Help me find a camera

[Bounty]

Right now I have an A640 and a €300-ish budget. I want to know if I can replace it with something better (sensor- or feature-wise) at that pricepoint or if I'm better off sticking with it.

My must-haves:

- manual controls
- a viewfinder
- good image quality under normal conditions
- a grip and some heft - not bulky, mind, but I want a camera that has some weight and body behind it and can be comfortably used one-handed
- autonomy - either a kickass battery pack or AA's

My huge plusses:

- a moveable screen, and ideally one that can close screen-down when using the viewfinder
- some zoom would be nice
- dedicated buttons or wheel for manual controls

In a perfect world I'd get a G12 and a solid gold toilet but failing that, what would work?

[aerius]

There's a used Canon G11 going for €330-ish on Amazon.de, other than that I don't know of any decent cameras in your price range that has a viewfinder. Seems like every camera manufacturer is deleting viewfinders off their cameras in favour of larger screens.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Consider the new Olympus XZ-1 with its fast lens, or the Panasonic LX-5, or the Canon S95 or the Canon G12.

You can't really go wrong with those. If you need a viewfinder, buy the EVF for the Olympus XZ-1 or the Panasonic LX-5 if you want the first two.

And honestly, wanting a viewfinder which is crappy on a camera like this is a little... unrealistic?

[aerius]

Consider the new Olympus XZ-1 with its fast lens, or the Panasonic LX-5, or the Canon S95 or the Canon G12.

You can't really go wrong with those. If you need a viewfinder, buy the EVF for the Olympus XZ-1 or the Panasonic LX-5 if you want the first two.

At which point you're at 500 Euros or so going by the Amazon.de prices. And if that's the pricepoint then compacts with their dinky little sensors don't make sense anymore and the Samsung NX series cameras come into play. It shouldn't be hard at all to find a used DSLR at that price range either.

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Consider the new Olympus XZ-1 with its fast lens, or the Panasonic LX-5, or the Canon S95 or the Canon G12.

You can't really go wrong with those. If you need a viewfinder, buy the EVF for the Olympus XZ-1 or the Panasonic LX-5 if you want the first two.

At which point you're at 500 Euros or so going by the Amazon.de prices. And if that's the pricepoint then compacts with their dinky little sensors don't make sense anymore and the Samsung NX series cameras come into play. It shouldn't be hard at all to find a used DSLR at that price range either.

There is always a price to be paid for cameras of compact sizes.

[Bounty]

And honestly, wanting a viewfinder which is crappy on a camera like this is a little... unrealistic?

My A640 came with a viewfinder and it's all I use to take pictures.

[Marcus Aurelius]

And honestly, wanting a viewfinder which is crappy on a camera like this is a little... unrealistic?

My A640 came with a viewfinder and it's all I use to take pictures.

Yeah, but the optical viewfinder is going the way of the dodo in digital cameras, excluding DSLRs of course. Some models have an optional electronic viewfinder, but that's about it. I suggest you look for a second-hand Canon G10 or G11, although the viewfinder in them is pretty crappy as well.

All in all I would say that if you want to shoot digital, get a DSLR or get used to using the LCD. It's not that bad when you get the hang of it, and the fact is that in some ways it's even better than an optical viewfinder (you get 100% coverage, for example). Or alternatively found a company with adr, get rich and buy yourself a Leica M9

[Bounty]

SLR it is. Cursory checking shows the Canon 1000D and Pentax K-x are in my pricerange (... with some stretching). I like the feel of the Pentax - any suggestions here?

EDIT: I've spotted a K-x + lens + case with a $245 discount. So very tempted. It even runs on AA batteries! And I can use my old lenses!

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

SLR it is. Cursory checking shows the Canon 1000D and Pentax K-x are in my pricerange (... with some stretching). I like the feel of the Pentax - any suggestions here?

EDIT: I've spotted a K-x + lens + case with a $245 discount. So very tempted. It even runs on AA batteries! And I can use my old lenses!

The K-X isn't bad, but the K-R has a better sensor. But then they are all trying to clear out with the old stock of K-X so take your pick...

[Bounty]

Yeah, I looked at the K-r too, but most reviews said the main practical advantages are seeing your AF points in the viewfinder and a bit more speed, which isn't really worth $300 bucks to me.

What's the actual difference in the sensors?

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Yeah, I looked at the K-r too, but most reviews said the main practical advantages are seeing your AF points in the viewfinder and a bit more speed, which isn't really worth $300 bucks to me.

What's the actual difference in the sensors?

The K-R uses the same Sony sensor as the Nikon D7000 and likely whatever will replace the D300S. The K-X uses a Samsung sensor. In terms of noise control, the K-R is better, along with higher practical ISO.

[Bounty]

I'll still be the K-x I think. There's a pretty big price gap.