haven't seen any digital camera threads in a while, and since i'll be heading off to detroit in january for the NAIAS i'm thinking of finally buying a digital camera to take with me. never really had a *need* for one, so i've never gotten around to getting one despite my desire for one. just keep finding other things to spend money on, i guess.
anyway - figured i might post here and see what y'all's current picks are in the digital camera world.
i'm not looking to spend a mint - would like to keep it under $400 but haven't ruled out spending more if the camera is worth it. would like at least 4 MP, 5 MP being better, but wouldn't rule out a 3 MP camera if the lens/features/etc. merited a closer look. small size is important - i'd like to be able to slip it into a pocket rather than having to worry about some big, bulky thing that's going to get in the way while i carry it around. i'd also like a good zoom - 4x or better, at the least. would prefer 6x, 8x, or even 10x optical....primary usage wouldn't require phenomenal image quality (pics from auto shows, road trips, etc. - most of which would just be posted on the web), but i would also like to be able to use it at events like the petit lemans or 12 hours of sebring and still come out with decent action shots, often from a fair distance.
some cameras i've thought about:
-- sony DSC-V1 - 5 mp, zeiss lens, good size....but, it is pricey (best online prices seem to be around $500, local brick-and-mortar stores like best buy or wolf are $600+. our office uses older sony's with zeiss lenses, and for having been abused on jobsites and dozens of trips (and having coke spilled in them, dropped, etc.) they've held up pretty well. haven't been blown away by picture quality, but they usually do pretty well - and of course they *are* a couple years old.
-- nikon coolpix series - the 5400/5700 look to be nice models but are even pricier than the sony, on average. the 4300 was my favorite option several months ago, but i think it's been out long enough that it's probably been surpassed by some of the current offerings.
--canon digital elph (s400?) - like the size, but the optical zoom is a bit short (3x?) and the price ain't cheap...
--canon S50 - not too much bigger than the elph, but 5mp and appears to be highly reviewed. can be found online for under $400....looks like a good buy.
--olympus has a few w/ 6x-10x zooms, but they're a bit bulkier than i'd like....
anybody out there have any suggestions? was hoping for a good deal on something on black friday but didn't see anything that sounded like what i was looking for. i also have a best buy 10% off coupon for this weekend, but i'm not really ready to buy right now...and plus 10% off best buy prices is still more expensive than some of the online e-tailers (from pricegrabber.com, anyway).
thoughts?
