Looking for Ultra-Zoom IS camera

[karamba]

Hi, I'm looking to get a new camera soon and wanted a little advice:
Here's the filled-out questionnaire:

Budget

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible. Sub $250

Size

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

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you? At least 5

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

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

Do you care for manual controls? Manual controls a bonus - not a must

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for? e-commerce, family pics, video

* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not? Seldomly

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

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? Occasionally

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate? No

Are there particular models you already have in mind? Canon "S" series s2, s3

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

-----------------------------------------

My definite requirements are:
IS
Ultrazoom

Other thoughts:
Image quality is more important than megapixels for me. I currently own a 4mp point-and-shoot, and would like at least a 5mp.
I want a camera that uses optical zoom during video recording
At least 30fps VGA movie mode
I do a lot of of e-commerce and will be taking a lot of semi-macro photos
The canon S2 or s3 fit my requirements pretty nicely - except I don't know whether the s3 will fit my budget. Would the S2 suffice? I'd like some suggestions from other brands.
Thanks!

[David Metsky]

Not many cameras zoom while shooting video, the S2/3/5 all do. If you are budget minded and can find one, the S2 would fit your needs. With the release of the S5 prices on the S3 may drop soon. The difference between the cameras isn't all that great.

Make sure to add the cost of a larger memory card, a set of NiMH batteries and charger to your budget if you don't already have them.

[Paradox]

Well the Panasonic FZ50 fits the bill, but it can be a bit noisy if you're not careful. I haven't had too much of a problem with it to be honest with you though. The video mode seems quite good, not sure if it's what you require. As you are shooting low light however, you might want to look at a Fuji S9600 or similar, though they don't have IS.

[karamba]

Thanks for the replies.
The FZ50 looks nice and does almost fit the bill, that is everything except my budget:( I just can't afford it right now.
I'm pretty sure I'll go with a S2/S3 depending on how much prices drop in the next months.

[John_Reed]

Thanks for the replies.
The FZ50 looks nice and does almost fit the bill, that is everything except my budget:( I just can't afford it right now.
I'm pretty sure I'll go with a S2/S3 depending on how much prices drop in the next months.It's more compact than the FZ50, lacks the manual zoom and focus rings and hotshoe, but it performs well, and it will shoot RAW. Besides that, it's cheaper!

[Visual Reality]

It's more compact than the FZ50, lacks the manual zoom and focus rings and hotshoe, but it performs well, and it will shoot RAW. Besides that, it's cheaper!
And on the topic of RAW, that comes with a modified firmware that opens up a whole slew of new features that you won't find on other cameras...and will be around on the net when you are ready for it :cool: