Also useless when you're wearing sunglasses - the polarisation of the specs turns the screen black.Mine was a sub £80 Canon Powershot. This was about the only one I could find at the time which had an optical viewfinder in addition to the LCD screen. I find the latter is useless in bright sunshine.
AA batteries seem to be standard fare on bridge cameras, I have a Pentax X5 using these. As SRW says, they have a short life.You just won't get a digital camera with AA batteries any more. Well you might but it's likely to be fairly low end. Screen requirements, zooms, larger ccd's mean they just can't deliver the power required.
What's your budget Pubby?
Mine was a sub £80 Canon Powershot. This was about the only one I could find at the time which had an optical viewfinder in addition to the LCD screen. I find the latter is useless in bright sunshine.
Pentax, as far as I know, are one of the last manufacturers to still use AA or AA adaptors but I think even they have now dropped it from the latest cameras. Certainly there's no AA option on my K5.AA batteries seem to be standard fare on bridge cameras, I have a Pentax X5 using these. As SRW says, they have a short life.
Step one is to go out and take some decent photos with your camera phone. Pick subjects that are fairly undemanding, static, well illuminated. Pick the most appropriate format, landscape or portrait (always landscape in video mode). Look at the viewfinder and select the best place to stand. Hold still and press the button smoothly. If it isnt good take it again, but better.All cameras are capable of 'great' photographs. there are only 2 factors that effect this. 1- the person behind the camera...
for a camera that takes good photos is a bit like buying the same pots and pans as Gordon Ramsey has in the hope you'll be able to cook the same.
I use a Pentax K-m if I'm doing serious photography where I want different lenses. In that I use lithium AAs which seem to last quite a while. For a general. pocketable camera I have a Canon PowerShot G15 which is great. Both these have viewfinders which I feel is essential for serious photographs. But when I'm on my bike I take a Vivitar camera I bought for 99p in a charity shop sans battery & card. It has no viewfinder so I don't attempt to frame, just point it in the general direction and crop later. The lens is not good on telephoto either, but it is small and cheap.