Outstanding value in a camera

I started looking for a camera last November (it is late June as I am writing this); my dad promised me a camera for my birthday, and I needed to decide what I wanted. I have previously used an older-model Pentax IQZoom 90WR date, and loved it--it took great pictures, and was convenient to carry and to use. I looked into several brands, and ultimately decided on another Pentax. My only other real consideration was a Canon, which I quickly eliminated when I picked up one of their cameras and tried using their awkwardly-placed zoom buttons--an outstanding example of dumb design, if you ask me. The Pentax models I looked at featured a comfortable, convenient thumbwheel switch for zoom control.

I was originally most interested in the current version of the IQZoom 90; I wanted a camera that had a decent zoom range, and one that had a little weight to it. I've used the ultralight cameras before, and have had trouble getting good pictures out of them--they are so light that they are impossible to hold steady. The Pentaxes I've used are light enough that I'm willing to carry them with me (as compared to my dad's Canon EOS-1 outfit, an outstanding camera that he never uses because he doesn't want to carry it), but have enough weight that I can get them steady (as opposed to, say, the Canon ELPH, a neat idea that just doesn't work for me). I liked the features in the Pentax, and decided that the 38-90 mm zoom range would be ideal for my purposes and budget (dad set a limit...). I would have preferred the 105 (or 140, or 160...), but just couldn't justify the price.

Fortunately for me, the store where I bought the thing was having a sale, which brought the cost of the 105G down to $159. Dad approved it, and I had the camera I wanted.

I've had several rolls developed, and it takes outstanding pictures. I take a lot of pictures at night, and have found the "bulb mode" very useful--it holds the shutter open as long as you hold the release button. Pictures are sharp and well-exposed. I haven't killed the battery yet, but I've only had it since about February, so I really don't know. The "battery life" column indicates how many shots I've taken, and the battery still seems very strong. And the weight, though just a hair lighter than my old IQZoom 90, is still sufficient to make shooting easy and stable. Overall, I love this camera. It doesn't have the most features, or the longest zoom range, but even at the regular price, it is tough to beat.