Canon PowerShot SD770IS 10MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Silver)

10-megapixel effective recording * 2-1/2" color LCD screen * real image optical zoom viewfinder * 3X optical zoom (4X digital/12X total zoom) * optical image stabilization * 35mm equivalent lens focal length: 35-105mm * top JPEG resolution: 3648 x 2736 * face detection automatically sets focus, exposure, flash, and white balance for better portraits * motion detection calculates subject movement and sets ideal exposure and sensitivity to reduce blur *
Customer Review: I'm delighted!!
I had done some shopping before realizing that Amazon offered the best price on the camera I desired. Service was excellent - I received the camera VERY quickly, using the basic option. And what an excellent camera it is. I'm very pleased.
Customer Review: Astonishing power in a super-compact design
I previously had a Canon PowerShot S110 digital ELPH from 6 years ago or so, and loved that camera. I didn't realize that there was so much more that a little camera could do! I researched the new Canon's out there (since I loved the ELPH), and decided on the SD770 IS for its compact design and features outlined well by others. This camera just blows me away. It takes amazing pictures in full-auto mode. In situations where full-auto doesn't quite do the job as well as possible, this camera lets you change ISO settings, white balance, focus method, and tons of other factors. Compared to the S110, I thought the ability to change the ISO setting was a big improvement over previous generations. You're actually changing the sensitivity of the sensor in the camera, allowing you to take pictures with more clarity in conditions that have less light. This, coupled with the image stabilization (which again, blows me away on this camera), allows you to not have to use flash, preserve the real look of the scene, and take a crisply clear picture. Battery life is amazing. I haven't charged it once yet... I'm going on over 150 pictures taken now. I've taken many pictures in low light with no flash, which drains the battery faster because the sensors have to stay on longer. The battery low warning has now come on... but I've still taken over 10 pictures on low battery, so it gives you a good amount of warning time. I also thought I didn't need more megapixels, because my pictures from my 2MP S110 looked great. True, 10MP looks even better, but a HUGE benefit is that it automatically improves your ability to do digital zoom and keep the picture looking crisp. You can take a 10MP full resolution photo of a scene, then crop it down later to the zoomed-in part of the scene that you want, and still have a crisp image for a 4x6 print. The camera is also able to do this more automatically... if you choose to take a photo at a lower resolution, like 4MP, and you use digital zoom, the camera will automatically use its sensor to it's full 10MP capability to zoom digitally and retain image quality. Just a fantastic camera. I'm glad I stuck with Canon, and I'm glad I bought the latest generation.

Point and shoot is a term used to describe those compact digital cameras designed for simple automatic operation. Usually, a single press of a button is enough to take a photo. These compact digital cameras are the best selling kind, because they are also often made cheap.

New models of digital point and shoot cameras come out quite often and as the price of components comes down, you can get more and better features for the same price. Here are some 2008 models that fit the definition of point and shoot, while being especially budget friendly.

Kodak EasyShare M753 Zoom

This Kodak camera is a true entry level camera that does not boast with complex features. It has an automatic mode that should take care of lighting conditions and of course an automatic focus. It has a 7 megapixel resolution and high enough image quality for web use and small prints.

Price tag: approximately $130

Canon PowerShot A470

PowerShot is the beginner level digital camera series by Canon. It is very easy to use and affordable, even for the budget conscious. A470 has highly developed automation, including motion detection and face detection technologies. These coupled with a 7.1 megapixel resolution make it a good choice for casual photographers.

Price tag: approximately $160

Nikon CoolPix S550

CoolPix is the Nikon series of point and shoot compact cameras. S550 is one of the best 2008 models for a casual user, offering 10 megapixels of resolution and high quality automation of adjusting to conditions. Add in a 5X optical zoom and you are ready for some photography.

Price tag: approximately $230

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS20

Panasonic's Lumix DMC-FS series is aimed at beginner level users. The FS20 model makes point and shoot automatic using an Intelligent Auto Mode, which includes detection systems for motion and ambient conditions - among others. The resolution of over 10 megapixels is more than enough for most users.

Price tag: approximately $300

The four compact cameras above show some of the things year 2008 has to offer for casual photographers. As seen above, the prices of entry level cameras vary from around $150 up to $300. If you pay more than that, you should require quality or you have been scammed. Price and features correlate, but by making informed decisions you can get more for less.

Once you have your camera, you need to learn how to use it. This is where online photography courses become useful.

