My wife got me a Canon EOS T2i DSLR for my birthday, and it rocks. Granted it's a bit more than you were looking to spend. I think the Canon stuff rates pretty darn well across the product lineup. I got my brother a Canon point-and-shoot a few Christmases ago, and he seems to like it.
My only other digital camera is an old Olympus Camedia that I've had for nearly 10 years. Does this stuff ever break?
I have been using the Olympus Tough series camera for a while now and highly recommend them. (A few other companies are now making similar models) The camera produces great quality shots for a point and shoot and lot's of features including video with sound.
The main advantage over all other cameras is that these suckers are waterproof (10 or 33 feet depending on model) shockproof, sand proof, crushproof, and freeze proof. So I never worry about dropping it or roughing it up. I have taken awesome underwater shots at the pool, skiing shots at the resort, beach shots in the surf, etc. It's the only camera I feel comfortable taking to the indoor water park every year.
I have also used it as a Hero camera, mounting it to the side of my car for cool shots and taking it down rapids while tubing in the islands.
The limitation is zoom, which on most small P&S cameras is only 3 or 5 optical. When my daughter is up on stage, I go for the 300mm Nikon.
donalson wrote: for the auto panorama mode... I used a few and didn't care for them... it's much easier IMHO to take the shots planning to stitch them on the computer... no extra settings just snap-rotate-snap-rotate-snap (leave about a 50% overlap)
We'll have to disagree on that one. I've tried stitching together my own panoramas. Getting the exposure right is a pain, especially around here where we have lots of contrast from bright sunlight. With the auto setup, I turn the dial to "panorama", press the button and keep turning the camera until it's happy. It's sure a lot easier than stitching together my own.
Now convince me not to by a used DSLR Canon something fantastic for a few hundred instead from my co-worker. Fast pictures and excellent zoom levels are very attractive.
If it autofocuses well, I don't see a downside...other than potentially getting sucked into photography and dropping tons more money on lenses.
Well, there is the few hundred dollars - that's a big downside.
I went back and read your OP again, and realized I'd missed the video part. DSLRs tend to not do that as well. Costco's got this for 139 that would get you the zoom that a DSLR would have, plus video and a better price. Image quality won't be as good, but should make good enough 8 by 10s. http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11614962&whse=BC&Ne=5000000+4000000&eCat=BC|90607|83|87151&N=4047263%205000014&Mo=25&pos=1&No=20&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ns=P_Price|1||P_SignDesc1&lang=en-US&Sp=C&ec=BC-EC10604-Cat83&topnav=
I am now considering buying a SD1400 with CC points for decent pics and good movies and then buying his used DSLR for good pictures.
Point and shoots can't touch a DSLR for picture quality, regardless of megapixel count.
ah keith... sounds like I haven't used one of the better auto stitch cameras... the ones I used you shot, then had to line up for the next shot (the LCD would show a small strip of the last photo)... might have to find one of the sonys and play with it... need a new P&S for the wife anyway
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