Too Many Choices.....Please help!

[MarcusJohn]

Hi!
Very new poster...but I definately need help on this now.
I've been researching what digital camera to get for a while now and had been pinning my hopes on the Optio SV, for me it would be perfect...pretty compact and with some manual controls thrown in to boot.
I'm feeling a little dejected after reading Steve's review the other day, the whole shutter lag thing bothers me, and I'm not quite sure if the sometimes noisey quality may let me down?
SO...what do I do?
I have been thinking about going ultra compact,either the Pentax S5i or the Casio EX-Z55?? But I would miss the manual features?
Have also been thinking about the new wave of 7 megapixel cameras, Optio 750Z, Casio EX-P700, Olympus C-7000 or Canon S70? These may be abit over my price range but I could stretch...I think...although they are bigger than I want?
And then I spot the Canon A95, and I think that looks pretty good, possibly it would give me what I need....to fit in my pocket, good results, manual capabilities and pretty cheap??
And then I gave up, too many products, too many decisions, so I thought I'd come here for any advice....
So please help, any advice is great, thanks in advance for your help!

[Thon]

The next question would be how much is your budget.

A 7 MP camera would be overkill for many users as not many of us print really large sizes. However, with camera makers pushing bigger and bigger MP cameras our way, we will see more and more big MP cameras in the near future. But you should remember, big MP = big files = big memory card = big $$$.

If you are a "normal" photographer, a 5MP camera would be more than sufficient.

There would be a few things to get clear before buying a camera.

1. Budget
2. Type of photography
3. Camera Style Preference

Item 1 would determine how much are you going to spend on a camera. You'd need enough to get a camera, extra memory card, batteries, camera case, ... Remember to factor all these in before jumping in. You won't want to be stranded with a nice camera with a tiny 16/32MB card, and have no money to get a bigger card. If $$$ is no object, then get a dSLR (Canon dReb or Nikon D70) and enjoy.

Item 2 would determine what type of camera to get, limited by Item 1. If you like general photography, a 3-4X compact camera would be great. But if you like to shoot faraway things an ultrazoom would be the way to go. If you like to take short video clips, then look for the option in the camera too. The prints you are likely to make would determine the MPs you actually need. I'd recommend getting a camera between 3-5MPs for the average photog. There are other features to be considered as well, like IS, Af assist, manual controls, etc...

Item 3 is for you to decide whether you'd like a large camera or a smaller compact one, for your type of photography. If you are a style/fashion/must get-the-latest kind of person, then an ultra-compact would be the best. Or maybe a futuristic looking camera that twists and something... It's all up to you. But do be advised, the smaller the camera, the less features it has (no space).

Once you get a balance for the 3 above, you should have a clear idea of what you actually like.

There are too many good cameras available to recommend to you without knowing the above. Some of my favs:

Olympus C770UZ (I got one)
Canon A-xx series
Panasonic FZ-series
Canon Sxx/Sxxx series
Canon G series
Sony V1 (a bit old)
many many more....

[Need4Spd]

For most point and shoot applications you don't really need 7 mpxls. 4 is plenty. If you're concerned with shutter lag the Canon SD300 is much faster responding than the Optio 4si or 5si. I looked at both before buying (as well as the Sony T1, Casio Z55 and Panasonic Lumix FX7) and found the Canon superior in every way. If you travel, the Canon is especially good because the charger is the same size as the camera and plugs into the wall w/o a cord. The Pentax has a charging cradle is that is bigger than the camera and it also needs a bulky A/C cord. Do note that you give up being able to control shutter speeds and aperature with the ultra compacts. Most of the time I don't care, but there are times when it's important. When it is, you're more likely to want a digial SLR or something more serious anyway, however.