Camera for the girlfriend

[rhsgolfer33]

So, my girlfriend wants a new point and shoot camera. I have a little bit of photography knowledge but not a ton. She would really like a camera with 5x zoom or up and not too bulky. We've been looking at the Canon A720is and the Sony DSC H3. The Sony is on the upper end of our budget at $249-$299, we'd prefer to keep it closer to $200 for the camera. We've looked at various other cameras but those two have stood out so far. She says she wants a camera with some manual controls, but I don't know think this will be terribly important really, she'll just point and shoot it the majority of the time. Any comments on the above cameras would be great, and I would also appreciate any other cameras that you guys would recommend we look at. Thanks!

[thinkband]

So, my girlfriend wants a new point and shoot camera. I have a little bit of photography knowledge but not a ton. She would really like a camera with 5x zoom or up and not too bulky. We've been looking at the Canon A720is and the Sony DSC H3. The Sony is on the upper end of our budget at $249-$299, we'd prefer to keep it closer to $200 for the camera. We've looked at various other cameras but those two have stood out so far. She says she wants a camera with some manual controls, but I don't know think this will be terribly important really, she'll just point and shoot it the majority of the time. Any comments on the above cameras would be great, and I would also appreciate any other cameras that you guys would recommend we look at. Thanks!

Hello,

I have no experiences with either of those two particular models, but I have experiences with both Sony P&S's and Canon P&S's. I found the Sony to be less intuitive than the Canon and often the Sony is more expensive because you are supposed to believe that you are paying for the Sony name. It should be simple to just go after the Canon model you mentioned because its cheaper. Canon makes exceptional cameras and you really cannot go wrong. If you want to see how Cameras are rated/reviewed some places to check out are dpreview.com and cnet.com. Don't take too much what the actual review takes into heart, but what other people have to say.

-John

[jalagl]

Based on what I've read and opinions from friends, I suggest you check out these cameras:



Casio Exilim EX-V7SR 7.2MP Digital Camera with 7x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000DZDSME/ref=s9_asin_title_1_subs_c3_38_10_9_8-f9_p_c_f_p-qvfp_p-2785_g1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1XW6WKB6KTGCWZZ87ZWK&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=278240301&pf_rd_i=507846). 7.2MP, 7x Optical Zoom, IS, really small camera, ~$205 at amazon. There is also the newer EX-V8SR (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000VGTQAI/), slightly more expensive but a newer model.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3K 7.2MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000MW3YE0/ref=s9_asin_title_2_subs_c3_38_10_9_8-f9_p_c_f_p-qvfp_p-2785_g1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1XW6WKB6KTGCWZZ87ZWK&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=278240301&pf_rd_i=507846). 7.2MP, 10x Zoom, IS. Larger than the Casio, larger Zoom range. I've heard some complaints about the low-light performance of this camera, though. ~$220 at amazon

Canon PowerShot A720IS 8MP Digital Camera with 6x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Digital-Optical-Stabilized/dp/B000V1VG2E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=photo&qid=1205089523&sr=1-1). 8MP, 6x Zoom, IS. Larger than the casio. Least expensive of the bunch (~$180 at amazon). My mother has the older A700, and I can tell you that it has a pretty impresive image quality.


Of those three, I would go with the Casio. I've learned to appreciate the convenience of having a good small camera with me all the the time.

[Eraserhead]

I love my Panasonic Lumix fx30 (now fx35), but that is $300, so its a little out of your price range.