Canon PowerShot A2500 16.0 MP Digital Camera with 5X Optical Zoom and 720p HD Video Recording (Black)

This is my 6th point and shoot (P&S) camera in 9 years, ranging in price from $200-$300. I have had 1 Bell & Howell, 3 Nikons and this is my 2nd Canon P&S camera. The last 2 P&S cameras I had I literally wore out by taking so many pictures. I bought this as a second camera for my husband (who doesn't usually take pictures) to use when he goes hunting with my son. I chose a Canon because I have a Canon DSLR and love it. I also wanted an inexpensive camera, because I thought it would sit on the shelf for most of the year. Of course it did not come with a memory card, as I have yet to buy any camera that does.To test this camera, after shooting indoors for a bit, I took it to the park. Luckily, what started out as a sunny day turned cloudy, allowing me to test the camera in different lighting. This is a typical low priced P&S camera. Like all P&S cameras, this one performs best in bright, outdoor lighting. However, the ease of use and quality of pictures for the small price tag makes this a good buy. This is one of the better P&S cameras I have had.Although no instruction manual was in the box (other than the very basics), it was easy to figure out how to manually set this camera, which is a must for me. I liked the fact that it has a PROGRAM setting, which allows me to set a program manually. Even if I switch to another setting, it saves my manual settings, allowing me to switch back and forth between settings. That was great when I tested it, because the lighting went from sunny to cloudy and back again. I could easily switch from AUTO to LANDSCAPE to PROGRAM (my manually programmed settings) and back, depending on lighting and activity, all while holding my 6 month old. The pictures I took while holding my baby (who was trying to grab the camera) of my 4 other children who were riding a moving train turned out surprisingly good. I also manually adjusted the ISO to 1600 and took some shots while holding my squirming baby, and the pictures were not as noisy as I thought they would be.This is a great camera for the price. I would definitely recommend it for anyone, especially those who are ready to do some manual adjustments to get better pictures, but not ready to spend a lot of money. I am glad I bought this camera, and I am happy because I think I will actually use it more than I originally thought!

i bought the powershot for a class reunion weekend and it excelled! it gave me several hundred of the nicest photos i've ever taken and i cant wait to take it out and take some more photos! a couple videos too that also was very easy to do. what i really like about the powershot is you can SEE the photos right as you take it, so say one was blurry due to new user error. it shows you the photo and you can say right away " nope try again" that was VERY handy along with showing people thier photos in case they wanted a try #2. same with erasing very easy.before i bought this i knew nothing about Digital cameras, the last one i had was a film camera ten years ago. so this was my first digital camera purchase, and what a brilliant purchase it was, the amazon reviews and basic instructions were enough to know what i need and how use it, you must have a photo memory card ( not sent with the camera so when it says do you want the package YES you do!) and you must charge the battery beforehand and check it, if you are away from home make sure you take the battery charger and if you've used it alot check the battery i forgot to do that and the third night i couldnt take photos. it warned me.. i just thought.. nah.. it will be okay. ( nope but once it charged it was fine) but not only was it easy for me to take clear wonderful photos of my reunion weekend, it was easy for my friends taking photos with it too to just use it as well. the automatic sensing flash was nice too. the digital uploads of the photos ( with separate purchase of the cable) also could not have been easier. i also liked the little bag that came with the package. it had a nice belt clip. also if i didnt have a belt loop it was very easy to tuck in my pocket and not have to schlump a large camera and case along. it was dropped by accident on a hardwood floor and kept on going with no problems. everybody went oh no! and i was like nope! its good! say cheese!the price couldnt have been nicer also.. very pleased with my new Canon Powershot!