpectedly poor life from the Canon - and surfing around I'm not the only one to suffer that problem.

I don't know if the G10 or G11 fixed that, but it might have.
I'm thinking of the G series because of the optical viewfinder so you can frame action shots, and the burst mode admittedly modest by SLR standards.

Whatever P&S you get it will have lag. I haven't found one that doesn't.
I haven't found one without image writing delays either.

If they've got a little room in the saddle bag, then an Olympus E-P1 might be an answer.
Doesn't have all the zoom in one lens, but a couple would cover almost everything.
It has dust reduction built in, and image stabilisation in the body.
Fast burst mode (faster then the Panasonic GH-1) and larger burst capacity (than the GH-1) - but for action maybe not having a real viewfinder will be an issue?
I haven't tried the E-P1 or E-Pl1 wiht the electronic viewfinder, so maybe P-J cna comment on that.

I think it's likely to do better than most P&S because of the stabilisation. But many now have Optical Image Stabilisation in the lens (Panasonic have for years) as well as long range superzooms. It's just without really good dust sealing and/or dust reduction sensor shaking I'm not sure it'll cope well with the environment.

Or course there's the range of completely sealed waterproof, dust proof, shockproof cameras that John's been reviewing. But they may not have fast enough action, or long enough bursts, or enough zoom.

It'd be interesting to know what camera they have now, that isn't good enough, as a benchmark.

[Old Timer]

Thanks for the input Paul. they currently are using one of the Kodaks but not sure of the model. I was thinking about the E-P1 but not sure they want to tackle interchangeable lenses. You bring up a very good point about the dust. In West Texas out on the range there is lots of wind and dust.

[mjs1973]

I hate it when I get asked this question. There are so many P&S's on the market that it's hard to tell anyone what might work for them. Hopefully PJ will chime in as he has been able to get his hands on many different P&S's. I really love my G9 but I wouldn't consider an "action" camera. When I bought it I really wanted a view finder, but find that I almost never use it. The G11 has good reviews for image quality, but I the G series is a little big for a pocket. I think it's the Canon S90 that uses the same sensor as the G11 but in a smaller package.

If I remember correctly, PJ speaks pretty highly of the Olympus P&S's. They have a few that are very durable.

[drg]

O.T. -

The Panasonic DMC ZS7 (there's a earlier version too) has one of the fastest shutter response times reported right now. They also have very fast AF for a P/S. Also there's the DMC-LX3 that is a pretty seriously speced p/s both lens and performance. However, Pannies are maybe not the top end image producers?

For sheer ruggedness my observations has been leaning towards the Olympus cameras but they suffer on several other scores. If you want a camera to survive and not spend a fortune, Oly's seem to be the current ticket for impact, water, dust, bouncing around etc. Other than that, iffy.

I've got a Sony Cybershot DSC-WX1 that is very pocketable, fast lens, quite reasonable response, excellent in low light. Yet in regular outdoor photography it is only an average performer! Optimized for one type of use and it works well but not for everything. Also it has that slick Sweep Panorama feature. Sony also has the higher end EVF equipped HX1 Cybershot that sports a 20:1 zoom. Yet as Paul mentioned, all of those telescoping units have potential for lots of problems. . .

I am also wondering if the industry reports that these P/S are built for only 1-3 years of service is going to become more of a problem. Nothing has lasted like a couple of my older Olympus compact/P/S or my earlier Canon Powershots (G5/G6). I've burned through several other cameras since those and they've all died and the others still work when I charge 'em up or replace the batteries.

If there is a bright spot in all this, it is that there's lots of $200-300 choices that provide a huge range of features and a few slightly more costly that really excel.

PJ has a Sony Cybershot TX5 review/preview I see and that's supposed to be (and he's been beating it up pretty good I imagine) a quite durable series.

I've gone back to recommending an entry level DSLR (light, relatively cheap, high quality image potential, flexible) to a lot of people. Of course the size is a factor and certain types of durability remain an issue. However, I soaked a 450 dRebel recently in the rain with a kit lens and it just kept on shooting.

