I guess it really depends on how "pocketable" the camera needs to be. If it needs to be light and fit in a pocket or handbag then the TZ3 is a very good choice for it's excellent zoom range and image stabilization. If you want manual controls which the TZ3 doesn't have you might want to look at one of the canon's or the fuji F31. It doesn't have image stabilization, or the zoom range of the TZ3, but it's an excellent camera for low light conditions..

If you want the option for more creative expression without going to a DSLR then a superzoom or bridge camera might be your best choice if you don't mind the added bulk. I've found superzooms to be great for vacation trips. I had the Fuji S602 for years and then the Fuji S9000. They allow good zoom range and maximum manual controls. Its a near DSLR experience without the expense, or the weight of multiple lenses. Some good choices in this category are the Fuji S9100, or S6000, the Panasonic FZ50, and Canon S5 IS.

These are just some quick ideas off the top of my head..

Mike.

Http://www.liquidartgallery.com.

'Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.' - malcolm forbes..

Big zoom and wide angle....

Fuji 6500fdRicoh R6Panasonic TZ3Olympus SP-55 UZSony H7 or H9.

The Fuji has 28-300 zoom but no image stabiliserThe Ricoh has 28-200 but is even smaller than the PanasonicThe Panasonic has 28-280 zoom but no manual controlsThe Sonys have 15x optical zoom but only 31mm wideThe Olympus has 18x optical and 28mm wide..

Or, you could get the Canon S5IS and a wide angle adapter..

Androohttp://Androo.smugmug.com..

Andrew Butterfield wrote:.

Big zoom and wide angle....

Fuji 6500fdRicoh R6Panasonic TZ3Olympus SP-55 UZSony H7 or H9.

The Fuji has 28-300 zoom but no image stabiliserThe Ricoh has 28-200 but is even smaller than the PanasonicThe Panasonic has 28-280 zoom but no manual controlsThe Sonys have 15x optical zoom but only 31mm wideThe Olympus has 18x optical and 28mm wide..

Or, you could get the Canon S5IS and a wide angle adapter..

Androohttp://Androo.smugmug.com.

Add Kodak Z612 and Z712.

Z612 35-420 w/IS.

Z712 36-432 w/IS, adds panoramic mode with auto-stitching which can be substituted for W/A under some conditions..

Some reviewers have complained about image quality on the Sony H9 and Olympus 550UZ...

Consider a camera with Image-Stabilisation, EVF (for stable posture) and good zoom. Canon S3IS or S5IS will be good option as these have all above + swivel LCD (helpful in flower, street, overhead, self portrait photography.)..

Tilly49 wrote:.

Hi,I am off to South America for 5mths (namely Patagonia, Bolivia,Peru and Ecuador) and I need a camera for all occassions (orclose). I am a total beginner and have always had a point andclick. I would like to take a step-up but don't think I am readyfor DSLR but maybe the step before. I have been recommended thePanasonic FZ8 (some manual dials), TZ3 (great for wide angles), theFuji S5700 and the Sony DSCH7..

I am still a little miffed at what I should choose and would reallylike your feedback. We will mostly be taking photos of animals andlandscapes and would like a camera that I can pick up and takeshots easily as well as having some form of manual control to learnmore about taking great photos. My price bracket is 350 ($600).Ideally a camera with a good zoom and wideangle would be anadvantage???.

I look forward to your replies..

ThanksTilly.

Regards, Ajayhttp://picasaweb.google.com/ajay0612..

If you don't want to read the reasons the BOTTOM LINE is at the end. .

To me the criteria you need to think about is where you will be. It sounds like this will be an issue..

Get a camera that uses AA batteries. You can get them EVERYWHERE ! If you special lithium ion battery fails then you have a huge problem..

In DSLRs that limits you to the Pentax K100D and the Samsung equivalents, as well as the older Pentax *Dst. The K100D is a fine DSLR and even has IS..

It sounds like you cannot rely on being near a camera shop or major outlet. This means that memory cards and maybe even servicing could be an issue - things happen on holidays !.

This might be a problem with the Pentax brand. If you want the most service Canan or Nikon are your best bet for DSLRs..

If not a DSLR then ....

