Which camera should I buy? (FILLED OUT QUESTIONS)

[bboyi1]

This forum is great! I've been searching through Google and found this site, but I am still stuck on what is best for me. Photography is rapidly becoming one of my favorite things to do, whether I have time for it or not. I didn't believe it to be this hard of a decision. Thanks in advance for anybody who is willing to help.



Budget

* What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? Please be as specific as possible. ~$500

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
Can put in my pocket or small carrying case. (w/ a flash already attached)

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you? Minimum 7x would be great.

* What optical zoom will you need? (None, Standard = 3x-4x, Ultrazoom = 10x-12x, Other - Specify) Ultrazoom preferred, but standard is acceptible.
* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10) 10

Do you care for manual controls? Yes. I've found it very fun and attractive that I can mess with shutter speeds, among other things, but I also would like auto-modes for quick shots. Full manual controls is a must.

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for? 20% Outdoor/Landscape; 20% vehicles; 30% portraits; 30% indoor... in other words, a variety of situations! (some more so than others)

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

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos? I'd say 25-50% of the time.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? Not as often, but it'd be nice to have.

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate? I want a Canon.

Are there particular models you already have in mind? I was attracted to the Canon A-Series but am open to whatever you all feel better. You know more than me, I'm sure.

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD) Image stabilization is a must, full manual controls, NO hotshoe. Is wideangle an option that can be turned on/off? If so, I'd like it, if it can't be turned on/off then no.

Again, thanks for your help! It is a graduation present and will be purchased in the next few days.

[tim11]

Welcome to the forum.
There is only one Canon with IS, more than 7x optical zoom with a full set of manual controls - S5 IS. It's a great learning and all round camera but it's not ideal for lowlight situation.
Lower down the food chain is A720 IS, A650 IS. They are smaller with 6X optical zoom.

[TheWengler]

Tim, I think the 7x is actually supposed to be 7 MP.

OP, I'm curious why you don't want a hot shoe but you mention carrying the camera around with a flash attached. Even if you have a hotshoe, that doesn't mean you need to use it. Wide angle isn't something you turn on and off, it's a focal length that would be included in the cameras zoom range.

Your options from small to large are A590, A650, A720 and S5. What you chose depends on how important camera size and zoom range are to you.

[tim11]

7x is MP? hmm...... okay, you are right.
Just to add more comment re. hotshoe. TheWengler is right. You don't have to use the hot shoe. But even if S5 has a hotshoe, it still has an in-built flash so it's a plus for you. If you want to venture into photography and getting a DSLR later, I'd say S5 is a better camera than the A series since you'd want to experiment flash photography sooner or later then you'll only have to get an external flash for the S5. However, do check the size is right for your liking.

[bboyi1]

Thanks for both of your comments! They've helped me out a lot. I'm still learning a lot of tech issues and terms. It's nice that the S5 has a hotshoe but with a built-in flash also! How convenient. I've decided on the S5 because of your guys input. Thanks again.

[raven15]

I wish my camera decisions had ever been that easy :):D