Simple point and shoot with a Eye view

[provencio]

Looking for advice.. I am looking a purchasing a easy to use camera with an eye view,, a decent zoom and some fun features.. I currently have a Canon Rebel and love it but it is too big for parks, at least for me. I have looked around but seem to only find the video screen type of view.. I like the "steady" of putting my eye up against the camera. Sorry if these are simple terms as you can see I am not a professional I would also like my family to be able to use it as well (older teenagers) I know that have a phone but come on.... Any suggestions? Thanks

 

[KVH]

We're going to need some more details, I think. DPReview tells me there are 806 P&S-type cameras with either an optical or electronic viewfinder. Knowing your price range would be the best start. Absent that, while I might say a Canon G5X or a G16, I'm waiting for the mirrorless fanatics to overload you with their recommendations. What other features do you think you might want?

 

[havoc315]

Looking for advice.. I am looking a purchasing a easy to use camera with an eye view,, a decent zoom and some fun features.. I currently have a Canon Rebel and love it but it is too big for parks, at least for me. I have looked around but seem to only find the video screen type of view.. I like the "steady" of putting my eye up against the camera. Sorry if these are simple terms as you can see I am not a professional I would also like my family to be able to use it as well (older teenagers) I know that have a phone but come on.... Any suggestions? Thanks

First and most important question (IMO, needs to be asked before budget), what level of image quality are you looking for? Ok with smart phone image quality (which matches most p&s cameras), or want something a bit closer to your Rebel? (Enthusiast p&s cameras)
Do you need the ability to take indoor shots without flash, or only really using in good day light?

Once that question is answered, you can start to look at price. Smart-phone quality p&s cameras (in terms of image quality) can run from $100 to $600+
Enthusiast image quality p&s cameras can run from $300-$1000+

Then to your other features... What do you mean by a decent zoom? What lens or lenses do you use on your Rebel? Want something similar in p&s? Want longer telephoto for wildlife? Want wider for landscapes? Want good portrait focal lengths?

What features are you looking for? Raw shooting? Wifi? In-camera HDR?

Your teenagers will do fine with their phones. For most typical types of shooting, their phones have more features and similar image quality compared to most p&s cameras.
The market for p&s is completely collapsing because of that. The only real advantage of basic p&s cameras is optical zoom, but it's easy to learn to live without optical zoom for most types of shooting. (Still need it for shooting sports and wildlife)

 

[sharona]

Looking for advice.. I am looking a purchasing a easy to use camera with an eye view,, a decent zoom and some fun features.. I currently have a Canon Rebel and love it but it is too big for parks, at least for me. I have looked around but seem to only find the video screen type of view.. I like the "steady" of putting my eye up against the camera. Sorry if these are simple terms as you can see I am not a professional I would also like my family to be able to use it as well (older teenagers) I know that have a phone but come on.... Any suggestions? Thanks

Technical term for the eye view is "viewfinder" so you can put that in your search parameters if you're looking online or discussing with a sales person. I agree with you it makes all the difference in getting a good shot. That is why I never take a decent cell phone pic, I need to steady the camera with my face!

 

[provencio]

Thank you ... I am looking for something better than cell phone quality.. I would like a zoom let's say when I am on the Safari, I can zoom in to Simba on top of the rock and the picture still looks cool. I would like a night/low light feature for fireworks or parades... and price.. 300-400. OK is this crazy?? Sorry as you can see I am not a professional and not into the "Lingo". Camera size that I can put in a case that will fit in a small backpack. Thank you

 

[havoc315]

For reasons that are hard to explain, good image quality does not go along with compact and long telephoto, at least without spending a lot.
In that price range, there are quite a few bridge cameras / long telephoto. They may meet your needs, but the low light performance will be poor, and the image quality won't really be better than a good smart phone.

The one camera I can think of, which may give you a small step up, is the Panasonic FZ200. Good telephoto range, and a fast lens. Has a viewfinder.

 

[KVH]

I can also recommend the FZ200. I have one and take it when I feel more apt to shoot than with my P&S but don't feel like taking the DSLR. If you treat it right and learn how to use it, it is capable of great shot. Great big zoom and a constant 2.8 lens. Can do fine on auto but still have the chance to work on your photo skills and exercise greater control over your shots when you feel artistic.

I can also reiterate that a Canon G16 definitely fits your requirements. Even better lens even if it doesn't zoom as much. And a VERY good, larger than average sensor for better image quality.

 

[havoc315]

Great discussion of the available options:

http://m.dpreview.com/opinion/1169183294/opinion-enthusiast-compacts-have-finally-come-of-age

 

[cmwade77]

I just got a Panasonic ZS60 and I love it. It is not super simple, but it is a great camera. The Viewfinder works very well, it has a 30x Optical Zoom, a good flash (although in the parks that won't matter much as you are limited where you are allowed to use flash). It also has a very cool feature that if you are recording 4K video, you can extract photos from the video clip. Another nice feature is the 4K burst mode, including a pre burst mode. Basically, in the pre burst mode it will constantly sit there recording frames, then when you click the button, it will record the previous 30 and the next 30 photos, allowing you to capture moments just before you hit the shutter button.

It also offers RAW support and the battery on it lasts a decent amount of time on a single charge, I did about 90 minutes of 4K video and quite a bit of playing around, including extracting photos from about 30 minutes worth of playing the video clips on Saturday before I had to change out to another battery.

There is also the ZS100, which does have a larger sensor; however, it also doesn't have as good of a zoom, but does have a better wide angle. The ZS60 doesn't have as high of an ISO, which can be useful for dark ride and night time shots, although so far it seems to be ok for me. The ZS100 can shoot 50 frames per second while the ZS60 shoots 40 frames per second, either one is quite impressive to me.

Overall I didn't find the ZS100 with only a 10X optical zoom to be worth the extra $200 or so that it costs. But that is for me and my needs, I definitely recommend checking them out on DPReview.com