What is the best point and shoot camera to buy today for an amateur $200-400 range?

I like the Lumix, bec...You must be signed in to read this answer.Connected to FacebookConnected to TwitterConnecting helps us surface content that is relevant to you. We'll never post without your permission.  Complete Your ProfileFull NameChecking...EmailChecking...PasswordChecking...By clicking "Create Account", you are indicating that you have read and agree to the .

My opinion: These two http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/panasonic-lumix-dmc-zs30/4505-6501_7-35642093.html http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/canon-powershot-sx280-hs/4505-6501_7-35646467.html I own the Panasonic and I would buy the Canon if I didn't already have a ridiculous number of cameras at the moment, I have used the Canon and it takes excellent photos in both low lighting and bright

This isn't a point and shoot camera, but it costs about the same as one and is significantly more capable. It has interchangable lenses, is a MUCH faster performer, and is in the same size range as a decent P&S.  You can use it just like a point and shoot in auto mode if you don't have any real photography experience - and the camera is good enough to make amazing pictures given some skill.  It doesn't have a viewfinder, but the screen flips up, you can even tap the screen to focus/shoot just like a smartphone (And it is MUCH faster) http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-E-PL6-Digital-Camera-14-42mm/dp/B00VNW5ALS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1436322545&sr=8-2&keywords=olympus+e-pl5 Hell, you could even add in a basic telephoto lens and keep the price to $http://400...http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-40-150mm-F4-0-5-6-Panasonic-Cameras/dp/B0066J6EOU/ref=pd_sim_421_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1R9YAMG98EZTWBNP2TQY That lens is frequently available for $100-120. And if you want nice pictures of people indoors in low light, it isn't a huge jump to get something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Olympus-25mm-f1-8-Interchangeable-Lens/dp/B00HWMOZ5A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1436322977&sr=8-3&keywords=25mm+1.8

Without more information, I would say a Sony RX100. Pros: They can be had used well within your price range. Stopped down, the lens is reasonably sharp. It has a useful zoom range. At wide angle, the lens is fast enough to get good results in low light. Larger sensor than most point and shoots and smart phones, does much better in low light. I've shot usable images at > ISO 3200 and I'm picky. Produces RAW files which stand up well to post processing and provide a lot of flexibility in terms of shadow recovery. Autofocus is quick. High build quality. Cons: With auto WB, the camera often makes puzzling choices. Almost pocketable but not quite. It is small but heavy and the lens barrel protrudes enough from the body to make it hard to get into a pants pocket. A jacket pocket is doable though. The adjustment ring around the lens doesn't have detents which makes it annoying for adjusting aperture, exposure, etc. I can't speak to the video quality. I don't know much about video and only make short clips for fun here and there. I've owned several higher quality point and shoots, including: Ricoh GR IV  - decent sensor, awesome lens Ricoh GR - awesome sensor, my copy had a mediocre lens Canon S95 - meh sensor, decent lens after correction in Lightroom, plus it is truly pocketable and shoots RAW files Panasonic Lumix LX7 - decent sensor, awesome lens I still use the Canon S95 anytime there is a risk I might break a camera. Aside from that, I sold all the rest and only have the RX100. I'm continually surprised by how good it is.

This doesn't technically answer your question, but don't get a point-and-shoot. Smart phones these walk circles around point-n-shoots. Unless you're making wall-sized prints on a daily basis, megapixels don't matter. Having said that, take a look at mirrorless cameras. They're a step between point-and-shoots and DSLRs, and can be had for $200-$400 these days.

There are so many cameras in the $200 -  $400 range that it is very hard to suggest a specific camera without bias. You need to figure out what you want from your new camera - How far do you want to zoom - Do you want to print big pictures or crop pictures (megapixels) - How are you going to carry it (size and weight) - Do you want to take HD video, 720p of 1080p? Research different camera companies to see which one you want to purchase your camera from. (The main two are Canon and Nikon, but many others are good as well) You also might want to try out the cameras in the store to see how they feel and operate (you'll be surprised how important the feel is) Also check out http://snapsort.com/ I find it very useful for researching cameras. Good Luck, and remember to take lots of pictures!

Get a reputable make like Canon, Nikon etc. Such cameras generally either offer a lot of telephoto capability or a lot of low-light capability. I hate using the flash and a lot of the most interesting situation are indoors or outside in low light, so I lean in the low light direction. Low light capability also lets you catch kids running around with less blurring. My Canon G11 is a bit above your top end and it's a bigger camera. My wife uses a Canon Elph 100 that's always with us in her purse because it's so compact and has a big viewfinder making it easy to use. I prefer my G11 but the best camera is the one you actually are going to have with you. Think about that as you're making your selection.