The Doll Forum

I haven't read this whole thread but my vote would be for the Canon G12.
Many big photographers use this camera because it's small yet still gets an
amazing picture. Fairly simple too.

cheers

jim
ruby13

The Canon G9 and G11 are also quite nice, and likely available for a good price used.

Stephanie RD wrote:We take "live view" for granted on our point and shoots and phone cams but live view is rather new to SLRs. Not only are Sony's live views far better but it's so good they removed the expensive $300 traditional camera view finder. "But the in ad photos Sony SLRs appear to have view finders?" Not really. They are simply a digital projection like those annoying old style video cameras. They are not true view finders. Live view renders view finders obsolete.

You're using the term "live view" somewhat loosely. As DSLRs go, live view refers to the ability to compose an image using the LCD screen on the back of the camera, rather than through the view finder. For phone cams and most P&S cameras, there is no view finder at all, just the LCD screen, so it is always "live view". Sony, as you point out, has replaced the traditional through-the-lens (TTL) optical view finder (OVF) on their DSLRs with an electronic view finder (EVF). There are pros and cons on both sides of the OVF vs. EVF debate, but Sony's EVFs are, indeed, true view finders.

As to live view rendering view finders obsolete, if you are referring to composing images with an LCD display on the back of the camera rather than a view finder (OVF or EVF), I cannot disagree more. Holding a camera out a foot in front of your face, staring at a 3" LCD screen, is fine for a lot of things (but have fun trying to see that screen in bright sunlight), but for me - and, I'd wager, for a huge majority of anyone at least semi-serious about photography - it will never replace having the camera right up next to your eye, seeing what the lens is seeing. There's too much of a disconnect when the camera is out away from your eye.

+1