Camera Recommendation

[Mickey4Us]

I am thinking of a new camera for our Aug trip. We currently have a Kodak easyshare which is good but it does not do well in low light. I can never take pictures of my kid's performances/games in the school gym and other low light experiences come out too dark. Using the "night" setting just results in blurry pictures. The camera is many years old so I know it is not up with today's technology.
Any recommendations? I am more of a point and click person, nothing too complicated or heavy to lug around WDW.

Thanks!

[Timon]

I LOVE my Canon Power Shot S3 IS. With that said Canon has now gone 3 generations beyond my S3, introducing the S5, SX10 and SX20. If I were in the market today I would be going with the SX10 as the upgrade to the SX20 isn't enough to tempt me (slightly higher megapix & 720p HD video) You'll love the 20X zoom and if the SX10 behaves at least as well as the S3 in low light, and I would think that it does, I doubt you'll have any complaints.
Of course these were taken without flash since they were on attractions at WDW.
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3256/3116784915_f78ff9f221.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20697893@N03/3116784915/)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3500/3872059826_6f960007f3.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/20697893@N03/3872059826/)

We were seated in the rear for Country Bear Jamboree. And the camera was set in Auto mode for both pix.

I consider my S3, while still essentially a point & shoot, to be just a step below a dslr. As such it's heavier than most point & shoots, but the quility of pix more than makes up for the extra weight in my view.

[WDWNJ]

If you are looking to take pictures in low light without a flash you need to look at cameras with higher ISO (big numbers) and Aperature settings (small numbers). The Canon SX10 that Mark recommends has ISO as high as 1600 and aperature as large as 2.8 which are both fantastic. I'm sure there are other point and shot cameras out there now that have good ISO and aperature #'s. The internet is your friend for doing research. ;) I also recommend that you go to the stores and handle the cameras to see how they feel.

When using "Night" feature, your camera makes the adjustments primarily as if you were taking pics of some thing standing still. The camera is slowing down the shutter speed so that is why your pics look blurry.

I will also add my vote for Canon quality and ease of use.

Hope this helps.

[Robin]

I'm also looking to retire my Kodak Easyshare. When it came to film and all things film related no one could beat the Yellow Godfather. Unfortunately their digital cameras fall short :(

So... I know what I've liked in previous cameras, and I know what I don't.
Need:
- image stabilization (I don't have steady hands)
- pocket size camera (can be a larger pocket)
- good in low light
- good zoom (all my last cameras have had 10x optical)

I've been keeping an eye on the Canon A series, which only has a slightly larger grip. Not sure how the quality of the others are. I have my old Sony Mavica that I loved, but the darn thing is huge and ugly. :lol:

I need something I can slip into a pocket and slide out when I want it, rather than have to juggle a purse and cane trying to get it out.

What else should I consider and compares prices on?

[WDWNJ]

I just plugged - point and shoot camera reviews - into google and lots of freindly sites popped up. Make a cup of coffee, sit back, relax and start reading... :lol:

[Robin]

We don't look things up, we ask!

Seriously, I trust the opinions of folks here more than some of the official reviews out there. It reminds me of when I was getting ready to buy my first car and I was advised not to go by reviews in Motor Trend, because they'd never tell you if one of their advertisers were selling a lemon.

[cshore]

I am technologically inept. However I have the Canon SX 10 IS and I am very happy with the quality of pictures I get with it. It functions very well as a point and shoot, but offers enough options for tweaking your shots with the manual mode. It is not a compact camera, so it is a little heavier. It fits nicely in my backpack without weighing me down. I learn something new about it all the time. Good luck with your search and have fun capturing lots of memories on your upcoming trip.

Chris