Seeking any suggestions or guidance on picking a travel camera for my wife.
She is not techy by any means so it needs to be an easy to use point and shoot.
I'd like to spend less than $700 and pick it up from Amazon if at all possible.
Barring additional park closures she is going to the redwoods here shortly and wanted a better camera than our old Canon PowerShot G9 and her Samsung A20 cell phone.
Point-n-shoots are on the endangered species list... an invasive species called the "smart phone" has decimated them. Nonetheless, there are some decent options. One of the most well-regarded is the Sony RX100 line, Current version is RX100 Mk VII. Unfortunately it is well above what you want to spend (nearly double). However, search "Sony RX100" on Amazon and you will see offers for the V and VI that are much more attractive. There are some refurbs that are just about in your desired range.
Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III is in your price range. It also has a 1-inch sensor but a shorter zoom than the Sony RX100 VIII. I came very close to buying one a few months ago, but went for the Sony because of its zoom and superior autofocus. But I miss the menu system and superior touch screen of Canon cameras. And the Raw burst mode with optional pre-burst is really nice - I have it on my M6 Mark II and it's allowed me to get shots I'd never have managed with any other camera I've ever owned. Without it my reflexes are too slow to get shots like these:
It's zoom isn't great, but the olympus tg-6 tough is nice for lanscapes, etc. It's fun because it's waterproof - so she can take underwater photos, too. Not stellar, but nice, and with a $450 price tag
Gina's suggestion of the G7X III is a good one! The 1" sensor means it will have really good image quality, and the shorter zoom is not a show-stopper for landscape or portrait. 24mm is OK on the wide end, if wider is needed can always shoot panos :-) The lens is a tad faster than the Sony as well, always a plus.
I have a G7x mk1 that I bought for $350 at a pawn shop 3 years ago. Great little camera that has won some challenges for me. I primarily use it when cycling or when going somewhere with no intent of photography, but just in case a good subject presents itself.
It appears I am one of only 3 owners of this camera on DPC and the other two aren't names I recognize as regular participants, so I seem to own that gear page. A few of them are in the 5's, so it shouldn't be too hard to take some of those spots.
Gina's suggestion of the G7X III is a good one! The 1" sensor means it will have really good image quality, and the shorter zoom is not a show-stopper for landscape or portrait. 24mm is OK on the wide end, if wider is needed can always shoot panos :-) The lens is a tad faster than the Sony as well, always a plus.
To be perfectly honest, if I'd known at the time what I know now, I'd probably have gone for the Canon instead of the Sony. The faster lens and pre-burst are huge advantages, and I believe the Canon has a built-in ND filter too. I rushed my decision because the Sony was on special at the time and if I'd missed that special I'd never had bought it at the full price. Getting a bargain was just too tempting.
I just remembered the G7X III doesn't have a viewfinder. I was actually considering the G5X mark II which does have one, but it's outside kswanson's price range. Still cheaper than the Sony though.
Fredmiranda.com is a good person-to-person marketplace. I have both bought and sold there, but not recently... read "not in the last decade", LOL. It can be a little hard for a first time buyer or seller, with no cred in the community.
I am pretty happy with my Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ10002. It is my travel camera. Connects to the phone as well so can use it as remote control and transfer pics on the phone for quick sharing.
