cheap digital camera

[zoom-zoom]

Fixed focus also eliminates the issues with mechanical things in cold weather, since a fixed-focus, non-zoom camera will have no moving parts (compact digital cameras don't have a shutter).

[jessmarimba]

Unfortunately I do need the zoom

I should clarify, this mystery camera does not need to take good pictures from a photographer's perspective. I'm collecting data more than quality images. I need something that allows me to shoot while walking and be relatively focused but don't need any sort of facial recognition software, etc (that stuff just slows down the focus and eats up the battery life). Ideally I would never photograph a person with this camera, since any shot with a person is unusable in my reports! And indestructible would be nice...safe from rain, sleet, snow, sand, cold, boulders, bears, birds, and unsavory people (I inspect subsidized housing, undeveloped property, and the occasional decrepit historic building with scary basements and no power).

I actually have an old nikon coolpix from 2003 that would be PERFECT - if I could still get memory cards, batteries, and some sort of card reader for it.

[zoom-zoom]

Hmmm...I know my camera has different modes that change how/when it focuses (and I tend to use more manual modes, anyhow, because my background is in photography and I loathe full-auto...I'm a control freak), so that I can avoid having that focus motor constantly twitching. Is there a way on the camera you have to do this? I'm guessing the cheapy ones don't offer that much adjustability, unfortunately.