[Closed] Recommend me a point and shoot camera for bike rides - please

GO pro

Not sure how a phone is more faff than a point and shoot in honesty, nor how much smaller you think once it's going to be but...

...It's going to [s] be a worse camera [/s] produce worse photos than your phone assuming that's not genuinely old.

Given your concern is with size and faff your best bet would be good to Curry's/Jessops etc and try handling a few.

Fuji Finepix XP of some sort. Buy second hand off ebay. Start up quick, idiot proof & great optical zoom. Utterly bomb proof, fully waterproof rugged cameras with SLR-like control over every parameter that you'd want. Dropped mine irresponsibly photographing myself while motorbiking in northern Germany (I was bored). Stopped, picked it up and continues to work perfectly to this day.

I never use it because: it's beaten squarely into the ground, stamped and urinated upon for size, speed, robustness, image quality, battery life and general usability by pretty much any modern smart phone if all you're doing is point and shoot photography.

Had a couple of olympus toughs. They too were very good, but the later ones suffered with very slow software on startup as they went through the I'm a toaster - I'm a toaster - I'm a toaster - Oh I'm a CAMERA! phase

I bought one of thse for using when out canoeing

https://uk.webuy.com/product-detail/?id=sdigpanft30b&categoryName=cameras-compact&superCatName=electronics&title=panasonic-lumix-dmc-ft30-16.1m-b&referredFrom=user-ordertracking-wesell

waterproof, good lens, cheap.

I use a TG5. Start up is pretty instant, photos are way better than my phone, I keep it in a case on my hip belt and can use it one handed whilst riding along. It has no issues getting wet, cold and muddy and it's fine if I crash. If it gets really muddy I just wash it under the tap and it comes up like new. Battery is good for hundreds of shots and wifi transfers pics to my phone for the odd occasion when I want to share them before getting home.

For years I've used a Lumix TZ of one sort or another. Since getting my Pixel 6, I never take the camera. The only thing I miss is the loooong zooooom setting.

My compact camera produces better photos than pretty much any phone, turns on with a single slide switch, can be used with any gloves, and fits into any pocket. However it's not robust, and would be a chunky block to fall onto in a crash, so for biking I use my phone.

I don’t want to use my phone – it’s too big for my wee hands. And too much faff.

Phones are just getting too big. Regarding the faff, I guess you may be referring to the need to unlock it and open a camera app. You may be able to set it to always stay unlocked if it's within range of a specific bluetooth device (if you have a Garmin or smar****ch, for example), or just disable the pin code before a ride (more pre-ride faff...). On my phone though, I can set some apps to be openable immediately from the lock screen, so I have the camera as one of them.

Or if it's an Android phone just double press the power button to open the camera?

Best compact(ish) camera I’ve got is the Panasonic lumix lx100. Very good quality images for the size and a 24-70 lens. I’ve used it professionally occasionally when circumstances dictate.

Whatever Sony compact your budget will buy, or you can afford to risk taking out on a bike ride.

I also sometimes use a modified Fuji XP. Bulletproof and I don't mind that it's fairly lofi (if you've seen my photos you'll understand why).

Still carry and use my phone too though. Sony XZ1 compact. Pretty much the same software as my Sony compact camera AFAICT. I do miss a decent optical zoom lens when using a phone camera though.

For point and shoot simplicity I'd get a phone - an older pixel. Look for a refurb pixel 2 or 3a and you'll beat most compact cameras easily, even with some zoomed in pics. Pixel 2 is also waterproof..

Double press power button to open camera, press volume button to take pic. Literally couldn't be easier.

I'm into my cameras, and genuinely, you just can't beat good phone cameras for point and shoot photo quality.

I'm in the 'use your phone' camp if your choice of camera is a point-and-shoot. Most phones let you use the camera without unlocking, and it's a lot easier to pack a phone in your pocket or safely in a bag where it won't be smashed in even the smallest crash.

Sony rx 100 even the cheapest is great

Or if it’s an Android phone just double press the power button to open the camera?

Doesn't work on my android phone

I don’t want to use my phone – it’s too big for my wee hands. And too much faff.

