Canon PowerShot A2300 is 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5X Digital Image Stabilized Zoom 28mm Wide-Angle Lens with 720p HD Video Recording (Black)

I have owned the same Olympus camera for the past 12 years. I refused to get rid of the big and bulky older model because it took such high quality pictures. I didn't think any camera out there could top it but I was wrong. This little camera packs a lot of bang for the buck. My old camera didn't zoom in very closely but I can get great close ups with my new PowerShot. I was looking for a less bulky smaller camera and I have to admit that when I pulled it out of the box my first reaction was that it's definitely smaller and I hope it takes good pics. This camera is slightly larger than a deck of cards. I took it to a festival and hoped and prayed that the pictures would take. I downloaded them as soon as I got home. The quality is superb! It's even better than my old Olympus. My husband was so impressed with my tiny camera that now he wants to get rid of his 10 year old model Cannon for one. His words "I can't believe that little bitty camera took those great shots." Pics are not grainy, dim or distorted and true to colors. I carry it everywhere with me now in my purse which is something I would not do with my bulky older model. I love the color of the camera too. I ordered the red but it actually looks more pink to me which is what I was hoping for any way. You will not be disappointed with this camera. I am a point-and-shoot picture taker who doesn't want to mess with shutters, settings or anything else and this camera is absolutely perfect for me. I highly recommend it for other point-and-shooters as well. The price just can't be beat. I should also mention that it was a toss up between purchasing a Canon and a much more expensive Nikon Coolpix. I chose the Canon after reading the reviews here and I'm glad I did. I am extremely pleased with my purchase. Worth mentioning: It was packaged very well and arrived quickly. I ordered it two days before the festival, next day service, hoping that I might I get it in time. I did and was able to load the memory card, charge the battery (another feature I love - rechargeable battery) and read the operator's manual before the next morning.

Love the battery pack. I've noticed that any camera with a battery pack tends to last a lot longer on a charge than those that just take batteries. The downside of having to recharge a battery pack is pretty obvious though as you can't just change the batteries on the fly if you want to, unless you've planned ahead and bought an extra battery and charged it up ahead of time as well.I suggest a higher quality SD card than the standard. The pictures save a lot faster, though it's not terrible with a standard SD card either. SD's are just so cheap though, that you might as well opt for a high speed card and not have to worry about missing out on a second shot during a critical moment where you're trying to capture something that you know is only going to last for seconds. It's pretty frustrating when you're first shot looks like crap because you shook too much and you didn't get a chance to take a second shot because you're camera is busy saving! I don't mean to be too harsh though because this camera doesn't take longer than the average to save an image. It's just a drawback of digital cameras at this price point in general.The quality and clarity of the photos are amazing, except in low light situations. In these situations it still does a lot better than any other camera at this price point. If you're overly concerned about this, you're going to have to spend at the very least another $50 to go with a camera with a CMOS sensor. The best cheap CMOS camera I've seen is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-SZ7 at $130. I can't hold this Canon's low-light shortcomings against it though because as I said, it does better than anything else at this price point that I've seen.The only genuinely frustrating thing I've experienced so far is that the camera relies pretty heavily on you either knowing what you're doing, or on you pressing the "auto" button before snapping each shot. The camera takes really nice pictures when the settings are right and it does a good job of selecting the right setting for you if you hit the "auto" button before each picture, but taking a picture on the wrong setting can result in some gruesome photos.Overall I don't know that there's anything better on the market at this price point right now. Give it a month or two though!

I was in full excitement waiting for this product through the mail, then opening it up on Christmas. When I tried the camera out for the first time, it was in my basement and the lighting was pretty poor. For this reason, the camera was so fuzzy and grainy, my heart started pounding. What did I get myself into? Of course, I knew my location and I knew this was a factor, but I was still uneasy. However, I realized after a few snaps (okay a lot, I couldn't help myself) the camera just appears to be grainy, the photos come out so clear and nice! It's weird, but I don't mind it. The photos get even better in more/better light, and even better when taken outdoors. The close up pictures are astounding, I couldn't believe the quality. I was even happier because that's what I wanted. The zoom is great, but with 5x, you can't expect to zoom in on the little things. I bought this camera for $80 and let me just say, it was a steal. No device is perfect, and you can't expect a high quality professional camera for this low price. However, you can expect very nice quality, an easy use, and durable design! I recommend this product if you're on a budget but still want to take great pictures. (keep in mind this is a $140 camera that I only payed $80 for, I'm happy.)