That sounds like an amazing adventure Annie! I've always wanted to go there so I hope you'll share some of your pics when you do.

My sister travels a ton and is a photo buff as well. A couple of years ago, she bought a Canon Powershot 260 before going to Greece. It has 20x zoom and takes the most amazing pictures. She loved it so much she bought me one as a gift. I loved it so much I bought one for my daughter for her trip to Iceland. It's a simple to use fabulous camera and it takes amazing pictures. :c)

Canon Powershot 260

I had a couple of Canon's too but switched to a Nikon at the advice of a former professional photographer. Spent around $250 iirc. Look around online for both recently discontinued and current models and check reviews at dpreview. They have some of the best reviews by model IMO.

wow, mine has really gone up in price on Amazon. I paid in the 200 range at Christmas the year before last.

Love my Nikon Coolpix!

& I got it refurbished for a song - & it takes an SD card, so you can use any size storage - I think I have an 8Gig in there right now.

Am very happy with Sony camera's. For your use, I would look for one with a high optical zoom. Storage is only limited by the size card you put into it.

Thanks for asking this, Annie. I need a new camera for a vacation, too. Following these suggestions.

Thank you for all these great suggestions. I guess by storage, I was not using the right terminology. I think I was thinking about the size of each picture file and the amount of detail I get in each picture...my old camera does a great job, but it does start to lose something on enlargement, so I'd want a camera that takes enough pixels or data points or whatever it's supposed to be called so that on enlargement, it doesn't get grainy. I mean, I'm pretty amazed at how the picture quality compares even on my little iphone...

that would be the megapixel (MP)

Yes, you should be looking for something in the 12-16 MP range. And something with a good optical zoom for the long-range shots. I also like the Vibration Reduction (VR) feature. I forget what Canon calls theirs but they have something similar. It helps with 'camera shake' and blurry images. Also look at different shooting features for close-up, panoramic, even video modes you might find helpful if you are into those kind of features.

I always make sure I buy a spare battery when I get a new camera and especially when going on vacation so I can have a spare charged and ready for the day.

Canon calls it Image Stabilization and lenses that support it have IS in the model number. I'm not sure if the PowerShot supports IS because it doesn't have interchangeable lenses. I'm pretty sure that feature is only with the pro-sumer series cameras (Rebel is a great camera if you're looking for interchangeable lenses and a few more features). The PowerShot is a great point and shoot no-fuss camera!

I take a lot of outdoor shots, and upon the recommendation of two friends and co workers, I got an Olympus TG4, the tough version. What's nice about it is it is waterproof and has a micro lens. It doesn't have the zooming or adjusting capabilities of some of the larger, more expensive cameras, but I so seldom want to fuss with those or find the quality of my casual shots to be important enough to warrant the extra expense. It does have some adjustment options and the interface is pretty easy to learn. I got SO a camera for his birthday that was twice as expensive and twice as adjustable, and he rarely uses it, most often he uses his phone camera. So for me, for photos I want to get done in a hurry, this is the best. I use it for both work and for photographing things at work to use in publications and slide shows.

There are several canon point and shoot cams with IS, especially the models with more than 5x zoom. It's become pretty standard now. For sure it's in the G series and the SX series, probably in some of the others, too.

Agree, get image stabilization and a spare battery.

When looking at zoom capacity, pay more attention to "optical zoom" (with "digital zoom" the picture quality decreases).

The Sony I posted has 20.1 MP, 63x optical zoom, and optical steady shot image stabilization.

Are you looking for a camera with interchangable lenses?

Yes, the difference between optical and digital zoom is that optical zoom truly zooms the lens, while digital zoom essentially crops and enlarges the area you would have in the photo if you had that much optical zoom. It's gotten a lot better at it in recent years, but it's still not the same as having the real pixels.

I'm not sure about interchangeable lenses...seems like more than I want to carry when on vacation.

Agree, 1st time I went to Hawaii carried a camera with 2 lenses. The 2nd time I took my high MP, high optical zoom camera that easily fit in my purse/tote. So happy I went with the high optical zoom, took some great whale photos.

Hi annie_d, Digital Photography Review has an article on the current crop of high end compact cameras. These cameras might cost more than you want to spend, but the image quality & camera features might make them worth it for you. i've been eyeing the Panasonic Lumix LX100 myself, a fine portable as a companion to my bulky DSLR & lenses.

