Point and shoot cheap but outstanding?

Hi there, I am wondering if there is anyone out there that could let me know some good choices of point and shoot cameras. I am probably going to be capturing a lot of deep jungle, buildings, sea shores and water/ sunsets and lots of sun and maybe some night time partying. I will prob just buy some disposable cameras for underwater use, unless there is a camera that does both underwater and land shots in good quality and cheap? I am on a shoestring budget ($200ish) and cant afford high line point and shoot. Also, which may come as a shock, I am completely inept in the realm of photography, I fancy myself as more of a writer then anything else....So what I need is a camera that can automatically change from setting to setting with out me bumbling around for the right macro or micro shots.

Cheers.

Look for a Nikon Coolpix L120 you should find it in the $200 range as it was $225 last year. Good simple long zoom camera.

OP You are never going to find a camera that does everything you want. It will always be finding the best fit soultion and there will be always some drawbacks. #1 generally offers good advice so that model is likely to be a good fit.

Only way to really get better photos, is to learn some things about photography, at the very least best ways to frame photos.

i recently bought a Nikon Coolpix AW100 for just a little over $200 CAD and i was very impressed with it. its water proof, shock proof, and dust proof. it had some great features to play around with like panoramic photos and is very easy to use. image quality was also very good for a small point and shoot. i bought this camera for my recent trip to costa rica (i wanted somthing tough) and i found the only downfall was the zoom, i seen alot of while life and the zoom just wouldn't cut it to get a good photo. but it sounds like you will be using it more for landscape so this shouldn't be a huge issue.

You can find what you want:cheap,easy and working underwater.Simply forget about the latest models.For instance - Pentax WP are good for you,but not the latest,if you find WP60,WP90
you should not pay more then 200 bucks for new.It is simple,works underwater(3 meters),strong
build,shoots nice movies - but works well in good light,you can find them on e-bay,2nd hand shops;Sony made similar camera called TX-5,(looks different) - already replaced by new models,which are out of your budget,it shoots better photos then PentaxWP.
TX5 is smaller and more lady-like,it is touch type(underwater as well!) - if you look for it - you will find it!

I have recently bought this....

http://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/29_digital-camera_sz-10_24147.htm

Available in the UK for about £120. Incredible bit of kit for the price. Lovely looker - too.
Very little, if anything at all anywhere - comes close for the same price.
Read what the pro's say about it - too....

http://www.steves-digicams.com/camera-reviews/olympus/sz-10/steves-conclusion-158.html

If you are getting a camera with a really long zoom don't forget you may also want some kind of tripod, maybe just a mini one like but it would be rerally useful. A tripod is also handy for night time photography when you don't want to ruin your pictures by using the flash.

Good point raised (re:tripods) from *6.... fowler9.
Mini-tripods have a universal fitting - and can be bought new for about £3 in The UK.
Don't know where you're from - but a currency converter will give you the price in your home town.

I got a Samsung ES78 before I left last August by the way. Absolutely made up with it, it worked flawlessly and did everything I asked it to. Not sure if this model is still available.

A lot of T.T.er's hated the word 'Samsung' when S suggested a couple of models last year.
Personally, I think sSmsung make some superb cameras - with excellent value for money.
Good shout.

It was an absolute bargain and took some punishment in some very different climates without any bother. I'm finally going through my photos now I'm back home and the picture quality is brilliant (I'd like to think due to the quality of the photographer, ha ha). I was doubtful at first because Chelsea were sponsored by them but was won round when people mentioned that a lot of other camera manufacturers etc. use parts made by Samsung in their cameras and what have you. Blimey, I sound like I bloody work for them. I have previosuly used Vivitar and back in the days of using film had a selection of Practika SLR's.

MY SLR times were Minolta (SRT-101b), Nikon (F3), Canon (EOS) - and in the very early days.... Zenith.
Now I'm giving my age away.
Out of all of them - despite the technology improving so fast it was diificult to keep up, the best lens I ever had - was the dedicated Minolta one.
Nothing else (SLR) came near.

Zenith? with Helios lens?Do you remember Zenith set with 300mm tele in rifle style?
I collect such things and I have just found it.

I do remember it very well.
I started off with the Zenith 'E', then 'Upgraded' (Ha!) to the Zenith 'EM'
remember that light meter? It was in the top - a little needle that you lined up a bit like a spirit level.
My friend made me very jealous when he got the Zenith TTL.
Through The lense metering - a brand new camera and 30-50 lens for under £50.
How things have evolved since the '80s - huih?

Thank you Kucinta! That pentax pw90 looks like a winner!
I appreciate all the responses (that stayed on topic) haha.

Cheers

• A lot of T.T.er's hated the word 'Samsung' when S suggested a couple of models last year.

No, we did not hate the word Samsung - but you stated that this point and shoot was as good as any dSLR if not better at a fraction of the money. And that was plain wrong - back last year and still is now.

From the link you provided yourself above:
"I did see quite a bit of noise when viewing at 100%, however at full screen the photos look great. This was even when the camera chose a lower ISO setting of 100 or 200."

Bottom line is you get what you pay for. It won't be a bad camera, but it won't be 'outstanding' either and nowhere near the quality of a dSLR as you claimed last year.
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