Canon S3 IS, vs Kodak P712, vs Kodak Z612

[Changeling]

Kenbalbari and Yapyap, thanks fore answering monsoon777. I don't have that kind of epertise in cameras yet, my information came from reading all the reviews in the various cameras and technoligy and believe me there is a lot out there.
Changeling

[Yapyap]

I also have been looking at all the above mentioned cameras but am also considering the Panasonic FZ7. Since none have mentioned this camera I am wondering what you may think FZ7 lacks compared to the Canon, Fuji, Sony.

I don't know much about FZ7 but I own its predecessor FZ5 and it's a very fine little camera. When I bought mine, I was also considering between several superzooms - Fuji didn't have anything to my liking out then, so it was between FZ5, the Canon S2 and the Sony H1 for me - as silly as it may seem, it was the shape, size and weight of FZ5 that decided it for me (I was not ready to move to something bigger then).

What it lacks... basing my guess on the FZ7 being a newer and apparently slightly improved version of FZ5, I'd say it lacks the high ISO of the Fuji and the swivel LCD of the Canon. I would personally pick it over the Sony, but that's aesthetic preference more than image quality - it seems to me that for most intents and purposes, for most users, the Canon, the Panasonic and the Sony are pretty equal as far as image quality goes. They're all capable of excellent results when handled correctly (which in most cases means putting the camera on auto anyway!). So it's really up to whether you want the Canon's swivel LCD or whether you prefer the shape of the Panasonic or the Sony, or if you have memory cards from previous cameras that you'd like to utilize, etc.

If I was choosing a superzoom right now, and if I didn't have a Fuji F10 (or a DSLR) for indoor no-flash pictures, I'd very possibly go for the Fuji S6000/6500 - that Super-CCD sensor that they have really is very nice. (If you don't mind using the flash indoors though, then the onboard flash of FZ5 isn't very bad in my opinion and does nicely whenever I use it indoors, so I'm not bothered by its noise at ISO 400.)

However, one thing to keep in mind, on my example: be sure that a superzoom will satisfy your needs and desires. :lol: It took me buying three small cameras over the course of a little more over one year (the aforementioned Fuji F10, the FZ5, and a Pentax Optio W10 for the all-weather pocketable outdoor camera) until I finally gave in and got my first DSLR, the Pentax K100D a few weeks ago.

And boy does it feel different... when a year ago I was afraid of getting anything bigger than the FZ5 (I'm a rather small and not very strong woman), then now that feels like a tiny little toy... holding and using the DSLR is such a different and rather wonderful feeling (even if it still does leave the neck and shoulders achy after a day out). I don't know if I'm good enough yet that it would actually give me better pictures, but the pictures come out nice enough and the actual pleasure one gets from using a DSLR is somehow so much more satisfying. :lol: