Cheap camera to run on AA batteries?

[JPreston]

Hi All

I'm off travelling round China shortly and am debating buying a very cheap point and shoot secondary camera, for places that my main bridge camera would be too obtrusive and for my girlfriend to use. Now, I've got a donkeys' years old minolta that I could take but I'd have to lug around the proprietary charger for it. If I can find a worthwhile, ideally reasonably rugged compact that runs on AA NiMH batteries (you can never be carrying too many AA batteries ) I'd probably rather spring for that - it'll most likely take better pictures and have a screen >1" into the bargain - any recommendations?

I can't find reviews of the newish Fujifilm A100 in the usual places (but it looks good), and I see that Argos have the superseded but apparently OKish Canon A470 for £50. Is there much else I should be considering around that price range?

Ta All...

EDIT: should also mention I'm flying to Hong Kong. So buy here on Amazon or the like, or when we get there? I would imagine at the bottom of the market it won't really be much cheaper in Hong Kong anyway?

EDIT 2: would really prefer to be using a mini-USB (USB B?) cable, instead of a propietary one...

[this_is_gav]

It does look good.

We're needing another P&S for work and I've been looking at the Nikon L19 or L20 (the L20 has an extra couple of MP and probably does movies or something).

Another I was looking at was the Casio EX-Z85, which apparently is fantastic value for money, but doesn't take AAs (something I was looking for, but struggled to find taking into account size and quality). Takes a couple of AAs too.

I've just this minute ordered a Fuji J20 from, of all places, Scan, but again it doesn't take AA batteries. Cheaper at Ebuyer, but we can't order from there.

[JPreston]

Ta, but it really really must use AA batteries (or I might as well bring my old compact). I would have thought that at the bottom of the market the ability to buy batteries anywhere in the world (or use existing and versatile rechargeables) is well worth having a slightly bulkier camera. I guess manufacturers either compete all out for the teensiest handbag camera, or like selling overpriced OEM replacement batteries and chargers a bit too much.

It's quite frustrating, there are still a few cameras launched earlier this year that fit my requirements but google only turns up the press releases, no real reviews, and reading a review written a couple of years ago (eg for Canon A470) is not too enlightening.

[this_is_gav]

Problem with these P&S things is that they keep rereleasing them. The Powershots haven't changed that much since the A75 I'm replacing - just a bit of tidying here and there, the introduction of IS and of course the obligatory megapixelisationisms.

It's like mobile phones.

As a result there is little incentive for reviews, and no real push from manufacturers to ship them out to reviewers as they might just get panned for sticking the existing camera in a new suit.

That said, you can quite safely look at the model it is replacing as the chances are there is little to choose between them.

At least with (most) DSLRs there are a few differentiating factors between models, something that makes you think if you really should go for that D300 over your D200.

[kalniel]

and reading a review written a couple of years ago (eg for Canon A470) is not too enlightening.

Well the camera won't be any worse than when it was reviewed - if it took good photos then it'll still take them now. I still get hanging on wall quality pictures out of my Canon A70 (3MP) and wouldn't hesitate to take it somewhere I didn't want to take my more expensive replacement.

[rover214]

Is this any good?

https://secure.fujifilm.co.uk/shop/c...product-130118

dont worry about the secure link, for some reason the site always shows as secure

[JPreston]

Well the camera won't be any worse than when it was reviewed - if it took good photos then it'll still take them now. I still get hanging on wall quality pictures out of my Canon A70 (3MP) and wouldn't hesitate to take it somewhere I didn't want to take my more expensive replacement.

I mean in the sense that a review of a camera launched at £120 that compares the camera against those available at similar price in 2007, does not help much now that camera costs £50 and is competing against cameras a generation or two more modern than its original competitors, but a notch or two lower in today's range.

Is this any good?

https://secure.fujifilm.co.uk/shop/c...product-130118

dont worry about the secure link, for some reason the site always shows as secure

Hey that's good, hadn't considered a refurb but that's a good way to minimise cost, since I'm not too fussed about warranty. A case in point though, the A850 looks to be an older mid- or highish-level compact that is cheaper than the A100 which I know to be the new bottom-of-the-line one. There's probably not much difference between them but when I try and compare old/new between different manufacturers it gets confusing