Camera question?

Question

Alright, I have to make the all important desicion of buying a digital camera.

The main uses will most likely be:

1. Used on my European Vacation in about 2 weeks

2. Used to take fast-actioned sports pictures

3. Just taking pictures at social events with my friends

a couple camereas i was looking at were the Nikon Coolpix 10.0MP Digital Camera, the Canon PowerShot 8.0-Megapixel Digital ELPH Camera, and the front runner in my eyes right now, the Olympus Stylus 10.1MP Digital Camera.

what are your suggestions for cameras? thanks to everyone who answered!

Answer 1

The cameras you looked at are excellent for uses #1 and #3.  But for #2, "fast-actioned sports pictures", you'll be sadly disappointed.  

Every compact digital is plagued by the curse of shutterlag.  That's the irritating hesitation between the moment you press the shutterbutton and the moment the camera captures the action.  

Even with practice, is nearly impossible to freeze the kick, the catch, the move, and the moment.  Except to capture the moment after, or a pretty blur.

The best type of camera for your needs won't be pocketable.  Your photo requirements call for a dslr, like a Nikon D40/D60, a Canon XTi, XSi, or some of the others made by Pentax, Olympus, or Sony.

Last summer, our extended family toured China with a mix of compact digitals, superzoom digitals, and dslr's. For the scenic and family shots, all worked well.  But when it came to capturing action or low-light situations, the dslr's were the only ones that brought the memories back home.