Good Camera for Wife? (Point and Shoot)

Well, Camera's like all things don't necessarily have good "brands" per se. It's more about preference and performance per dollar. So every company makes something that's objectively "good" but it may or may not fit your preferences. Of course some things we might argue "suck" but really if you consider the biggest reason why: it's probably because the performance per dollar is out of whack.

So, all that said (and many I say this a lot): your camera is way less important in comparison with understanding the tool. I happen to know Canon's and Fuji's gear better than anything else, so my recommendations come from them, but there are equivalent pieces of gear from every manufacturer.

I think the Canon "S" series is the best point and shoot out there. In terms of being a true, compact, point and shoot. Reliable. Good tech. And if you ever decide to learn photography, this camera actually has a full manual mode. To my knowledge, it's the only camera of this size that does that.

The G series on the other hand moves into a larger category than compact. It's sort of between Compact and the camera you linked which is a "bridge" camera. (Also, I'm giving basic Amazon links, but shop around, this camera can be had for less... even by other sellers on Amazon.com).

The G5X is the same as the G7X, but "better" in the sense that it has a viewfinder, whereas the G7X only has the camera back to look at. LCD screens are okay to use while hobbying around, but viewfinders are a much better tool when you're trying to be critical about your photography. Either camera is excellent however. 20.2 megapixels is more than you'll ever need.

I would probably skip most of the other G series cameras. Canon has built out the line to have more price points. But I'd ignore the G3X and G16. The G1X Mark II however is another good option.

If you'd like to directly replace the camera you have with another "Super-Zoom" "Bridge-Camera", then the SX line covers that pretty well. Various price points, bunches of different specs. Personally, for me, I wouldn't bother. The size difference between a super zoom and an SLR is so close, I almost feel like I'd rather have the option to swap lenses. However, Super-Zooms have a place, which is probably more to your liking in the sense that it requires no other purchasing (except maybe a case and an SD card) and has a huge amount of focal lengths (The SX710 as an example does an equivalent of 25-750mm... which is absurd). So I can understand why this type of camera might be ideal for you. SLRs, even entry level ones of course would cost a significant cost over a Super-Zoom. However, there are some SLR's available that would match the price of some of those smaller G-series cameras I linked earlier.

Once again, it's not "wrong" per se, it's about preference. Like any other tool there is going to be preference in the way that it works and operates. Factors like size, zoom, speed, MP, sensor tech, etc all play a roll. So these are some just very over-all suggestions. There isn't a right or a wrong way to buy or go about this. I'm sure other people will chime in and if you have other questions, I or someone else who frequents this sub-forum I'm sure will be happy to help.
 
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unknownsouljer provided a pretty in depth answer.

I'll just say that I have had a Canon S series, and for me, I never used the more "enthusiast" features. I really just used it for point and shoot. Even so, it takes very nice snaps. The achilles heel might be the retractable lens, which seems to be a pretty consistent failure (to retract or extend) if you read reviews on amazon and elsewhere. But if the money isn't too much of an issue, then the S series is hard to beat.

Personally, I sold mine and went with a PowerShot ELPH 330, which also takes really nice snaps, for about 1/2 the price. Not as good low light performance, though. I do notice that the ELPH series seems to have gone up in price witth the newer models, so S and ELPH series may be closer in price.

And if you have a higher end cell phone, you might just need to buy an S or similar (Lumix LX7) to get better photos than you do now.

And just for reference, I find the wirecutter reviews to be good, easy-to-understand reviews/recommendations:

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-point-and-shoot-under-500/

and

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-cheap-camera/
 
Panasonic has a number of really great bridge cameras. 12.1 megapixels is probably plenty for your applications. Although I would mention that 4k on a camera of this cost is going to mostly be a gimmick. Shooting video for a majority of people isn't going to be useful as hand-held and dSLR type bodies don't have stabilization (by this, I'm referring to physical stabilization, not optical stabilization), nor an easy way to stabilize them without spending some coin. Not necessarily a huge amount, but most people on vacation still aren't going to want to carry 2 pounds of extra gear just to shoot nicer video (like a Glidecam).

However, that camera does have a really nice f2.8 Aperture across the board, which will be nicer than most super zooms and it still has a really long throw. 600mm is frankly crazy. Optical image stabilization helps photographers of any level. It has a high burst mode. An EVF. And it has fully manual controls, which is always nice to see. I'm not sure how solid the dust/splash proof "feature" will be. "Splash proof" definitely means to me that it isn't "waterproof". Being fully submerged for any length of time is still more than likely going to kill it. So I wouldn't take it on a jet ski as an example but regular "hanging out on a beach" stuff should be fine though.

I would probably just read a couple reviews really fast to make sure it doesn't have any glaring flaws, and if the specs are what you need them to be, just to go ahead and pick it up.
 
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UnknownSouljer said:
Panasonic has a number of really great bridge cameras. 12.1 megapixels is probably plenty for your applications. Although I would mention that 4k on a camera of this cost is going to mostly be a gimmick. Shooting video for a majority of people isn't going to be useful as hand-held and dSLR type bodies don't have stabilization (by this, I'm referring to physical stabilization, not optical stabilization), nor an easy way to stabilize them without spending some coin. Not necessarily a huge amount, but most people on vacation still aren't going to want to carry 2 pounds of extra gear just to shoot nicer video (like a Glidecam).

However, that camera does have a really nice f2.8 Aperture across the board, which will be nicer than most super zooms and it still has a really long throw. 600mm is frankly crazy. Optical image stabilization helps photographers of any level. It has a high burst mode. An EVF. And it has fully manual controls, which is always nice to see. I'm not sure how solid the dust/splash proof "feature" will be. "Splash proof" definitely means to me that it isn't "waterproof". Being fully submerged for any length of time is still more than likely going to kill it. So I wouldn't take it on a jet ski as an example but regular "hanging out on a beach" stuff should be fine though.

I would probably just read a couple reviews really fast to make sure it doesn't have any glaring flaws, and if the specs are what you need them to be, just to go ahead and pick it up.
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Sounds good! I am more interested in 1080 at 60 Hz than the 4k. The splash proof I'm hoping more for if a bottle leaks on it in the backpack it's not garbage. :)
 
I've found I get better hand held videos from my cameras simply by using a closed and collapsed tripod attached to the camera. A small amount of weight off the bottom really stabilizes the footage when hand holding, really helps when walking around also.

The Panasonics also have 4K photo mode on some of the models. That mode is awesome! Pick through the video and get the exact best 8mp picture. Would love to have it with my family's dog and to use on my nephew when he is running around and or playing with things and won't really look at the camera.
 
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