so i am going on this trip to colorado next month for a big family thing and i realized my phone camera is just... not cutting it anymore. its an old iphone and the pictures always look grainy especially when i try to zoom in even a little bit or if the lighting isnt perfect. i want to get a real camera but i am totally lost looking at all these websites like everything is so expensive or looks way too complicated for me. i honestly have no idea what i am doing or what most of these words mean so please bear with me if i sound stupid lol. i just want something that is small enough to fit in my jacket pocket or a small bag but takes way better pictures than a phone.

my budget is strictly under 400 dollars because i still have to pay for the flights and stuff so i cant really go over that limit. i was looking at some sony ones but then there are like five different versions of the same thing like the rx100 or whatever and i got so confused i just closed the tab because they all looked the same to me but the prices were all different. i dont want something where i have to change lenses or whatever because i know i will just lose them or break something and it seems like a lot to carry around while hiking. just a simple point and shoot thing that works and i can just press a button and it looks good. i tried looking at amazon and best buy but everything is either a thousand dollars or looks like a toy for kids. i dont mind buying something used if its from a place that wont rip me off but i dont even know what to look for there either or what brands are even good anymore.

here is what i am looking for:

• price has to be under $400 total
• small and light enough for hiking or walking around a city
• good battery because i dont want it dying halfway through the day
• has to have a good auto mode because i dont know what aperture or shutter speed is
• maybe a little bit of zoom so i can see things further away

is it even possible to get something decent for that price these days? i heard everything is expensive now because of people buying them for social media or something. i just want something reliable that wont die on me. any ideas for a complete beginner who is basically scared of technology...