Best camera for amateur adventure travel photographer?

Hello everyone! I've been researching cameras but I'm a bit overwhelmed. I have a Minolta, which is great, but it takes forever, especially with night shots, to take a picture. It's also blurry if I'm not steady enough. As an eco adventure traveler, I need a durable digital camera that can withstand the elements fairly well. I'm also a student, so the price needs to be somewhat reasonable. Around $500 or less. I'm willing to spend more if it's worth it.

Thanks!

I've looked at Pentax Optio W20 and the Olympus Stylus Digital 730.

Canon PowerShot G9 is great for you.

You may want to get a waterproof/shockproof compact digital camera .. they are within your price range

National Geographic Adventure Magazine just named the Olympus 790 as a good camera for adventurers.

It has so many features that make it suitable for adventure that I'll just post the B&H link and you can click on the "Features" tab. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/51...

This looks like a great choice for you, especially since it's under $300.

sounds like you need one with image stabilize

I agree about the Canon G9... it would be an awesome camera for what you are planning... just get an inexpensive weather casing for it ...