Best Bang for the Buck...Consumer Reports thinks so, too!

I started out with a 2 megapixel sony, which lasted for about 2 years before it stopped working. I was considering buying another one of the sony dsc models, but my wife put the brakes on that idea. I researched heavily for the new camera after that, and time after time I arrived at the powershot A75.

I wanted a camera with AA batteries, because you can buy them anywhere if your batteries die in the field. If you have a battery that's made especially for your camera and the battery dies you're screwed (unless you carry your charger and a very long extension cord). With this camera I can walk into just about any store in the world and buy those AA's.

I wanted a 3 megapixel camera because it suited my needs the best. This camera will produce beautiful, photo-quality pics up to a 5 x 7 size. If you're not planning on enlarging beyond 5 x 7 size, these 3 m.p.'s will suit you just fine. Most people, myself included, get 4 x 6 prints 95% of the time anyway. We've actually had a number of people compliment us on how professional our pictures look. They're surprised when we tell them that the pics came from a sub $200 camera.

The numerous modes for different settings are nice, too. I bought a portable tripod from walmart for $5. I use it for night-mode pics when I want the shutter speed to be slowed down and need the camera to be immobile. We have used the stitch-assist mode to make some great panoramic shots. The software even lets you save them as quicktime VR. This basically lets you take pictures in a 360 degree circle, stitch them together and then you can pan around the image. We are anxious to use the underwater mode for scuba diving, but we have to save up enough money to buy the underwater case for the camera. At any rate, there are enough mode settings to cover just about any situation you may be in. The camera lets you adjust all of the settings manually (shutter speed, white balance, etc.), if you really want, but I don't know how to do that. I rely on the mode settings to help me get great pics.

The video mode is great, too. I initially thought I wanted more than 30 seconds of record time (the limit on 640 x 480 resolution), but I've realized that most of the time I'm taking short clips of stuff anyway. When I want a long video, I pick up my video camera.

Now to address the major complaints:

Many people complain about the build quality of the camera and numerous doors and switches. I bought a padded samsonite case (again, at Target) for about $10. I am gentle with my camera, and always put it in the case when not in use. I haven't had any issues with any part of mine breaking yet.

Many people also complain that the camera eats through alkaline batteries like there's no tomorrow. With this in mind I went to Target on the way home from buying the camera and bought an economy 1 hour charger and four NiMH batteries for about 25 bucks. I always make sure I charge the batteries up completely before I go anywhere, and I've used it for very long periods in the field and never had the batteries die on me. Save the alkalines for spares...they'll last long enough to get you by in a pinch.

There are other complaints about the megapixel size, zoom, image quality, etc. Basically, these people wanted a professional quality camera, but only wanted to pay for a point-and-shoot. There are obviously cameras with better image quality and more high-end features, but you have to pay for that. This camera gives you more features than most people know what to do with and produces great pictures.

I hope all of this rambling helps somebody with their decision when buying a camera. Don't just take my word on this camera, though. Consumer Reports rated this a CR Best Buy, which essentially says you can't buy a better camera in it's price range. 'Nuf said.