Story Time! Feel free to skip this bit.
I used a cheap film camera for a 6 month trip abroad in 2005 and came back with around 100 rolls of film I couldn't afford to develop.
I bought the Canon PowerShot SD800 IS (link) in 2006 for ~$300 and haven't looked back since. I'm still using it. But I went on a trip to NYC last summer, and I noticed something that gave me a wake up call. Several of my friends pictures turned out better than mine, and every single one of them was using a smartphone camera.
I'd looked at upgrading before, but nothing really jumped out at me. There's a lot of good options out there now though, so I wanted some input on which one is going to be right for me.
My Knowledge
I know very little about photography. About the only 'advanced' knowledge I possess regards f-numbers, and that only because I took an advanced optics class back when I was a Physics major in 2004.
Everything else I've picked up from reading online guides and whatnot to explain when to use which ISO, etc.
What's more... I don't really have much interest in learning advanced photography. I don't want to deal with carrying extra lenses and whatnot around, so I'm looking for a point and shoot camera. I'd prefer to keep the cost <$500. I can push that if I'm convinced it's worthwhile, but there seem to be some good offerings in that price range.
Usage
General purpose. I've only ever owned three cameras: The one my dad gave me as a kid, the cheap film camera I was gifted as a teenager, and the SD800 IS I bought after a study abroad trip in college.
Whatever camera I purchase to replace the SD800 IS will be used to photograph everything from mountain ranges to birthday parties to museum placards to that-scary-spider-on-the-wall.
Things that are 'Important'
Portability - It needs to fit in my pocket. Literally fit in my pants pocket like my current one does. I think both the G9X & the S120 would be small enough - how much bigger is the G7X? It's hard to find side-by-side pictures of the cameras instead of pictures taken by the cameras.
Speed - This is where I worry about the G9X... I want a camera that I can pull out of my pocket, turn on, and snap a picture just like that before the moment is gone. One of the areas in which the SD800 was praised, and indeed one of the reasons I purchased it 10 years ago, was that snappiness. Reviews of the G9X say it's slow-to-mediocre in that department, but I don't know if it will feel slow to me or not. And I couldn't find one locally to play with. The S120 seems better on paper in this department. Thoughts?
Low Light Images - One disappointment with the SD800 was always it's inability to take better pictures in low-light - it has a 1/2.5 " CCD sensor. I assume that most new cameras will take better low light pictures than my current camera, but I don't just want better so much as 'good.' The G9X has a 1" sensor, so I assume it will be the choice product in this area, along with the G7X.
Durability - I've dropped my SD800 out of a moving car, run over it with a bicycle, thrown it around, submerged it by accident in mud, sand, water, food, etc. and generally been pretty rough on it. For ten years. It still turns on and snaps a decent picture in <2 seconds.
No 'Tilt' Screen - I might be convinced to buy a camera with one, but I really don't want to. These damn things just get in my way.
No 'Interchangeable Lens' - I don't know enough to get use out of this, though I don't object to it. It's just something I don't need. If I ever get to the point where I want to be swapping lenses out I'll probably have decided to give learning SLRs a go.
Video - Don't care. So long as it will take a video I don't care about the quality.
Future Proof - I used this SD800 (that you all are sick of hearing about) for 10 years now, and until I noticed that freakin' camera phones were taking better pictures I was still happy with it. Whatever camera I buy I'll be using for a while, so I want to get something that is at least going to take better pictures than a thrice damned Samsung Galaxy 6.
Wifi - Don't care. Actually the less 'online' crap the camera pushes at me the better, but I think all cameras have this now.
Buttons, Please! - I vastly prefer buttons to touch screens. Touch screens get dirty and damaged and if you're wearing gloves or super sweaty you're screwed. Sadly the G9X does not have as many buttons as I'd like - I don't see one for 'delete' for example. The S120 has buttons. <3 Buttons.
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I'm thinking that the G9X might be right for me, but honestly I don't know. The larger sensor seems a big advantage over the S120, and I assume that correlates to a large enough difference in picture quality to make up for it's slower response time.
But honestly it seems like what I really want is a mix of the S120 and the G9X. I don't suppose something along those lines might come out before July 2016? I'd hate to miss out on that $400 amazon sale price for the G9X + SDHC card, but I'm also very hesitant to pull the trigger.
Help me, experts? You're my only hope.