About the only point and shoot camera that’s smaller than an average smartphone is one of those cardboard disposable ones. And I’m pretty certain that a five year old with tiny little hands could manage my iPhone 11 Pro Max, but would struggle with any of my Lumix compacts.

My phone, despite having a screen that’s a bit over 6”, fits perfectly into my jeans or shorts pocket, and is ready to take a photo with one swipe across the screen once it comes out of my pocket. Having had a number of compact, SLR and DSLR cameras, I have taken vastly more photos with my successive phones over the last ten years than I ever took over the course of thirty-plus years with film and digital cameras. 26,999, as of right now. Plus I can easily take photos one-handed, and frequently do.

Just the fact that as soon as I take a photo it’s uploaded to the cloud, network access permitting, which never happened with my cameras.

‘Use a phone’ is an absolute pain in winter with gloves on.

So I use a Fuji XF10 which a a very small camera with 28mm equiv lens and an aps-c sensor. More importantly I can power it on and take a shot with the thickest of gloves on.

Prior to this I had a Sony rx100 va which was also very good until the light levels dropped during glove season.

My compact camera produces better photos than pretty much any phone

Intrigued to know which compact

Sony rx 100 even the cheapest is great

Not really a P&S unless you leave it in Auto I suppose (I have one)

If I only wanted a P&S, I would be using my phone - The End

‘Use a phone’ is an absolute pain in winter with gloves on.

So I use a Fuji XF10 which a a very small camera with 28mm equiv lens and an aps-c sensor. More importantly I can power it on and take a shot with the thickest of gloves on.

"Ok Google. Take a photo"

Intrigued to know which compact

Panasonic TZ. Not sure if it counts as compact, it's borderline - I see it as big camera (lens, sensor, zoom) in a small body.

Speaking as a photographer and cyclist these last 20 yrs, I have to say my phone now is less faff than just about every other camera I’ve ever carried on a bike. So far (at different times!) have carried

3 x different SLRs
2 x different Canon Powershot compact zooms
4 x different Lumix TZ series
Sony RX100
Pentax MX-1 compact zoom

With the (currently old iPhone SE) I simply:

Turn on, swipe left, point, click side (volume) button once. Put back in pocket.

The case is on the phone, no need to remove phone from case. No need to carry phone and camera.

Then is so much easier to share them once you get home. I’ve considered buying an older Sony waterproof/shockproof phone just to use as a camera and emergency phone. Can’t remember exactly which one (Experia Z?), but remember reading there was one such used bargain that still rated highly as a camera even if it’s IT skillz are now limited. Maybe Google Pixel or an HTC is too of the pixel ratings now but may be wroth spending some time on DPReview.

Thing is with smartphones also is you never know when some video may be useful. It’s trivial to take and share video footage with a phone.

If you want a dedicated device, I believe the correct answer to this is Sony RX100.

However for me personally, unless I’m out specifically to *take* photos, I’d rather not have to bother with carrying a camera AND a phone. As such I’d probably instead be looking towards whichever current phone has the best camera, and thus only have to carry a single device.

I know nothing about cameras, but, over the years I've had about 7 different Ixuses right back to the APS film days and they've all been good. I've had a couple of others that were highly recommended and they were pretty much all not good. Last time I wanted a new one I just found the reconditioned ixus on ebay that suited my wallet and spec and got that. It's ace.

RX100 is probably better mind.

As part of my job I inspect railway birdges over streams and rivers in the remotes and not so remotes of Scotland in conditions up to full winter with winter work gloves etc.

I use a Motorola Gwhatever. Take it out of pocket, shake it, camera turns on take photos put it back in my pocket while it uploads to the cloud over 4g all nice and secure, I've dropped them in a basic and they have been submerged in freezing running water up to a meter deep they have never stopped.

I have broken one Lumix tough thing after it started leaking (thank god, it was so slow at taking photos) and lost hundreds of photos after one fell out my pocket.

I don't get how a phone is more faff than carrying a phone AND a camera.

I've got an Olympus tough TG4 and it's great. Best camera I've ever had.
Largely, it takes better photos than my phone (galaxys10e). Particularly they are better for enlarging.
However, the phone does take very acceptable photos and does do things that the TG4 cannot. Very wide angle and native HDR are the main phone benefits.
Due to using a small bumbag on rides I generally take just the phone. However when out walking with a backpack I take the Olympus.

