I am not a professional but this is a great site to gather information. I can only give you the name of the camera that I bought 7 days ago and how it has worked. After a lot of research, a former science teacher, I settled on the Konica Minolta F5. It has 12X zoom (the most on any digital camera at this time), anti shake (which is a must after 8Xzoom), hot shoe capability (can add an external flash), 4x digital zoom (which I have been told to just turn off, not important). It takes great pictures, my grandson with gorgeous blue eyes no longer has red eyes and I have taken pictures inside, outside cloudy and outside bright sunshine days. I bought this camera for $415.00 at Ritz camera, not giving them a plug, with a $25.00 gift card on the way and a $50.00 rebate which will bring the camera down to $340.00. From someone that is not a pro and just wants great pictures of her family and the eagles soaring at the lake, I would recommend that you look at this camera prior to making a purchase. Good luck in your shopping. Jen
I have never bought a digital camera, nor know what im getting into. I am wanting a camera that will be able to zoom a good distance if need be, but doesnt need the best zoom. I also want to be able to enlarge my photos. The size of the enlargements would be 16x20inches. Please help with any suggestions or help. I am also on a budget too, i am looking to spend at most $500.
Thankyou

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