Seeking Digital Camera Suggestions...

My friend Dan Havlik, who is the editor of a photography magazine and appears on the Today Show whenever they do a feature on digital cameras, really recommends the Panasonic I'd say Panasonic ZS1 or ZS3.

He also said if you can't wait for the Panasonic, he recommends the Canon SD 890 IS and Canon SD 880 IS (the latter has wide-angle capabilities).

I just got the Canon Rebel xsi for my birthday and I LOVE it!

The NIKON D40!

Very easy to use, takes excellent photos... check out some reviews online. We got ours at Costco for about 700 which included an additional zoom lens.

My husband bought me a Canon PowerShot SX110IS for my Birthday this past February and I love it. It is very easy to use, takes great pictures and also takes amazingly good video for a camera. If you use it for video, just be sure to get one or two large memory disks. My husband bought me a couple of the 8GB disks with the camera and I can take lots of video and pictures before I run out of memory and have to download.
all the best, B.

I forgot to mention it uses AA regular or rechargable batteries and I also love that you can set a delay timer for multiple pictures...This is the only way that I can get in the picture too since I am always the photographer.

Personally, I check out the camera's optical zoom because I like a nice, close shot...especially when you're photographing children! Look for one that has 10x optical zoom or more. Once you decide on a brand, read customer reviews of the product on line before making the purchase.

I have a Canon Power Shot SD850 IS. I love it. It's easy to use and takes great pictures in all sorts of light. The zoom works really well and the pictures come out clear. There are all sorts of things you can do with it that I haven't bothered to learn. Just the basics produces great pictures. Good luck!

You didn't mention what you had - you may want to go with a newer one from the same manufacturer so you can reuse some acessories (memory card, cables etc).

I have an Olympus SP-320 (7 MP) that I got about 2 years ago and prefer that brand as it is one of the few brands that makes viewfinders as well an LCD screen. It also uses AA batteries rather than a rechargable - I can always find AA batteries if I run out when I'm out with the camera. One drawback is that it uses XD memory cards which aren't as easy to find as SD memory cards.

This is my second Olympus. I got the first one before my son was born (2002) - it has been banged up a bit but still works - I'd wanted a newer one with more megapixels.

Hi B.,

I am a huge fan of Canon. I have a Powershot (this is my second) and love it because it take great quality pics with the automatic setting. If you want to get more technical, it also has the capability. It is small which means you are more likely to keep it on you at all times.

Good luck!

Hi B.,

I, too, am a big fan of Canon. I have one of the heavier point & shoot cameras (Powershot A620) which runs on AA batteries. It takes fantastic photos & is easy to use.

If you want something light, go with a smaller Canon. Some cameras now come with a charger that can even be plugged into your car like a cell-phone charger, which is quite convenient!

I was looking for a camera with a bit more bulk. For convenience, I purchased the Energizer rechargeable batteries & charger ($20), and carry a back-up set of batteries. The rechargeables do last quite a long time.

Have fun in your search!

I have a CanonSD1000 and I LOVE it. It's my second Canon point n' shoot - the first one lasted through two years of rigorous use in China, and two years of family use after that. There is hardly any lag between pressing the button and taking the picture, the photos are super easy to get off the camera, it takes short videos, and the SD memory cards are getting so cheap now!

Highly recommend the Canon. :-) (I DON'T recommend the larger Powershots, though - their lagtime is AWFUL, and they use AA batteries, instead of a rechargable battery, and...just, yuck. Get one of the small ones.)

Hi B. -I'd highly recommend our camera -I asked for recommendations before I picked this one -and I am thrilled with it --it's a Canon Power Shot SD870 IS --bought last Feb -so 14 months ago -I don't know if you can still get this exact model but I would always look into Canons going fwd. Actually had the lens stop retracting a day after our one year warrantee was up --I called and wrote a nice letter and they repaired it at no charge --a week later, it happened again and I sent back again with another nice letter and they repaired again at no charge -cust svc is very good.
This camera takes amazing pics and is so easy to use -I don't even know all the features. It takes great video too so we stopped using our camcorder. I use this camera constantly.
Good luck!
M.

I have a Kodak EasyShare C653. It comes with the Kodak program cd and it is very easy to make prints by sending them to the local walgreens/cvs or other photo shop place. It takes great pictures. I've been using it for 2 yrs with my now 5 yr old son and have been using it now for him and my 3 month old. It is the best camera and the pictures are very high quality. It is also very simple to use. The best thing is that it has a setting (easy to find) for children in action. Great!

I am a camera idiot but I LOVE my Canon power Shot A640. It takes fantastic photos even when I am totally spastic! I really appreciate that it is not a tiny camera - it has a bit of weight and a great ergonomic shape. And, photos are equally good taken inside or outside.

Hi B., I have the Kodak, Easy Share for more than a year and I love it! Grandma Mary

Check out the Cannon power shot line. I have the SD630, when we got it (a few yrs ago) it was the fastest available. It takes really nice pics and is very easy to use, even the advanced features...should yoou chose to use them.

I have a Canon A590 that I can't live without. It takes wonderful pictures & makes videos. The best part about the camera is a "kids & pets" setting, which takes the picture instantly. I've had a Kodak & Nikon, and by far, the Canon is better.

good luck!
A.