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View Full Version : Please help me find a high quality family camera


digidad
03-14-2005, 12:43 PM
My criteria are similar to some other posts out there, but not completely identical. Thanks in advance!

Budget

Around $500

Size

Not very important, compact better but does not have to be ultra-compact

Features

5 to 7 MP

* What optical zoom will you need?
Prefer at least 5X, but standard would suffice
(if greater than 5X would want image stabilization!)

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

Do you care for manual controls?
Yes, but would like to also be point and shoot friendly for my wife

General Usage

* What will you generally use the camera for?
Primarily shots of the kids, some outdoor photos such as wildlife and scenery, vacation pictures

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

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

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos?
Yes!

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?
Have used Sony and Canon in the past, would consider any though

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
Have looked at numerous: Can s60/s70, Sony p200/DH1, Panasonic Fz20/fz5

Primarily want a camera that my wife can whip out of the case and take quick, good shots of the kids (indoors and outdoors/sports) using point and shoot controls while having some manual features for me to play with as my skills grow.

Thanks very much for your help!