So I have only ever owned 1 digital camera. A Canon S100, it took really nice photo's and had an absolute shedload of features I thought I would learn to use but in reality, never did.

I liked that camera but a crash has left the lens inoperable and a led to a quote of over £150 quid to fix it.
Now I could get it fixed, or I could sell it for spares / to someone who knows how to fix it themselves and get something else.

If I was to replace it, can anyone offer any advice on what to look at?
I'd want: Good Pics, much better than camera phones
Small & Light - Smaller the Better
Robust - given my history for smashing things
Not too pricey.

Any knowledge that can help would be appreciated

I've got a panasonic lumix FT4.

Lumix camera's have nice leica lenses.

And it's waterproof to 12metres and drop proof from 2 metres apparantly.

Got some money off in Jessops with some tosco vouchers.

Whilst it does lack a bit in a few arty farty camera departments, the size and the fact I don't have to worry about breaking it is why I got it for doing trips etc. (and good if you drop it on a night out too). It has gps too which is nice to see where you took the photo.

They've probably got a new version out. Approx point and shoot stuff, I'm a big fan of the panasonic lumix ones.


If you want to go a bit more geeky but still point and shoot size, I'd recommend a canon because you can put custom firmware on it (magic lantern I seem to recall) so you can setup all the settings, shoot in raw, time lapse etc. etc.

My 2 pence worth

They always say the best camera is the one you have on you

If you are looking at compact cameras that you can fit into your pocket, and you want good photos* you mainly have the option of either:

1) A robust camera which will take a fair amount of abuse, will take reasonable photos, but will have limited control
2) A camera with control (shutter speed, aperture control, etc), but may need a bit more tlc.

I'm in camp 2. Having said that i take 90% of my photos in automatic mode, but like to have the control to allow be to get the shot i want when the camera thinks otherwise. Theres also a lot to be said for a bit of post production via photoshop for getting the most out of the pictures you've taken.

Things to consider are:
a) Are you interested in the control and know/want to learn how to use them?
b) Whats your budget? (~£100 for option 1, £200-300 for option 2)


*Good photos are all about composition, rather than the camera

You don't say how much is too pricey or what type of pictures you like to take. I would like a new camera but can't afford it at the moment. If I did have the money i'd go for a waterproof/shockproof compact point and shoot with a wide angle lens for landscape shots and a decent zoom. Most point and shoot cameras these days have pre sets for things like portraits, landscapes, action, night scenes, close ups etc and you will probably find these perfectly adequate for your need's. There are plenty of reviews on the net to give you an idea of what's available. Try typing in best digital compact for £??? (whatever it is you have to spend). Remember that a high pixel count doesn't always mean better picture quality and digital zooms are a waste of space. Good luck in your search.

Panasonic TZ8 for me. It's got whistles and bells but also a very good automatic option and a decent optical zoom.

I was lucky enough to get it half price ... because it was black rather than the more popular silver model.

I have a Kodak EasyShare C763, 7.1 megapixels. It's small and light. It fits neatly into its case (LowePro).

I got it in 2007 from Currys. It cost £99 but with case and extra memory it came to £144.

I just put the case around my neck whilst riding and it is very easy to take a picture...

All the pix on my Cairngorms September trip were taken by it.

Cheers all. Too pricey would be more than just fixing the S100 I have already broken..

I'll look at those options above too, cheers

There's a Nikon Coolpix S550 camera sat on my desk doing nowt. It's a little rough round the edges and I don't have a charger but it'd be cheap if you're interested.