Wife told me I could spend 600 dollars on a new digital camera.
I do NOT want a DSLR and I do NOT want an underwater camera.
I want something that has high megapixels and not too hard to use.
It needs to shoot quality photos.
No lens cap…not too small…small enough to fit in vest pocket.
???
Does she have any sisters?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! THAT is funny! 
I like the Nikon Coolpix cameras. I have the S640. The lens cover is built in…opens when you turn the camera on. You can get that one for around $200. That leaves you $400 for a new fly rod/reel!
Seriously though, I haven’t looked at cameras in the $600 range, but I imagine you can get something REALLY nice that will suit your needs perfectly!
Maybe start with a brand you like (Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Sony, Pentax, etc), and then see what they offer in your price range?
anyone have one of these?
Like?
Dislike?
Why?
Spend $200.00 and buy yourself a new rod and reel!!!
I just got three new rods…one reel.
Need one more reel for my 4 weight.
A good camera is important to me.
i really like my Canon A480, 10 MP. i had coolpix before this and this is much better. not necessarily for photo quality, both are the same, but for speed. recharge flash is at least 3 times faster 3.3 optical zoom, macro and super macro (does great closeup), optical zoom is very good several exposure and iso settings, can
shoot flash off or on, very flexible easy to use camera. very affordable. i have nearly 2000 shots on mine and it shoots as good as out of the box.
anyway here’s the specs.
http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/products/cameras/digital_cameras/powershot_a480#Specifications
here’s a comparison of of several higher end compact canon cameras.
I bought an Olympus 1050 SW a couple of years ago which is shock proof and water proof. It is the ancestor to the newer Stylus Tough. The new ones run from $200 to over $350. It has been a great camera and I don’t have to baby it on a canoe float. Rain or shine, it takes good pics. Then again, Im no expert.
Using it on a very wet day. These photos have been compressed for internet speed so actual photos are much better.
forgot to mention it seems pretty tuff. been dropped a couple times, takes a beating and keeps on ticking.
There is a guide around here that showed me some video he took. He said it was taken with a camera that fits on his eye glasses. The quality was great and you don’t need to use your hands to shoot. Don’t know what it cost though. He has some stuff posted on u-tube. Could be a possibility.
Beaver
I have the Olympus waterproof/shock proof camera… I know you said you did not want a water proof camera however if you are carrying something in your vest, the time comes when your feet come out from under you and you are face down in the water with the camera scuba diving! It has happened to me twice!!! This is the reason I now have the waterproof camera. This camera has taken pictures above and below water and does everything I want it to up to 15 megapixels. I don’t know how to get photos on this site or I’d put up some myself to show you but it does macro photos of fly-tying, and great photos of zoomed subjects too. I can’t say enough about this camera and it is three years old and 6000+ photos old.
First of all, why do you want the high megapixel count? Second, why dont you want a SLR? Third, do you realize that, after a certain point, increasing the megapixel count of a compact camera will actually degrade your image quality?
If you’re aware of all these things, then I’d suggest a Canon G12, Nikon P7000, or one of the ILC (Interchangeable Lens Compact) cameras like the Sony NEX, or Olympus PEN series.
Only those last two will even get you close to 6 Bens, though, so if you want a true compact in the 600 dollar neighborhood, get yourself a Leica and be the envy of anyone who recognizes the name. 
I understand wanting good clean crisp pics and special features in a camera that allow you to do different things like shifting left to right sizing zoom etc. … I also think that the largest % of the picture has to do with the person pushing the button on the camera. I’v seen some of the best photos that have been taking with high dollar camera’s as well as throw away camera’s… The eye of the beholder I suppose…
That being said, I have a Canon 12.1pix 4x zoom powershot A3100 that seems to do just fine for me and I also use throw away’s too…
Buddy from Germany raves about Leica cameras. He has really expensive one. All the bells and whistles and lens.
looked at the reviews. The prices gave me sticker shock.
… on posting pix.
I want a camera…It is adequate but…
I want to see a little more definition on the leaves in the trees. They are just rounded looking and
meld in one another.
Am I asking too much out of a Point & Shoot Digital?
some of the detail can be enhanced with good software. it’ll never be excellent with .jpg images, too much compression. .png is better if one can work with .raw images then save as .png. my point and shoot does the same thing and i can’t get to the .raw images.
FYI Panasonic cameras have Leica lenses … my wife, sister-in-law, and niece all have one and they take great pics. The new one my niece has is a point and shoot with an 8x zoom!
Why, especially in your business, not waterproof?
most water proofs don’t have lens caps…i can scratch lens even with lens caps on them.