Camera for wife

[O|||||||O]

I want to get my wife a nice P&S ... but I don't really know **** about P&S cameras...

Budget is $300. (I'm flexible on that though - I can go a little higher if I really need to...)

I kinda prefer Canon, but that's not a requirement...

These are the two I've been looking at:

Fujifilm Z700EXR 12 MP Digital Point and Shoot Camera 16007555 -

Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS Digital ELPH Camera (Black) 4193B001 -

I want something easy to use - manual settings are not important.

Definitely has to be able to fit in a pocket or purse...

Any ideas?

[Ads]

[Oldschool92']

I would go with the Canon since it has face detection and a touch panel lcd and it has more megapixels.

[cfusionpm]

I've always liked Sony P&S cameras. Granted I haven't bought one since my archaic DSC-W80, but I liked their setups and it provided adequate performance for facebook and snapshots.

I guess the most recent one in their line is this: DSCW370 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W370 Digital Camera with 14.1 Megapixel, 7x Optical Zoom, 3.0" LCD Display, Silver

I'm sure the Canon is a decent camera, but I don't have any experience with their P&Ss.

[O|||||||O]

I would go with the Canon since it has face detection and a touch panel lcd and it has more megapixels.

Actually, they both have face detection and touch screens...

I was leaning towards the Canon from the start, but I've heard good things about Fuji too...

One thing I like on the Fuji is that it can simulate 4 different Fuji films (which I have always loved - which specific films those are, I don't know though). My wife would probably never use that feature, but it sounds cool to me.

The resolution of both seems adequate to me - that's not really a deal breaker...

I just don't really know what I'm looking at anymore - I've been out of the P&S game so long...

Open to suggestions other than those two cameras too - those were just the ones that caught my eye.

[O|||||||O]

I've always liked Sony P&S cameras. Granted I haven't bought one since my archaic DSC-W80, but I liked their setups and it provided adequate performance for facebook and snapshots.

I guess the most recent one in their line is this: DSCW370 Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W370 Digital Camera with 14.1 Megapixel, 7x Optical Zoom, 3.0" LCD Display, Silver

I'm sure the Canon is a decent camera, but I don't have any experience with their P&Ss.

That looks nice too (BTW - the link isn't working...)- added to the 'further review' list, lol. The only thing I don't like is that it's Sony, lol! That means new memory cards (why do they insist on having proprietary everything...).

[Oldschool92']

Guess I didn't read it well enough
My sister owns a sony cyber shot and it's a really good camera I must say, and it's pretty easy to use once you go through it a couple times.

[Derrel]

Ask Sw1tchFX which is the better P&S--he knows an awful lot about them.

[cfusionpm]

The only thing I don't like is that it's Sony, lol! That means new memory cards (why do they insist on having proprietary everything...).

To be honest, that's one of the main reasons all of my P&Ss have been Sony.... =/

[JamesMason]

I bought mine a fuji a170. Great little camera, its not loaded with features but imo you cant beat fuji compacts.

[Dao]

Josh,

Just FYI. If you have a old broken Canon camera (or able to get/buy one cheap) Canon has a loyalty program that you can trade in your old broken Canon camera for a Canon factory refurbished camera.

A old broken Canon SD400 can trade for Canon G11 for $249 (plus tax and shipping)

[O|||||||O]

Josh,

Just FYI. If you have a old broken Canon camera (or able to get/buy one cheap) Canon has a loyalty program that you can trade in your old broken Canon camera for a Canon factory refurbished camera.

A old broken Canon SD400 can trade for Canon G11 for $249 (plus tax and shipping)

Interesting... I didn't know about that. I do, in fact, have 2 old broken Canon cameras...

[O|||||||O]

The only thing I don't like is that it's Sony, lol! That means new memory cards (why do they insist on having proprietary everything...).

To be honest, that's one of the main reasons all of my P&Ss have been Sony.... =/

I don't understand...

Sony may be good (I have a couple Sony TVs and DVD players, but no cameras), but the way they make you buy their proprietary cords, cards, and adapters is just annoying.

Every other camera maker uses the universally standard USB cable - they have some other connector on the camera end that nobody else uses... They use a memory card that nobody else uses... Except maybe Kodak - they have some funky cables too.

For some reason, they only do this with their cameras/camcorders. A Sony TV still uses all the same plugs as any other TV...
And I don't just flat-out hate Sony... I love PlayStation - way better than anything the competition can come up with. Always at least a generation ahead...

I just don't understand it... I know why they do it (so you have to spend more money), but I don't know why they think screwing their customers is a good idea...

I just can't figure out what the benefit is for the end user...

I am interested in hearing why you see this as a good thing instead of a negative thing...

[Idahophoto]

Have you looked at a G yet? G10's could probably be got for about 300 and many pro's even use em when they dont want to carry SLRs. I have thought about getting a 11 for just the same reason.

[O|||||||O]

Haven't looked at the G10, but I briefly looked at the G11... It seems like something I would like, but probably too big for my wife...

I'm really just looking for something she can throw in her purse, turn it on, and take decent pictures... Doesn't have to have a hot-shoe or anything like that (though, that would be cool), just something that the average person can pick up and figure out in a couple seconds...


edit

...Speaking of that - start up time would probably be a pretty big factor. I don't want to have to wait 5 seconds for the camera to be ready to take a picture...

[cfusionpm]

I am interested in hearing why you see this as a good thing instead of a negative thing...

I don't see it as a good thing; it's completely bothersome. The reason all my P&Ss were all Sony was because I didn't want to have to spend another 100$ on a new memory card. Granted they are a lot cheaper now, it was the main reason I stuck with the Sony. I haven't bought a P&S in over 4 years, and the ones I did have were really old (P31, V1, H2, and W80). But I was more or less satisfied with them, though never expected much either. Once I had a DSLR, all I used em for were pocket shots or snapping pics when I didn't want to bring out my big camera and my phone's camera just wouldn't do. To me, P&Ss were all about the same, so I just stayed with Sony. I don't even know where my W80 is right now, and with memory as cheap as it is, if I were to buy one today I would likely buy a Canon.

So I guess in a round-about way, I don't reccomend the Sony....

Not to say I wasn't satisfied with mine (I was), but I totally forgot about the whole Sony proprietary garbage.