Someone make up my mind for me . . . Nikon coolpix or Canon A75

[katybug]

Good afternoon everyone, I am in the market for my first digital camera and I have done enough online research to make my head explode. :confused: All I want is an easy to use camera that takes good point and shoot pictures. I had almost settled on the Nikon Coolpix 4600 b/c my brother has had a great experience with his Coolpix 2200, but after reading some on this site I am rethinking. I really just want someone to tell me what to do. Based on my answers below, tell me if I need the Nikon Coolpix 4600, 5600, 5900 or maybe the Canon A75?

Budget

What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? $200-300. I would like something reasonable, but I don't mind spending more if it is worth it.

Size

What size camera are you looking for? I would like a smaller camera, but not ultra compact.

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you? I am happy with anything over 2 mp

What optical zoom will you need? Standard

How important is “image quality” to you? ~6-7 I want good quality pictures, but I will rarely print anything larger than a 4x6

Do you care for manual controls? I will rarely ever use manual controls. I would prefer an easy point and click camera.

General Usage

What will you generally use the camera for? Family and vacation pictures

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

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos? ~25%

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? No

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?
No preference

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
I was leaning towards the Nikon Coolpix 4600 or the Canon A75

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

Thanks in advance everyone . . . I really appreciate any help or advice. :)

[fretman]

Good afternoon everyone, I am in the market for my first digital camera and I have done enough online research to make my head explode. :confused: All I want is an easy to use camera that takes good point and shoot pictures. I had almost settled on the Nikon Coolpix 4600 b/c my brother has had a great experience with his Coolpix 2200, but after reading some on this site I am rethinking. I really just want someone to tell me what to do. Based on my answers below, tell me if I need the Nikon Coolpix 4600, 5600, 5900 or maybe the Canon A75?

Budget

What budget have you allocated for buying this camera? $200-300. I would like something reasonable, but I don't mind spending more if it is worth it.

Size

What size camera are you looking for? I would like a smaller camera, but not ultra compact.

Features

How many megapixels will suffice for you? I am happy with anything over 2 mp

What optical zoom will you need? Standard

How important is “image quality” to you? ~6-7 I want good quality pictures, but I will rarely print anything larger than a 4x6

Do you care for manual controls? I will rarely ever use manual controls. I would prefer an easy point and click camera.

General Usage

What will you generally use the camera for? Family and vacation pictures

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

Will you be shooting a lot of indoor photos or low light photos? ~25%

Will you be shooting sports and/or action photos? No

Miscellaneous

Are there particular brands you like or hate?
No preference

Are there particular models you already have in mind?
I was leaning towards the Nikon Coolpix 4600 or the Canon A75

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

Thanks in advance everyone . . . I really appreciate any help or advice. :)


I just bought the Canon A75 and I'm quite happy with it. It's definitely not as compact as the Nikon but that doesn't matter. As a matter of fact, I really like the ergonomics of the A75. I can hold it in one hand using the handle grip and I feel quite confident that it's not gonna slip out of my hand.

[George Riehm]

I just bought the Canon A75 and I'm quite happy with it. It's definitely not as compact as the Nikon but that doesn't matter. As a matter of fact, I really like the ergonomics of the A75. I can hold it in one hand using the handle grip and I feel quite confident that it's not gonna slip out of my hand.

In my opinion, if you can find the A75, then buy it. When they changed to the A5xx series they added a 4X zoom, and scalled it down, but lost the great anti-red-eye performance of the A75/A85. This family was copied by other manufacturers (Fuji 5xx), but never duplicated (even by Canon).

[Rex914]

If you can still buy an A75, by all means, go for it. It's still the best camera you can get for $200.

[ibmikie]

The Canon A85 is now selling for around $200.