PipeTobacco

Hello Everyone:

As I really have not been focused (hah, unintended pun) on new "point & shoot" cameras of late, as I tend to only use my old DSLR for my photography, I have a question I would like to hear opinions on:

I have a daughter who is going on an extended overseas trip to two different continents (South America and Asia), and I am hoping to get her a camera for that trip. A few caveats:

1. She is not a photographer by inclination.
2. She does take some occasional photos with her iPhone.
3. She needs to travel "light" so a basic, rectangular "point & shoot" would be her best bet to fit easily into a pocket to carry with her through her travels.

I would like her camera to be reasonably "durable" so that is she accidentally drops it, it may likely survive.
I would like it to be as functional as possible in low light situations.
I would like it to be reasonably fast to record images to whatever media it uses.

I tend to likely prefer Nikon, Canon, Panasonic, or Sony, but am open to other options.

I would like to spend somewhere in the $100 - $300 range.

What would you think would be good choices to look into?

Thank you for considering my request for guidance!

Pipe

R.G. Loc: Scotland

Does it have to be new? If not, a second hand older Sony RX100 (Mk iii or thereabouts) would be a good choice.

User ID

Sounds hopeless to me. But no loss at all cuz its also pointless. Get real, she has a phone.

Only some person still using an SLR would imagine that his daughter needs a P&S. The only reason theres still a few P&S available is for selling to old SLR users to give them to daughters who put them in a drawer and never use them.

If travel pix are important, the phone should record all pix to a cloud server, cuz things happen to hardware.

User ID

Theres only a finite supply of used RX100s available. Better not to waste one on a user who has no actual want or need of it.

Anywho, the thread title says "New". But if considering used regardless ... I spoze the only camera justifiable for someone eith no real want or need of a camera could be an Olympus "Tough" (or equivalent) cuz it can go where phones dare not tread, and is designed for use by non photographers.

PipeTobacco

Actually, it was my daughter who suggested the P&S as a gift because she wanted a backup camera for this once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

I was presuming her phone would be sufficient for her as she is comfortable with it, but she suggested it would be helpful for her.

R.G. Loc: Scotland

If you haven't considered second hand it might be worth considering. It sounds like she might want something bigger than internet-sized images in which case a P&S is a better proposition than a phone. Plus a good P&S will be more failure-proof because of the larger sensor.

User ID

Okay, I misread the situation. But I repeat the idea of an Olympus "Tough" or equivalent. Yet I will also repeat the concept about a phone recording to the cloud cuz bad things happen to hardware.

I guess with a camera you could alternate just two cards, swapping them every night. Then if the hardware went astray with one card, the other card still preserves the alternating days activities up to that point. Half a loaf is better than none.

BebuLamar

She can just use her phone. I found the the Iphone with a good case like the Otto box can survive a good drop. I have dropped my Iphone 12 20ft and it survived. I doubt any P&S camera can survive that. Plus Iphones are waterproof to certain extend. Don't buy someone something who doesn't want it.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

They are relatively hard to find, but if I were you, I would try to find a used TG-5 (Olympus label), TG-6 (Olympus label), and TG-7 (OM System label). Waterproof, 7' drop proof, available ring flash accessory, 11X macro ability, sequence shooting, RAW and JPEG, etc. B&H Photo used, Adorama used, Ken Camera, and OMDS's reconditioned would be good areas to search. Just a reminder, the new TG-7 is on sale for $499.99 (normally $549.99). It is worth considering even if it becomes yours when she gets home.

tramsey Loc: Texas

It doesn't sound to me that she wants a real camera. That she is satisfied with her phone. Have you asked her? I see a whole line of I, I, I, I, I, not many shes.

User ID

You missed it. Look again. Its there.

Jeffcs Loc: Myrtle Beach South Carolina

Ask her, your daughter may not want something else to carry around and sense she’s already not photographing with a camera she may not want to learn to use it. Just be cause “we” are photo centric and feel a “camera” would be better than the phone camera, it might just not work out that way, todays phones do really good at photography

TerryVS

While over your budget the Olympus TG-5 or 6 would be a good camera. Will shoot raw if you wish. Decent app to download pics. It's also tough! Put a silicone sleeve on it if you wish more bounce protection.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

This one is slightly more than your budget, but in my opinion it is the best point and shoot on the market.
Sony HX99.
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1444249-REG/sony_cyber_shot_dsc_hx99_digital_camera.html

Red6

This question comes up frequently here and I think that many of us more accustomed to using cameras for photography underestimate the current generation's use of their phones. Many of us just cannot think of traveling and depending on a cell phone for our photos. I gave my son a Nikon DLSR several years ago when he expressed some interest in taking photos for some event he was going to and I do not think it has EVER been out of the box. Every photo or video that he has shot has been from his iPhone.

Let her use her iPhone. It meets all your or her requirements: It takes little or no training or practice to use, she wants to travel light, and it will be with her at all times.

I have a Sony RX100 that I use as my travel camera and while easy to use it does take some familiarity and practice to use effectively. I think this is true of most of the more capable point-and-shoot cameras. I am sure she already knows how to shoot photos and videos with her iPhone.

However, if you both feel a backup is needed, I would suggest one of the small Nikon Coolpix cameras. The Nikon Coolpix L26 cameras are very small, will fit into any pocket or pack, have a reasonable resolution of around 16 mp, and a 5x zoom. It costs around $125 on Amazon and is simple to use. If lost, stolen, or damaged, it will not be a great loss.