Enthusiast Compacts Come of Age

Thanks, awm...I read the article, only I have no clue what a lot of what she's referring to even means. While I like taking pretty pictures, my eyes glaze over when they start talking f stops and such. But it sounds pretty good. I don't mind paying more considering I'll be using the think probably for the next 10 or more years if my last camera is any indication.

Photography is my hobby and I have bought too many camera's because they keep coming out with better features. Canon, Panasonic, Nikon, Sony all make great cameras. I would focus more on the specs.

Some things to consider:

How much do you want to be able to enlarge the picture without losing quality? The the MP the more you will be able to enlarge.

Do you want to take pictures of things far away and be able to zoom in on them (like using binoculars)? The more optical zoom, the greater the distance.

What size camera do you want? Small enough to fit in your pocket or will you carry it in a purse?

You can often get a great deal on "last years model" that has all the features you need.

Optics and sensors, etc. are important, but as long as you stick with a major brand you should be fine.

What price point were you considering?

Thanks, mdln. I want to be able to zoom pretty well as we'll be heading to alaska this summer and I want to take shots of wild life. But I don't want to have to lug around anything too heavy.

Q: if I get a camera with a separate zoom lens, will it also zoom without the extra lens? So that I can choose to carry the extra lens or not? And if I don't carry it, I can still zoom as well as ones without the extra lens?

No, Annie. The focal length and zoom capabilities reside in the lens on a DSLR. You could have a zoom lens as your standard "go out for the day" lens.. but you can't put on a static lens and "zoom" it.

If you don't want to bother with extra lenses, I would recommend one of the higher end point and shoots that offer a number of features and higher megapixels.. there are many to choose from but I think you need to answer the question regarding your budget.

Ok, so you're telling me that if I went for something like this, I can't get any zoom unless I attach the big lens, yes? And what does it mean when it says like 18-55mm? And does mirrorless make a difference?

Nikon d3300 dslr

a zoom lens doesn't have to be "big".. of course "big is relative. 18-55 isn't much telephoto. 50mm is "as your eyes see it".

I have shot a mirrorless-- I bought one for the bf. It doesn't have a shutter to open and the sensor works differently. I don't have time to go into the technical differences now but there are many articles on it. You are still in the position to either change lenses or carry one "all around lens" that has telephoto. I wouldn't put the money into a DSLR or mirrorless camera if you aren't looking for the features that distinguish them (interchangeable lenses, fully manual operations, aperture priority, shutter priority, bracketing, etc) There are some very good high end point and shoots in the 500-900 price range that should serve you well.

I don't know which model but my sister (who is also going to Alaska this summer) uses a high end canon point and shoot. She has stunning nature photos-- including photos of eagles in an aerie and a wide range of other similar type photos-- including macro and telephoto shots. My nephew who is on a NOAA ship in Alaskan waters is also using the same camera with beautiful results. I will reach out and get a model name from her but it is a few years old.

18-55mm is the focal length of the lens; this one is only wide angle to mid range, so it wont zoom in as much as you'd like. You'd have to zoom in with your feet (get closer, iow). You might want something that is equivalent to at least 70mm and perhaps more if you like zooming in.

Keep in mind though, that today's high mp cameras mean you can take a picture at a farther distance, then crop the picture on your computer to get a closer shot. The high mp counts mean you can still maintain high picture quality after cropping. So if you dont find a camera with your desired zoom range, you can still get your close shots via the apps that come with cameras.

I think you'd be happier with a high end compact instead of an interchangeable lens camera. Light, portable, less fiddly, all-purpose, and take high quality pics, and you can grow into them if you decide to get serious about photo taking.

I would think you'd want a min of 135mm telephoto... Even with the ability to zoom in and crop. Personally I'd want substantially -- especially for wildlife. You'll also want a nice wide angle. 35mm will be standard. Bonus PTs for 28mm or less. Some offer a panoramic format. It's a feature some will like/use and some won't.

