I am not a professional photographer and wanted a digital camera for easy documentation of the activities of the non-profit organisation I work with and also for use in my personal website. When I first visited some of the sites featuring digicams, I got totally confused by the number of options available in the market. After some research thanks to mouthshut.com and dpreview.com, I narrowed down to two cameras - the Canon Power Shot A300 and Nikon Cool Pix 3200.

But once I went to the shop to check out the models physically, the choice was quite clear. I completely agree with Meleahk1, the A300 is an excellent entry level camera for non-professional users like me.

Plus Points:
+ 3.2 mega pixels - excellent photo quality even when printed. Highest available at this price range.
+ Easy to use, even for first time users - but be sure to read the manual first.
+ 5.1x digital zoom - the quality of the pictures do not drop even at full zoom.
+ 5-point autofocus with focus lock option - very efficient, allows you to choose the focus of the frame.
+ Powerful built-in flash - has a range of about 6 ft.
+ Bright LCD screen - clear visibility in the dark as well as in brightly lit areas.
+ Video mode - Allows unlimited length video with sound. You have to have a big enough memory card though!
+ Software included - The PC connect software included in the CD is excellent. I’m a great fan of the PhotoStitch software that does a great job of stitching together photographs taken in panorama mode.

I could go on and on about the many more features that are packed into this compact and good looking camera. But there are some things that could have been a little better.

Minus Points:
- The Still/Video mode selection button is rather loose and its placement is such that it sometimes gets shifted while taking the camera out of its case.
- Battery life is rather low. A pair of standard alkaline cells give no more than 40 shots. I highly recommend a pair of NiMH rechargeable cells that last much longer.
- I have not found any way of superimposing the dates on the photographs while printing or viewing.
- The mic is not very good, thus audio recording in video shoots are of low quality.

But in spite of all these I am very satisfied with this camera as it serves my purpose perfectly. I got it for Rs. 14,500 along with a Canon Bubblejet colour printer that was coming free with it. I invested an additional Rs. 2000 for 128MB Compact Flash Card plus Rs. 500 for a carry case. This I think is very good value for money.

Purchase Price (INR):

14500