Cannon Cameras

Tamron AF 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 LD for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

The AF 75-300 f/4-5.6 extended-range zoom lens offers true telephoto capability ideal for a variety of applications including sports and wildlife shooting. The lens also features the capability to provide beautifully blurred background to high light the main subject in portraiture, or "compression effects" that make the most of the telephoto lens.
Customer Review: Don't miss this bargain!
This is an excellent lens at an unbeatable price. Every image I've taken is crisp and sharp. Autofocus functions exactly the same on my Rebel XT body as the factory lens. Same speed, no added noise. This lens does not have image stabilization, but neither does the factory lens from the XT. For that matter, Ansel Adams didn't have IS on his camera either. At higher zooms you must keep the camera steady. Thats not a fault in this lens, just the nature of the beast. You will capture movement if you move the camera. So for higher zooms you will most likely have to use a tripod. But over all, I find no fault in any function of this lens. Great materials, well made, great quality. And just look at the price!!!!
Customer Review: Absolutely Worth The Money
The Tamron AF 75-300 lens was priced well below what I could purchase the same lens from a local camera store. I received the lens in 3 business days the way it was promised. I am a serious amateur photographer and I use the lens with my Canon Rebel XT to shoot landscapes, lighthouses,seashores,sailboats and old barns. I am totally satisfied with the lens

Digital cameras have rapidly changed the face of photography. Photographers can now be divided into two categories. There are traditional photographers who view each advance in technology with suspicion. Then there are the digital photographers who think film photographers are still living in the dark ages.

For the record, I use film. That is not because I don't like what digital photography has to offer. There is a very simple reason why I am sticking with film for now; after 20 years of photography, I have a thousands of images on film that have yet to be put to good use. If I switched to digital now, those photos would probably be neglected for another 20 years and finally be thrown out. That's a lot of memories wasted.

However, as a gallery owner, photography teacher, writer and club member, I am among digital photographers every day. Having lived and worked through all the years when photography has accelerated into the digital age, I have observed something that will surprise many people; not much has really changed.

The skills of traditional photography are as important as ever for the digital photographer. You need to be able to work with aperture and shutter speed, understand depth of field and know how to handle moving subjects. A digital photographer requires sensitivity to light and contrast, and must develop a talent for creative composition.

In teaching and writing about photography, I have been amazed by just how much things have remained the same. In some instances I have been certain that the new technology would create new challenges - only to find that for all practical purposes, nothing has really changed.

Here is one example that is so similar it's spooky. In the days of film, you could buy film that was rated at different ISO speeds, relating to how quickly the film reacted to light. Faster films were great for allowing quicker shutter speeds in low-light conditions, but there was a sacrifice in quality. Photos taken on fast films had a grainy appearance, making them less suitable for printing big enlargements.

Digital cameras have adopted the same ISO system. You can adjust the ISO setting on your camera, changing the speed at which your exposure will react to light. As before, this can be a great benefit, especially in low light. But here's the spooky part. When you set a higher ISO rating, your images become 'grainier.' Some people tell me it is pixellation, others tell me it is digital 'noise.' I don't know and don't really care. The point is, here is a whole new technology, recording images in a completely different way - and the outcome is exactly the same!

Of course there are some major differences. The most obvious, and possibly the most positive change, is the elimination of film and developing costs from your photography budget. Add to that the convenience of being able to delete your mistakes and print your own photos, and your hobby just became a lot more cost-effective.

That, however, has nothing to do with the actual skill of the photographer. Neither does the other revolution in the photography world. That revolution is software. With the aid of computers, people can work digital magic on their photos like never before. This has both positive and negative elements. Positive because the almost universal fascination with computers has seen a whole new generation take a real interest in photography. Negative because people too often rely on the technology to correct their mistakes, instead of learning to take better photos.

Software can be wonderful. It can add a little 'zest' to a slightly flat image, or it can completely trasform a photo to portray colours and details that never existed in the real world.

But software cannot overcome all the problems caused by bad technique. It cannot focus an out-of-focus image. It cannot correct a blurry photo caused by using the wrong shutter speed. And while cropping, cutting and pasting can solve some issues, they are no substitute for developing a real skill for composition.

So, to return to my original theme: despite the worldwide migration from film to digital photography, in practical terms not much has really changed. That which is new is largely peripheral. While there are some advantages in terms of cost and convenience, most of the changes won't make you a better photographer.

So here is my advice to photographers on both sides of the divide. Film photographers; don't be dismissive or suspicious of the new digital world. Embrace it, make the most of its advantages, and you may be surprised just how easy it is to make the switch.

Digital photographers; don't sneer at your more old-fashioned counterparts. The skills they have grown up with are the ones you really should be learning.

Good photography is not complicated. It just needs to be explained in terms you can understand by someone who knows what they are talking about. Check out Andrew Goodall's photography, and two great ebooks for beginners, at http://www.naturesimage.com.au.

Cannon Cameras