Canon s80 or the a700?

I would like to throw the S2 IS into the picture also. It isnt too heafty is it? as compared to my other two choices.

Does more megapixels mean better pictures at larger sizes?

Shutter lag is what, the time it takes to open and close?

And what about night shots?

Sorry for all the questions, but I am new to digital cameras, hell cameras period and Its kinda hard to make heads or tails outta the reviews (a bit technical) maybe i should do a little more research.

I like large cameras, so the S2 is not too hefty for me. You can visit stores like Staples and WalMart and get your hands on an S2. You should do that, see if it fits.

Very large photos require more megapixels for high quality prints. Five megapixels will do for most people.

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Shutter lag......When you press the shutter button, the camera must focus the lens, decide how to set the shutter speed, aperture and ISO settings and write the photo data on the memory card.

The thing that takes the most time is focusing the lens.

Cameras made three years ago had a long shutter lag, some as much as two seconds. Now shutter lag averages about 0.5 second.

The best procedure is to press the shutter button half-way down and frame your shot (this gives the lens time to focus). Then press the shutter button the rest of the way down to take the photo. If you do that, your shutter lag is about 0.1 second.

Others just press the shutter button all the way down, but freeze themselves in the pictures taking stance for about three seconds. This works well when using an unfamiliar camera.

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Night shots

With flash.....
Most small cameras have a pretty weak flash that only reaches an average of about 11 feet. Any people (or things) beyond that flash distance will be in the dark. You have to read the specifications for the camera you buy to find the flash coverage. Some Sony cameras have a flash that is only good for 5 feet.
Sony surprised me by recently introducing a $200 camera with a flash rated at 23 feet (the S600).

Without flash....
When you want-to/must take a photo without flash, small cameras are not well suited for that task.
This almost always requires a tripod to support your camera, because the camera must use long shutter speeds in order to gather enough light for a perfect exposure.

If you want to get good photos in low light without flash and without tripod, you will have to look at some $999 (and higher) cameras.

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Here is a link to a free short course in choosing a digital camera. You should find it helpful:

http://www.shortcourses.com/choosing/contents.htm

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I have decided to go with the Canon S3 IS. I checked out the S2 IS as well they both are very similar but I decided to go with the most current even though the step from S2 to S3 wasnt a giant one. The zoom is great, and i think its a great camera for me to start with. Plenty of options to play with and familaize myself with the world of digital photography. I'm hoping it last at least 2-3 yrs.

Again Thanks for all your advice
Franko

I went and got the Canon S3 IS $479.00 w/tax (Circuit City matched Costcos $449.00 price)

Duracell 15 minute charger w/2400 mAh $34.99 (Circuit City)

Kenneth Cole neoprene case $29.99

SanDisk Ultra II 1GB SD Card $50.67 (Buy.com)

For a total of $595.00

Now all I need is a good tripod and I'm set

Thanks again
Franko
Canon S3 IS