Recommend me a digital camera.

[ctznsmith]

For the terrible incompetent photographer.
(something that will compensate for my lack of skill or be easy enough to understand that I can learn)

Small, light, good battery life.

Not requiring robbing a bank to afford the cost.

I destroy/break stuff, is something like the Olympus tough range worth looking at?

[voodoo_simon]

What phone do you have? Ive found the snapseed app really helps to give a bit of life to my photos and is very easy to use

[ctznsmith]

What phone do you have? Ive found the snapseed app really helps to give a bit of life to my photos and is very easy to use

A non-smart one that doesn't apps.

I found taking pictures with a smartphone ok but I struggled with focusing on things properly, it didn't feel natural.

[Chew]

For the terrible incompetent photographer.
(something that will compensate for my lack of skill or be easy enough to understand that I can learn)

Photography is 90% composition. A 'better' camera won't really make any difference.

Most of its just practice. Just take loads of pictures, see what works and go from there. If I'm away in a trip I may take 50-100 pics and get 5-10 worth keeping/sharing

[Pirahna]

While were on the subject, anything decent that takes AA batteries?

[ctznsmith]

For the terrible incompetent photographer.
(something that will compensate for my lack of skill or be easy enough to understand that I can learn)

Photography is 90% composition. A 'better' camera won't really make any difference.

Fair point...a stand alone camera has got to be easier to hold steady so stuff isn't blurry though surely!

[johnnystorm]

Treat yourself to a Sony Xperia with a dedicated shutter button. No messing about taking gloves off, just hold it down to unlock the camera, half push to focus, full push to take geo-tagged pic.

[jameso]

Reading with interest as my 8+ year old camera is on its last legs now.

Photography is 90% composition. A 'better' camera won't really make any difference.

Agreed, but also interested in anyone's experience with cameras that may have lenses or settings that suit outdoor photography rather than lots of features to help indoor pics, or better lenses for shooting into a low /bright sun, etc. I've used a few cameras that seem to give different results for outdoor pics but I'm not sure why. Familiarity, or lens differences?

Also being compact and simple, relatively knock-resistant, AA or USB chargeable, etc, could make a better bike trip camera than others.

I've used a phone that's good with close-up or indoor pics, it has a good depth of field or point-focus ability, but the outdoors pics from bike trips tend to be rubbish. It doesn't handle light level / contrast differences well so perhaps whatever helps that is a feature I need to look for in a compact camera. It's an area I know little about though.

[voodoo_simon]

I've used a few cameras that seem to give different results for outdoor pics but I'm not sure why. Familiarity, or lens differences?

Could be wrong but I think it can boil down to the camera processess (whatever that is) that gives a difference. Bit like Kodak/fuji film rolls, kodak would give a warmer feel to a photograph and fuji a much cooler feel. Used to use kodak or fuji for landscape when I shot colour but always fuji for motorsport as it gave a crisper look.

Thats my take but could well be wrong

[whitestone]

The sensors/processing are different between Canon & Nikon for example so without Photoshopping you get significantly different shots.

My "compact" is a Canon G11. Not the smallest compact but very capable. Not sure what the current version model number is.

[Moder-dye]

Another xperia user here. I've been taking my DSLR out less and less unless it's for a photo specific trip as the phone is pretty good for internet use and I can do some pretty good manual panoramas stitched on the PC with Microsoft image composite editor (MICE) which is free.

[ScotRoutes]

I've been happy with the camera on my Xperia phone but it's coming up for two years old and it's reached that stage where the lens has picked up some slight marking that makes the photos a bit less sharp.

I usually take my Panasonic TZ40 with me if I'm actually planning any photos. It has a bit more control than the phone and also means I'm not wasting phone battery. I had an earlier TZ but upgraded as this one has a GPS built in making it useful for doing path surveys. It'll also connect to the phone (in fact the phone can be used as a remote control for it) so I can still upload photos when I'm out and about if needs be.

[FLV]

SOny WX220 is my choice. tiny, decent battery, not broken yet.

I just point and shoot and pics usually turn out ok. I use my phone camera more, but take the little camera when the phone is not coming or on longer trips (phone is bigger that the camera)