Camera Woes...

[BFMF]

After ten months, and nearly ten thousand photos, my camera doesn't seem to want to work any more. When I turn it on, it automatically starts zooming in and out, and focusing in and out for 10-20 seconds before telling me to shut it off. Removing or replacing the batteries doesn't help. Yelling obscenities and shaking it while out on mission doesn't help either... :-/


It's a small, semi cheap Panasonic DMC-LZ2 digital camera. It's been a good camera, and I almost didn't expect it to last this long, considering i've taken it everywhere i've been.

Now my question for all your photagraphers is, what's the best camera I can get for around $200-$300 that is compact, and can take high quality photos. I've never had any too many complaints on the quality of photos that my current camera could produce. Some of the guys I know have cheap digital cameras, that I'm not impressed with the quality or the color of the photos at all.

It needs to be a compact camera that I can carry around with me on missions in the field, so something larger like an SLR type camera is out of the question. It must support SD memory cards. I use SD cards with other electronic gadgets, and have a few gigs worth of SD cards. Also, it should preferably be able to take AA batteries. It's easier for me to carry spare batteries with me than have to charge a special battery pack, especially when I can be in the field for extended periods of time without the luxory of having access to electrical outlets.

I was looking at a new model - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6830134048

So what are all of your ideas, suggestions, advice, ect....?

[waspiflab]

Mine did this and I found it was just a piece of grit obstructing the mechanics.

[Ivan]

Just as waspiflab said... sand in camera, you should have taken a Zenit E with you instead

[expat]

Just as waspiflab said... sand in camera, you should have taken a Zenit E with you instead

Nikon F2, from the Vietnam war to the first Gulf war its earthshaking reliability and solidness where/are it's mark. There are jokes floating around calling the F4 and F2's a blunt weapons that also happens to take pictures..........Now that may be of use to you on a mission Andrew

Matt (who will be in the que to buy that last ever roll of 35mm ever produced)

[Omag 2.0]

If you want  a new camera for that money, think about superzoom camera's, that give you up to 12x zoom. The Fuji finepix 5600 and Panasonic FZ7 are in the

[Ivan]

[quote]If you want