Hi,

I am hoping to tap on the expertise of the group here. I would like to purchase a point and shoot camera to bring along with me on holiday trips. To be more specific, I am going to China mid Dec and the weather here is expected to be averaging around –8ºC (or 18ºF) and snowing.

I am looking at zoom functions and something that doesn’t die on me when using the camera outdoors. My budget is around US$250.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

Emilyn

-- Emilyn (emilyn_lee@yahoo.com), November 26, 2001

Answers

Jeesh, sounds like Central Canada. Thanks to their compact size, it's easy to shelter most p&s models inside winter coats on a neck strap.Spare batteries kept warm in an inner pocket are cheap insurance, too.Something I'd check before you buy is ease of use with whatever type of glove you'll take.Some shutter buttons, battery and film door releases can be very difficult to work without bare hands.Any camera kept reasonably warm will also be far less likely to fog up on re-entry into warm quarters.

-- Gary Watson (cg.watson@sympatico.ca), November 29, 2001.

I'd definitely take a few disposables (particularly the water resistant type) just in case (their simple mechanisms should be fairly weather proof)

-- Ron Buchanan (ronb@fusive.com), November 30, 2001.