looking for great compact digicam

[wolfereeno]

I've had a Pentax Optio-S for a few years and love it. But it's showing its age. I want something that's pocket sized. I'm pretty active and use it when I bike and hike. Usually just wrap it in a baggie and stick it in my jersey pocket.

Been looking at various Casio, Pentax, Sony & Nikons. My price range's probably < $450.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

[Photo-John]

I'm in love with Casio's high-end pocket-sized cameras. Check out my review for the 750. That camera has since been replaced. But the replacement isn't much different aside from more resolution.

Casio Exilim EX-Z750 Pro Review >>

I believe the current version is the Exilim EX-Z850. Here's a link to that camera page:

Casio Exilim EX-Z850 Reviews >>

I've used the Nikon P3 a bit and I've used a couple of the Pentax compacts. I like the Pentax menu and interface but I never got that excited about the camera. In my limited experience with the Nikon I noted that it had wonderful white balance and image quality and they have a unique user interface that works very well. Past experience with Nikon compacts left with a bad taste in my mouth. But that was a few years ago. Sony seems to do everything very well. Their cameras are well-designed, the image quality is excellent, and they have something for everyone. That said, I still love the Casio.

Hope that helps. Let us know if you have more questions.