You don't really have enough time to be learning a new camera - you want onethat will do very well on the Auto mode..

The TZ3 and SD800is have good Auto modes, and both are small..

The low-light abilities of the Fujis are also worth looking at.(Think: temples, museums, restaurants and bars)..

Cheers for the advice! After reading up on some Fujifilm cameras, the FinePix F31fd looks like a promising option. Very nice quality shots and works well in low light situations..

Just wondering if it would be worth waiting for the F50fd and see if it improves from the previous models...

For $150 or so you could get a SP-350 Oly, has raw, 8mp, hotshoe and has takes great auto pics. Also saves you lots of $....:).

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God bless our troops!...

Sanfranc wrote:.

Go with Canon. Best colors of the bunch..

Debatable! Olympus is known for thier colors..

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God bless our troops!...

Or Olympus, also great colors....Yes, this is debatable....Still, I own Canon and Olympus P&S. Canon colors a bit better...Both are very good concerning colors; but for my taste I'd buy the Canon...

Yes, I bought my daughter a A-530 for Christmas last year...she loves it!.

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God bless our troops!...

The F50 may (or may not) have better picture quality - no one really knows yet..

If you can get a new F31, you will be astonished at it's image quality and low lightabilities..

The Fuji forum will help you with basic settings that should work well for you..

As to Canon and Olympus colours, everyone recommends what they are used to..

Simple viewing programs like Picasa, Irfanview and Xnview (all free) will allow you to make a surprising amount of "tweaks" to your pictures (post processing) and colouris one of the easiest to adjust...

The G7 doesn't have a wideangle lens, and I'm not sure the other Canons have RAW. I have the LX2 and like it a lot: RAW, plus wideangle lens, sensor and LCD..

It's a very good I think, the only slight snag being the mediocre low light performance which may not be too relevant for your trip. Fits into a jacket pocket, but not a trouser pocket..

Most of these were taken with it:.

Http://alexandjustine.smugmug.com/gallery/2002575#102352855.

Alex.

Http://akiralx.smugmug.com/..

RAW and compact are pretty limiting in itself. Wide angle and compact is also a big limiter..

I use the Fuji E900 for it's RAW and relatively good low light/low noise performance. Like all cameras it's a compromise..

Answering another forum question I came across the old Canon G6, which turn out to be a nice little camera that performs better than many of it's modern peers. Worth a look if you can find one. I'd pick one of those over a G7. If RAW is not important the G7 is a good camera, although I regard t as rather expensive for what it offers..

If noise bugs you the Panasonics will also bug you. Many people seem happy with them..

A question to ask yourself is how wide do you need ? .

Another is do you need RAW ? ( I am strongly biased towards RAW myself, but PP is something I'm comfortable with )..

Someone mentioned the Fuji F30/31 - excellent cameras, but not wide and no RAW. Also no bracketing, which is an issue for some people. But good compacts and good at low light..

The TZ3 is a camera which many people like, and, given it's weight and size and zoom, almost an ideal travel camera. If you can live with the noise reduction system it might be a good choice..

All your choices will involve compromise, I think, so be prepared to let go something..

StephenG.

Pentax K100DFuji S5200Fuji E900PCLinuxOS..

Thanks for the advice and sample shots! After some reading I realize RAW isn't that much of a concern to me but a nice option to have. I'm still quite impressed by the capabilities of a wide-angle lens but in regards to the TZ3, from what I've seen in sample shots and user reviews, the image quality and noise reduction is a turn off. The big zoom on the TZ3 was another appealing factor, but I guess having a camera without it isn't that much of a loss when quality is a bigger concern..

I'm leaning towards the F31fd, but the lack of wide-angle is making the LX2 an appealing choice...

Okay after reading further I've finalized my choices between the Fujifilm FinePix F31fd and the Canon PowerShot A640. Both produce brilliant image quality and have nice battery life. I'm not too concerned about wide-angle or RAW now, seeing how limited they are on a compact..

I was reconsidering the G7, but the image quality compared to the A640 look so remarkably similar, I'd put it down more to features I'd find useful. I think one of the only main features I'd find useful on the G7, compared to A640, is the IS. I just don't think I can justify spending so much more on the G7 just because it includes IS..

Fujifilm FinePix F31fdPros:- Better image quality in low light and higher ISOs.Cons:- Only supports xD Picture cards.

Canon PowerShot A640Pros:- Produces the same quality images as the G7, minus the expensive price tag- Flip-out & twist screenCons:- Low LCD pixels.

I think the only issues I have is the lack of IS on both of them, but is IS really that important?.

For prices, I found the F31fd slightly cheaper then the A640, but harder to find...

If the idea is to have a camera for beginning and later to switch to SLR, then any one of your choice should be fine! I think that what finally matters is whether you learn photography and not too much on whether you have the best of the lot....

Dipuhttp://budding-nature-photographer.blogspot.com/..

Yep, I don't think RAW is important, though I'd miss the 28mm lens on my LX2..

I'd go for the Fuji, because it's dirt cheap at the moment, here in the UK at least, and it'll always be useful for the low light ability..

I do think IS is important on a compact though, I have to say - but the high ISO ability of the Fuji may obviate that..

Alex.

Http://akiralx.smugmug.com/..