Reviews Written by Alex

Best you can get before going SLR

Pros: Quick start up, great image quality, good video quality, great optical zoom length, hot shoe flash mount

Cons: No RAW support, autofocus a little lagging sometimes.

This is probably on of the best pro-sumer cameras you can get without going to an SLR. The Digic III image processor puts out great clear images. Plenty of preset settings for indoor, beach, night, sport, etc. and also full manual capability for creative freedom. I know this is a ""point n shoot" but I miss being able to manually focus using the lens barrel like you can on an SLR. The auto focus can sometimes lag when you need a quick response, you need to hold cam pretty still to allow the focus to lock in. When it does, however, its very sharp, and the face tracking works well. That said, I will get used to the focus quirk for the mere fact that I can take video clips, unlike an SLR. The video quality is not Mini DV quality, but very acceptable. With stereo sound, full zoom capability while recording and the ability to snap pics while recording. Also there is a dedicated record button, no need to turn the dial to movie mode. Other reviews knocks this cam for not upgrading the optics, claiming other cams like Sony are catching up. I say this is a case of proven technology being passed forward, these optics were proven in the S3 and the Digic III processor is a big plus upgrade. If you are looking for SLR quality with the ability to shoot video, this is a strong contender. If you want RAW file support, then maybe the Canon G9 is for you. Hope this helps. ...