I think A720 IS or A650 IS....

[photography555]

Budget

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible. Under $350

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
Size doesn't matter too much, but I don't want a huge camera
Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?
8+
* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify)
6x +
* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
9
Do you care for manual controls?
Yes
General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?
portraits, outdoors (landscapes) macro, action
* Will you be making big prints of your photos or not?
Sometimes
Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
not too many, but a few
Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Yes, sometimes
Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?
I really like Canon. I don't like Casio.
Are there particular models you already have in mind?
Canon A720 IS, A650 IS
(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
Image stabilization, Rotation LCD (this is not that important, but it would be a handy feature).

my question is, is the A650 IS better in low light? Is it worth it for $150 more?
Would the A720 IS suit my needs?

thanks,
photography555

[David Metsky]

It's not significantly better in low light, but the larger CCD should lead to better overall image quality vs the 720.

[photography555]

It's not significantly better in low light, but the larger CCD should lead to better overall image quality vs the 720.
Are there any cameras out there that have the same image quality and features as the A720, (or, preferably, the A650), but have longer lenses?

[David Metsky]

Canon also makes the SX100 and the S5 which have 10x and 12x zooms respectively. But there are many ultrazooms with different strengths and weaknesses. If you fill out the questionnaire at the top of the forum I think we could give better advice.

[photography555]

Canon also makes the SX100 and the S5 which have 10x and 12x zooms respectively. But there are many ultrazooms with different strengths and weaknesses. If you fill out the questionnaire at the top of the forum I think we could give better advice.
I did fill out the questionnaire, just look at my first post.

[TheWengler]

What's your idea of a big print? The S3 might be good for you but it's 6 MP. That's probably plenty. It's good outdoors and it leaves some room in your budget for NiMH AA batteries/charger, memory cards and maybe a case.

[David Metsky]

I did fill out the questionnaire, just look at my first post.
*sigh* I must be losing it. Sorry.

Your requirements aren't that detailed, so pretty much any ultrazoom will meet them. The Fuji S6000 will be best at low light but it'll push your budget, doesn't have IS, and IMO doesn't have as good image quality outdoors/bright light as the Sony or Canons. But from your responses it doesn't seem that low light is critical to you so I wouldn't base your purchase on that.

Go to a camera store and handle some of the cameras. You may find that there are features you decide you like (optical viewfinder) or that size and button layout is a factor.

[photography555]

I got to hold the A720 IS and SX100 IS in a store. I like the way they both feel, but I have ruled out the SX100 IS because it has no viewfinder of any sort.
I am thinking about buying the A720 IS, and saving up later for a budget ultrazoom with a fast burst rate. I had been considering the Fuji S700, but it has no real IS and the burst rate is horrible. I am considering the Kodak Z812 IS. Are there any other cameras that are similar (image quality, burst rate)?

[photography555]

Since last time I posted I found out the max shutter for the Kodak is 1/2 second. I definitely want one that has a longer shutter. After seeing the Fuji's pictures, I really like the higher ISO shots. I realized that I may not need IS after all, since they are pretty good at higher ISOs. The only problem I have with it is the burst rate.
Would I do better to get the A720 IS and the S700 later, or would I do better to just live with the SX100 IS? If it is possible to do any sort of panning with it, then maybe there wouldn't be a problem with it having no viewfinder.
Of course CNET says the S700 is horrible, and I'd be better off with the Panasonic FZ7. That review was a while back (now there's the FZ8, and FZ18), so would I be better off getting the A720 IS and the FZ8?