Best bang for the buck?

Hello all, first time poster here. I'm looking to get a good digital camera
for my wife for Christmas, but know very little about these camera's. I
would like to get her something that is fairly compact, easy to use (she
will point and shoot only, anything else and she wont use it), with good
picture quality being the most important and we may make prints as large as
8X10. The top of my spending range would be $400, but I'd like to spend
about $300 or less if possible.

Thanks

Does it have to colour coordinate with her purse? Sorry, I could not resist.
{bad dog}

I am happy with my Canon A85.

"Jack Dotson" <jdotson@stx.rr.com> wrote in message
news:qsgxd.59107$2e.37985@fe2.texas.rr.com...
> Hello all, first time poster here. I'm looking to get a good digital
> camera for my wife for Christmas, but know very little about these
> camera's. I would like to get her something that is fairly compact, easy
> to use (she will point and shoot only, anything else and she wont use it),
> with good picture quality being the most important and we may make prints
> as large as 8X10. The top of my spending range would be $400, but I'd
> like to spend about $300 or less if possible.
>
> Thanks
>

Rudy Benner wrote:
> Does it have to colour coordinate with her purse? Sorry, I could not resist.
> {bad dog}
>
> I am happy with my Canon A85.
>
> "Jack Dotson" <jdotson@stx.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:qsgxd.59107$2e.37985@fe2.texas.rr.com...
>
>>Hello all, first time poster here. I'm looking to get a good digital
>>camera for my wife for Christmas, but know very little about these
>>camera's. I would like to get her something that is fairly compact, easy
>>to use (she will point and shoot only, anything else and she wont use it),
>>with good picture quality being the most important and we may make prints
>>as large as 8X10. The top of my spending range would be $400, but I'd
>>like to spend about $300 or less if possible.
>>
>>Thanks


Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX7.

I have never used that camera but it has good spec. and image
stabailizer and large display. It looks decent, though not exactly
fashionable and most important, it fits your budget.

"Rudy Benner" <bennerREMOVE@personainternet.com> wrote in message
news:10sb5i53m688ebf@corp.supernews.com...
> Does it have to colour coordinate with her purse? Sorry, I could not
> resist. {bad dog}

Absolutely, that goes without saying! :-)

>
> I am happy with my Canon A85.
>
> "Jack Dotson" <jdotson@stx.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:qsgxd.59107$2e.37985@fe2.texas.rr.com...
>> Hello all, first time poster here. I'm looking to get a good digital
>> camera for my wife for Christmas, but know very little about these
>> camera's. I would like to get her something that is fairly compact, easy
>> to use (she will point and shoot only, anything else and she wont use
>> it), with good picture quality being the most important and we may make
>> prints as large as 8X10. The top of my spending range would be $400, but
>> I'd like to spend about $300 or less if possible.
>>
>> Thanks
>>
>
>

On 19/12/04 2:43 pm, in article qsgxd.59107$2e.37985@fe2.texas.rr.com, "Jack
Dotson" <jdotson@stx.rr.com> wrote:

> Hello all, first time poster here. I'm looking to get a good digital camera
> for my wife for Christmas, but know very little about these camera's. I
> would like to get her something that is fairly compact, easy to use (she
> will point and shoot only, anything else and she wont use it), with good
> picture quality being the most important and we may make prints as large as
> 8X10. The top of my spending range would be $400, but I'd like to spend
> about $300 or less if possible.
>
> Thanks
>
>
The new Olympus mju's look good. Small camera. Big screen. Choice of colors.

Given what you want to do with it, I would consider the Canon A75
(3.2MP). Fully automatic but with manual overrides if the creative mood
takes you.
I've just got one and I love it.