Advice requested

[curious1234]

I have a couple of pocket-sized digital cameras. I would like to purchase a new camera that offers the following options: (I don't care if it is SLR or just digital - options are more important to me.)

*at least a 10-12X zoom
*stabilizer
*not sure what the technical term is but I want this camera to respond to my clicking needs - be able to click several times (within seconds)
*lightweight would be nice - probably won't find that in an SLR
*probably won't be pocket-sized but I'd like for it not to be overly large.
*reliable
*produce great photos
*built-in flash (optional external flash is probably good too)
*battery - rechargable -Lithium-type battery - regular battery OPTION is good too

Does something like this exist? What should I stay away from? What should I look at. I love to take photos - all kinds...family events, random photos, travel photos...I need something that is all-purpose but has these options. Thank you for any advice you can offer. I do apologize if I placed this in the wrong forum. I'm new to this.

 

[OpenThirdEye]

Canon S5 IS?

 

[ElFenix]

not sure how many FPS it can take, but the new oly super zoom lens-shutter camera might be good for you.

the big panasonic lens-shutter can do 1.8fps until the card fills up, maybe more with a faster card.

btw: zoom 'X's have no independent meaning. 10-12x zoom is not 10-12x from your perspective, it's 10-12x the widest angle of the camera. so it's more like 8x, which is really more like 4x. or less.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Great photos are the work of the photographer, not the camera. Period.

A 10-12x zoom will be of limited optical quality. It won't be awful, but it's not going to be near "excellent".

There is no such thing as an "all-purpose" lens. That's why people buy SLRs, to allow the use of several different specialized lenses. That said, the majority of my photos are taken with a 28-75mm lens on my DSLR. A 2.6x zoom. In other cases, I'll use a 70-200mm lens, a 2.9x zoom. A 3x zoom is generally considered to be the rough limit before optical compromises begin to become evident. In both cases, the lenses alone are larger and heavier than most non-DSLR cameras.

Overall though, Panasonic has some nice cameras that hit most of those points, the S5IS from Canon might as well, and the Sony H9 or H7 too.

ZV

 

[Unheard]

I have been pimping the Pentax K110D over and over in these threads. Camera body and lens for less than $400.