Home Forums Gear Photography pocket zoom recommendations?

i am in need of a camera for the following uses/criteria and need recommendations as I am not expert nor particularly knowledgeable.

1. I am CEO of a non-profit (mission) and the primary use will be for spontaneous photos of faces, street scenes and generic images in Asia for newsletter use. not necessarily professional quality but respectable/publishable.

2. I am also a hunter and like to try to get photos of wildlife while I am on stand.

3. I have 2 grandsons :-)

video not a priority but zoom, resolution, wifi/connectivity and ease of use for stills are important. also compactness for carry in a pocket and discreet use, decent durability, stabilization and reasonable cost ($300ish max, less is preferable). I will buy with personal funds not the mission's.

I have considered Canon PowerShot SX600 HS for example but online reviews are so-so.

thoughts? and thanks.

gar

I was thinking the new/upcoming Nikon P900, but it does not fit your budget at $600 or pocketability.

Have you plugged your parameters into the camera search on dpreview?
http://www.dpreview.com/products/search/cameras?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=mainmenu&utm_medium=text&ref=mainmenu#!

I have had a Nikon AW 100 for several years, and it has proven to be bullet proof while taking decent pictures. I would suggest that you look at this successor:

http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Nikon-Products/Product/Compact-Digital-Cameras/COOLPIX-AW120.html

It looks like you can pick one up on Amazon for somewhere around $200-$250. As I recall, I paid about $300 for mine and it has been more than worth the cost.

thanks guys

My only qualification was that it had to use AA batteries since I sometimes take it back into places where I cannot charge a dedicated battery. I have a Canon that works good but it goes through batteries like Prius running on a 9V!

Hi
There are virtually no cameras left that use AA batteries, They just don't have the power. Olympus makes a camera called the stylus SH-1 the camera has a 24 x optical zoom which makes it ideal for hunting. In the video Full hi def with 5 way image stabilizer allows you to zoom and even take still images while filming. the camera is quite rugged and holds up very well. for the grand kids it even has an action mode. It's quite easy to use but still has a lot it can do. Its not the smallest camera on the market but all things considered It still small. I highly recommend it. at $299.00 i think its a great deal There is a new version (the SH-2) for $399.99 but I think the SH-1 is more than enough camera and you save $100.00 If you like contact me and mention this forum and I will toss in some xtras
best regards
Mark

The Sony CyberShot WX500 , Nikon S7000, S9900 came up in my search for compacts with built-in wi-fi

I have a Cannon sx 110. Uses AA batteries and takes very good pictures.