Hello, this guide is -not- about -all- digital cameras.  There are other reviews about digital cameras.  This guide is about my own experience with this model of digital camera.

In the digital world, there are 3 kinds of cameras:  Snapshot; Zoom and SLR.

This camera is the Zoom.  It is different because it has electronic Image Stabilization.  Which means there is no camera shake all the way out to 12X optical zoom.  That is as much zoom as you will probably ever need.  But, you can go to 48X digital enhanced zoom if you need more power.  It's at your fingertips!

This is an exceptional camera in everyway I can think of except 1 which I'll get to in a moment.  There are so many outstanding features, but the one I like best is the 12 power, image stabilized optical zoom lens.  That's because you can take long distance shots without camera shake associated with big zoom lenses.

It allows very long shots which normally could not be taken without a tripod.  That's because of the image stabilization.  Image stabilization has been around a long time, but it's now gotten REALLY good.  And inexpensive.

I've put two photos of my neighbor's house (which is a quarter mile from mine) here for you to see how well it does on long shots.

WOW is all I can say about it.  I would pay twice the price for this camera.  In addition to the 12x zoom, the macro is equally astonishing:  you can place the lens as close as you want to the item....I'm talking a 1/16th of an inch or even less!  Crystal clear up close.

I've owned several high end Nikon and Leica SLR's....(reflex cameras), and am used to changing lenses all the time.  While this may not be as prestigious as those brands, it is astonishing to say the least.

Here is my neighbor's house in the distance taken without zoom: it's right in the center of the un-retouched photo, very hard to see.....

And here is the same house with 12 power zoom.....reduced by 50% so you can see the actual house!  12 power is too much zoom, as you will see in the 3rd shot.

It's remarkable because you cannot shoot this picture on any camera except an 'image-stabilized' zoom lens.  All others will be blurry.  Or you will need to use a tripod and a huge, heavy 600mm zoom lens. 

Here's the house at full 12 power zoom.... you can actually see the individual tiles on the roof, and the signs of wear on them. 

Here's a HAND HELD picture of the moon at 12X zoom auto focus. 

And here is a 'slice' of it showing the craters.

And a woodpecker from 80 yards!  

Note that his face is in the shade, but you can still make out the detail on his face, yet his back is not 'blown out by the sunlight'.  This was a 'snapshot', no adjustment to the f-stop or shutter speed.  What you see is what you get from this camera most of the time!

And a Macro shot of the date on a quarter....hand held, no flash!  Hand held!  Wow! No blur, no need for a tripod. 

The controls are easy and simple to understand. 

The microphone in the video mode is remarkable because is has left/right seperation that you can actually hear.  And, you can plug the camera into your television with the cables it comes with.  Haven't done that yet, but it is just one more of the versatile features on this camera. 

For techies, there is a histogram display if you choose to use it..... so you can get really picky on image control....similar to the one found in Photoshop, except it's on the LCD screen.

The LCD screen is large, and I like that is swivels in all directions.

The only downside for me, is that it will only take 100 or so pics on 4 batteries.  So, I've spent the $34 on a set of Canon brand batteries and charger.

The other downside for me is shooting mountains in the far distance, with other objects in front of them.  I've tried spot and center focus, haven't tried 'evaluative' focus yet.  So far, my distant mountain scenery shots are not in focus.......I hope to update this soon after trying evaluative, but only so much time in the day for all my hobbies.

UPDATE:  Well DUH!  On the side of the lens is a button labeled MF for "Manual Focus".  Problem solved.  The camera is better having a manual focus ability than computerized.

Have fun with this camera, and please let others know about this guide by clicking on the YES button before you leave.

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Features and benefits of this camera

• Full-featured, compact 8.0 Megapixel digital camera with a 12x Optical Zoom
  Canon Optical Image Stabilizer Technology and ISO 1600 for steady shooting
  DIGIC III Image Processor with improved Face Detection Technology and Red-eye Correction for even better image quality and functionality
  High-resolution 2.5” vari-angle LCD for easy shooting at any angle
  Hot shoe adapter for the Speedlite EX Series external flashes
  Shoot easy movies with movies capable of 30 fps VGA or 60 fps QVGA. Also a convenient to use Movie Button, never having to switch to a shooting mode
  Print/Share Button for easy direct printing and downloading, plus ID Photo Print and Movie Print with select PIXMA Photo Printers, CP and SELPHY Compact Photo Printers
  Compatible with Secure Digital memory cards
  

Have fun with this camera, and please let others know about this guide by clicking on the YES button before you leave.

Thanks