P&S camera for outdoors, ~$200

[velillen]

So the time has come for me to upgrade cameras. I have a cannon A520 that has done wonders for my simple style of shooting but i figure now is a good time to upgrade.

Basically the majority of the use of the camera will be for outdoor usage. Something to take hiking, skiing, and mountaineering with. But it will also be used indoors since i have a new niece coming along.

So basically im looking for something
-Simple to use, i dont really mess with settings
-durable since itll be in my backpack at times (though my a520 did just fine)
- does fairly well in different environments, on snow, out in the sun, ect
- lighter the weight the better
- i am leaning towards something with AA batteries sine this will be brought one week long backpacking trips so not a fan of having rechargeable batteries.
- a nice zoom would be nice
- decent burst mode for shooting skiers (not a total selling point but be nice if it had one)

Other than those i am really open to anything. Just want something that can do good pictures and is easy to use.

Thanks for any advice! Like i said my budget is right around the 200 dollar mark

 

[sixone]

What's "nice zoom"? 5x? 10x? 25x?

 

[velillen]

well my a520 had 4x so i would say 5x would be fine with 10x being even better.

 

[JohnnyRebel]

AW100 - Refurbished by Nikon (better than new) for $239.95 shipped.

...rugged, water-proof, shock-proof, freeze-proof..5x Zoom...16-MP CMOS sensor...Full HD (1080p)...GPS + e-Compass...


http://www.adorama.com/INKAW100ORR.html

Nikon AW100 Features

• Filter effects enable easy image adjustment during playback rev
• 16 effective megapixel CMOS sensor ideal for low light shooting and fast operation
• Full HD (1080p) movie with stereo sound and movie-record button that enables one-touch recording (HDMI mini connector equipped)
• GPS and e-Compass functions
• Points of Interest (locations, landmarks, etc.) and location information (latitude and longitude) can be added to your photos
• GPS log function: location information is acquired even when not shooting and your route can be recorded and displayed on the LCD monitor as a log
• Built-in map displays present location during shooting, and shooting sites during playback on the LCD monitor
• Electronic compass enables recording of the orientation of the camera
• Easy and fun with Action Control and in-camera effects
• 5x optical Zoom-NIKKOR glass lens 28 140mm (35mm equivalent)
• Beautiful underwater scenes can be captured with the simple setting of the Underwater Scene mode
• Action Control enables one-hand control of selected camera functions
• High-speed continuous shooting captures 3 shots in about one second at full resolution
• Image processing engine EXPEED C2 for enhanced image quality and processing speed
• Large, high resolution 3-in. LCD monitor with 460,000-dot Clear Color display and anti-reflection coating
• Smart portrait system automatically creates beautiful portraits
• 20 Scene modes (including Easy Auto mode)
• Subject Tracking that can continuously track a designated moving subject

 

[crashtestdummy]

I love my Panasonic ZS1 for outdoor travel. It takes about 300 pictures on a charge, so you should be ok (or you can get a second battery like I do).

If size is a bigger concern, grab one of the Canon ELPH cameras.

As for the ski photos, you're got going to get truly excellent action shots until you start getting into wider aperture cameras, which aren't going to be as travel friendly (or as cheap).

 

[sixone]

Canon SX230HS

 

[Throckmorton]

Do compact cameras using AA batteries still exist?

 

[fralexandr]

some cameras still use AA batteries, though many of them are older models or rather poor quality (kodak point and shoots and such)

compact cameras that use AA batteries w >=5x zoom
http://www.dpreview.com/products/se...de=1920x1080,1280x720&paramSpecsBatteryNew=AA

while I agree battery packs are somewhat troublesome, there aren't really that many good options for AA based point and shoots, better just to buy backup batteries from the manufacturer
if you're going places you can't recharge, i'd recommend planning for ~500 shots/week to be safe (i usually hit maybe 200-300 in a week) so 2 batteries would be safe for a week away from power

most point and shoots will be fine in the conditions you list, though a waterproof one like johnnyrebel listed will give you more peace of mind during rain and near water

i'd recommend the canon sx-230 based on your requirements if you don't plan on shooting during rain or in water (though you can't always predict rain, your camera should be fine if you baby it a bit)
otherwise the nikon aw100 seems like one of the better waterproof cameras around your budget (the canon d10 is getting rather old and the d20 is ~$300 atm)
http://digital-photography-school.com/nikon-aw100-review

 

[velillen]

Thanks for all the recommendations! Im leaning towards the ELPH300 just for size and weight. Seems to be the smallest and lightest. Well and it seems to also be the cheapest too.

Im not to worried about water with it. I never had an issue with the cannon a520. I baby it a bit but still took pictures in the rain and on snow with it.