Beginner looking for a compact travel camera — RX100 VII worth the splurge vs. Canon ELPH 360?
Budget: Ideally less than $600 all-in with accessories-- but I'm willing to spend a little more if there's a really compelling reason. See notes below.
Country: US
Condition: Either new or used, although my first trip leaves September 7, so I don't have a ton of time to buy resale from eBay and worry about it being shipped to the US on time.
Type of Camera: Point and shoot
Intended use: Just photography
End use: Social media / small prints
Photography style: Street, landscape, travel
What features do you absolutely need: I'm a total beginner, so I'm not really sure! I’d love advice on what features actually matter for what I'm trying to do. Portability and good image quality are probably the biggest things.
What features would be nice to have: Again, I'm open to recommendations here. I really love the look of the photos I've seen from the Sony RX100 VII and would like something that can produce that kind of image quality/look without necessarily spending that much.
Portability: Very portable. Ideally pocketable or small enough that I won't think twice about bringing it hiking/backpacking. I don't want to buy a camera that ends up staying in my hotel because it's too bulky.
Cameras you're considering:
- Sony RX100 VII: This is the camera I'm most interested in based on my initial research. I really love the look of the photos I've seen from it, and it seems like a great travel camera, but it's more expensive than I was hoping to spend.
- Canon ELPH 360: I'm wondering if I can "get away" with a cheaper/more portable option like this. Maybe I'll actually prefer how small it is. That said, I don't take many selfies, don't love the Y2K/digicam look, and am more interested in getting genuinely good travel photos than getting a trendier aesthetic.
Cameras you already have: None
Notes:
I have a bunch of once-in-a-lifetime travel coming up - hiking trips, vacations, etc. - and want to invest in a camera, but I'm a total beginner. I've basically only used my phone, so I don't want something that's unnecessarily complicated, but I'm also willing to learn.
My biggest dilemma is whether the RX100 VII is actually worth the extra money for a beginner, or whether I'd be perfectly happy with something cheaper. I feel a little guilty about cheaping out ahead of these trips and then regretting it, but I also don't want to spend $1000+ on a camera when there might be a $400–600 option that would accomplish basically everything I need.
For hiking/backpacking in particular, I'm wondering whether I should prioritize something even smaller/lighter. At the same time, I really don't want to sacrifice too much image quality just for portability.
I'm also very open to a camera I haven't considered! If there's something else in the ~$600 range (or even a little above) that would be a better fit for what I'm describing, I'd love to hear about it.
Thanks!!