I'd suggest a Canon S3, which has IS and is a good P&S with reasonable manual control. The canon name means you should be able to get help in most places..

I like Fuji's ( noise and RAW modes and colour - excellent colour reproduction ! ). However, the downside of the S6500/6000 is that it uses ONLY xD cards. These are smaller, slower and less common than SD and CF cards. The S9100 will happily use CF cards, which is one reason I got it. It uses AAs and has a nice lense, going from Wide to Long, as well as full manual controls. It's designed and operates like an SLR..

An advantage of the S9100 is that it is a closed unit - you don't change lenses and they don't get dust on the sensor ( because it's never exposed )..

BOTTOM LINE:.

Either a Pentax K100D with two kit lenses or a Fuji S9100..

Finally....

ENJOY.

StephenG.

Fuji S9600Fuji S5200Fuji F30Fuji E900Canon A710ISPCLinuxOS..

Guys, thank you so much for your help. I am now a little clearer and I have narrowed my choice to the;Canon S5IS (wide angle adaptor needed)Fuji S9100Olympus SP-55 UZPanasonic TZ3 (downside - no manual controls).

Thanks again..

Tilly49 wrote:.

Guys, thank you so much for your help. I am now a little clearerand I have narrowed my choice to the;Canon S5IS (wide angle adaptor needed).

Good choice..

Fuji S9100.

Good. But no I.S., which is a needed feature at tele-end of zoom. Less tele-zoom..

Olympus SP-55 UZ.

Not good enough. At tele-end, the Images are soft, with lot of puple fringing. Just see yourself by downloading some sample photos at tele-end. Some available at Steves-Digicams site..

Panasonic TZ3 (downside - no manual controls).

And no eye-level viewfinder. Very much required for stable posture and panning..

Thanks again.

Regards, Ajayhttp://picasaweb.google.com/ajay0612..

You can't go wrong with either the Canon S3/S5 or the Panasonic FZ50. All three are great cameras..

The FZ50 is more of a DSLR formfactor, so if you think you might be heading that way, the FZ50 is a nice way to get used to it, as it has a manual focus ring and even a zoom ring on the lens instead of push buttons on the body. The FZ50 also offers a really nice HD quality video mode, and with that zoom ring you can actually use the zoom function while filming, which seems to be a rarity in movie modes of digicams..

One caveat is that none of these cameras offer anything better than average in wide angle they're called superzooms for a reason. However, if you really want the best of both worlds, you'll either need to get two digital cameras (one that emphasizes wide and one that emphasizes zoom) or you'll just have to take that step toward a DSLR and get your self two or three different lenses to cover the extremes and the middle..

If you're thinking about a DSLR, I own and recommend the Olympus E-500 2 lens kit. Olympus just put out the new E-510 about a week ago, so the E-500's prices have dropped and may drop even further. I purchased the E-500 2-lens kit (came with 17-45mm and 40-150mm lenses) for $650. I've seen the same recently for well below $600. The E-500 is a very nice entry level DSLR, and in addition to the usual manual modes, it also offers a good variety of auto scene modes, allowing for an easy transition from p&s to DSLRs..

Hope this helps you. Have fun on your trip..

Chris.

Image control:Zoom outZoom 100%Zoom inExpand AllOpen in new window..

Tilly49 wrote:.

Guys, thank you so much for your help. I am now a little clearerand I have narrowed my choice to the;Canon S5IS (wide angle adaptor needed)Fuji S9100Olympus SP-55 UZPanasonic TZ3 (downside - no manual controls).

Thanks again.

Somethings that may help you....

If I was you I would be more concerned about the wide end of the zoom than the long end. It is more useful..

Do not worry about needing AA batteries, providing you think you can occasionally get to power points - just get two spare batteries and keep them charged! (You can get them online far cheaper than from the camera manufacturer. Post a seperate question when you have decided on camera.).

An optical viewfinder will help you preserve power. (It means you do not need to put on the LCD to take pictures - and that is where all your energy goes - so on long stints away form electricity avoid looking at all your pictures on the lcd!).

Don't forget to factor in storage - 5 months in a beautiful place, is a lot of pictures! That is a ot of many on cards unless you are taking a computer..