I had a Canon S100 which fit the bill perfectly (really compact, decent quality and not hideously expensive). And one day the it died the death by lens stuck out...

I hummed and hayed over a replacement and ended up with a Sony RX100 (iii I think) and, man, I just could not get on with it. On auto the photos were dull and I fought to improve matters on manual/semi manual settings. Probably hampered by the fact that most photos were at bivvy sites so low light at early morning or late evening. This killed any joy in photography for me.

I bought a Huewai phone (P20 or something) that had amazing AI for low light and it reinvigorated my joy for images as I no longer had to concentrate or the technicalities. Looked great on (small) screen but not so good on anything bigger than an iPad. And it’s always in your pocket. I joined IG and actually enjoyed photographing for the first time in years. Low level lighting meant that it was great for the bivvy shots. But.... lack of quality of image on a 24” monitor was evident.

I gave away the Sony and bought a LUMIX LX100ii because it was in essence a SLR sensor squeezed into a compact (the thing I disliked about my Canon was softness in landscape shots) but this is about twice the size of the Canon and not really a portable biking camera.

A mate had a Tough 5 which he uses a lot and gets pretty decent quality so I bought a Tough 6. But i was out of the habit of taking a camera and it was just as easy/easier to pull out the phone so I’ve barely used it. (If you do get one of these get a lens cover as otherwise you’ll need a case).

I’ve subsequently replaced the huawei (and passed it on within the family) with an iPhone pro. And I’ve not been bivvying so I just use my phone (and I don’t have to pfaff about downloading, post processing and uploading as I can do all that in the phone.

But if you are intent on a camera, I’d recommend the Tough 6 (with a lens cover). Ithi k it’ll do what you want (and iirc you can link it to share the photos with your phone...)

Re RX100

just could not get on with it. On auto the photos were dull and I fought to improve matters on manual/semi manual settings. Probably hampered by the fact that most photos were at bivvy sites so low light at early morning or late evening. This killed any joy in photography for me.

I had both the same and the opposite experience! Let me explain

Bought an RX100 (from STW classifieds IIRC) because I was tired of carrying either the DSLR/50mm or one of the Lumix TZ series which at the time had a tiny sensor and plenty of murk. Anyway the RX100 turned out to be a small thing to carry, took great pictures even in low light (I especially love early morning photography/golden hour) and even though the macro abilities were lacking I thought it could be a great landscape option.

So while it could theoretically and actually take good pics, the ‘getting there’ was a horrible process. Both the ergonomics and the interface/menu were beyond frustrating. Just a rotten experience as an actual usable camera. Fiddly, counterintuitive, slippery, tiny-buttoned faffy nonsense. Then the lens decided to dismount (assumedly on a particularly rough journey as I always kept in case except for the odd few metres pocket journey walking from here to there before putting back in case) and the infamous error message then showed. I tried the paper-strip pokey-cleaning method to no avail until selling the unit for parts.

Good pics* while it lasted though. And while it killed my joy for it’s tiny form and fragility (read on), the idea of large-sensor compacts took root once I saw the quality of image.

*I just took less of them with it than any other camera to date, and never actually enjoyed using it.

So the bigger sensor (and cash) went to waste. ymmv.

Encouraged by the idea of a large sensor I moved to a physically larger and more sturdy compact zoom (Pentax MX-1) which was in many ways the opposite to the RX100, ie brass-plates with nice, useful UX/UI and simple point and shoot that worked. You need a big pocket though, it’s more a belt-bag or Camelbak option.

I use it those times when I need more flexibility/natural results than a smartphone can offer. It has a smaller (12mp) sensor than the RX100, yet takes more natural looking pics and so wins for me. Is still going strong many years on and now quite rare. Olympus XZ1/XZ2 are almost identical and sometimes appear for a couple of hundred.

Rarely take the MX-1 MTBing tho. Phone still wins there for me.

“Ok Google. Take a photo”

Nah. No thanks. Not having that crap turned on just in case I might want to say it repeatedly on a windy day in order to take a photo.