Hi Kristine,
I am a very amateur photographer, so I'm certainly not an authority on this
subject. But I recently purchased, after a ton of research, the Panasonic
Lumix FZ10. I have been extremely happy with it so far.
Here's why I got this one: I wanted at least 4 megapixel so I could get 8x10
(or even 11x14) prints made, I wanted as big a zoom lens as I could get
without spending thousands, it should take very high-quality pictures
(obviously), and it should be easy enough for a novice yet adjustable enough
for when I get better and want more control. Several cameras do all this
(with at least a 10x optical zoom), but I chose the FZ10 primarily because
it had a slightly more powerful zoom (12x, 36x if you add it's digital zoom
capability) and, more importantly, it was the only one that has image
stabilization. That means it adjusts to the shake of your hand when you
press the shutter, so you can take very clear pictures even without a
tripod, even at high zoom levels. Great feature.
I've only had it a short time but the pictures so far are excellent just
using the pre-set settings. I've seen lots of reviews and message boards
where this camera is discussed... the comments I've seen go way beyond what
I know at this point, but they're mostly favorable.
Two problems: 1) it only comes with a 16MB storage card... I had to buy a
bigger one, and 2) it's bigger than most digicams. It's more like a SLR
shape... definitely won't fit in your pocket. This is ok with me (I like
that it feels like a "real" camera), but many people want something smaller.
I paid about $500 from a web site and about another $55 for a 128MB card.
That's about $50 - $100 more than some of its "ultra-zoom" competitors, but
it seems like the right one for my purposes.
I hope this helps, and have a great time in Hawaii!
Matt Bender
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