Camera nerds here?

[Rsmacker]

OK, I know some of you are camera nerds, so I need some advice.

I have a Nikon D70 and it's fine, no problems with it for what I want, but when it comes to taking it on my motorbike on holiday, it's too fucking big, it takes up pretty much my whole tank bag. I need some recommendations for a camera which isn't quite a Spazmatic point-and-shoot, but not a massive DSLR either, something that will take half decent pics but perhaps small enough to stick in my jacket pocket or in the top of my tank bag for grabbing to take pics. Any suggestions?

[Hellbat]

www.dpreview.com used to be a great site. My interest in cameras has waned in recent years so I'm not sure if it still is. I have a D70 as well and yeah DSLR's rock but they are bulky and you feel like you have a "Shank me and take this camera if you want money" sign on you.

[Shawn Lutz]

iPhone 4....lol

[rjohnstone]

iPhone 4....lol

He said decent pics.

Canon SD series ELPH's take great pics and fit in your pocket nicely.
I consider them a higher end PHD (Push Here Dummy) camera.

[RacerX]

Canon SD series ELPH's take great pics and fit in your pocket nicely.
I consider them a higher end PHD (Push Here Dummy) camera.

I 2nd this

[Rsmacker]

Thank you gentlemen, I shall have a look at Canon then....

[Dred]

Major camera nerd here, hope I'm not late to the party.

Well, the most obvious choice for a small package with interchangeable lenses and DSLR functionality (to a degree, of course. I wouldn't expect the more advanced features like temperature control in kelvin in a small camera body) would be any of the pancake-lens cameras. They look diddy, but they will offer some good flexibility. There's Lumix, Samsung, Sony and Canon that make some notable kit. Nikon however don't offer anything in this category. Of course, some of them will be in four-thirds and micro four-thirds so you can expect noise to be more noticeable or lesser dynamic range, etc., simply due to limitations in size, but it all gets handled very nicely these days.

Next option would be a bridge camera. Same suspects as before. Fuji also make some pretty solid ones as well. You may also want to have a look at the Nikon Coolpix, though they are a tad pricey for the features. One thing to look out for, is that bridge cameras often have electronic viewfinders, which not only drain the battery but also aren't as good as the good ol' optic ones.

Don't suppose you'll go with something like the D60, as the size difference is only a few cm a side. The best bet concerning size would be the Tessar-type lens cameras/rangefinders, but quality costs a fair bit in this market, and it depends if you are willing to sacrifice the luxury of a viewfinder in some models. It's a matter of what you're willing to sacrifice. A rather expensive option but a respectable performer would be the PEN E-PL1

Hope my rather vague post helps any