NEW digital camera recommendation

xslimmiejimmiex

Distinguished
Dec 3, 2005
186
0
18,680
Unfortunately, my time to research cameras are limited, therefore i seek the knowlege of users in this forum. I'm new to the whole digital camera specs/features/etc, therefore i'm stuck and don't know what to purchase. My range is $200-$375(max).
A.) I want a camera that:
- Has AA batteries
- 5 or + megapixels
- pretty big LCD
- excellent quality pics
- PC compatible
- good zoom (no idea whats a good amount)
- good flash
- great features
- good amount of memory (no clue about memory size/type)
- great bang for the buck$

B.) The use:
- Vacation shots
- Close/ far away
- Day & night pictures
- Concerts
- scenic images

C.) So far i've found:
- SONY DSC-W5
- Canon A610
- Olympus C-770 Ultra Zoom

Anyways, i know its broad, but i hope its enough for suggestions. Just lemme know ASAP the brand/price/features,etc. Thanks in advance, take care all. happy holidays -peace
 

spencer mccredie

Distinguished
Mar 14, 2009
14
0
18,510
Canon Powershot SX10IS

I've owned each new version of this camera since the Powershot S2IS. For me this is a worthwhile upgrade over the prior version, the S5IS.

This camera provides quality photos without a lot of hassle, yet also provides a lot of room for growth with plenty of custom settings that I can use if I want to learn how to use them in the future (for example, aperture priority).

In initial testing, the face detection technology seems to work well. I can take a self portrait now and the lighting comes out very good. I think the technology has gone from buzzword marketing to true usefulness. One side benefit of the face detection technology is that it enables the camera to intelligently take red-eye out of pictures without using the red-eye reduction lamp.

The flip-out and rotating viewfinder has always and continues to set this camera apart from its peers from other companies. It allows for less intrusive candid photos and has many other advantages.

Thankfully, the SD card door is separate from the battery door as it was with the S3IS. Thank you Canon! There are times that I just want to take a few pictures, and now I don't have to open the battery door to take the SD card out.

28mm -- I will never get another camera without wide angle built in. I have the Canon Elph 880IS too, which is a very powerful "pocketable" camera that complements this one well.

Sharp 20x zoom. Pictures turn out very good even at high zooms. In an indoor-lit apartment, I can read fairly small print from a photo taken all the way across a room, it truly is amazing.

The picture quality is better at higher ISO's than other cameras. Each model improves on this and this one definitely continues that. I haven't tried out the "I-Contrast" setting (on vs. off) but I can say that in some outdoor pictures that I have taken detail is good in shadow areas.

Finally, a standard lens-cap. It doesn't have a tether, but you can buy a cap attachment from a camera store that sticks on the front of the cap. The one that I got has an elastic band that goes around the base of the lens. I also got a better lens cap which can now be done since it's standard.

I like the new placement of the controls such as dedicated on-off button and display button. I don't think I will like the scroll wheel but time will tell. For those not familiar with this camera, there is a dedicated video button so that you can take video quickly without having to mess with the controls.

Anyway, I did a lot of price comparison and normally I find the best prices for cameras on Amazon, plus they have fast shipping and a great return policy. Check out this camera, you won’t be disappointed!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001G5ZTZO?ie=UTF8&tag=burtoa-20&link_code=as3&camp=211189&creative=373489&creativeASIN=B001G5ZTZO