Hi,
I have been using Kodak CX7430 for close to two years now. I just started shopping for a new camera. I have invested close to $200 on accessories, 4 SD cards, a battery charger, 8 rechargeable batteries. I don’t want to throw these away, so I am looking for cameras that use SD card for memory and AA batteries for power. Any suggestions?
Morey’s suggestions are good if you are looking for image stabilzation. I’d also suggest that you consider the A630 or A640 for the larger sensor and generally better image quality.
My stock answer:
I own a few Nikon DSLR’s and I’d buy the Canon Powershot A630 or A640 for myself. These cameras have the larger sensor (1/1.8" or 5.2 mm x 7.2 mm) that is nearly double the sensor size you find in many point and shoot cameras (including the A570-IS and A710-IS) and this translates into better image quality. They allow fully automatic use or total user control and offer several stages in between. The only significant difference between these cameras is that the A630 is 8 MP and the A640 is 10 MP.
If you’re going to spend up to $230, look at a Canon Powershot A630. My brother has had his A630 for over a year and it’s a very nice camera. You can get it at B&H Photo (available through Yahoo! Shopping) for $192.
If you can go to $300, look at the 10 MP Canon Powershot A640. This is an excellent camera. It sells for $260 and you can add a very nice memory card for under $40. The images from the A640 compare VERY favorably with the images from a Canon G7, which costs about twice as much.
For either camera, buy a 1 or 2 GB Sandisk Ultra II or Extreme III card. You will NEED the increased capacity and write speed to fully realize the benefits of your camera. The Ultra II would be excellent, but if you are really into video, you might prefer the faster Extreme III. These cards cost from about $25-45 at B&H and several other outlets.
A630: http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/a630.html
Also: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/specs/Canon/canon_a630.asp (Read owner opinions)
A640: http://www.steves-digicams.com/2006_reviews/a640.html
Also: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona640/