What's a nice digital camera 200 and under?

Whats the best digital camera that I can get for under $200?

• Answer:

  If you want to go right up to your limit (but you'll still need a memory card), get a Canon Powershot A630. I own a few Nikon DSLR's and I'd buy the Canon Powershot A630 or A640 for myself. These cameras have the larger 1/1.8" (5.2 mm x 7.2 mm) sensor that is nearly double the sensor size you find in many point and shoot cameras 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 about a year and it's a very nice camera. You can get it at B&H Photo (available through Yahoo! Shopping) for $192. 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) ~~~~~~~~~~ If you want to stay well within budget, look at the A500-series cameras. I think best the camera in your price range is the Canon Powershot A560. It costs $170 at B&H and You can use the rest of your budget to buy a decent memory card. Go here and read an extensive review: Canon A560: http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/a560.html Check the sample images, too. If you want to save ten bucks, check for the A550: A550 review: http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/a550.html You will need to add a memory card and I suggest the Sandisk or Lexar brand in any speed. You will spend from about $20 for a 512 KB card, which is perfectly adequate, to about $40 for a Sandisk Ultra II, which is as good as you'd ever want for this or many other cameras. My brother has the A540 and my mother-in-law has the A530 - on my recommendation - and neither one has stopped speaking to me yet. These are the models that were replaced by the A550 and A560. If you can go over the $200 mark, look into the A570-IS, which looks like a really nice camera. The camera and card will run you about $230-240 at B&H. Canon A570-IS: http://www.steves-digicams.com/2007_reviews/a570.html