Affordable point and shoot that takes high quality photos?

Question

I would like to buy a DSLR, but I'm in college right now and just can't afford it. I'm looking for a nice point and shoot camera that takes high quality photos.

I currently have a Kodak M883, but pictures taken inside or in low light are horrible. I'm interested in the Canon Powershot a590, but I'm open to any suggestions.

Preferably something less than $200.

Answer 1

I have the Kodak Z712- it's AWESOME! It has 7.1MP and 12x optical zoom- the pictures are crystal clear and look wonderful, even on full zoom! Office Max has them on sale this week for $159 and you get a free battery charger for it. Here's their site which also lists more of the camera's features:

http://www.officemax.com/omax/catalog/sk...

Answer 2

I just looked at the A590, and it looks like a good camera as long as you have a limit on what you care to spend.  It has a viewfinder, which will be very useful if you want to take pics in bright sunlight.  

I have had the A540 for over 2 years and it has been a very good camera.  Takes great pictures, and I don't need the flash a lot of times when I take pics indoors.  

Be sure you get a small case to keep it in, and always use the wrist strap.  I recommend the Sanyo eneloop rechargeable batteries.  They come charged and stay charged out of the camera.  Also they seem to last a long time in the camera.  I turn off the display sometimes, and that saves on the batteries.  You will need to buy a battery charger.

Get a card reader if your computer doesn't have a slot for the memory card.  You can put the card into the card reader and then into a USB port on your computer to upload your pictures.  That way, you can eliminate using the camera to upload, and save even more on batteries.  Have fun!