Help with gift Canon a540 or?

[Paul773]

I'm looking for help with buying a camera for a gift. 3x or 4x zoom, IS would be nice (but prob not gonna happen at budget). I want to stay right around the $200 mark, *maybe* up to about $230.

I've been looking at other brands than Canon (fuji, casio, olympus), but I'm finding that the overall IQ seems to be the best with the a540.

I recently bought an a710is, and the flash recycle time is terrrible(I knew this before I bought it...and decided I could deal with it).

Anyway, I'm concerned since the a540 uses the same AA battery config, that the flash issue will be there as well. For this camera, I'd rather the recycle time be considerably less.

The camera will be used mostly for snapshot type pictures inside and outdoors/nature scenes.
Can anyone suggest an alternative, or does the a540 sound good? Thanks :)

[bascom]

How long is the A710 flash recycle? One with 4 batts would be faster like the A630 but it costs more.

[Paul773]

How long is the A710 flash recycle? One with 4 batts would be faster like the A630 but it costs more.

Well, depending on the output level selected, I find it to be anywhere from about 2 seconds to about 6 seconds.

That was my concern with the a540...only using 2 AA's, I figured the flash recycle would be roughly the same. Since it's going to be used more for snapshot type stuff and doesn't have IS, I'd like a short flash recycle to be a key point in the decision.

[SpecialK]

I think 2-6 sec recycle times is the best you can expect on any camera based flash setup. If you did not see it already, there is a buyers guide right here at DCRP (top of main page), and it is the best place to start narrowing down your choices. The A540 is highly rated.

[Paul773]

I think 2-6 sec recycle times is the best you can expect on any camera based flash setup. If you did not see it already, there is a buyers guide right here at DCRP (top of main page), and it is the best place to start narrowing down your choices. The A540 is highly rated.

Thanks, yes, I saw the guide :) I'm pretty sure I've decided on the a540. Just have to decide if it's worth an extra $20 to get it local, or if I should get it online.

[LoveMD]

540 rates out well, but I have heard theres been some problems with the lens cover not closing. I was considering this camera but reading about that in some reviews gave me a little pause. I dont mean to scare you away from it, but just thought you might want to know.

I ended up going for another good camera in the fuji f30. Also highly rated, 3x zoom instead of the 4x canon, but very good lcd clarity.....snappy with great bat life, a real master in low light and quite good outside as well. I got one for my girl friend from newegg.com. They have a $50 rebate going....with the rebate I got it for $200 shipped with a 512mb card thrown in free.

I have also heard good things about the panasonic (forget the model) but it has 10x zoom and IS....its in the buyers guide as well. Happy hunting!

[Paul773]

540 rates out well, but I have heard theres been some problems with the lens cover not closing. I was considering this camera but reading about that in some reviews gave me a little pause. I dont mean to scare you away from it, but just thought you might want to know.

I ended up going for another good camera in the fuji f30. Also highly rated, 3x zoom instead of the 4x canon, but very good lcd clarity.....snappy with great bat life, a real master in low light and quite good outside as well. I got one for my girl friend from newegg.com. They have a $50 rebate going....with the rebate I got it for $200 shipped with a 512mb card thrown in free.

I have also heard good things about the panasonic (forget the model) but it has 10x zoom and IS....its in the buyers guide as well. Happy hunting!

Thanks for the head's up on the cover...haven't seen anything about that anywhere. One big budget limitation is that I want to get it local so that if there's a problem, it can be exchanged without shipping and all that hassle. That tacks on at *least* another $20 to any camera (buying local), and up to even $50 or more. Plus I'll have to get a memory card and batteries so anything really over about 225 blows the budget through the roof.

[LoveMD]

I read up alot on the 540, read tons of user reviews. The problem does not seem to hit everyone, but people report a lens error and headaches trying to get it fixed for good. Someone mentioned you can blow compressed air at it to fix the problem. You may look into that a little bit....read user reviews here and on cnet. The only other problem I could dig up on the 540 was the lcd screen in the sun. Some people complained it was very hard to see in the sunlight, but it does have a view finder so you could compose that way if its a problem.

Other than that, I have heard nothing but good things. I'm a fan of supporting local shops, bought online because I could not find the camera I decided on locally.