Help me pick out a digital camera

Grimm

I was looking at the Canon Powershot A640 at first but then i upgraded to the Canon PowerShot G7. After reading the review at

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/canon/powershot_g7-review/index.shtml

I see that they got rid of a lot of features from the previous model such as raw support, remote control, rotating LCD,and a lower battery life. I would like these features to be included in what ever camera i decide on without losing the new features of the current model. I would also like the flip out screen but im not stuck on that. I hear they break rather easily anyways. I just liked how on the A640, you could flip it around so it was protected when not in use. Are there any cameras that do this? I would like to stick with Canon since i've heard nothing but good things about them and have liked what i've seen when i've used friends cameras in the past but i'm open to other suggestions. I know one of the first questions asked will be "whats your price range?" and to be honest, i really don't know. At first, it was gonna be around $300.00 but then i got to looking and i decided it was worth it to upgrade the price range. So basically the lower the better but i'll consider mostly anything.

Pheezer

The Canon stuff is really attractive for its price, and they really are genuinely good cameras with a wide set of features that will let you point and shoot on auto mode and get good shots or use manual mode settings and get full control over shutter speed, aperture and focus. They're great cameras for going from knowing little or nothing to being able to take some really nice pictures and getting pretty good with a camera.

The problem is that occasionally the motor that drives the lense assembly, the thing that lets it protrude and take pictures and focus, it has a tendency to die after a couple of years. Research the E18 error, mine died that fate a year ago and I'm still ticked. They're not particularly hardy devices, but they're very reasonably priced, good cameras with impressive feature sets and image quality.

If you're in the $300-$500 price range, I'd still be hard pressed to recommend a different manufacturer, even with my negative experience. Nikon or Olympus would be the other brands I'd consider, but only after reading a few reviews and going over the detailed features lists for each model within the price range.

Sony and Kodak cameras will cost too damn much and be of low quality by comparison. Sony cameras will also force you to use a retarded, highly priced memory format.

saltiness

If screen protection is the only reason you want a rotating LCD, I would forget about it. Most newer Canons have a screen protector over the LCD that's damn near impossible to scratch unless you intentionally stab it with a sharp knife.

Grimm

saltiness wrote: »

If screen protection is the only reason you want a rotating LCD, I would forget about it. Most newer Canons have a screen protector over the LCD that's damn near impossible to scratch unless you intentionally stab it with a sharp knife.

Well i did like it for other reasons but as i said before, i can do without.

Grimm

So no one else has any recommendations?

Sky Demon

Have you taken a look at Panasonic's offerings? The Lumix DMC-FZ50 seems like a good camera from the reviews and it's in your price range.
Also, if you can afford to hold out a little bit, wait until the PMA trade show comes and goes and all the major manufacturers and see what new models everyone as decided to put out for this year. But I really don't know if it's worth waiting either way.

Blue Is Beautiful

http://www.dpreview.com/


that site has everything you need.

something cheap with nice features that isn't a dSLR

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Olympus/oly_e300.asp

and you can still find these used, refurbished, or backstocked for cheap

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Olympus/oly_c7070wz.asp

those are pretty nice and have the flipup/turnaround screen.