6-8Megapixels will give you more than enough quality to print large. 8-10MP will eat into your storage faster..

I would have also considered the canon g7 - it's wide end is 'only' 38mm I think but it is a very good, solidly built camera with IS and superb quality. Less zoom range, but better camera, and still very compact. Not sure what the wide angle adaptor takes it to at the wide end..

Have fun..

A..

Thanks Adrian, they are all very good tips and will prove useful. It is a tough business deciding on a camera..

I think I am now down to;Canon S5IS with Wide angle adaptorOlympus SP-55 UZPanasonic FZ8..

This is one of my final choices, what do you guys think of this choice?.

Image StabilisationGood optical zoombuy the added adaptor for wide angle.

Everything I was looking for I think..

Your opinion is most welcome..

Cheers..

Its a good camera. I had it on my list in the post above. It will give you lots of creative options with manual controls and a good zoom. It won't fit in your pocket unless they're very big , but a small fanny pack or camera case that hooks on your belt should make it barely noticable to carry around..

Good luck.

Mike.

Http://www.liquidartgallery.com.

'Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.' - malcolm forbes..

I love cameras like the S5 IS that take AA batteries. I've had a few times where I was caught with my rechargeables dead on my Fuji S9000 and was able to run into a local drug store to get some off the shelf AA's. This can be a life saver when you're at a graduation and your wife is giving one of those " you forgot to charge the camera again !-(" looks..

Even now that I moved up to a canon XTi which unfortunately uses proprietary batteries, I will keep my FUji in the car at all times for just such an emergency..

Mike.

Http://www.liquidartgallery.com.

'Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.' - malcolm forbes..

My only (minor ?) objection is that it's an unknown quantity ; no-one seems to have reviewed it yet. As we've seen with the Sony H9 you can arguably ( IMO ) be better off with the predecessor ( the H5 or H7 ) in terms of value..

If possible wait for reviews, although this may take some time. If you know someone who has more experience with cameras, taken them along to a shop and have a look - ask to take photos with your own memory card and review them later..

Still, you seem to have it much clearer in your mind, which is good. I think you've done well to assimilate all the advice thrown at you..

StephenG.

Fuji S9600Fuji S5200Fuji F30Fuji E900Canon A710ISPCLinuxOS..

I would second the recommendations of the Canon S3/S5 and Panasonic FZ-8/FZ-50. I bought an FZ-7 last year and I love using it..

You mentioned that you want some form of manual control, but how easy do you want it to be to manually control?.

With the FZ-7 and you can manually adjust aperture and shutter speed quite easily, but manual focus can be a nuisance because you need to change to manual focus mode then use the joystick and an enlargement of the centre of the screen. In comparison, the FZ-50 has a manual focus ring which is much easier and faster to use. Of course the size and price difference between the two is quite a bit..

I think the S3 has a manual focus system similar to the FZ-8 and the Fuji models have something like the FZ-50, but I'm not completely sure on that..

Other than the manual focus issue and noise at high ISO the FZ-8 is a great choice, just if you're looking for a travel camera it's too big to fit in a pocket, though I'm not sure what you want for size...

Thanks guys, your comments are always valuable and have made life a little easier for me...

Not really looking for a pocket camera so the FZ8 and Canon are good sizes for what I want to do..

Personally I think people rate the S3 or S5 with added wide angle lense a lot higher than most other which helps me make my decision. Also it has AA batteries which I can get my hands on anywhere....hopefully...

Mmelgar wrote:.

Even now that I moved up to a canon XTi which unfortunately usesproprietary batteries,.

The Opteka battery grip is $70 and includes an AA adapter tray. That's how I'm using mine loaded with Sanyo Eneloops..

Http://www.amazon.com/Opteka-Battery-Canon-Digital-Rebel/dp/B000EDB1II.

Good Day,Roonal.

'Money doesn't buy happiness, but it makes for an extravagant depression' by golf tournament sportscaster..

Wow. Thanks for the tip.

Mike.

Http://www.liquidartgallery.com.

'Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.' - malcolm forbes..

Tilly49 wrote:.

Everything I was looking for I think..

Go for it then!.

Get some practice in so when you are on your trip, you can enjoy it without leafing through a manual!.

A..