The dude hits the nail firmly on the head :clap: and only one charger to carry.

My vote is for the Lumix LX3.

Yes I would like more zoom sometimes, but I'd never change a single mm of the 24mm wide angle or its lumminosity to have more zoom.

I didn't had this opinion before the LX3, but now I am wide-angle converted.


It's also easy and not that expensive to use filters and other gadgets with it.


It has been in my pocket for the last 2 1/2 years without a single fault.


Does very decent videos too.

Of course, the perfect digi compact is very specific to the user. For me, used to the easy, knobbly controls and high build quality of pro-SLRs (I used to do it for a living, for my sins) I couldn't find anything (at the time) that came close to the quality and easy useability of the Canon G10. It's got a nice wide lens and is completely user adjustable. I like to tell the camera what aperture/shutter speed etc to use, not the other way round! I've used it loads and got some really stonking results. In fact, I reckon I get better results with it while on the road than I used to with my DSLR simply because I always have it with me! :)


Matt :)

Just got the new Canon Elph 300.

One of the most appealing things about this camera is its 24mm wide angle lens (wider than your standard 28mm on compacts). Perfect for the moto travel shots I like to take.

And extremely small, 5x optical zoom, 1080 HD video, 12.1 CMOS sensor. Yeah, it's good. And the battery charger is tiny, plugs into socket, no cord. :smiliex:

Amazon.com: Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS 12 MP CMOS Digital Camera with Full 1080p HD Video (Silver): Camera & Photo

EDIT eight months later: I can't recommend this Canon Elph 300 because of poor image quality. The very small size is great, but the photos are subpar. Not nearly as good as I was getting from an older, less expensive Canon point and shoot (AS1000). Maybe it's a CMOS vs. CCD processor issue. The older CCDs seem better at capturing crisp, vibrant photos ... with this Canon Elph and its CMOS processor, many pics were smudgy, washed out, erratic.

My choice
 

I am a "two camera" man ... and along with my DSLR in the tank bag, I like to have a compact in the jacket pocket. I have just updated by pocket compact camera, and have gone a similar way but with a different outcome to the OP.

I also wanted a waterproof, dustproof, dropproof, freeze resistant compact, that can shoot 720p video. For me two major critera were NO AA batteries (which have proved to be a huge waste of time and effort in the past for me, with very poor battery life) and NO pop out zoom lens (they all failed on me while on the road ... dust gets in the mechanism and the auto lens covers on them jam up and fail.

The Panasonic Lumix in the OP meets these criteria, but I went with the Sony product (TX5) ... because of the manual slide up lens cover. The Sony is already considerably lighter and thinner, but the excellent lens cover means there is no need for any case ... merely a screen protector for the 3 inch screen. With many of the very compact cameras, a protective case doubles the size and bulk of the camera. It has a 4x zoom, 25-100mm equivalent.

Sony CyberShot DSC TX5 – World Smallest And Thinnest Waterproof Digital Camera | The Cool Gadgets

But I think this and the OPs camera are pretty much where I want to be for a overlanding compact.

Wow, I'd forgotten this thread was around. As it happens I got a good deal on a camera that I like: the Lumix DMC-FT2. Had I know about the Sony, it might well have got a look in too.

Waterproof, freezeproof, dust and shockproof (untested!!). Zoom is adequate, metering good. HD movies too.

I like it. I wish it had more manual overrides such as manual zoom, and the exposure priorities, (some sort of clip on lenscap would have been nice, too) but apart from that it does the trick!
:thumbup1:

Ive bought a lumix dmc-ts3

its 14mp picture
1080p video
12 meters waterproof
6 feet shock proof
dustproof and well build.

http://a.img-dpreview.com/news/1101/...e_TS3d-001.jpg

i have the Panasonic DMC-TS1

have had it a year love it, it replaced a camera that smashed when it fell out of my shirt pocket.

I am really happy with photo and video and as for the lense yeah a cover would be nice but mine has stayed scratch free so far.

I paid £170 from a spanish retailer which was a good price and still is I think as they seem to go for £270

its also nice that i can let my baby play with it and not worry about breakages.

my other camera is an older nikon coolpix which has also been great

the one that broke was an olypus and I wouldnt touch one again very slow, 1 good feature was the panaromic

My vote goes for Canon G series and for me the best is G10 with 14.7 MPs.

I am happy with it. Have housing for underwater.
No AA batteries but have chargeable battery.
Needs a good pouch IMHO

i use a Panasonic DMC-TZ7 , i was amazed at the pictures you can take with it... small enough and fantastic zoom. pictures are clear and clean, some great features too...

The new Canon S100 is probably the best premium compact to travel with..fits in your shirt pockets and produces images at a quality par with SLRs...


P.S : My first post in HUBB after years..Yaay. I think I have fallen back into the vortex of RTW dreams!!

Canon D20 is all you need for overlanding.

I use a Nikon coolpix. It is a 10.1 mp compact with 5X zoom and can record good videos as well . It has an effective built-in microphone and runs on AA batteries . I use the batteries both for the camera and the other gadgets.

Another thumbs up for the ft2 which I've had a year or so, and a general thumbs up for the whole Lumix range over the competition, mostly because they go for <28 wide angle over zoom.
Considering the ft2 lens is tiny, the pic quality can be brilliant, even on full zoom as long as theres enough light. A mate bought another and filming in tandem we shot a pretty good youtube vid on a remote river last year.
Also filming, I've killed a cheap Lumix tz6? with an exposed zooming lens in a fortnight in the desert. Even then, it was worth it for the movie.
The ft looks so crumby so I thought i needed a better quality + manual option Lumix. I got an LX5 plus the screw on cylinder + filter to protect the extending (short) zoom from dust. Its very nice to use but is now bulky and for my basic needs the quality is not night and day over the slimmer ft2 which now comes on all trips and rarely disappoints.

Ch

Another LUMIX fan here, like Chris I killed a DMC-ZX1 in the WS. I'd had the camera for 3 years and loved it. Replaced it with a cheap Nikon Coolpix S2550 which has surprised me but I miss the LUMIX