RFI: Camera to buy for fiancee

[jgfunk]

Budget

What budget have you allocated for buying this camera?
MAX: $320

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?

It doesn't need to be compact as Canon's elph. However, I would like get something that fits in hands well (ergonomically) and/or fits in a large purse. Again, this is for my fiance. Something smaller than a Canon A95.

Features

* How many megapixels will suffice for you?
5-7 megapixels

What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)

Standard necessary, Ultrazoom is nice to have.

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
8

Do you care for manual controls?
Nice to have, but not a necessity.

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?
Family events, friends, bars and vacations.

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
Not really.

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
Yes.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Rarely.

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate? Like Canon b/c that's what I have. This way we can use the same software and potentially memory cards. I don't necessarily need to buy a Canon if there's a much better model out there.

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
Canon A620 or A540.

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)

THANKS FOR THE HELP!!!:D

[truflip]

I like the Canon A540 but the screen really ticks me off, who sticks in a 2.5'' LCD and skimps on the resolution, I think Canon did this to be able to sell it at a lower price for the MP. Most consumers think MP is everything so canon is trying to lure them in with this camera.

the A620 is a nice camera, but it might now be small enough for a purse. Its also large and heavy (4xAA batteries) soo that might not be a good choice for your fiancee. and did i say redeye? yes its got lots of that.

is this a present for her? if so I think this would be a nice camera:
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/cameraDetail.php?cam=763

its pretty good all around. and its pretty rock solid
also the Kodak V550 looks good. theres the newer V570 for dual lens if needed. Is this $320 USD?

[jgfunk]

Tru-

Thanks for responding. Yes this is a gift for her birthday. I am looking at $320 USD price range. I would spend more, but I am paying for most of our wedding and honeymoon!! :eek:

I probably should also mention that we will be getting a digital SLR eventually. So right now, a nice point-and-shoot will be perfect for her. She can take it to family functions, vacations..etc.

[gafftape]

It sounds like you are looking for a similar camera to what I'm looking for. Check out the Canon A700 its like a slightly smaller version of the A540 with 6X zoom and 6 mega pixels for about $285 on-line. I'm really torn between the A700 and getting a camera with image stabilizer. Check out the Panasonic compact cameras as well, they all have image stablizer which really seems to put out great crisp pictures and most are under $300. I've been downloading the pictures from the gallery and printing them out. It's amazing how much you can learn about a camera by taking the time to look at what the pictures look like.

[truflip]

You're welcome jgfunk.
Now that you mention you will be gettin a dSLR eventually,

then i recommend the panasonic lumix FX01 for her.