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Looking for advice on new Camera
Re-post from rec.photo.digital
Hi, I am a casual photographer (family, kids, etc). I have owned several digatal cameras, all Canon - A75, A85, A530. I am looking for some advice on my next purchase. But first my preferences. 1) I usually just take pictures, maybe I will make a photo compilation CD or do some basic editing (contrast, red-eye, crop) and store or print them for family. Occasionlly, I have made a photo collage or other craft with the basic HP software that came with my printer or the Canon software. I do not use any high end tools (i.e. Adobe photoshop) or any sophisticated work with the photos. Usually, it is point, shoot, sort, select, crop, color/exposure/red-eye... and then print or make a slide show. Thats it. Photos are a mix of indoors and outdoors. My favorite subjects are my 1 and 3 yr old daughters. 2) I like the form factor of the Canon A series. I have used smaller compact and subcompact ones... they are too small for me... can't hold them well.. push the wrong buttons, not stable enough etc. I also do not like the bigger ones, because no chance they fit in a hip pocket... this size is JUST right. The shots look great, good color, good exposure, little effort to look to be a way better photographer than I am. I also like the menus and the scene modes... they are easy to use and useful to me. I do not know how to use manual modes properly so they are not terribly important... if only I had time to learn... 3) The A75 was my first camera and I loved it, I took great pictures, depite only 3 MP, was fine for me. I even won a photo contest with a photo of my daughter and they professionally processed the photo and the 16 x 20 hanging on the wall looks pretty good to me (I am not an expert by any means). When it came time to replace it (I dropped it), I went for the A85 and was relatively happy.... but it seemed that the shots weren't quite as good. I think I had to tweak exposure and even color more... 4) I ended up giving the A85 to my dad as a present thinking I could get the A75 fixed... not easy locally. So I decided to by new... more MP sounded better... so after some looking I decided on the A530... 4x zoom sounded good.. I have been somewhat disappointed... mostly because you have to wait on that camera... wait when you turn it on, wait between flash shots, wait to lock in focus, wait wait wait. It still takes pretty good pictures, but I am not sure as good as my A75... seeming exposure and color issues, less focus, boy I wish that A75 still worked so I could do a real comparison. 5) I bought the A530 at a local big box store because they were running a sale that matched the best internet price and that way I could touch and feel.. When I bought the A530, the salesman offered me a 1 year no questions asked "guarantee." Bring it in anytime within 1 year for any reason and get a new one or **if that one is not available** get store credit towards a new one. Well it sounded to me like a cheap trade-in plan.... no way the A530 will still be sold by them 1 yr later... Well, now is the time. The 1 year expires in 2 weeks, so I am going to get a new camera. I will get about $130 store credit. So this leads to my question... Where do I go from he Comfortabley, I could stay with Canon and go to an A560 for about $15... get 7 MP, face recognition and cut those wait times almost in half. Or I could upgrade to the A630 for about $100-$120, get more modes and 8 MP, or go to the A570IS for about $60-80 and get the image stabilization.... or I could leave the Canon camp... but where to go. I am willing to spend the $100 or so if I know I will get something much better (tangible) for me... not more than that. I am limited to models that this store has in stock to use the $130 credit... so it has to be a pretty common one. I am interested in all possible advice or feedback... especially if you have the A530 or one of the ones I am thinking of getting. THANKS IN ADVANCE. Dylan |
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