Excuse me for chiming in, but aren't a lot of the zooming features also dependent on your ability to hold the camera still. I know with my point and shoot, the more I zoom in the more likely my shots are to be blurry. I have a tripod but I hardly ever carry it with me. I keep my point and shoot in my purse because I take a lot of photos of odd things at odd moments, like shooting some wallpaper I like in the dentists office, or documenting mouse damage in a doorway, etc., :)

Camera shake is more likely to affect a photo taken with a telephoto lens than not-- but honestly, I *never* had an issue with this on a point and shoot. I am sure this will vary based on your comfort with holding your camera and its weight... and on the conditions in which you are taking the photo. Large, heavy lenses generally come with a screw mount for a monopod and you could use a monopod with a point and shoot (though you'd mount the camera vs the lens) -- also there are some very good full-size portable tripods. I recommend you buy your camera first and then play with it-- take shots and see if you have an issue. You wont want to bother with the expense or the extra thing to carry if you don't have an issue with shake.

As some noted above, a lot of the higher end cameras/lenses have image stabilization built in.

What does the mm stand for? What is 22mm? Is it close? Far? What is 135 mm? My old point and shoot would just talk about 3x zoom or something like that. Help me understand...

Sorry, Annie. Didn't mean to confuse!
mm stands for millimeter -- that is how lens focal lengths are measured in SLRs and DSLRs. For point and shoots, it's an x factor: 10x, 20x, etc. I'll answer your question very briefly but since it sounds like you are going the point and shoot route, you probably won't need to understand this beyond the basics. As I said above, 50 mm is "as your eyes see it".. no wide angle, no telephoto. Anything over 50 mm is telephoto-- anything below is wide angle. The further away from 50, the greater the effect.

I spoke to my sister earlier tonight-- the camera she is using for her wildlife photography is the canon powershot SX50 HS. It is a few years old and has been replaced. It is a x50 zoom. Her son (who is on the NOAA ship in Alaska) is using the next model down, the SX30 HS. They've both taken some great photos. She has blown up some of her photos to 16 x 20 but says that's about as large as she'd go. I suspect the newer models probably have more megapixels .. because that's one of the things that is often improved in new model years.

If you are interested in her camera (or the newer models in the same line), she said I can share some of her pictures via email if you are interested. I don't know if private message will allow me to upload photos. If so, I am happy to do so .. or you can send me your email via message.

Agree with funky, I would get a "point and shoot" camera with a lot of optical zoom rather than carry a DSLR camera with different lenses. The pic below shows what is meant by the different mm lenses. You can get the same thing by getting zoom "X" in a point and shoot camera.

The Sony, pic posted above, has 63X optical zoom, that is why I like it. If I am using the high end of the zoom and concerned about camera shake I will rest the camera on something. Got some great bird pics using the high end zoom while resting the camera on a fence.

Kitty in Dallas zoo, Bird in FL,

taken with high optical zoom point & shoot camera

Wow! Thank you so much. This is so helpful for me. mdln, those are great photos. I guess point and shoot is definitely for me. Now I understand the mm and how that works. That's great!

DH is a photographer and he also uses dpreview. They have an article for best travel compact cameras for 2015.

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/dpreview-recommends-best-compact-cameras-for-travel-2015?utm_campaign=internal-link&utm_source=mainmenu&utm_medium=text&ref=mainmenu

Thanks, mayflowers...that's really helpful. I'm reading about the difference between sensor size and mps. So I read this....

"Cameras with smaller sensors than Full Frame 35 mm format (seen as the standard) have what's described as a crop factor. "

Ok...I think I get that, but I'm not sure. The next sentence:

"So an APS-C DSLR has a crop factor of 1.5x1.6x meaning that it crops into the Full Frame image – using a 28 mm lens on an APS-C giving a view similar to a 45 mm lens on Full Frame."

MEGO!

I believe that is specifically referring to the sensors in the mirrorless cameras (also called compact system cameras). Unless you are considering a DSLR vs a Mirrorless, it's just additional information that is unnecessarily confusing to your search. If you are considering a mirrorless then I would go to a site that explains what it is, what it does, how it compares to a DSLR in laypersons terms.

My understanding is that you've opted to go the point and shoot route-- if I am wrong, I can try to find an article that would be a good starting point for you to investigate mirrorless cameras.

No I think given my unwillingness to delve into the science and terminology of photography and lack of desire to lug around equipment, point and shoot is definitely for me.

