Yes, I’m still lamenting the demise of the Yashica T4, simply the best point and shoot camera made for under $500. But, it was a niche product-most people couldn’t get beyond the fact it lacked a zoom lens, not realizing that low-cost zoom lenses require an enormous compromise in lens quality. I’d rather have the T4’s tack-sharp 35mm lens than any number of crummy 38-105 zooms.
Still, don’t despair. The T4 pops up in a variety of places. Some retail camera stores even still stock the leftover. Try asking around at camera stores in Portland to see if someone has a T4 stuck away someplace. And there’s always eBay. More than a dozen T4’s are listed there today-plus some T5’s, which is identical but is the so-called “gray market” version. You might shop around on the auction site. But don’t pay more than $160.
Otherwise, there really aren’t any reasonably priced point-and-shoots that make my bunnies hop. Pentax’s IQ Zoom 95WR is a pretty good one ($180). It has a decent zoom lens, a body that fits the hand well, and a water-resistant feature. It even floats…allegedly. There are dozens of other point-and-shoots in the $200 to $300 price range; they’re pretty much interchangeable. To get a “real” camera, something I considered the T4 to be, you now have to go above $500, which is ridiculous. The Contax T3 is lovely, but $700. Nikon has deep-sixed its 35Ti, which was a very funky little camera, temperamental but with a superb lens, but you can also find them on eBay.
Anyway, good luck!