Best Digital Camera under $150

[ernestchi]

I need a new digital camera to take on vacation this summer, so I must be available in store within the week. What is the absolute best camera i can find given the circumstances. I am very interested in some of the Canons that have gone on sale recently, most notably the SD1000 and SD750, but i realize most of them are sold out and difficult to find at this point. Any suggestions would be welcome, I am looking for something compact.

On a side note, are refurbished cameras recommended?

Located in the GTA, thanks.

[Aske001]

Your best deal is usually to look for last year's cameras on clearance sale, as we've seen recently with Staples and SDM.

I don't think anyone realistically can comment on "best" without knowing your requirements (except for the folks who always chime in to say that the camera they just bought is *absolutely* the best). They make lots of different cameras designed to satisfy different requirements. Do you want most compact? Best photos? Longest zoom lens? Biggest LCD for viewing photos? Best feature set? Weatherproof?

[ernestchi]

thank you for the reply. to clarify, i am by no means a camera connoisseur. im looking for something compact and easy to use. i would like crisp vivid photos, and ideally a camera with enough features to make photography convenient. i dont really have huge expectations, but i'm looking for something without too much lag between shots. intangibles like weatherproofing, lcd size are all irrelevant. i am using it for the simple function of taking and storing photos.

[champlinD]

Canon PowerShot A720 IS 8.0MP Digital Camera: Good Zoom but LCD Monitor Size 2.5"
http://www.bestbuy.ca/multimedia/products/medium/10093322.gif

Nikon Coolpix L18 8MP Digital Camera - Black:LCD Monitor Size 3" but only with 3X Zoom.
http://www.bestbuy.ca/multimedia/products/medium/10099974.gif

[phR3d]

Did you see that thread?
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=604323

Just bought the Canon A710 refurbish for 119$ (149$ with taxes and delivery). It got a 6x zoom! and you can hack it to get Raw file capability or use script:
http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/CHDK

[ernestchi]

would i be better off with the 710IS or SD1000. both refurbished.

[willy]

You may want to check out your local SDMs and try to look for Canon A570IS ...

[Aske001]

The Canon SD series are very compact if you want something you can slip easily in a pocket, much more compact than the Canon A series. Many of them have LCD screens as big as the A series (2.5" to 3.0"), and some even have 4:1 zoom lenses like the A series, although you tend to pay a bit more for that in both $ and size in the SD series. If you want a camera that's compact, quick, and easy to operate, you won't go wrong with the less expensive Canon SD or A models.

Just a few cautions on the Canon models:
- Many of them have excellent hi-res LCD screens, but they do use some cheap low-res LCD screens on the less expensive A-series models. You might want to look carefully at the LCD screen before you buy if the pixel count is 115K or less.
- Image Stabilization is a valuable feature to have for steady shooting in low light, but only the models ending in "IS" have it.
- All of the less expensive Canon models in the SD-series and A-series have the smaller and cheaper 1/2.5" CCD sensors. That can cause the photos to suffer a bit from noise and limited dynamic range, and it tends to get worse with more megapixels, so you might not want to choose the model with the highest megapixels.