Advanced P&S

[abyssknight]

I apologize for creating a new thread, as in my last thread I swore up and down I'd be getting a Rebel XT. Alas, my fiance informed me that I just do not have the funds. However, her P&S recently had a tragic accident which has lead to a rather interesting situation that will allow me to purchase a camera, albeit not the DSLR of my dreams, but something to start with at least.

Basically I just need a decent P&S with a few manual controls to start. I've been eyeing the A series from Canon, but whilst playing with them in store the build quality and washed out LCD's really have been a turn off. We spotted an FX01 from Panasonic at a local retailer for $200 and I've been intrigued as it is the 28mm 16:9 with O.I.S. and rather low priced. Although, after seeing the images the Panny's put out over ISO 80, again I was disappointed. I have mentioned the SD600 (not 630, as it has no optical viewfinder) but she wants 'something different', as she had an Elph series before it's buttons, battery, and LCD went kaput.

The budget my lovely fiance has allowed me is in the range of $200-$250 which has me in a bit of a debacle as I know how much these things cost. She wants compact, I want manual controls and function. She wants cheap, I want durable (because I know her!). The last camera she seriously considered letting me buy was the FZ7, and I came very close to getting one for $250 open boxed at a local retailer. She just liked the look of it, granted she would prefer a compact.

Any suggestions would be great, and if you all would like more information I can quiz her. Really we'd love to each get a camera of our own, but we're willing to share just this once.

[flippedgazelle]

What, specifically, is it about the Canon A-series that is lacking in build quality, other than the little battery/memory-card door? I've had a Canon A85 and A620, and both had very good build quality for their class. Good quality plastic does not equate with "cheap" in my mind...

Also, think about this: Camera A and Camera B cost the same, but Camera A uses more plastic and Camera B uses more metal. The cost savings of Camera A's more plasticky body go into better electronics, sensor, lens, etc.

I would look at these cameras, although they might be budget-stretchers: Canon A630, Fuji F30/F31fd, Panasonic TZ-1. If you are in a real money-saver mode, perhaps the Kodak C875, which is quite a good bargain if you can find it for around $160 or so.

[abyssknight]

Thanks for the ideas! My fiance decided to buy her own camera while still letting me grab one as well. We're going today to look at local retailers. I'll try the A series out again, mostly it was the LCD being washed out that got me but that could have just been the floor models acting up.

[cgl88]

I like how your fiance already set a budget/limit "we do not have the funds."
The rebel is tempting: it was $700cdn or so but i stopped myself from wasting my money also.

If you go for the cheapie A series, get the A710. it is small and has IS. The SD's are very cute and have a better build. I personally like Sony because the build is the best but it is weak on the flash side (depending on the model). The Panasonic gives you the best bang for the buck despite being slower on the zoom. Really you have to ask yourself what situations you will encounter most in using the camera, then work from there.

[abyssknight]

Well, we went to the local Best Buy and tried out the cameras again. I actually had a chance to see the A540, A630, F20SE, and the FX01 again and I must say my initial reaction was much different. I think the other store had the old A series mislabeled, as even the A540 felt much more sturdy and the LCD was very clean. The F20SE (stripped down F30, I believe) was well priced but the menu was confusing. The A540 seemed to be the best buy of the bunch, but then my fiance spotted the FX01's 16:9 option and the image stabilizer and was infatuated (that and the price tag). The A630 was very well built, albeit way out of our budget.

I think she's going to revisit the FX01 when she gets paid, and I will be waiting, yet again. I made the mistake of picking up a D80 and a 30D whilst in the store. Needless to say I've convinced myself yet again that I don't want a compact camera. I tried to convince her the F20 would be better, as she likes to take natural light photos, but she loved the size of the FX01.

[John_Reed]

Well, we went to the local Best Buy and tried out the cameras again. I actually had a chance to see the A540, A630, F20SE, and the FX01 again and I must say my initial reaction was much different. I think the other store had the old A series mislabeled, as even the A540 felt much more sturdy and the LCD was very clean. The F20SE (stripped down F30, I believe) was well priced but the menu was confusing. The A540 seemed to be the best buy of the bunch, but then my fiance spotted the FX01's 16:9 option and the image stabilizer and was infatuated (that and the price tag). The A630 was very well built, albeit way out of our budget.

I think she's going to revisit the FX01 when she gets paid, and I will be waiting, yet again. I made the mistake of picking up a D80 and a 30D whilst in the store. Needless to say I've convinced myself yet again that I don't want a compact camera. I tried to convince her the F20 would be better, as she likes to take natural light photos, but she loved the size of the FX01.

Price may be an issue, but I've got the FX50, which has a bigger LCD screen (3" vs. 2.5") than the FX01, and is nearly as small. I bought mine for ~$325, delivered, from an on-line retailer a couple of months back. Here's a shot of San Francisco I took just the other day with it:

[mjsneddon]

Best of luck. I hope this issue is not a harbinger.

[jthutcheson]

As far as a camera for your fiance, I think that the FX01 is a great little cam, and that she will enjoy it.

For you, I'd advise to try the following models (in no particular order). Most can be had online for around $250. All have Full Manual modes for your creative side, and Full Auto in case you need to hand it off to someone else (just for a second ). Also, they are generally referred to as "midsize", not tiny, but certainly not taxing to carry around (especially compared to a dSLR ).

Panasonic DMC-FZ7: Great camera, super-fast focus and operation, great bargain

Fuji S6000fd: The undisputed king of low-light photography in fixed-lens digicams. Best if you don't like flash shots. Definitely worth a look.

Sony DSC-H2: Fit and finish are awesome, solidly built with some excellent features.

Canon S2IS: Older, but solid performer. Has an incredible movie mode, along with interesting features and Canon's known quality. The S3IS is an updated version, but about $75 out of your given price-range.

All of these are "Super Zoom" cameras, which many enthusiasts like as they offer the best range of focal lengths for a fixed lens camera. Best of luck to you in your decision!