But this article was implying that the sensor size has a lot to do with how much detail is capture in an image which will impact quality when enlarging, perhaps even moreso than MPs and that the mnfctrs exaggerate when they talk about sensor size.

My grandchildren always ask me why I have three cameras. I tell them that each one has a different use depending on what I am shooting. I have the Canon SX 50 as the camera I use when I just want to take snapshots and don't want to be fooling around with dials. It has a 50X zoom Image stabilization, take movies and panoramic shoots. The Image quality is beautiful.

The Sony mentioned above sounds good too. although I am not familiar with it. I would suggest going to a real camera store and talk with them about your needs. Get your camera soon and start practicing with it before you go.

Be sure you get at least 2 batteries to bring with you and a battery charger. Carry the extra battery with you.

When you get back to your hotel, charge the battery up even if it is not all the way discharged.

Buy at least two memory cards and carry the extra with you.

Good luck in finding a camera and we can't wait to see those gorgeous photos.

Annie - I'm with you - I've been reading along on this thread and my brain is getting fogged. My point and shoot is so old that my smart phone has a better camera. Many, many years ago I had achieved a low level of competence with DH's Olympus OM-1 which had manual settings and multiple lenses. I just want one camera that I can toss in my purse and whip out as needed.

Denali has a great point about practicing. Now that so many electronic devices only provide a 'getting started' leaflet and the rest of the information is online it's really important to familiarize yourself. I bought a mini video camera for my trip to Ireland and didn't realize that it didn't have an owner's manual. I never used it.

It's like a Goldilocks search - one that's small, but good quality, one that's easy to use - but takes good photos. Ugh - it's easier to buy a car.

Maire

The Canon I mentioned above is a small point and shoot, optical zoom of 20x, does video and a little bit of fun stuff but it's primary purpose is to point and shoot. I'm not very good at taking pics, but my sister is, she has the same camera and it takes pictures as beautifully as the ones posted above. My point is, is that regardless of what "popular" brand you choose, if you go with a point and shoot that has optical zoom (as opposed to digital) and it's priced in the 200-300 range you're going to get a camera that will take some really stunning pictures. I think any differences in picture quality would be so subtle that really only a professional or hobbyist would be able to tell.

And, while you've been given a lot of great information here, it is confusing or over whelming for those of us who aren't photography buffs. If you have a camera shop in the area, do what I did when I bought my DSLR, stop in to see what they recommend as a good option. They know their products, love talking about cameras, have the cameras there to show you for a visual and can answer questions. The camera shops often do repairs too and know which brands have problems and what the problems are. The one I went to even has a free class you can go to if you want to learn first hand about using all your new camera's options. My only regret is that I didn't go back and purchase that camera from him the way I should have. I made up for it though by purchasing my next camera there and sending my daughter there to buy their GoPro. :c)

Annie - did you find a camera? I just sent my deposit for a trip to Ireland. We're not going until September so I have plenty of time to visit Best Buy multiple times and agonize over which one is best.

Not yet maire-cate...I haven't started looking in earnest yet...need to get on that!

Thanks Annie - I was hoping you'd already found the perfect camera - for both of us. lol I really miss the independent camera shop that was in my town. They knew their equipment and were always helpful. Unfortunately camera shops are rapidly disappearing. I may have to hop into Philly next week.

You two go first and I will get whatever you get.

OK, I found a camera and bought it and am super impressed. The thing is so freakin' smart! I'm also impressed with picture quality, but then again, I'm coming from a camera I figure is about 10 yrs old. I've been able to run it basically without a lot of issue and I'm able to get the pics readily out of the camera and into the computer which I like. Haven't messed with the wifi feature yet.

I really like the optical + the digital zoom feature.

Here's the goose from my deck with no zoom. He's over in the grass by the right edge of the pond in about the center of the picture.

Here he is zoomed in.

And the winner is: Canon Power Shot SX720HS with 40x optical zoom.

Just added it to my Amazon wish list. Looks like a winner. I still wish I could find a camera with a viewfinder. I have a hard time seeing what I am shooting on those screens. Enjoy. Nice eyeball shots, by the way.

Terrific, AnnieD.! Glad you found a camera you liked. How nice to have a pond view.

Looks like a good choice, congratulations!

Great, Annie! So glad you've found your camera. Looks like a great one.