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Thanks to all who responded to my request for tips on decent compact
cameras suitable for a long (by my standards!) backpacking trip.  The
mission is something that can "replace" (or at least help me avoid
crying
over not having) my 1D Mark II/70-200L IS, etc. during a 5 day, 30 mile
backpacking trip with my son's Scout troop in the Sierras (Desolation
Wilderness, near Lake Tahoe).</span></font>
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Special thanks to those referencing dpreview.com.  I don't know why I
didn't
think of it as I used it heavily for the "big iron" but somehow
didn't think of
them as a place for info on "compacts", but of course they have tons
and
were my main resource.</span></font>
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The short list came down to:</span></font>
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- Fujifilm FinePix F31fd (or possibly its variants): </span></font>
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- Nikon P5000</span></font>
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- Canon G7</span></font>
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I ruled out most of the "super zoom" units, like the Canon S5 and
many of
the Panasonic ones on the basis of their larger size, and, frankly, it seemed
that even though they were bigger they didn't offer much more.  The
sensors
still suffer from small size => high noise.</span></font>
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The Fuji seemed to easily have the best quality sensor, especially for higher
ISO, and I'd much rather have 6 GOOD megapixels than 10 or 12 noisy,
smeared ones!  It also seemed to feature the best battery life.  On
the other
hand, the camera lacked a lot of desirable features, like easy ways to get
the settings I'd want, manual controls for exposure and focus, image
stabilization.  Also, the XD card (when I already have a stable of SD
cards)
was a bit of turn-off.  Then, to top it off, I couldn't find a F31fd in
the area to
look at and buy.  The F45fd I did find seemed to lack even more features,
but it did have SD.  However, the test shots I did with it (onto my SD
card
and inspected at home on my monitor) were not a lot better than the Nikon,
so I decided that I wouldn't likely get enough extra quality in the image to
make the camera's other compromises worth it.</span></font>
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I immediately liked the feel of the Nikon in my hand.  It was very solid
feeling, and the buttons worked well.  The viewfinder was clear and
sharp.  I
came close to buying it, but...</span></font>
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The G7 seems very similar to the P5000 in many ways, but offers a few
advantages in general, and a few specific to my case.  First the longer
zoom
range is good.  Second, Canon's IS seems to work better than most of the
other guys, at least if I'm reading the reviews correctly.  I figure that
good IS
should allow me to shoot at a lower ISO, compensating somewhat for the
sensor relative to the Fuji.  Of course, the IS is more important with the
longer zoom (210mm in 35mm film camera terms).  I also like the ISO knob
for the Canon.  The viewfinder is weak (blury), and there is still no
RAW.  :-(
For me, I like that it seems compatible with my Canon flash units, and the
user interface is familiar seeming to someone who has been using EOS for
years.</span></font>
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So I settled on a G7 (with one extra battery; may get another before the trip),
and some 2 gig SD cards.</span></font>
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Cotty wrote:</span></font>
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> Leica M8 and a pair of lenses :-)</span></font>
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:-)  I don't think I could bring myself to take that much $ of gear on
this trip.
Maybe after my son is off to college and I can do trips for the main purpose
of photography instead of "bringing along the camera".</span></font>
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Willem-Jan Markerink wrote:</span></font>
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> I would say the Canon SD800.</span></font>
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Henning Wulff wrote:</span></font>
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> The Canon 800IS is great; I've used one ever since it came out
as</span></font>
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> it's an ideal 'carry everywhere' camera</span></font>
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I may just be too old fashioned, but I have trouble getting past not being able
to see (much less adjust) the speed/aperture, so I went with the somewhat
bigger G7 (that Willem-Jan also noted).  However, it seems that this unit
is
so small and capable that it could do that magical job of being there when
you have that special opportunity!</span></font>
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Tapani Tarvainen wrote:</span></font>
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> Anyway, my present compact is Ricoh GR Digital,</span></font>
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I couldn't find one to hold, and only got your message late in the process, so
I may have missed out as this does look nice, albeit with some serious
reservations by dpreview.</span></font>
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And thanks to Willem-Jan for helping me clean up my message formatting
(at least I hope it worked).</span></font>
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            --
Rich</span></font>
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