Need help purchasing a Point & Shoot Cam.

[vaberella]

Hiya guys...I just need advice on purchasing the best point & shoot digital cam out there for my budget and uses.
Budget

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

No More than $350.

Size

* What size camera are you looking for? Or does size not matter at all to you?
Compact is fine, but overall it doesn't matter.

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you?
8 megapixels or higher.

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

10x or higher.

* How important is “image quality” to you? (Rate using a scale of 1-10)
9.

Do you care for manual controls?
Ambivalent.

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?
Mainly outdoor still shots, few action shots. Very rarely indoor.

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

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos?
No. There will be some, but not often.

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Not often and nothing necessary for spectacular imaging.

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?
No.

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
No models just brands like Nikon, Sony, Fuji.

(If applicable) Do you need any of the following special features? (Wide Angle, Image Stabilization, Weatherproof, Hotshoe, Rotating LCD)
Just image stabilization, weatherproof would be nice but not necessary.

[vaberella]

No one willing to help? Please.

[AndyfromVA]

There are many ultrazooms out there. The Panasonic TZ5 is an extremely popular compact ultrazoom that will fit in a pocket. Its price has recently dropped because Panasonic has released a successor, the ZS3, which is an improvement over the TZ5 but at this point is over $100 more expensive.

[vaberella]

There are many ultrazooms out there. The Panasonic TZ5 is an extremely popular compact ultrazoom that will fit in a pocket. Its price has recently dropped because Panasonic has released a successor, the ZS3, which is an improvement over the TZ5 but at this point is over $100 more expensive.

Thanks AndyfromVA the Panasonic you mentioned seem to be right up my alley. I saw some weird reviews about blurring pictures, but I wonder if that's because the photographer did learn the manual usage of them...or they have a dodgy one.

Question...where would you suggest is the best place to purchase digital cameras?

[jekostas]

Thanks AndyfromVA the Panasonic you mentioned seem to be right up my alley. I saw some weird reviews about blurring pictures, but I wonder if that's because the photographer did learn the manual usage of them...or they have a dodgy one.

Question...where would you suggest is the best place to purchase digital cameras?

Where do you live? Kind of makes a big difference.

[vaberella]

Where do you live? Kind of makes a big difference.

I live in New York City or New York, New York.

[David Metsky]

You can run down to B&H Photo Video right after Passover.

The Panasonic doesn't really have manual controls; do you want any?

You can also look at the Canon SX110 or SX200, or the Sony H20 if you want a similar camera with manual controls.

[vaberella]

You can run down to B&H Photo Video right after Passover.

The Panasonic doesn't really have manual controls; do you want any?

You can also look at the Canon SX110 or SX200, or the Sony H20 if you want a similar camera with manual controls.

That could work. Thanks David Metsky. I don't need the manual. I'm just a n00b. My sister who is a photographer only knows stuff about DSLR's so when I ask her about "point & shoot" I get blank stares. Although she knows the camera shops....I was mainly asking where to purchase the camera for a good deal or cheapest price and if online shops are trust worthy. I should have clarified better. I was looking at amazon that gave me a great price, but silly me I didn't check B&H or Adorama or K&M. I just totally had a Barbie moment.

Thanks again.

[jekostas]

haha whats a barbie moment? i thought amazon has the best prices?http://photosnag.com/img/3322/n09x0302vnsn/clear.gif

Well, price is one thing, but a knowledgeable sales staff, an easy return policy and the ability to pick up and play with a camera in one's hands are all important aspects of buying a camera as well.

[vaberella]

haha whats a barbie moment? i thought amazon has the best prices?http://photosnag.com/img/3322/n09x0302vnsn/clear.gif

A Barbie moment...It's a catch phrase I use...it's similar to when I say I have a GW/Bush moment. Kind of a "Duh" situation or a Miss Teen USA moment, where you're just dumb when everything is rather obvious.

I find that Amazon does have the best prices but the poster below nailed the major concern on the head.

Well, price is one thing, but a knowledgeable sales staff, an easy return policy and the ability to pick up and play with a camera in one's hands are all important aspects of buying a camera as well.
Exactly...and I don't find Amazon has the best return policy...actually it's pretty crappy. And I would also like to "sample" out the camera before I make the purchase so you nailed my exact concerns.

I settled on Adorama which provides good service and actually prices the cam with a $10 difference or so (which I put down to delivery charges).