[V_R]

Ok i need some advice.....

I been wanting a new Digi cam for a while. The small screen on my Sony DSC P-10 is starting to become annoying.....

I have been looking for a while and i think i found one i like. The A700

What do you guys think? Is it a good camera?

I like the idea of having the 6x Optical zoom, ok so i may not use it all the time but it would be handy when i need it. ie when at the zoo/safari park so i can zoom right in on the animals from a distance. We are going to the Red Bull Air Race soon so that would be nice to have it before then...

The price is about right for what i want to spend. (about £200) although i have seen it for as little as £165.

I want a minimum of 4x Optical zoom and a minimum for 6Mp, Is there an alternative i may not know about?

Here is a couple of reviews if you wish to have look....

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0602/06022108canona700.asp

http://www.cameras.co.uk/camera-revi...rshot-a700.cfm

Cheers

[Quadophile]

A good camera indeed! Just do not expect miracles from the flash, it is a fairly standard one and some may think it is a tad weak. That's about it as far as nit picking is concerned.

[V_R]

Thanks Quad,

One more question if you dont mind, Will i be able to take photos 'free hand' on full zoom with good results? Or will i need to have it on a tripod or something?

Cheers Quad.

[Quadophile]

The possibility of taking a sharp picture is directly dependant on the available light. If the light is low, your camera would choose a slower shutter speed and a larger aperture, as long as the shutter speed is fast enough it would take a good picture in available light. The camera I believe would have a slow shutter speed warning.

As a rule of thumb the slowest shutter speed one can use for a given focal lenth of the lens is calculated as follows:

Focal Length Shutter Speed

50 mm 1/60
100mm 1/125
250mm 1/250

This is just a guide and helpful when using such focal lenght lenses. Your shutter speed should be equal to or greater than the focal length of the lens in use.

There are many other factors that come into play, some camera's come with a built in vibration reduction which helps in taking pictures at almost 2-3 stops slower which should not be taken into consideration when the above rule of thumb is applied.

Some people are able to hold the camera more steadily and some cannot so you need to find out for yourself how you do in that aspect of photography.

Get the camera and start using it, you will find out in the process what really works for you and what are the limitations of the equipment, you just have to work around it to achieve the final results.

I am around if you have more to ask.

[V_R]

Your a top man Quad, Thanks for your help.

If i have more questions (and i'm sure i will) then i wont hesitate to ask.

I think i am set on getting this as it seems like a good deal to me.

Going by Froogle i think i would buy it from Cameras2u.com, They are not the cheapest but i have heard very good things about their customer service ect.

I also need to budget for a memory card as me old sony uses them sticks, but thats no problem.

Also as an added bonus i already have a buyer lined up for the old one.

[Quadophile]

You are welcome anytime

As for memory card I would not look any further than a Sandisk.

Also check out the prices at Amazon before you commit to the equipment.

Good Luck!

[V_R]

Yep, Sandisk and Lexar are the only memory card makers i use. I got two 256Mb memory sticks for the Sony. One by Sandisk and the other Lexar. Both have been faultless. I believe that was from your recommendations.

I did look on Amazon they have it to buy from avides_media for £218 wothout any memory card! LINK

I was thinking of one of the bundles at Cameras2u with the 1GB Sandisk card, that comes to £220ish. Sound good? LINK

[Quadophile]

I checked the link you provided for the Cameras2U and I have to say that the card you are looking for at 220ish is a plain vanilla card at a very slow speed, I would suggest the one just underneath it which will raise the price to 230ish but in the long run you will greatly benefit from the higher speed card between the shots. The slower card will render the camera unusable untill the full res pic is written to the card from the buffer memory (frustrating for some).

This is just my suggestion and knowing you I thought I should warn you before it is too late.

It is your decision but an obligation on my part to guide you in the right direction

[V_R]

Ahh, Right cheers Quad.

This is exactly why i ask, as i would rather be told before it is too late!!

So you mean the Ultra II SD Card then? This one? If so then i dont mind paying the extra £12 for the faster card. As you say it would be worth it in the long run.

Its sounds like you know me too well! As i am not usually known for my patience!!

[Quadophile]

Yes that is the one, the Ultra II. I am saying it from experience since I use the Ultra II as well and I also have plain vanilla one which I had acquired way back when there were no high speed cards. I tested it on two different cameras that I have and it sure made a good difference in writing to card from the buffer memory. The older camera benifited a bit but the newer one more so. Since your camera is the latest incarnation from Canon it will prove to be beneficial and can utilise the faster speed from its controllers built into its body.

I must also mention that the Ultra II is by far the fastest card one can use for prosumer cameras from today, the other higher speed cards, likes of Extreme III and IV are for the SLR's of today which have high speed shooting capability. These faster cards would not help prosumer cameras today but things will change, untill the time comes it would actually be a waste buying super duper fast cards for likes of Canon Powershot A700.

I just thought I would give the background so that not only yourself but others may benefit from it.


[Edit]

PS

By the way, I try to get to know everyone on the forum and you certainly were one of them on the top of my list. just reading between the lines from members posts can tell a lot about the person. I am wrong at times but it is fun doing it.