Please help me pick out a new camera (1 Viewer)

Here are the features I'm looking for:

1) Sleek/slim design. I'm buying this for a trip to Spain later this summer, so it must slip in the pocket of my jeans (comfortably).

2) 16:9 picture mode. All my computer monitors are widescreen so this is a must.

3) 7 megapixel or greater.

4) 3x zoom or greater.

5) price range is up to $300, but prefer $100-200

Any good camera to be found with these features?

Thanks!

I would've suggested something like the Canon SD800IS -- buydig.com seems to have it for just ~$300 -- but it does not provide 16x9 mode. And I don't think there are too many *good* digicams that offer that mode yet(?). Some offer a 3:2 mode (to be more like 35mm film format), but not too many offer 16x9.

If you go w/ one that doesn't do 16x9, you could always use some software to do batched cropping for a quick-and-dirty way to crop to 16x9 though it's definitely not ideal, especially if you start w/ the more typical 4x3 format. Perhaps a compromise of something that offers 3:2 mode would be your best bet for a good digicam. Then you can either opt to do the small amount of cropping for 16x9, which wouldn't be as problematic as cropping from 4x3, or simply display the 3:2 images w/ just a little bit of side bars.

Hmmm... Seems that I may be mistaken. For some reason, dpreview.com has the various new Canon Elph models listed for 3:2 mode, but they seem to actually be 16x9. If you can stretch your budget some, the SD850IS would probably be a good choice. If not, then maybe the SD750 though it misses image stabilization (IS), which is a pretty significant feature to help get good, sharp photos in anything less than good daylight.

_Man_

The Canon Elph models look like what I'm looking for. I'll check those out. Thanks.

I would recommend a digital camera with 10X zoom, rather then 3X optical zoom. 3X is of for taking photo's of people in the same room, but if you're trying to take a nice landscape shot, and you want to frame that shot, a
10X optical zoom is the way to go. Digital zooms are always grainy, and never look as good as an optical zoom.

I've always saved a ton of money with Geico, woops, sorry... I mean I always shop on E-Bay for bargains. Here's a real nice package on E-Bay that will fit your budget.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Olympus-Camedia-...QQcmdZViewItem

Have Fun!!

I doubt that a good 10x optical zoom cam would fit the rest of his criteria though, especially #1. And 10x zoom w/out IS isn't quite that useful anyhow. Also, if landscape is your thing, long tele might not be as useful as wider wideangle -- in that case, the Canon SD800IS would probably make the best choice though it doesn't do 16x9 mode.

_Man_

I asked my neighbor, who works at Wolf Camera, about the Panasonic TMZ series cams with 10X zooms and he said they eat batteries, possibly as a result of the longer zoom, so factor that in as well.

Where are you going in Spain? I went to Granada, Sevilla, and Madrid for my honeymoon last September and took my Canon S400 Digital Elph. Got some great pictures. (You can see them at www.ringkor.com/gallery.) I do wish I had taken a camera with manual controls, because my nighttime photos of the Alhambra in Granada would have been a lot easier to take, and better. But it was great to be able to take the S400 everywhere in my pocket, too. I've replaced that camera with the SD750 recently, which is even smaller and has a higher resolution. I do highly recommend the Canon Digital Elph line, but I wouldn't have one as my only camera. (My main camera now is a Digital Rebel XTi/400D, which I would love to have had in Spain.)

I purchased a Canon SD800IS as a Christmas present for my wife, and she has been quite happy with it. I find it a little cumbersome to use (can't read the small settings indicators on the selection wheel, the auto focus points don't always select what I want, etc.), but she only uses it in AUTO mode, so it's easy for her to operate.

If I wanted to use the camera more, I would probably get used to it and use its manual controls. However, I prefer my Canon Rebel XT/350D dSLR, and only use her SD800 if my wife wants me to take a photo with her in the frame.