Decision

[na3r0k]

Ok I made this post already but with no description, i figured with a description i might have some more luck on replies. So i'm planning on getting a digital camera for the holiday season have done some research on the following. Panasonic Lumix dmc-fx07 / canon PowerShot SD700 IS / Nikon Coolpix S7c i'm pretty much leaning towards the panasonic right now, but not yet sold. Also i'm wondering if the three might be more camera then i need and maybe it might be better to spend a lil less on a different camera so any other recomendations would be great. Also i hear the canon sd700 is a lil bit fragile which is a big reason for me leaning away from that one can anyone confirm that? Anyway thanks in advance for any help, also i would love to hear some opinions about the sd630 and sd600 as i might opt to go for one of those.

[mtclimber]

None of the cameras you mention, except the panasonic FZ-7 have more than 6X optical zoom. Do you really need the 12X zoom on the FZ-7? The SD series are sometime called "fragile" due to their small size has caused many camera drops. Most SD camera drops are fatal. Personally I would go with the A-700 IS.

If you do go for a SD series model, be absolutely sure that you use a wrist strap when using it. That is very inexpensive insurance.

MT/Sarah

[flippedgazelle]

Sarah's advice on using the wrist strap (included free) is a very good point.

Please note that the Panasonic cameras genreally produce somewhat noisier images than the Canons. I've never been a fan of the Nikon Coolpix cameras - shutter lag and horrible picture-to-picture times were typical of the one I've used.

What kind of photos do you plan on taking? Are you interested in learning "photography", or looking more toward snapshots?

I have a Canon A620 and really like it. The A710is Sarah mentioned is a terrific camera, though larger than the SD series. Another contender is the Fuji F20/F30/F31fd cameras, which are larger than the Canon SD cameras but smaller than the A series.

[na3r0k]

It's gonna be used more for snapshots, but i would like to start getting into photography a bit more and wouldn't want to be limited by my camera to do so. Granted I'm not looking to be a professional just something to do leisurely.

[flippedgazelle]

Then I would definitely join Sarah in recommending the Canon A710is. It is smaller than the A630/640, plus it has image stabilization and excellent picture quality.

The other major contender IMO would be the Fuji F30, which has some manual controls - though not as many as the Canon - and is simply the best point-n-shoot camera in low-light situations on the market. It is also smaller than the Canon A710is. The one negative versus the Canon, from what I have read, is that the F30's outdoor photos are not quite as good as the Canon's. That's very subjective, though.

[na3r0k]

any opinions on the sony dsc-w100???

[mtclimber]

There have been lots of reports of poor low light level shooting performance with the Sony W-100, primarily due to the use of a very low shutter speed. In good light the Sony W-100 isquite a capablecamera.

MT/Sarah