Upgrade from a camera phone

[Martytoon]

I do quite a bit of fell walking and I like to document my journeys through pictures. I've been using my phone, which under good light conditions, produces OK results, such as:



However, as soon as the light becomes more challenging, the picture quality becomes noticeably worse, such as:





I would really appreciate your advice and comments as to whether, on a budget of say £150, a compact camera is going to give me noticeably better results? I do appreciate that at this very budget end that I'm not going to get great results but am just trying to work out whether its worth the investment as I often return from a days walking in breathtaking scenery only to be disappointed by what I've captured on "film"!

 

[Martytoon]

What phone are you using now?

Do you tap on your phone to select where it's focused or do you use it all at Auto?

It's an iphone5s. I do sometimes tap to focus but found that if I was standing in shade but near distance was in sun the picture appeared totally washed out - overexposed? I hadn't thought of looking at apps for greater control - will give that a look. Thanks.

 

[Martytoon]

I presumes its just landscapes that you wish to snap?

Yes, just landscapes. The second hand route is a good call. Will give that some thought. Cheers.