Cam Guidance. Budget 11-9k

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Need to buy a Camera for my parents.

Simple no-nonsense cam that can give good results without too much tweaking.

will have to buy with official warranty. So, no grey market+import.

looking at a Canon trio right now...

PowerShot A570 IS INR 9995.00

PowerShot A580 INR 9995.00

PowerShot A590 IS INR 10995.00

The A580 and A590 are newly launched models afaik.

any others that i should consider?

Budget is very strict.. would prefer to hit its lower end rather than the upper.

Edit - Also, within the budget i need a 1gb card, charger+batts
 
do check on the availability of the Panasonic Lumix TZ3..

its a fantastic CAM..

7 or 8MP

10x optical zoom

3.0 " LCD

Compact form factor

decent manual controls

an very good reviews everywhere. .

it retails for $210 in the US...shud be withing ur range here..
 
hmm... guess its gonna be the 570is most prolly..

alpha quoted 9.25k for 570is+2gb card.

croma had a 1gb card nd the cam for 9.8k.

though i did look for it, i couldnt find the TZ3..
 
is there any other difference between the 570is and the 580 other than the additional megapixels nd the lack of Image stabilization?

jjmehta offers the 580 for 9900/- wid 2gig card+2 nimh batts+charger+case...
 
Why not the Panasonic LS70 for just 6500 with a 1 GB SD card. It comes with Optical IS, has 7 MP and a fantastic 3 year warranty. The only downside of this cam is the smallish 2.0 TFT screen. But 2" is not too small IMHO.

My friend bought this cam and he is very happy with it.

You can get it from jjmehta .com , Digital Camera , Digital SLR , Video Camera , Apple iPod , mobiblu , Sandisk

You can even get a nice hi-speed 1 GB card to use along with the camera and still save money.
 
+1

Optical IS is a MUST :D extra megapixels wont do much for you in a P&S :)

i got nothin against panasonics, but i have used canons and they rock :eek:hyeah:

+ the 570IS has a bigger screen ;) + optical viewfinder if ur in bright sunlight n cant use the LCD (no viewfinder on the pany)
 
@rahulrulez:

1. No warrantry in India if u buy from US. Tho if handled carefully there shudnt b any issues. In case of problems later, u can always goto canon service centers, tho they ll charge u of course :)

2. n yes, thats pricin for a new one. why do u think everyone gets stuff from US ;)
 
Something that you guys are missing out entirely here.

>> Type of battery

Since its used by your parents and I expect this to be used mostly in the house for social occasions or outdoors to shoot landscapes etc. The first part is most important.

I'd highly advise you to opt for a Lithium-ion based camera. The flash recycle for Li-ion based cam is light years ahead of a 2xAA-based camera. The last thing you want for your parents to do is to wait for flash to recycle after taking some 30-40 shots with flash on one night (typical amount for a birthday or a gathering of any type).

They'll always be able to charge the Li-ion at home, and most cells run easily for 200+ shots (atleast). Its as easy as charging a cellphone. :)

Given that, and also that you need IS. I'd look at the Sony Cybershot range which are smaller and sleeker in size and dimensions to the Canon A-range or the IXUS range from Canon itself.

Hence:

1. Sony Cybershot W80
2. Any Canon IXUS with IS at the same price (if available)

The way I look at it, the extra zoom (4x vs 3x) and manual controls of the A-series will never be used.

On a side-note, here are my 3 must-haves for any point-and-shoot camera for "the non-enthusiast" user:

1. IS
2. Big screen and yet, small-compact enough to fit in a purse/pocket/belt-clip
3. Li-ion for fast flash recycling

Optionally, but equally important:
4. Wide-angle at 28mm (some Canon IXUS, all Panasonic Lumix range)
Think about it. :)
Payne

EDIT: Post #300! :D
 
@payne.. thanks for the nice post :) and for muddling things up a bit more.

the ixus range is a bit out of my budget.. the lowest that jjmehta lists for an ixus with IS is 14k...

abt the sony, could you give me some suggestive pricing? also can you suggest a store for the same?
 
^ Damn man. JJmehta is not listing the W80 anymore, though I heard it was around the 10k mark here in Mumbai around a month ago. Don't remember where. My dad bought it for 8k in Singapore.

It's worth it for you to go down to a Heera Panna or an Alfa and check out these cameras yourself.

My suggestions: The W80 or the W120. The W120 is listed on JJmehta for 12.8k. But it comes with a much better feature set: 32-128mm 4x zoom. :) It has everything that I mentioned a "general" cam would require. :) JJmehta usually quote a bit higher than other rates, so do some shopping man! Stop posting here. :D

Sony DSC-W120 digital camera specifications: Digital Photography Review

Use the Buying Guide on dpreview for a side-by-side comparison. Helps a lot.

Payne
 
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