That's all I got at the moment on this topic! Goooood luck!! Let us know!

[Old Timer]

Two more great responses. You guys are giving me a good list to start researching. thanks for the kind responses and good advise.

[Photo-John]

Wow - this is a tough one. First of all "Action P&S" is an oxymoron. It doesn't exist. For good photos with a point-and-shoot, learning to work within the limitations of your camera is mandatory. Shutter-lag is a given - it's just a metter of how much. Expecting a compact camera to not have shutter-lag is unreasonable.

I really thing your son is a perfect candidate for one of the "rugged" point-and-shoot cameras. Yes, there is an image quality compromise and there will be shutter-lag. But if you look at what I've been able to do with the Olympus, Pentax and Sony waterproof / shockproof cameras, you'll see that it is possible to get good photos with them. He'll have to learn to do a little more than just point-and-shoot, though.

Right now my favorite rugged camera is the Sony Cybershot TX5. It's got a CMOS sensor and I think it's got the best image quality of what's available right now. And I can attest to the abuse it can take. It spent a lot of time in the pool and surf with it in Mazatlan and it's still working. It's a bit beat up, but it hasn't had any mechanical issues at all.

My second choice right now would be the Panasonic TS2. I haven't actually used the TS2, but until recently it was the most popular waterproof camera in our user reviews (based on review page visits). The new Pentax and Olympus both work great and have solid builds (the Olympus is the burliest). But I was disappointed with the image quality of both cameras.

[Old Timer]

Thanks for your input John. I know I'm asking a lot from a P&S, but than again the manufactures just seem to be giving us more and more.

[Photo-John]

I know I'm asking a lot from a P&S, but than again the manufactures just seem to be giving us more and more.

Don't drink too much of that Koolaid. They aren't magic yet. I am utilizing a lot of point-and-shoot skillz. I hope I'm not making cameras I review look better than they are

[brhitch]

Larry, I'm going to agree with John on his P&S recommendations. I have a Fuji XP10 as you know that I bought because it was waterproof (and in my price range) but for what Sam wants I'm not sure it's built tough enough for that. The Sony's are tough and quality is good at least as far as my experience goes with the older ones. I had a friend who took one to Iraq and it survived the desert and him and the photos were good. That said, when I was looking at a waterproof camera I was leaning towards the new Pentax Optio W90 or the Olympus Tough 8000 but they were both more than I wanted to spend.

[Old Timer]

Thanks for you insight Brian. We need to get together and may be you can help me with a recommendation.

[brhitch]

Larry, Afternoons on the weekends I'm usually around. Just give me a shout.

[Loupey]

I've been playing around with the Pentax Optio W80 ever since I bought one for my daughter for Christmas. If your son is willing to compromise on image quality slightly, it has several good attributes - waterproof, dustproof, coldproof, and shockproof. So if it gets dusty/dirty, just rinse it in water and blow dry it if you want.

I can vouch for the waterproof part. Have taken it swimming several times with no hint of leakage. It does sink btw so I bought the red one to make it easier to spot.

I'm partial to non-telescoping p&s so this one fits the bill nicely.

[Old Timer]

Thanks Loupey I'll give that one a look.

[Photo-John]

I've been thinking mostly about cameras that can take a lot of abuse. On the other hand, if it can fit in a saddle bag and they can keep it in a case, here's another stategy:

Panasonic Lumix FZ100 Hybrid Superzoom Camera >>

The FZ100 was just announced this week. Although I am not usually excited about superzooms, this one has me thinking. It's fast - more FPS than even pro sports DSLRs - and it's got a 600mm equivalent lens. It can also do full HD video. That's a very versatile camera in a small package and for a relatively small price. Like I said in my article, I'm thinking it would be a sweet backcountry mtb and ski camera. I am guessing those same virtues might also make it a good horsey camera